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‘Tis the Season to Help Your Fellow Entrepreneur: StartupNation® Helps Soldier Get Work, Feed Family

Business owners rush to aid entrepreneur who lost small business after serving our country

Birmingham , MI – December 15, 2004 – Only a few months ago, Matthew McMurray was serving active duty in Iraq . He finally returned home, but his small construction business was now non-existent due to his absence. With this and the cost of funeral expenses for his father-in-law, he was forced to feed his family road-kill deer. Having nowhere to turn, Matt wrote an e-mail to entrepreneurial experts Jeff and Rich Sloan, who host the nationally-syndicated StartupNation ® Radio program. The Sloan brothers responded, and Matt told his story on the air. Immediately, numerous entrepreneurs called in to provide job-finding tips and schedule job interviews with Matt.

“Rich, I am at the end of my rope,” wrote Matt. “My options are grim at this point. We don’t have any money for Christmas, and we haven’t been grocery shopping since September with the exception of milk, eggs, bread and fresh vegetables.  Our food supply is getting low and we have no money or credit to purchase any. I did manage to get myself a road-kill deer though. The deployment in ‘03 had devastated us. My wife’s Dad died October 17th in the Philippines , and we had to use the rest of our cash and credit to go. I have no other options. Please advise me. What would you do?  I know that you don’t know me, but I’m lost here.”

On the StartupNation Radio program December 4 th, Matt explained that he was a licensed builder with expertise in architectural design, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. Fellow entrepreneurs called in and suggested he contact national home improvement and renovation companies. Then, off air, Matt was contacted by a former employer, Don Lukemire. Don heard Matt on StartupNation Radio. And coincidentally, Don and Matt were in the same 4 th Infantry Division of the armed forces, 30 years apart.Don was in Vietnam and Matt was in Iraq.

The two discussed options and decided to work together. Don offered Matt full-time work, necessary resources and the security of his established corporation while he handled all the overhead, expenses and marketing for a new division of his 30-year old corporation. The new venture is called Anytime, Inc., Residential and Commercial Maintenance and Alteration Professionals, www.anytimeinc.com.

“I was not surprised that so many people wanted to help me,” states Matt. “’Tis the season, and there are some really good people around here.

“This demonstrates the power of the entrepreneurial community and how we stick together to help one another,” states Jeff Sloan. “At StartupNation we inspire and inform people to start their own businesses and take control of their lives. Matt is a guy who put his life on the line to defend that basic freedom.”