From Hawaii to the coast of Maine, service members, veterans, and military spouses are turning to entrepreneurship as a post-service career. Whether they’re pursuing a business similar to Sam Walton, Army veteran and Wal-Mart co-founder, or Fred Smith, Marine Corps veteran and FedEx founder, veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners are translating the skills they learned while on active duty into business skills.
Veteran entrepreneurs bring unmatched perseverance, organization, and strength into civilian roles.
While they are well-poised to become business owners, veterans do not need to take this entrepreneurial journey alone. SBA is here to help veterans by providing resources, such as access to capital, training, counseling, mentorship, and government contracting opportunities whether they are starting, growing, or expanding their businesses.
To spread awareness of the veteran entrepreneurial journey, SBA celebrates National Veterans Small Business Week, now in its sixth year, Nov. 4-8. This year’s theme is Mission #VetBiz Success, and SBA district offices, resource partners, and local organizations will host events tailored to boost the business journey for aspiring and current veteran entrepreneurs.
Nearly 2.5 million veteran business owners employ 6 million American workers and produce more than $1 trillion in sales every year. Just as veterans served our country in uniform, they continue to serve our country as business owners. And it’s our duty at the SBA to support them on their next mission with a variety of resources. One of the free resources is the Boots to Business entrepreneurship training program.
Boots to Business teaches the fundamentals of business ownership at 200 military installations worldwide. Since 2013, the program has helped more than 100,000 veterans start and grow their businesses.
Meanwhile, the SBA’s 22 Veterans Business Outreach Centers provide resources designed to help service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses boost their business goals through services, such as trainings, workshops and tailored business counseling.
This year, the SBA partnered with the Veteran Entrepreneurial Training Network to kick off a new cohort of veteran business owners looking to grow their businesses. The first cohort is underway now in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and we look forward to witnessing the success of this program.
With National Veterans Small Business Week this week and Veterans Day quickly approaching, I encourage all Americans to join me in celebrating veterans and veteran business owners. Thank you to those who have served our country in uniform and now as civilians.
For more information about National Veterans Small Business Week and events happening near you, visit sba.gov/vetbiz
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