The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Veterans Business Development is proud to provide entrepreneurial counseling and training to veterans, service-disabled veterans, military spouses, and National Guard and Reserve service members through programs like Boots to Business, Boots to Business Reboot , and the Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC).
This week the SBA celebrates National Veterans Small Business Week. SBA district offices are hosting events nationwide that connect current and future veteran entrepreneurs to entrepreneurship resources while highlighting the accomplishments of veteran small business owners, such as:
- Michael and Kerry Stacks - Bold Mariner Brewing Company – Leveraged assistance from his local VBOC to secure an SBA-backed loan to start a brewing company with his wife, Kerry.
- Torrance Hart - Teak & Twine – Built on the training she learned in the Boots to Business entrepreneurship training course, and counseling from her local VBOC, she stared a successful e-commerce business when she left the Air Force.
- Tony Turin - Mt. Hood Eye Care - Attended a Boots to Business training course to learn the basics of opening an optometry business with his wife, Kim. His business plan received a $15,000 grant from Citi Salutes.
- Thom Besch, Col. (Ret.), US Army - Veteran Solar Systems – Contacted a local VBOC and attended a Boots to Business: Reboot class to find resources for his existing solar panel business.
During National Veterans Small Business Week, and going forward, share your veteran small business success story or show your appreciation for veteran entrepreneurs by joining the conversation online using the #MyVetBiz hashtag.
Celebrate this National Veterans Small Business Week by visiting www.sba.gov/myvetbiz to learn more about events, courses and resources available to support your entrepreneurial success.