May is Military Appreciation Month and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) salutes our nation’s service members and veterans for all that they do for America. Transitioning out of the military after years of service can be both an exciting and stressful experience. Service members preparing for re-entry into civilian life may wonder what’s next, and where they can earn a living using skills they learned in the military.
While every post-military career path is different for each person, many veterans choose entrepreneurship as their next mission. Veterans have many traits and skills that are essential for running a successful business. For transitioning service members and veterans who are interested in entrepreneurship (or already own businesses), the SBA offers a variety of tailored funding programs, trainings, and federal contracting opportunities.
Entrepreneurial Training for Veterans
SBA entrepreneurial training opportunities for veterans include:
- Boots to Business (B2B): B2B is offered by the SBA as a training track of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Offered at military installations worldwide for service members and their spouses, this course teaches the fundamentals of business ownership.
- Boots to Business Reboot (B2B Reboot): B2B Reboot brings the Boots to Business course off installations and into communities. It extends access to veterans, military spouses, and National Guard/Reserve members.
- Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (WVETP): Through the WVETP, a network of SBA partners delivers small business development training to women service members, women veterans, and military spouses. SBA supports the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) and Lift Fund – San Antonio training programs, available exclusively for women veterans through grantees.
- Service-Disabled Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (SDVETP): The SDVETP provides entrepreneurship training programs to aspiring or current service-disabled veteran small business owners. SBA funds entrepreneurship training programs for service-disabled veterans through grantees:
- Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship Training Program (VFPETP): The VFPETP delivers entrepreneurship training to veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses that are interested in pursuing or are already engaged in selling goods and service to the federal government. The National Center for Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) is funded through a cooperative agreement with the SBA.
Federal Contracting for Veterans
There are several SBA programs that can help small business owners win contracts from the federal government. For veterans specifically, SBA offers the following contracting assistance program:
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside: The federal government tries to award at least 3% of annual federal contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Learn more about the program’s eligibility requirements.
Veterans interested in starting their own businesses – or veterans with an existing business who are looking for an extra boost – should also connect with their local Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC). VBOCs provide business mentoring to veterans, offering support on everything from business plans to finances and marketing.
The SBA is proud to help veterans to successfully start, grow, and expand their businesses. As a veteran, you already have the leadership, resiliency, resourcefulness, and other qualities needed to build a thriving business. The SBA can provide further support by enhancing your knowledge of business best practices and offering contracting assistance. We’re with you every step of the way on your entrepreneurship journey.
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