The U.S. Small Business Administration offers support for veterans as they enter the world of business ownership. Look for funding programs, training, and federal contracting opportunities. Here is a list of such services. (Links are provided by the SBA.)

Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD)

Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD)

Devoted exclusively to promoting veteran entrepreneurship, the OVBD facilitates the use of all U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) programs by veterans, service-disabled veterans, reservists, active-duty service members, transitioning service members, and their dependents or survivors.

SBA programs provide access to capital and preparation for small business opportunities. They can also connect veteran small business owners with federal procurement and commercial supply chains.

The Veterans Business Outreach Center Program is an OVBD initiative that oversees Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) across the country. This small business program features a number of success stories and offers business plan workshops, concept assessments, mentorship, and training for eligible veterans.

Find your nearest center.

Funding for veteran-owned small businesses

You can use SBA tools like Lender Match to connect with lenders. In addition, SBA makes special consideration for veterans through several programs.

• The Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (MREIDL): Provides loans of up to $2 million to cover operating costs that cannot be met due to the loss of an essential employee called to active duty in the Reserves or National Guard.

Veteran entrepreneurship training programs

SBA programs feature customized curriculums, in-person classes, and online courses to give veterans the training to succeed. These programs teach the fundamentals of business ownership and provide access to SBA resources and small business experts.

• Boots to Business: An entrepreneurial program offered on military installations around the world and a training track of the U.S. Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Boots to Business Reboot extends the entrepreneurship training offered in TAP to veterans of all eras in their communities. Boots to Business Revenue Readiness is available after completion of Boots to Business or Boots to Business Reboot and provides a six-week virtual program that prepares participants to take their business idea from concept to an executable business model.
• Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (WVETP): Provides entrepreneurial training to women veterans, women service members, and women spouses of service members and veterans as they start or grow a business. SBA funds these entrepreneurship training programs available exclusively for women veterans through grantees:
• IVMF – Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)
  • Lift Fund – San Antonio
  • ONABEN
• Service-Disabled Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (SDVETP): Provides entrepreneurship training program(s) to service-disabled veteran entrepreneurs who aspire to be small business owners or currently own a small business. SBA funds entrepreneurship training programs for service-disabled veterans through grantees:
  • IVMF – Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV)
  • Veterans Entrepreneurship Program (VEP) – Riata Center for Entrepreneurship, Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University
  • Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans – St. Joseph’s University – St. Joseph’s University
  • Dog Tag Inc.
• Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship Training Program (VFPETP): Delivers entrepreneurship training to veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses nationwide interested in pursuing, or already engaged in federal procurement.
  • Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

Government contracting programs for veterans

Every year, the federal government awards a portion of contracting dollars specifically to businesses owned by military veterans. Also, small businesses owned by veterans may be eligible to purchase surplus property from the federal government. 

Check out the rules of eligibility for these government contracting programs for veterans.

Military spouse resources

Military spouse entrepreneurs and business owners have access to the same small business programs and resources that are available to service members and veterans. Find training, counseling, access to capital, and contracting resources.

Links to More Veterans Business Development Resources | 2021

Content

• Veterans, Service Members, and Military Spouses
• Women Veterans
• Service-Disabled Veterans
• Reserve and National Guard Members
• Resource Partners
• Other Government Resources
• Federal Advisory Committees
• Other SBA Resources
• Grant Opportunities and Documents

Veterans, Service Members, and Military Spouses

• Boots to Business
• Boots to Business Reboot
• Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program
• Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)
• Resources for Military Spouses
• Veteran Owned Small Business Growth Training Program

Women Veterans

• WVETP Grant Announcement – Q&A Conference Call
• IVMF – Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)
• Lift Fund – Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Program
• Boots to Business Reboot
• Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)
• ONABEN – Beyond the Boots: A Veteran and Service Member Initiative

Service-Disabled Veterans

• Dog Tag, Inc. Fellowship Program
• Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University – Riata Center for Entrepreneurship
• IVMF – Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV)
• St. Joseph’s University – Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans
• Boots to Business Reboot
• Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

Reserve and National Guard Members

• Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (MREIDL)
• Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program
• Boots to Business Reboot
• Dog Tag, Inc. Fellowship Program
• Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

Resource Partners

• SCORE
• Women’s Business Centers
• Small Business Development Centers
• National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC) 
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Hiring Our Heroes

Other Government Resources

• Surplus Personal Property for Veteran-Owned Small Business programs
• U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Programs
• The Federal Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
• EEOC Small Business Resource Center
• Report – Financing Their Future: Veteran Entrepreneurs and Capital Access

Federal Advisory Committees

• Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development
• Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs

Other SBA Resources

• SBA’s Government Contracting Classroom
• SBA Offices and Program Locator
• Veterans Business Development Officers

Grant Opportunities and Documents

• OVBD Grant Documents
• Grants.gov
• General Services Administration – Schedules
• System for Award Management

Photo: GettyImages | The content found on this list are provided by the U.S. Veterans Administration.

In the U.S., the last Monday in May is Memorial Day, a federal holiday honoring the men and women who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. During this Memorial Day weekend, we encourage you to spend some time remembering the sacrifice these men and women made.

Memorial Day is sometimes confused with Veterans Day, which honors all those who have served in the armed forces. It is appropriate that we honor our veterans these two holidays — and throughout the year.

As a small business, one of the best ways to display that honor is to hire veterans who, as we’ve noted, make great employees.

In the SmallBusiness.com Guide to Resources for Military Veterans, you will find links to resources that will help you find and recruit veterans. Also, in the guide, veterans can find links to resources for veterans who want to start a business.

Here are links the Veterans Administration has provided to various events in Washington, DC. There are also events planned in cities across the country,

Memorial Day Resources

• History of Memorial Day
• Memorial Day Order
• National Cemetery Administration
• National and State Veterans Cemeteries
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Displaying the Flag at Half-staff
• General Flag Display Guidelines
• Folding the Flag
• Poppy Flower
• Taps

We honor all active-duty members of our armed forces, our military veterans, and especially those who paid the ultimate price in service to their country.

Also on SmallBusiness.com

• By the Numbers: U.S. Veteran-Owned Businesses | 2018
• SmallBusiness.com Guide to Resources for Military Veterans

Photo: GettyPhoto

In the U.S., Monday, November 11, 2019, is Veterans Day, a national holiday honoring those who have served in the nation’s armed services. 

At SmallBusiness.com, we use Veteran’s Day as an opportunity to remind our users that we have many links to resources developed for veterans who own small businesses, or who want to start one.

We also link to resources for employers who want to hire veterans, recognizing the not only their service but the skills, discipline, and other attributes that vets developed while serving.

Bookmark and Share:
The SmallBusiness.com Guide to
Resources for Military Veterans

(And thank you for your service.)

Photo: U.S. Navy

Thinkstock

As we’ve  often shared, military veterans can be great employees–and great owners–of small businesses. The following statistics related to U.S military veterans who own businesses were issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy in April 2017. The source of the data is the most recent U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners conducted in 2012. That survey had 80 sets of data containing veteran-related information released in December 2015 and February 2016. The complete study and sources can be found in this PDF.

Overview of  veteran-owned businesses

2.52 million |  Businesses in the U.S. that are majority-owned by veterans

442,485 | Veteran-owned businesses with employees
2.08 million | Self-employed veteran businesses (no employees)

9.1% | Percentage of all U.S. businesses that are majority-owned by veterans

$1.14 trillion | Total annual revenues of veteran-owned businesses
5.03 million | Total number of employees of veteran-owned businesses
$195 billion | Annual payroll of veteran-owned businesses

Ranking of industries for veteran-owned businesses

The top seven industries for veteran-owned firms as a percentage of all veteran-owned businesses.

16.6% | Professional, scientific, and technical services
12.2% | Construction
11.8% | Other services
8.6%  | Real estate
8.1% | Retail trade
8.1% | Retail trade
8.0% | Administrative and support

Industries with the highest percentage of veteran-owned businesses

While 9.1 percent of all U.S. businesses are veteran-owned, the percentage of veteran-owned businesses varies by industry.

12.8% | Finance and insurance (Percentage of industry businesses owned by veterans)
12.1% | Transportation and warehousing
11.4% | Construction
11.3% | Agriculture, forestry and fishing
10.9% | Utilities
10.8% | Professional, scientific, and technical services
10.2% | Manufacturing

video via YouTube

Veteran-owned firms by gender

84.3% | Male veteran-owned businesses
15.2% | Female veteran-owned businesses

Veteran-owned firms by owners’ race or ethnicity

Multiple categories could be chosen. Self-identified answer.

85.1% | White
10.7% | African American
7% | Hispanic
2.1% | Asian American
1.3% | American Indian or Alaska Native
.3% | Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

States with most veteran-owned businesses

252,377 | California
213,590 |  Texas
185,756 | Florida
137,532 | New York
97,969 | Pennsylvania

States where the highest percentage of all businesses are veteran-owned 

13% | South Carolina
12.2% |  New Hampshire
11.7% | Virginia
11.7% | Alaska
11.4% | Mississippi

Who are the major customers of veteran-owned small businesses?

Major customers are those who account for 10 percent or more of a firm’s sales.

67.6% | Consumers
37.9% | Businesses
5.1% | State and local governments
3.2% | Federal government

Age

Veteran business owners are older than business owners in general.

74% | 55 years old and over (veteran-owned business)
41% | 55 years old and over (“all owners”)

11.7% | Under 45 years old (veteran-owned business)
32.5% | Under 45 years old (“all owners”)

3.4% | Under 35 years old (veteran-owned business)
13.5% | Under 35 years old (“all owners”)

Method of  veteran-owned business startup

85.3%  | Founded (not purchased or inherited) their self-employed business
74.3% | Founded (not purchased or inherited) their business with employees

10.8% | Owners who purchased their businesses
2.7% | Inherited their businesses
2.8% | Acquired their ownership by transfer or as gift

Full Report (PDF) | Veteran-Owned Businesses and Their Owners, Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners

Photo: istock

(Updated November 9, 2017) As part of our on-going salute to U.S. military veterans who own (or who are want to start), here is a list of Small Business Administration programs and agencies that encourage the creation and support of veteran-owned businesses. This list is a part of the SmallBusiness.com Guide to Resources for Military Veterans. 

(Photo via MediaWiki Commons)

SBA Office of Veterans Business Development

Offers a number of programs and services to support and empower aspiring and existing veteran entrepreneurs and military spouses. SBA provides training and mentorship, access to capital, preparation for opportunities in federal procurement, and cultivation of connections within commercial supply chains and disaster relief assistance. Each year, SBA serves over 200,000 veterans, service disabled veterans and military spouses across the United States and at military installations around the globe.

Boots to Business

The two-step entrepreneurial program offered by the SBA on military installations around the world as a training track of the Department of Defense (DOD) Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

Boots to Business|Reboot

Extends the entrepreneurship training offered in TAP on military installations to veterans of all eras in their communities.

Veterans Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)

An SBA funded program provided by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. V-WISE includes online training, a conference that harnesses the unique esprit de corps of women veterans and female military spouses, and follow-on mentoring through a community of partners.

The National Center for Veterans Institute for Procurement

Extends the entrepreneurship training offered in TAP on military installations to veterans of all eras in their communities.

Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)

Provides entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and mentoring for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business.

The Veteran Entrepreneur Portal (VEP) is designed to save you time with direct access to the resources necessary to guide every step of entrepreneurship. VEP makes it easier for small businesses to access federal services, regardless of its source—and quickly connects Veteran entrepreneurs to relevant ‘best-practices’ and information.

SCORE Veteran Fast Launch Initiative

Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (MREIDL)

(U.S. Army Golden Eagles, Photo: via armygk.com)

More resources for U.S. military veterans who own a small business or who want to start a small business can be found in the SmallBusiness.com Guide to Resources for Military Veterans.

Cover photo: U.S. Marine Corps

]]> https://smallbusiness.com/employees/five-traits-of-military-veterans/ Tue, 10 Nov 2015 22:01:11 +0000 http://smallbusiness.com/?p=16926

A study by Payscale indicates the military prepares its men and women well for business in our technological age. The study shows that veterans are most often hired for technology jobs, which isn’t surprising since today’s military depends heavily on technology. The study also noted that businesses may be unaware that the military instills character and personality traits that are valuable to small businesses. Here are just five (of many) traits that make it a smart decision for small businesses to hire veterans.

 1. Leadership

(Image: via wikimedia commons)

Every veteran has had the experience of being both a leader and a follower, of taking the initiative and also of following the chain of command. That’s invaluable in a small business, where each employee plays several roles. Veterans also excel at establishing and meeting objectives—another important trait in owners, managers and employees of small businesses.

 2. Control under pressure

(Photo: on Flickr via Marines)

Running a small business requires functioning well under pressure. That’s a skill most people have to learn, and most veterans have the equivalent of PhDs when it comes to performing under stress. They’re prepared to react well to the unexpected and to make good decisions in high-pressure, uncertain situations.

3. Teamwork and dedication

(Image: on Flickr via The National Guard)

From their first day in boot camp, veterans learn the value of teamwork for solving problems and meeting goals. Though no longer on active duty, veterans will remain solid team players by following respectfully and leading by example.

4. Integrity

(Photo: via wikimedia commons)

Teamwork and trust are possible only with integrity—service members have to be sure they can depend on one another to carry out their assignments. Doing the right thing is just as important in business as it is in battle. Integrity is the foundation of powerful relationships with clients, employees and your community.

 5. Goal-oriented

(Photo: via wikimedia commons)

Thanks to the chain of command, military men and women have been trained to set and follow goals. They know what happens to individuals who set and meet their goals—they’re promoted. As a result, veterans understand better then most that if you want to strive for upward promotion and success you need to set goals.

(Also contributing to this post were David Hollerith and Bill Hudgins.)

(Featured Photo: via wikimedia commons)

We’ve shared why a small business should hire a military veteran. But where do you find a candidate for your next job opening? Here are five resources to help you find men and women who have served their country and are now ready to apply their service and leadership skills to being your next great employee. These resources and initiatives–governmental, non-profits, and even a veteran-run startup company–can help you learn more about hiring veterans, and even help you find a perfect one for your company.

1. Recruit Military

Recruit Military is full-service military-to-civilian recruiting firm in the United States started and run by military veterans. The company uses online and offline products to connect employers, franchisors and educational institutions with men and women who are transitioning from active duty to civilian life, veterans who already have civilian work experience, members of the National Guard and reserve forces, and military spouses.

2. Hiring Our Heroes

Funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide initiative focusing on helping veterans, transitioning service men and women, and military spouses find meaningful jobs in the public, private and non-profit sectors.Recently, Hiring Our Heroes has shifted towards using digital resources to better help military service men and women translate their experience into a resume that will help them find the right employment no matter where they are in the world.

3. Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR)

ESGR is an office in the Department of Defense which focuses on helping employers support, value and gain from the employment of members of the National Guard and Reserve in America. The office does this by advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, and resolving conflict between employers and service members.

4. National Resource Center

The National Resources Center (NRC) is a partnership among the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. Information collected and displayed by the center is from federal, state and local government agencies; veteran and military service organizations; non-profit and community-based organizations; academic institutions and professional associations that provide assistance to wounded warriors and their families.

The NRC provides this website widget that veterans can use to track down resources, including job-related opportunities.

If your company is a certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), it may be eligible for set-asides in federal contracts. (“Set-asides” are a small percentage of a government procurement designated to be spent with a specific type of supplier.) The SDVOSB certification substantially increases the number of opportunities available to a certified business. 

What is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)?

To qualify for SDVOSB certification and set-asides in federal contracts, a business must meet the following criteria:

• The service-disabled veteran (SDV) must have a service-related disability that has been determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense
• The SDVOSB must be “small” under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to the procurement
• The SDV must unconditionally own 51 percent of the SDVOSB
• The SDV must control the management and daily operations of the SDVOSB
• The SDV must hold the highest officer position in the SDVOSB

Set-aside Opportunities

Each federal agency sets participation goals for small businesses in procurement contracts. Regulations require Federal purchases more than $3,000, but less than $150,000 to automatically reserve, or set aside, a portion of the contract monies for small businesses. There are exceptions; full details are available on the SBA website.

Getting started

(via: GSA.gov)

In addition to federal government and private programs related to supporting military veterans who are business owners, most states have offices or agencies that help veterans access their benefits, run programs related to the employment of veterans, and encourage business ownership by military veterans. This is a list of links to such state agencies.

(Please note the following: Not all states have specific programs, but contact the agency listed for your state. They may provide help and information, even if there is not a formal program. Also, thank you for helping us keep this list up-to-date. If you discover a broken link or link that goes to the wrong place on a state’s website, please email us to let us know:  Tips@smallbusiness.com)

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia

• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland

• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey

• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota

• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Territories

• Guam
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands