NOVEMBER 9, 2018 – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is celebrating the accomplishments of veteran, service member and military spouse small business owners nationwide during National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW), Nov. 5-9.
SBA offers a Boots to Business (B2B) entrepreneurship training program as one of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success) tracks, which is open to transitioning active duty, Guard and Reserve service members, and their spouses.
“Becoming a business owner is an incredible undertaking, and requires a lot of motivation, support, and knowledge,” said Mark Williams, B2B Program Manager, SBA.
“The B2B course helps individuals to understand and gauge the challenges and rewards inherent to owning a business and helps them to answer the question if business ownership is the right path for them,” he continued.
Created by SBA in 2013, the course explores the entrepreneurial process, and gives an overview of what it takes to start a small business. B2B includes a two-day in-person Introduction to Entrepreneurship course, with optional online follow-up courses offered by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, and Mississippi State University (MSU). These courses are offered at no cost to active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, veterans, and their spouses.
The class also includes support resources, free follow-on, in-depth training, and provides transitioning service members the ability to determine if entrepreneurship is the right path for them. In addition, participants are introduced to SBA resources available to access start-up capital, technical assistance, and contracting opportunities.
“National Veterans Small Business Week is another opportunity for us not only to highlight the success of our nation’s 2.5 million veteran-owned businesses, but also to recognize the areas where there is still work to be done,” said Linda McMahon, SBA Administrator.
“Entrepreneurship is not a solo mission. I’m proud to be a part of a network that serves the needs of our veteran and military business owners,” she continued.
SBA and their partners strive to ensure every veteran and their spouses has the resources they need in their local communities to start and operate small businesses, achieve post-service career success, and strengthen the nation’s economy.
SBA encourages veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses to join the online conversation and share what their veteran business communities look like by using the hashtag #VetBiz.
For more information about NVSBW, including events and ways to get involved, visit www.sba.gov/vetbiz. For more information on the resources available for veteran entrepreneurs, visit www.sba.gov/veterans.
If you’re a transitioning service member or military spouse looking to register for a B2B course, contact the TAP office on your military installation. For more information on SBA or B2B, visit www.sba.gov/ovbd.
For more information on TAP, contact a TAP Manager on any military installation.