Veterans, served their country in war and now, in peace, they serve their communities.
According to the US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, of the 32.5 million small businesses in this country, Veterans own 1.76 million. These small business owners bring the leadership, managerial and technical skills acquired during their Active/Reserve/Guard service. In addition to this, they also have some specific challenges and needs in transitioning from the military to a civilian environment.
The Small Business Administration recognized the need to assist Veterans in both this transition but also in learning new concepts that, heretofore, were unknown to them. In order to accomplish this, it established several assistance programs such as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Service Corps Of Retired Executives (SCORE), and the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center (VBOC). Our region is home to all three organizations. They provide free, confidential counseling and training to both existing as well as prospective small business owners.
From November 1 through November 5, 2021, The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will celebrate, connect, and empower service members (including National Guard and Reserve), veteran, and military spouse entrepreneurs and business owners – past, present, and future – during National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW).
The goal of NVSBW is to raise awareness of veteran small business ownership and encourage communities to support their veteran- and military-owned businesses. This year, the events will focus on celebrating the strength and resilience of the veteran and military small business community as they continue to adapt, pivot, and overcome the economic hardships from the last 18 months.
For more information about this week and associated events, please visit sba.gov/nvsbw.
