U.S. Army Maj. William J. (Bill) Puopolo was named the recipient of a $30, 000 Veterans’ Pathway to Business Success grant. Puopolo was deployed to Iraq in 2006 and to Afghanistan in 2010. He was injured during both campaigns, and was awarded the Bronze Star and a Combat Action Badge.

Originally from Boston, Puopolo relocated to the Tampa Bay area to be near his sister and mother. It was there that he decided to follow his dream of starting his own small business. So Puopolo utilized the knowledge he had gained in the military to launch Verissimo Global, a communications and networking company.

Puopolo started Verissimo Global before his 2010 deployment. When his unit was activated, he had to put his business on hold. Now his sacrifice is being rewarded. Puopolo was named the recipient of a $30,000 Veterans’ Pathway to Business Success grant this summer. The nonprofit organization awards grants, which have no fees, no interest and no payback requirements, to combat veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, who wish to start or grow their own businesses in Florida.

Puopolo said the funding will allow him and his staff, all disabled veterans, to attain certifications and education that are critical to the company’s success.

Puopolo has a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, and he completed Florida State University’s (FSU) Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV).

“Bill distinguished himself at the EBV program,” EBV Program Director & FSU Professor Randy Blass said. “He engaged fellow students and instructors on a wide range of topics, and was more than willing to share his knowledge with other student veterans. Many EBV participants sought Bill’s consideration and still refer to him today for advice and motivation. He is a wonderful example of what we are trying to accomplish with our entrepreneurial training.”

Puopolo still serves as a reserve officer in the Vermont National Guard, and teaches an online course once a week in Information Operations.

Kevin Blanchard was a combat engineer in the Marine Corps from 2001-2006. In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Blanchard lost one of his legs below the knee, due to a roadside bomb explosion.

When his service officially ended in 2006, Blanchard was faced with the challenge of transitioning into civilian life as a Wounded Veteran. Blanchard had no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. And with his injuries, he was not sure what options were available to him.

Blanchard said that he tried a lot of things out and gained as much experience as he could in a number of different fields. The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment’s transition cell provided him with information about education, vocational training, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

“The regiment prepares wounded, ill and injured Marines for opening their own business by setting them up with such resources as financial planning guidance, Entrepreneur Boot Camps, connecting them with a mentor, arranging shadow opportunities and more,” said Marine Corps Maj. Brian Bilski, the Officer in Charge of the transition cell,. “The goal is to ensure that Marines are confident about transitioning out of the service and into [their] own successful franchise or independent start up.”

Initially, Blanchard wanted to become a co-owner of an eco-friendly roofing company. But he discovered that his passion was in helping other former service members understand what resources are available to them so that they can start their own successful businesses.

Blanchard’s passion lead to a job as a project coordinator at the International Franchise Association, working on a program called VetFran. The VetFran program provides information, education, links to potential partners, discounts and access to the VetFran mentor network.

The purpose of the program is to build confidence and financial stability, he explained. “You have to trust in yourself,” Blanchard said. “It is not always easy to start a business venture yourself. Have confidence in your abilities and be fearless, because you are taking a shot in the dark.”

His advice to other wounded, ill or injured Marines looking to start their own business or franchise is to, “stay focused, identify a long-term vision as clearly as possible, and communicate that vision frequently to your team.”

In addition to his work with the VetFran program, Blanchard also helps coordinate trade missions for member companies around the globe.

Dan Spangler is a retired Marine and Iraq War Veteran. In 2003, Spangler adopted his dog, Spanky from a local shelter near his home in North Carolina. The Marine and his companion spent a lot of time together and a bond grew between the two. Spangler began taking Spanky to obedience classes and became fascinated with animal training. Spangler began teaching obedience classes himself, after his discharge from the Marine Corps in 2004. Spangler knew that he wanted to go into business for himself, pursuing his passion for animals.

Spangler utilized his GI benefits to earn his Associates degree from Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville, NC. While attending the school, Spangler visited the Small Business Center on campus and realized that there was still a lot about owning and operating a small business that he didn’t know.

Not surprising of a Veteran, Spangler strives to be the best in all that he does. So he put a lot of hard work and determination into educating and preparing himself for being a small business owner. For seven years, Spangler worked jobs unrelated to his desired field, saved money, and gathered knowledge and resources. And in 2010, Spangler opened his business, A Dog’s Dream, a training, boarding, daycare, grooming and retail center in New Bern, NC. In July, 2013, an article in The Raleigh News & Observer featured Spangler, his success, and his Veteran Owned Business.

Spangler’s success story is just one of many by Veteran Entrepreneurs. Rhett Jeppson, Associate Administrator for the US Small Business Administration Office of Veterans Business Development claims that Vets are 45 percent more likely to be small business owners than their civilian counterparts.

Nearly 10 percent of all small businesses nationwide are veteran-owned. Jeppson says that there are 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses that employ almost 6 million Americans and generate more than $1 trillion. It is for this reason that Jeppson believes that Veteran-owned business deserve our support.

Service Members who are transitioning from active service into civilian life attend mandatory Transition Assistance Programs (TAP) classes that provide them with a broad generalization of education benefits & programs, references and guides to occupational resources, including entrepreneurship information.

Veteran entrepreneurship across the United States is growing. The U.S. Census reports that 2.4 million small businesses are owned by former service members. That’s roughly one out of every ten small business. Veteran-owned businesses employ almost six million people and create more than a trillion dollars in revenue.

Business leaders have taken notice and now there are a full host of programs that are specifically designed to help Vets get their businesses off the ground. The U.S. Small Business Administration has created 10 Veteran’s Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) around the nation to train new and potential business owners. These centers provide workshops and counseling to Veterans, reservists and active duty military members interested in starting their own business or expanding an existing one.

Since the program’s creation in 1999, officials have seen a boom in Veteran owned businesses. A 2012 report released by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy also found that Veterans are 45% more likely to start a business when compared to those without military experience. Last year just one of the centers helped launch 51 new Veteran owned businesses.

The VBOC also helps Veterans who are already entrepreneurs. Michael Nevils, a disabled Army Veteran, sells a portable emergency water storage system that he designed. Nevlis turned to the VBOC in order to utilize their programs and expertise to help his growing business.

“The VBOC has been wonderful,” Nevils said. “We’ve had guidance that helped us win government contracts and develop a solid game plan to grow our company and be successful.”

The VBOC does not provide loans, legal advice or accounting services. However, it does assign a business consultant, usually a retired executive, to work with each client to offer advice as they write business plans, develop a marketing strategy and tackle other basics of business.

There are also many other resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs to utilize. The Small Business Association operates more than 900 Small Business Development Centers (SDBC) across the U.S. where entrepreneurs, including Veterans, are given free technical assistance and access to institutions that offer loans and support for growing their business.

At the University of Central Florida, Gordon Hogan helps unemployed Veterans decide if they’ve got what it takes to actually be an entrepreneur through the school’s Veterans Initiative Program. Hogan is the director of the UCF Business Incubation Program. Launched last year, the program is gaining a reputation in the Veteran community.

“When you’ve served your country and you come back as an unemployed Veteran, things can be tough,” Hogan said. “But our servicemen and women are resilient and most are up for the challenge of starting a business.”

The Veterans Initiative offers Veterans who wish to start their own business the opportunity to attend FastTrac® NewVenture™ for the Veteran Entrepreneur, a $700 course for just $100.The course offers technical assistance in how to develop a winning business plan, find the right markets and startup funds.

Veterans who would prefer to own a franchise rather than market new and untested ideas have access to VetFran.  The program is run by the International Franchise Association, which connects Vets with franchising opportunities around the country. The VetFran program offers training, financial and technical assistance and support from the franchising industry to match veterans with the right opportunities.

Veterans Entrepreneurship Program

Riata Entrepreneurship Center—Oklahoma State University

~ empowering veterans to take control of their futures through their own ventures ~

The disabled Veterans Entrepreneurship Program (VEP) at Oklahoma State University helps disabled veterans launch and grow their own businesses. Our purpose is to empower our service men and women to make a successful transition back to civilian life by creating financially sustainable ventures.

VEP offers cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to veterans from all branches of the armed services. VEP trains veterans to recognize and embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and gives them the tools to act on their dreams and passion. This rigorous program involves some of the nation’s top educators and subject matter experts on topics such as business model development, sildenafil funding, marketing, operations, accounting, and legal issues. Over the past three years, close to 125 veterans have graduated from the VEP and are now using the knowledge they gained to start ventures or take existing ventures to the next level.

This is a year-long program consisting of three phases:

• Phase I              Concept Development & Self Study                    12/2-1/19          Online
• Phase II             VEP Bootcamp                                                         2/1-2/8               Stillwater, OK
• Phase III           Mentoring and Venture Development                 Mar-Dec

The VEP program is offered entirely free to any veteran accepted into the program. OSU covers all costs including: courses, instructors, books, and materials; as well as transportation to and accommodations in Stillwater and food and outings associated with the eight-day on-campus “Bootcamp” portion of the program held in February.

We are looking for veterans with an entrepreneurial dream. Please pass on this information to others who may be interested. A more detailed description of the program can be found in the attached brochure. For more information, or to apply to VEP, please visit our website http://eee.okstate.edu/vep. To have printed brochures or applications mailed directly to you please call us at 405-744-7552. Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Misty Stutsman
Manager, Events and Outreach, VEP
Riata Center for Entrepreneurship
405-744-7552; vep@okstate.edu