The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) views military Veterans as a valuable resource, one that needs to be cultivated and utilized. Proving that the department isn’t just offering lip service, the DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) has been teaming with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and other partners to administer the Boots to Business: Reboot program to Veterans and Veteran entrepreneurs.

Through the summer of 2014, Boots to Business: Reboot has presented instructional events with discussions on topics such as developing a business plan, molding business concepts, and overall business fundamentals. Veterans were also connected to a network of resources through the OSDBU and its Small Business Transportation Resource Centers.

The OSDBU’s centers work closely with the transportation contracting community to assist transportation-related businesses in their respective regions. The resource centers also serve to provide business counseling to Veteran-owned businesses.

Veteran entrepreneurs participating in the Boots To Business: Reboot were also connected with resources conducive to locating access start-up capital and additional technical assistance. These resources include: Veteran Business Outreach Center, Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE Counselors.

The DOT sees Veterans as natural entrepreneurs who can make a real impact on the transportation industry. Veterans are disciplined and mission-oriented. Veterans are also decisive and are used to being held accountable.

Unemployment among Post-9/11 Veterans has been consistently higher than the national average. With an increasing number of locally and federally sponsored business ownership programs available to current and former Military personnel, it only makes sense for Veterans to pursue entrepreneurship.

The Veteran and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA) is a non-profit business trade association that promotes and assists Veteran Business Owners, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) and Military Business Owners. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and responsible for job generation. That is why VAMBOA provides its members with Business Coaching, Contracting Opportunities, a Blog that provides information, Networking contacts and other resources. Membership is FREE to Veterans. Join Now!

VAMBOA: Training for Veteran Entrepreneurs: By Debbie Gregory

On August 14, 2014 the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) celebrated the 50^th anniversary of SCORE.

SCORE, a coalition of experienced and successful businessmen, was officially launched in 1964 as the Service Corps of Retired Executives by then SBA administrator Eugene Foley. From the start, the group was dedicated to the education of entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE mentors have achieved this goal by providing resources and expertise to maximize the success of existing and emerging small businesses.

Today, SCORE consists of more than 11,000 mentors, serving every state in the country. These men and women share invaluable small business wisdom with today’s small business owners. They help with writing business plans, preparing for obtaining business loans and help small business owners manage their revenue, handle their cash flow and market themselves to build their customer base and hopefully go from small businesses to big businesses.

In its half century existence, the coalition became a non-profit organization and dropped the acronym, but SCORE volunteers are still carrying out the original mission of passing their knowledge on to future generations of American entrepreneurs and innovators. Over the five decades, the volunteers have given back because they’ve accumulated a lifetime’s worth of expertise and have chosen to share what they’ve learned with the people of their communities. Their dedication has helped an estimated 10.5 million entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.

See how the mentors at SCORE can help you and your small business at www.score.org

The Veteran and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA) is a non-profit business trade association that promotes and assists Veteran Business Owners, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) and Military Business Owners. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and responsible for job generation. That is why VAMBOA provides its members with Business Coaching, Contracting Opportunities, a Blog that provides information, Networking contacts and other resources. Membership is FREE to Veterans. Join Now!

VAMBOA: 50 Years of SCORE: By Debbie Gregory

Veteran business owners are constantly faced with new challenges that other businesses may not encounter. For starters, veteran owned small businesses and service disabled veteran owned businesses often have to spend more on typical office supplies and health insurance costs because they have smaller employee counts than large corporations. Veteran businesses also have to abide by certain standards set by the government and the Small Business Administration in order to remain considered “veteran owned small businesses.” Luckily, VAMBOA (Veteran and Military Business Owners Association) has made it easy to increase networking experiences and find SBA loans that veterans need to start, build or expand their business.

VAMBOA offers extensive networking opportunities for new and established veteran business owners. The only way a business can grow and prosper is by networking. Of course, many businesses don’t have the funds to hit the ground running, but by utilizing resources from the Small Business Administration, such as SBA loans created specifically for small businesses, such as veteran businesses and service disabled veteran owned businesses, military owned businesses, veterans can begin their businesses strong and continue networking while they build success.

Veteran businesses can use the Small Business Administration to find the necessary forms they need to be approved as veteran owned small businesses or service disabled veteran owned businesses. VAMBOA is a great resource. Veteran business owners can connect with other veteran business owners to discuss the best ways to apply for SBA loans, changes or updates from the Small Business Administration for qualifications and more. VAMBOA can also connect you with private corporations that want to work with you.

One of the best ways for newer veteran businesses and service disabled veteran owned businesses to get a jump start is to become members of VAMBOA. There, veterans are able to build a collection of contacts, adding veterans to their list of business contacts to network with. Networking is a great way for veterans to learn about the process of becoming a successful veteran business owner, to find advice on SBA loans and to build the best business practices to ensure a successful future.

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