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

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is not a government agency, but a nonprofit organization that consists of many independently incorporated local bureaus, spanning the entire nation. The organization serves as a go-between between consumers and businesses, collecting data and providing free reviews on more than four million businesses. In 2012, the BBB handled over one million disputes between consumers and businesses.

According to their website, the BBB’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. BBB accomplishes their mission by:

• Creating a community of trustworthy businesses
• Setting standards for marketplace trust
• Encouraging and supporting best practices
• Celebrating marketplace role models
• Denouncing substandard marketplace behavior

Since 2004, the more than 112 local BBB’s across the U.S. have participated in a program that provides free services to service members and military families. The program, called BBB Military Line, offers resources to military families, including consumer protection and lessons in financial literacy. The BBB’s Military Line is an extension of their stated mission that is specially geared to benefit the military community.

The BBB is always looking to add businesses to its list of members. If you, as a Veteran business owner, would like your business to become a member of the Better Business Bureau, begin by contacting your local BBB, which can be found on the organization’s website.

For more information about consumer protection, or affiliating your business with the BBB, please visit www.bbb.org or search BBB Military Line.

By Debbie Gregory

Veterans have the ideal attributes necessary to become successful entrepreneurs. Their military experience, combined with the ability to lead, organize, prioritize, delegate and multi-task can be essential in running their own businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has found Veterans to be 45% more likely to start their own company than their civilian counterparts.

There are a lot Veteran entrepreneurs who choose to buy franchises. There are a number of deals available to Veterans through the SBA, the VA, and various Veteran organizations.  Additionally, many of the companies themselves with offer deals and discounts to Veterans. Many fast food restaurants, retail stores and service providers offer buy-ins to their companies at discounted prices for entrepreneurs with military service in their résumés.

But understandably, most Veterans want to work solely for themselves. In order to create a successful new business from the ground up, Veteran entrepreneurs need to find a way to do one of three things:

• Provide an existing product or service at a higher quality than any competitor
• Provide an existing product or service at a lower cost than any competitor,
• Provide a product or service that no one else is offering in the area

Once a Veteran entrepreneur has decided if they want to open a franchise, or their own business, they should consider taking an educational path to achieving their mission of business ownership. A great way to do this is through their local SBA Veterans Outreach Centers (VBOC). Through the SBA’s Veteran Business Outreach Program, these VBOCs offer a variety of assistance and support to Veteran entrepreneurs.

The Centers will conduct entrepreneurial development workshops with Veterans, focusing on the the major points of self-employment. These workshops include tips on using the Internet to develop and expand your businesses. At these workshops, each Veteran will have the opportunity to work directly with a business counselor.

The VBOCs will also assist Veterans in calculating their entrepreneurial needs and requirements. Counselors will use this information to assist Veteran entrepreneurs with developing and maintaining a business plan. The business plan can include such elements as the legal and organizational structure of the business, equipment requirements and costs, strategic and financial plans and market research. The SBA’s Veteran Business Outreach Centers will even provide ongoing mentorship for Veteran entrepreneurs if needed.

So whether, you’re buying into a franchise, or starting your own business, be sure to see what the SBA, can provide for your entrepreneurial needs.

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: Utilizing Veteran Business Outreach Centers: By Debbie Gregory

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