By Debbie Gregory.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association is your non-profit trade association.  There are other associations out there for Veterans and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) that also address some of the needs of population.  We are a little different than other associations.

As the CEO of VAMBOA, I’d like to explain how we are different and some of what we offer so that Veteran and Military Business Owners may gain the most benefit from VAMBOA.

VAMBOA’s focus is to provide those we serve with as much valuable information and as many resources as possible.  We also want to make it easy for you to access it. We are highly cognizant of the fact that small business owners have limited time and must use it wisely.

It is not possible to attend all the conferences that will yield helpful and provide you valuable resources and also be away from your business.  Additionally, it can be very expensive and not only in the time away from your business, but the cost of travel, hotels, meals, conference fees.  More importantly, you can lose or compromise business by not being there to work with clients, prospects and your team.  Small business owners wear many hats and operating a successful business requires you to be engaged and there more often than not.

VAMBOA has evolved and in a few words has become the “Go To Place” for Veterans, Service Disabled and Military Business Owners to obtain resources and do so online.  We work hard to provide you significant value on a regular basis.

VAMBOA’s team performs extensive research in all areas of business that are important to you.  We write, edit, and post online on our blog a minimum of three important articles weekly to keep you informed without you having to leave your seat or your office.

VAMBOA has over 7,200 registered members and an extensive database of other Veteran, Service Disabled and Military Business Owners.  We are approaching a quarter of a million combined fans and followers on social media.  We regularly use various social medium platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In to put forth important information for you.

VAMBOA also connects our members with corporations that are seeking a diverse network of suppliers that includes Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans and Military business owners.   We put forth their needs to our membership and contact individual members in the areas they seek for their Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), to work with them and more.  We follow up and help you gain their business.

VAMBOA does not charge our members and all of services and connections are free of charge to you without dues or fees.  We also do not send you endless emails trying to sell you products or services.  VAMBOA relies solely on corporate sponsorship.   Corporations that sponsor us can easily connect to our huge audience.   They too don’t have to leave their offices and work to accomplish this goal nor do we go back to them over and over to sponsor various events.   We keep it simple and provide considerable value.

We place their corporate outreach to our members front and center in a variety of ways and repeat their message to engage and accomplish their goals.  We use the power of our huge database and the Internet including direct outreach, exposure on the VAMBOA website, emails, newsletters, social media posts and articles.  VAMBOA has impressive traffic with an outstanding US Alexa Traffic ranking of under 17,000 of all the billions of websites on the Internet (with Alexa the lower the number the better with Google being #1).

VAMBOA invites Veteran, Service-Disabled and Military Business Owners to join our association so your business can connect to companies that seek your skills and diversity.

You can register here: https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

VAMBOA also invites corporations that recognize the Veteran Business Owners are awesome and want to connect with them in an easy, efficient and cost-effective way to become sponsors.  Please send us an EMAIL!

By Debbie Gregory.

The number of women and minorities that acquires venture capital as entrepreneurs are not as good as one would hope. Only approximately 10-18% of all venture capital goes to teams that include women or people of color. Investors wrongly assume that women entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs of color, are getting enough money or too much money already. This simply is not the case.

The majority of investors are mainly white males who do not see, speak with, or seek out women and/or minority founders. They often assume when they do finally come into face-to-face contact with this group that they are an odd aberration.

Unfortunately, the response of many venture capitalist is to subject woman and minority entrepreneurs to much more scrutiny than companies seeking capital headed by white males.   This discourages other women and minorities from contacting venture capitalist to fund their growth and future thus exacerbating the problem.

Women and minorities often are not even received all that much better by other women or minorities. Even established and successful companies, run by women or minorities, face a lot of challenges and difficulty raising money since they are still viewed as “too risky” by most investors.

The Venture Capital community is much less inclined to explore how diverse businesses might be the right fit for their fund or can present outstanding opportunities to take calculated expansion risks. They often tend to stay within their comfort zone and the same circles, businesses, investment advisors, etc. Change is sometime difficult to wrap their heads around and this often reinforces their investing bias.

Women and multicultural entrepreneurs represent a huge missed investment opportunity since together they represent a huge part of the United States population and quite a large number are successful entrepreneurs. Additionally, government agencies require corporations to do business with a diverse supplier network.

Overcoming the Challenges:

We all need to work to break the cycle to break investor bias!

Everyone needs to reconsider who they think of when they hear the word “entrepreneur” and include a wider, more diverse mix, into their thinking and investing. Women and minorities are just as talented, intelligent, and innovative as anyone else.  Often, they have had to deal with greater challenges to get where they are and have more practice with overcoming business obstacles and challenges. Women and minorities need to be as loud, forceful, and public about their business ventures as others who have done so for decades. They need to make a dedicated effort to get in front of Venture Capitalists for funding and consideration.

By Debbie Gregory.

There are a large number of people that consider starting their own business but simply give up before they get anything off the ground. They become paralyzed or stuck by their fears.

Five Biggest Business Obstacles & How to Overcome Them:

Self-Doubt:

Many potential entrepreneurs stop before they even begin due to self-doubt and the fear of failure. Don’t allow self-doubt to stop you from making your dreams a reality. If you need assistance getting started, it is always a good idea to reach out to support groups or mentors to help you overcome these mental blocks and provide you the encouragement you need to keep going.

Knowledge:

Most people start a business because of an idea and not necessarily because they are fantastic business people. There are so many resources available today to help anyone start and run their own business. You can easily take online courses to learn what you need begin.  You can also watch tutorials, consult with a mentor in the industry, join support groups, hire people who have the knowledge you lack, or use software to take care of certain tasks.

Legal:

Legal considerations and legal fears are a significant hurdle for some people.  These obstacles can easily scare away potential entrepreneurs. You do need to be aware of any potential legal problems and prepare for them but it doesn’t have to be so daunting. There are plenty of online resources that can help guide you, sites such as the U.S. Small Business Administration or Legal Zoom.

Funding:

Financial fears are the number one issue that stops people from even starting a business in the first place. It is also the major reason for a business closing its doors. Funding fears are everything from the fear of not making enough money to draining your savings account to try to stay afloat. Most people are comfortable with a steady paycheck from a larger corporation and do not want to take a chance on the fluctuating income of their own small business. It can be frightening but success can bring huge rewards and put you at the helm of your own ship controlling your destiny.

Ways to Generate Funds:

• Start the business on the side of your normal 8-5 job and keep the security of your paycheck
• Work part-time as a rideshare driver to generate additional regular income
• Offer consulting services
• Begin your business by selling online before transitioning to a brick and mortar storefront and avoid these costs until you generate revenues
• Rent a room in your home for income
• Rent your entire home out through services like Airbnb.

Website:

Marketing your business takes planning, proper administration, and a bit of know-how. The main marketing tool your business will need is its own website. You can opt to hire a pro to put your site together or you can utilize the multitude of do-it-yourself options. Most eCommerce platforms have very nice drag-and-drop templates that you can use. A lot of the website hosting companies do as well. Take the time to do a bit of research before you choose where to build your site and pick the option that works best for you.   A website is a “work in progress” and you will improve and grow your web presence as your business and revenues grow.

Too many people let these obstacles hold them back from starting and running their own business. There is always a way over or around any problem you may face. Don’t let anything stop you from achieving your dreams. Remember you often must fail before you succeed.

Remember these quotes:

• Winston Churchill: “Success if walking from failure with no loss of enthusiasm”.
• Thomas J. Watson: “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really:  Double your rate of failure.  You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all.  You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes.  Make all you can.  Because remember that’s where you find success.”

By Debbie Gregory.

If you take your role in your company for granted and simply assume you “own” that role you are in danger of being outgrown by your company.   There will always be more people entering your field including people who are more eager, people who don’t stop learning and growing.

It doesn’t matter how long you have been with a company or what you have done for them in the past.  You must consistently demonstrate that you are an asset to your company. If you stop learning, unable to adapt to change, too rigid and stuck, your company will outgrow you and replace you.

Tips to Keep Pace with Your Growing Company:

Put in Office Time: 

We all have a limited amount of time everyday and too many responsibilities. As you climb the corporate ladder, the tendency is to spend less and less time physically in the office connecting with peers and employees. However, office time and connecting with your team is what brought you to the position that you are in. Removing yourself can make you lose the ability to keep pace with your company.  Someone else can pick up the pace. that someone else is certainly picking up.

Build and Maintain Relationships:

Never stop building and fostering relationships. This holds true regardless of who the person is including your boss, your employees, your vendors, your suppliers, etc. You need to make sure that you are communicating proactively and effectively as well as making sure that you are continuously adding value to these important relationships and to your company.

Keep Learning:

Everyone can benefit from learning something new or learning more about something they already know. Keep up by reading specific books or trade magazines and take time to study other businesses’ successes and failures. Make sure that you stay on top of new trends, new technologies, and shifts in your market or customer base.

Add Value to Your Peers:

Take the time to develop relationships with other managers and peers. Make sure that you groom and teach your new employees in the company.  They can also teach you Learn more about other divisions and units and see how you can add value beyond your specific role.

Even if you have worked hard at your organization, your company will continue to grow with or without you. Remember to continue to impact the company.   They need to be reminded of your value.

By Debbie Gregory.

Today’s employees have much more sway when it comes to their work environments, benefits, and job perks than ever before.

If you are looking to find, hire, and retain top talent in any field, there are some expectations from the candidates that you need to meet:

• Flexible schedules
• Flexible and adaptable workplace design
• Connected to nature
• On-site health and wellness

Flexible Schedules:

This is one of the number one issues and benefits that employees today demand.  Flexible schedules also ranks amongst the top two reasons why employees will stay with an employer.

Flexible scheduling can be accomplished in numerous ways and you may consider offering:  

• Flexible hours
• More paid time off
• Days that can be worked from home

Flexible and Adaptable Workplace Design:

The days of endless rows of cubicles are in the past. Today’s employees do not want to sit in a small area with fluorescent lighting surrounded by their fellow workers in their cubicles.   You need to think outside of cubicles when planning your workspace areas.

You might consider offering your employees a variety of individual and group workspaces including:

• Lounge areas with laptop tables
• Sit-to-stand workstations that are becoming very popular with lounge areas
• Conference rooms available for general use at any time
• Informal meeting rooms with comfortable chairs
• Casual work areas with high-top tables and barstools

Many progressive employers also include pool tables, ping pong and games in the workspaces.

Connected to Nature:

Employees are tired of being kept in workspaces that have artificial lighting, heating and cooling in a cubicle type setting They want to enjoy the hours they are required to be indoors at work. Many employers are shifting to more natural light sources with better outdoor views, more plants and outdoor space.  They are finding that the time spent outdoors dramatically increases employee happiness and productivity. Keeping in mind the importance of nature and natural elements in the workplace really increases employee morale.

On-site Health and Wellness:

More employees expect their employers to care about and help foster their well-being, including their mental health and well-being.   This is a win/win for both. Happy and healthy people are more energized and engaged with their work.  This increases productivity and can even reduce the overall cost of healthcare.

Some examples of ways your company can do to help promote better health:

• Offer mental and financial wellness education, through literature, seminars, and webinars
• Offer on-site flu shots, biometric screenings, and massages
• Many large companies have their own medical team with one or more Physician Assistants and/or Nurse Practitioners making it simple and convenient for their employees.
• Offer healthy food and beverage options if you have a stocked break room or cafeteria.
• Try to add a regular catered lunch that includes healthy foods, vegetarian options, and salad bars
• Try adding some fitness challenges that are focused on promoting holistic health
• Build a wellness room with exercise and stretching equipment including offering classes such as Yoga and Pilates.

Utilizing forward thinking and a bit of creativity when planning your workspaces, employee benefits work schedule, and more will go a long way towards attracting and capturing the eyes of top-performing employees that are excited to work for you.  They will be more productive and will stay with the company putting forth their very best work.  Healthy and happy employees are a recipe for success and avoid the financial of other costs of employee turnover.