Military Veterans and Small Business Ownership

There have been inordinately high unemployment rates among not only Georgia armed forces veterans, but US-wide. Unemployment numbers for vets are the highest in the USA at the moment.

In this podcast Ron Johnson will interview Bill Elmore, Assoc. Admin. of the SBA’s (Small Business Administration)’s Office of Veterans Business Development.

Here are some highlights from the podcast:

Ron Johnson: I recently read that the unemployment rate of veterans is over 11 percent and that the economic downturn has hit Iraq and Afghanistan veterans harder than other workers, and this is sobering news. So how does SBA’s Office of Veteran Business Development assist our veterans?

Bill Elmore: The veteran’s unemployment statistics are grim but I note that veterans’ self-employment rate is the highest in the nation. There are no easy answers to veterans’ unemployment. However, it is important that veterans explore every opportunity including starting their own small business. The mission of the Office of Veterans Business Development is to maximize the availability, the applicability and the usability of all of the administration’s small business programs for veterans, for services-disabled veterans, for reserve component members and for their dependents or survivors, including their spouses. Basically, we are the liaison with the veterans’ business community.

********************

Ron Johnson: Now, I understand that SBA offers many resources for veterans, but what are some of the important first steps veterans should take before, say, deciding to open a business?

Bill Elmore: Well, I think there’s really a couple of things. You can start with a self-assessment but you also may want to contact one of our 68 SBA district offices. Each of those district offices has a veterans’ business development officer assigned to it, and that person can be your initial guide for all the services and programs that we offer. Now back to the self assessment. If you’ve got an idea for a business, now is the time to evaluate if your dream of starting the business can become a reality. The checklist for starting a business is a comprehensive online self-directed training tool designed to prepare you for self-employment by analyzing your responses in key areas and providing a menu of support in resources. You can find this on SBA’s website at www.sba.gov.

SBA’s Veterans Business Development: Military Service to Small Business Ownership
Learn how SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development can help veterans explore their options and learn the skills of small business ownership. In addition, learn about loan programs to start or grow a small business.
( Transcript )

I’m a veteran and when I went to the employment office I was given a lot of help that most citizens don’t get – when looking for a job. Now that I have my own business I can also appreciate what the SBA is doing for veterans to help them own their own businesses.