When I'm not running my own business, writing articles about
business, speaking to groups and organizations about business,
or consulting with companies who want my advice about the
running of their business, I teach a weekly class on the subject
of (care to guess?) starting and running a business.
To quote my frequently-mentioned and wise-beyond-her-years
teenage daughter, Chelsea, "Dad, you really need to get
a life." This advice coming from a child who believes
all roads lead to the mall.
What my eldest offspring doesn't understand is I have a great
life. In fact, I am living the life I have always dreamed
of living. My life just happens to revolve around Planet Business.
I am an entrepreneurial addict, a business junkie. Business
is my chocolate, my Krispy Kreme donut, my nicotine, my caffeine,
my crack. Maybe I'll start a 12 step program for entrepreneurs
who want to kick the habit and charge a cover to get in. Hi,
my name is Tim, and I'm an entrepreneur. Sounds like a great
business idea to me.
Out of everything I do I get the most enjoyment from speaking
and teaching. Maybe it's the old stand up comedian in me,
but nothing feeds my addiction like standing in front of a
room of entrepreneurs talking about the ups and downs, the
ins and outs, the do's and don'ts of business.
My latest class of eager entrepreneurs is a special one in
that it is made up almost entirely of U.S. Military Veterans:
nearly two dozen men and women of all ages who either have
a business idea in mind or are in the process of actually
starting and running a business.
Going around the room, I asked each student to stand up, introduce
themselves, and talk a little about their business idea and
what they expect to get from the class. As I listened to each
Vet speak, I was impressed at the passion the entire group
exuded. Most new entrepreneurs love to talk about their business
idea, but this group was somehow different. They were more
precise in their thinking, more intense, more passionate than
the average entrepreneur. This group was not only excited
at the prospect of starting their own business. They were
downright zealous about it.
As each Vet stood to talk about their idea and their expectations,
the rest of the group hung on every word and was truly interested
in what was being said. The typical entrepreneur is only interested
in his own venture and has a hard time feigning interest in
anyone else's. That was not the case here. Each Vet not only
listened intently, but empathized with the speaker, as if
they were taking a vested interest in the speaker's idea and
were eager to help the speaker succeed. It was as if the group
who had never met before, had come together as a single cohesive
unit with one mission in mind: to succeed in business.
The theme became: No man (or woman) left behind, in battle
and in business.
I supposed I should not have been too surprised. These were,
after all, highly-trained, highly-disciplined individuals
who have spent time in every corner of the globe in conditions
most of us can only imagine. One young entrepreneur in particular
was so freshly back from the Middle East that you could almost
imagine sand on the floor beneath his boots.
They are an impressive group, indeed, and it is my privilege
to serve as their leader for the next six weeks. I am learning
far more from them about the human spirit than they are learning
from me about business. I hope they see it as a fair trade.
Veteran entrepreneurs are emerging as one of the fastest growing
segments of new entrepreneurs. According to a recent Small
Business Administration (SBA) study there are approximately
4.2 to 5.5 million veteran-owned businesses in the United
States. The study further revealed that 22% of veterans are
either considering starting or purchasing a business in the
near future or are in the business start up or purchase phase
now.
The SBA study was done as a result of The Veterans Entrepreneurship
and Small Business Development Act of 1999, which required
the SBA's Office of Advocacy to develop information on the
various programs designed to assist veteran and service-disabled
veterans succeed in business.
The SBA study found that:
More than one-third of "new veteran-entrepreneurs"
and current veteran business owners had obtained skills from
their active duty service that were directly relevant to business
ownership. This should come as no surprise when you consider
the intensity of the training and the emphasis on discipline
that comes with military training.
Over the course of their career the typical longer-term Veteran
receives at least cursory training in everything from time
management to employee relations to supervisory techniques
to dealing with subordinates (employees) to budgeting and
accounting to supply chain management and so on and so on.
One organization that is working hard to promote entrepreneurship
among Veterans is the Veteran's Corporation. Headquartered
in Alexandria, Virginia, the Veteran's Corporation bills itself
as "the complete business source for current and prospective
Veterans and Service-Disabled Veteran business owners, and
for companies interested in working with Veteran-owned businesses."
The Veterans Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation
that was created in 1999 by Public Law 106-50, which also
set a 3 percent goal for federal procurement to Veterans including
Service Disabled Veteran-owned businesses.
The Veterans Corporation serves transitioning military personnel
and all Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard
and Reserve, seeking to link them with partners and purchasing
agents in both the public and private sectors.
Membership to the Veterans Corporation is free and available
to all transitioning military personnel and all Veterans of
the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard and Reserve. Members
will find assistance in securing capital for a business, entrepreneurial
education, access to markets and services, and business networking.
For more information or to apply for membership visit the
Veterans Corporation online at http://www.veteranscorp.org/
