More help for Vets starting a business

Ten percent of businesses in the US are veteran-owned according to the Small Business Administration, and these entities employ over 5.8 million people. The Covid-19 pandemic caused more future entrepreneurs to add “start a business” to their bucket lists and that holds true for veterans. Skills learned in service can be translated into civilian and business life, making the post-Covid environment ripe with opportunity.

Some stipulations apply for VA business loans, but falling into one of the following categories is a starting place for vets interested in becoming entrepreneurs.

• Honorably Discharged Veterans

• Service-Disabled Veterans

• Active Duty Military service members participating in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

• Reservists and National Guard Members

• Current spouses of any Veteran, Active Duty service member, or any Reservist or Nation Guard member; or widowed spouses of those who died in service or of a service-related disability

The SBA offers programs like Lender Match to find a good fit for the type of business proposed and walks veterans through the process, including entrepreneurship training programs with in-person and online class options, customized curriculum, and even coaches in the form of small business experts.