WAH Tips for New Veteran Entrepreneurs

By Kelli Brewer, DeployCare.org

If you’re a veteran getting ready to start your own business, first let us take a moment to thank you for your service. You and your brothers and sisters in arms are what make it possible for anyone to become an entrepreneur in the United States. Today’s post hopes to share tips and resources for veterans ready to step out of their combat boots and into the role of small business owner. 

Working From Home 

Operating your new business from home is a smart move that puts you in the majority of all small businesses. According to the Chamber of Commerce, 52% of small operations are actually run from people’s homes. Working from home is no longer taboo, and technology makes it entirely possible to have a professional (and professional-looking) business that you can operate from anywhere. 

Quick Links for Vets

As a veteran, you have access to entrepreneurship portals and resources that others don’t. A few of these to keep in mind are:

•  Boots to Business – an education program offered to veterans to help you seamlessly transition from combat to career.
•  Dog Tag Fellowship Program – a group of men and women that will help you move forward in your entrepreneurial endeavors once you leave service.
•  VA Education and Training – information on the G.I. Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program, and other educational and career-boosting resources for veterans and their families.

Getting Started

When you’re first thinking about entrepreneurship, knowing where to get started is often a challenge, particularly when you want to start working from home. An excellent resource is the Celebrate! Resources library, which carries information pertinent to work-from-home entrepreneurs, as well as those working remotely for their organizations.

Next, you’ll want to establish your business structure and pull whatever permits are necessary in your area to operate a business from home. Take the time now to decide further if you are going to run your business by yourself, hire employees, or contract specific tasks to freelancers. When you’re first starting out, freelancers often make sense as they can work on one-off projects to help you get off the ground. 

Marketing

Marketing is an essential step in launching any business. It can also be the most expensive. The good news here, however, is that most marketing takes place online these days, but there are many ways to tie your online presence with real-world marketing strategies, such as flyers and postcards. You can use a free online flyer maker (look for one with hundreds to thousands of design templates) to customize your message with your fonts and colors. You can even add your own photos. The best part about these free online services is that it can give you inspiration for supplemental marketing materials that you can use on your website, banners, and other promotional avenues.

Ultimately, starting a business as a veteran is not that different than for everyone else. But, you have a leg up in that you have additional resources and guidance available to you. In addition to those resources listed above, you may also be eligible for special financing or grants earmarked specifically for those who served our country. These can put you a step ahead, which can give you an advantage over the competition.

Good luck in your new endeavors. Remember to take it one step at a time so that you can focus on launching your business, marketing, and getting started without getting overwhelmed.

If you’re still new to working from home, visit Celebrate! Work From Home often for access to great resources and to connect with caring and supportive remote work professionals.

Contributor Kelli Brewer is part of DeployCare.org, which offers support to service members and their families. Through her writings she hopes to share resources and solutions for issues commonly faced by military families before, during and after deployment.

Connect with Kelli at: [email protected].