The best small business ideas for veterans who wish to establish their own company are listed here.
Many military veterans are keen to take on new tasks when they return to civilian life.
Discipline, attention to detail, and the persistent pursuit of a goal are characteristics they have developed that translate extremely well to being veteran business owners.
Fortunately, there are several veteran business opportunities, tools, and assistance available to help these veteran entrepreneurs get started!
Business Possibilities For Veterans
If you or someone you know is looking to start a company after leaving the military, several choices are available.
Numerous franchise and company concepts are readily accessible, as are the necessary resources and help.
Help And Support Available For Military Veterans
- Entrepreneurship training.
- Funding options.
- Grants for small businesses.
- Mentorship for veterans.
- Small business investment.
There are several areas where veterans may succeed in terms of business ideas for veterans.
Military personnel are taught discipline, work ethic, and attention to detail.
These are also elements required for a successful business.
Take A Look At These Franchise And Business Ideas For Veterans:
These are fantastic opportunities for veterans to establish or operate successful small businesses.
Creating affiliate sites:
Affiliate marketing is a great method to earn money over the long term while doing something you like. Please take a deep dive into an area of interest to you, or learn a new hobby and keep a journal about it. Create and monetize a website after that. Check out Authority Hacker’s Authority Site System for a step-by-step guide.
Teaching wilderness survival, disaster preparation, or prepping:
These abilities are sought after by a large number of individuals. A veteran may profit from these small company ideas and succeed greatly while keeping inside their comfort zone with these business concepts.
A business centered on meeting the requirements of veterans:
The transition from military to civilian life may be tough for many veterans. Those who have been there and done it are the best people to provide guidance, support, and aid in these situations. Start a modest company to help other veterans and retirees in the future. To be a successful small company owner, you’ll also be doing a lot of good, and you’ll be one of the seasoned small business entrepreneurs.
Shooting range/firearms training:
The transition from military to civilian life may be tough for many veterans. Those who have been there and done it are the best people to provide guidance, support, and aid in these situations. Start a modest company to help other veterans and retirees in the future. To be a successful small company owner, you’ll also be doing a lot of good, and you’ll be one of the seasoned small business entrepreneurs.
Open a specialized bar:
Some of the best bars are founded by veteran entrepreneurs who have recently returned from military service. Some former military members were dissatisfied with the meager beer selections the town’s current bars provided and decided to build something that offered more. Other former service members have developed bars with greater character and atmosphere than what was previously accessible.
Veteran’s franchises:
Many franchises appreciate the opportunity to work with veterans. They have programs, financial assistance, and other incentives to entice veterans to join their company. To be successful, owning a franchise business needs leadership, hard work, and discipline.
Veteran Franchise Opportunities
A franchise may be a great way to get started for veterans who have never owned a company before.
They provide a business framework and assistance while allowing veteran small business owners to flourish inside that framework.
Here Are Some Companies That Are Seeking Franchisees:
Papa Murphy’s Pizza:
One of the best franchises for veterans is Papa Murphy’s. They are the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States and are still expanding. Veteran franchisees have access to a one-of-a-kind program that reduces the initial start-up cost by half. They also provide various assistance to help veterans or active military members ready to retire from the service. You may find more information on Papa Murphy’s veteran franchisee program on their website.
The UPS Store:
UPS offers support to veteran business owners and is ranked among the top ten franchises. Any veteran with logistics experience will fit right in with The UPS Store. People with military career backgrounds may be eligible for up to $10,000 in franchise purchase discounts. You may find more information on the UPS Store veteran program on their official website.
7-Eleven:
Many of the senior corporate officials at 7-Eleven are military members. Therefore, it should be no surprise that 7-11 is a veteran-friendly company. They also offer veteran franchise buyers a discount.
Best Support For Veteran-Owned Businesses
The Small Business Administration (SBA)
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides assistance to veterans who want to join the world of business ownership. Search for federal contract opportunities, training, and government funding programs.
The Office Of Veterans Business Development
The Office of Veterans Business Development is dedicated solely to promoting veteran-owned businesses and entrepreneurship. It facilitates the use of all SBA programs by veterans, service-disabled veterans, reservists, active-duty service members, transitioning service members, and their dependents or survivors.
SBA programs provide access to funding to better prepare for small business opportunities. They also help connect veterans with national supply chains and procurement for small businesses.
The Veterans Business Outreach Program (VBOP)
The Veterans Business Outreach Program (VBOP) is an OVBD initiative that manages Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) throughout the country. This small business program features several success stories and provides eligible veterans with business plan workshops, concept assessments, mentorship, and training.
Small Business Loans For Veterans
To connect with lenders, you can use SBA resources such as Lender Match. Furthermore, the SBA gives special consideration to veterans through a number of programs.
- SBA Veterans Advantage. Guarantees loans made to businesses owned at least 51% by veterans or military spouses.
- SBA Veteran Entrepreneurship Act of 2015. Reduces the upfront borrower fee to zero dollars for eligible veterans and military spouses who apply for SBA Express loans up to $350,000.
- The Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (MREIDL). Loans of up to $2 million are available to offset operational expenditures that cannot be met due to the loss of a critical employee summoned to active duty in the Reserves or National Guard.
Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Programs
SBA programs provide veteran entrepreneurs with personalized curriculums, in-person classes, and online courses to help them succeed. These courses cover the foundations of business ownership, as well as SBA resources and small business experts.
- Boots to Business: An entrepreneurship training offered on military facilities around the world, as well as a training track of the Department of Defense (DOD) Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Boots to Business Reboot extends the entrepreneurship training offered by TAP to veterans of all eras in their communities.
- Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (WVETP): This is an entrepreneurship training offered to women veterans, women service members, female spouses of service members, and veteran entrepreneurs who are starting or growing a business. The SBA finances these business training programs for women veterans through grants such as:
- Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)
- San Antonio Lift Fund
- ONABEN
- Service Disabled Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (SDVETP): An entrepreneurship training offered to service-disabled veteran entrepreneurs who want to be small business owners or already own a small business. Through grantees, the SBA supports entrepreneurship training programs for service-disabled veterans:
- IVMF – Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV)
- Veterans Entrepreneurship Program (VEP) – Riata Center for Entrepreneurship, Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University
- St. Joseph University’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans – St. Joseph’s University
- Dog Tag Inc.
- Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship Training Program (VFPETP): An entrepreneurship training offered to veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses across the country who are interested in or are already participating in federal procurement.
- Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) encourages veteran-owned small businesses to succeed. The training is provided at NO COST.
Military Spouse Entrepreneurs Resources
Military spouse entrepreneurs and business owners have the same access to small business programs and services as military service members and veterans.
Ex-Military Looking To Help Veterans In Business Ownership
Other military veterans who have found success in business are eager to assist others in becoming small business owners.
Several companies like this work with veterans. It’s critical to select those with a proven track record and a solid reputation.
Three useful places to look for further information are:
- StreetShares
- Hivers & Strivers
- V-Wise
V-Wise is one of these companies/services that focus on women veterans. It provides extra assistance, training, and financing to women veterans who want to turn their small business idea into a reality.
Ways You Can Show Support For Returning Military Service Members And Military Families
Patronize veteran-owned businesses to show your support for returning military service members and their families. However, establishing whether a business – large or small – is veteran-owned or run is not always easy. There are definitely a lot of them: According to the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), there are about 3 million veteran-owned businesses.
Veteran-Owned Businesses
Many of the big companies you come across daily are led by former United States military members. In an interview with Yahoo! Finance, FUBU creator and “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John said, “These are selfless individuals who defend us… They know how to accomplish a task… so I believe they are outstanding CEOs.” Among many more, here are a few companies you may be familiar with that were founded by veterans:
- FedEx: established and run by Frederick Smith, who served in the Marine Corps for four years.
- Sports Clips: A corporation founded by Gordon Logan and his wife. Logan graduated from MIT and is an Air Force veteran.
- Sperry Shoes: created by Paul A. Sperry, who joined the Navy Reserve before inventing the first boat shoe.
- RE/MAX: co-founded by Dave Liniger and his wife. Liniger is an Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War.
- Walmart: established by Sam and Bud Walton, who served in the Armed Forces and the Navy.
- GoDaddy: was founded by Bob Parson, who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
- Nike: co-founded by Phil Knight, who served in the Armed Forces for one year on active service and seven years in the Army Reserve.
- Universal Health Services: was founded by Alan B. Miller, a college ROTC cadet who later served in the Armed Forces.
- Amway: was co-founded by Richard DeVos, who served in the Army Air Corps during WWII.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car: was founded by Jack Taylor, a distinguished Navy aviator who served in WWII.
Companies Looking To Hire Veterans
Several employers here are committed to hiring veterans, ranging from companies created by veterans, such as Enterprise Holdings, to corporations in military-adjacent industries, such as BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that assists other veterans. One of them might be the ideal company for you to start your new career.
Enterprise Holdings
Jack Taylor, a World War II Navy veteran, founded Enterprise in 1957. Lessons he acquired in the Navy, such as the importance of integrity, hard effort, teamwork, and simply doing the right thing, shaped his personality and imprinted on the organization he built.
Jack, a renowned fighter pilot, returned from his duty with a tremendous goal and the beliefs that would become the cornerstone of his business. He even named the corporation the USS Enterprise after the ship he served aboard.
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman helps with projects that have a major impact. Whether the company is building the next generation of cyber-secure technology or pioneering a new type of information network, they are doing so as one team with a single mission: to help improve world security.
Subaru Of America
Subaru of America is one of the most trusted brands in the automobile industry, with over 600 retailers across the United States. The Subaru product line—renowned for longevity, reliability, traction, and active safety—represents one of the greatest repurchase-loyalty ratings in the U.S. market, thanks to the unique SUBARU BOXER® engine on all models and symmetrical all-wheel drive on most.
Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) empowers, employs, and engages America’s injured veterans. WWP works with veterans and their families to help them succeed outside military life. WWP connects troops to a network of support and resources through direct programs and services. Since 2003, the WWP team has helped over 500,000 warriors and their families. Many WWP staff are disabled veterans who have benefited from the company’s programs and services.
BAE Systems
BAE Systems partners with government and business to make defense, aerospace, and security designs a reality. BAE Systems takes on every project, from supplying technology and cyber solutions to arming the military with superior resources and optimizing aircraft and intelligence.
Vrbo
Vrbo is a global leader in vacation rental booking with over two million properties in 190 countries. The site makes it simple to select and reserve the right holiday rental, typically cheaper than a hotel room. Vrbo is an Expedia Group brand.
Goldman Sachs
Your abilities and expertise will open doors for clients at Goldman Sachs. Their teams contribute to global advancement, from the newest IPOs and market insights to sustainable energy and infrastructure initiatives.
Affirm
Affirm has been fighting the notion that banks don’t care about their clients since 2012. Affirm provides honest services backed by current technologies, new lending strategies, and flexible ways to use credit online by allowing customers to pay off purchases on their own terms—without surprise fees.
Are There Any Alternative Business Ideas?
Yes, there are plenty of other business models to choose from if you want to pursue this making money online strategy. Here are just a few:
What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2022?
Alright, time for me to get real with my lovely readers for a moment:
I’ve personally tried all of the major online business models:
- I’ve sold fidget spinners through Amazon FBA
- I’ve drop-shipped a toilet bowl putting green on Shopify
- I’ve sold women’s health supplements via Clickbank affiliate marketing
And I made money with all of them, so trust me when I say: there is no “perfect” business model.
THAT BEING SAID: I would at least recommend you implement something that is tried and true because I’ve seen TOO MANY people (including friends and family) get burned by stuff like Business Opportunities For Veterans.
They come out of left field with some random idea, make it seem attractive, and then make themselves a quick buck by luring in unsuspecting people.
I’m not saying Business Opportunities For Veterans itself is a piece of trash; I’m just saying you need to be very careful.
This is a big reason why I only recommend proven, tried, and true business models, like Lead Generation & Ad Agencies.
There are a bunch of programs out there that teach you those skills, but my top choice is the Digital Rental Method program.
Why? It has proven leaders with their own 7-figure businesses implementing exactly what they teach you.
I’ve also got over a dozen personal friends there, so I feel comfortable telling you it works.
Their program works whether you’re a complete newbie or have been around the block before but have never had that “big win” to propel you forward.
Here’s why:
Read Our In Depth Breakdown Of The Top 5 Start BusinessOpp Courses For 2024
1)Time: You can do this if you’ve got a spare hour or two each day. If you want to drop everything and go all-in, you can do this. More time obviously means faster results, but even putting in a few hours per day is enough to see real success.
And because of that flexibility, you don’t need to trade your time for money. Once the income starts, it’s recurring (for the most part).
That means you can take a month off, travel the country, pursue a passion project, chill on the beach, or charter a boat across the world.
But you can only do that once you’ve created an income stream that doesn’t require YOU to be there all day, every day.
2)Big Margins: With most businesses, you’re often going to have really slim margins. That means you need to hit a serious scale to make serious money.
using the Digital Rental Method, your profit margin is nearly 100%. Watch here to learn how.
These Digital Rental Properties are worth (at a minimum) $500/mo in semi-passive income. And each time you create another one, your income increases, and the effort put into creating the next property decreases.
Best-case scenario, you have properties bringing in over $3,000+/mo on “auto-pilot.”
3)It’s Effectively Copy-Paste: Here’s my favorite part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up, you can literally copy-paste another version of it and find another willing “renter” in a few days. DOUBLING your income doesn’t get much easier than that…
If you wanted to double your income with Business Opportunities For Veterans, you would need a lot of time and effort. And I can guarantee you it’s a lot harder than a few clicks & a phone call.
4)You’re Helping REAL People: My biggest gripe with Business Opportunities For Veterans is that you’re basically only helping yourself.
But With the Digital Rental Method, you’re helping solve REAL problems that people are ASKING for help with:
Small local businesses around the world need one thing: customers. Without them, their business would fall apart. If you can provide those customers, they’re going to be really happy – and they’re going to pay you for it.
You’re helping a struggling mother or father put food on the table for their families, put their kids through college, or simply live life a little bit more comfortably.
Having this type of impact on the world is what will help you sleep soundly at night.
So, the rest is up to you. You could keep looking at other off-the-wall business models like Business Opportunities For Veterans and maybe hit it big one day.
You could keep researching and researching for the next few months (or few years), never making a concrete decision.
OR, you can look deep inside, think about those dreams, hopes, & desires, and make the decision to ACTUALLY make it happen, just like it has for thousands of other students before you.
Making a fortune while actually helping real people that need it.
If this sounds like you, click here to see how it all works.
