Below are a few amazing opportunities for Veterans and their spouses- particularly female Veterans.
Syracuse University Whitman Business School for Entrepreneurial Study has created three new programs to support Veterans and spouses in pursuit of small businesses. These FREE online courses are designed to improve skills for those wishing to start a business or those with a business looking to expand. The strength of these programs is that they are linked to the enormous pool of venture capital and support offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is especially targeting the military family this year. There are 3 different programs.
-V-Wise (http://whitman.syr.edu/vwise/) Is a program targeting Women. This program is set up as a 3-day networking conference with tailored sessions to focus on the area of need. (marketing, Small Business Association, business plan, government contracts, VA, marketing, tech, legal). They also have an individual session to provide
mentor-ship. Following the conference you will have support through the SBA and VA for up to one year depending on your needs. The SBA has a team of retired professionals who volunteer as mentors. The network is significant. There is a program in September in Baltimore and many more scattered throughout the country.
-Endure & Grow (http://whitman.syr.edu/endureandgrow/) is the web-based program designed to support VETS who are transitioning to the civilian work world interested in starting or growing a business. This is a more intensive program for skill development (8 weeks online) . Focus is on business plans, e-commerce, government, law.
-Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for VETS with Disabilities: – special needs considered. (http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv)
Below is a sampling of support for VETS from the SBA:
Small Business Administration (SBA) new funding program targeting VETS: Patriot Express
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the SBA’s Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative for veterans and members of the military community wanting to establish or expand small businesses. The SBA and its resource partners are focusing additional efforts on counseling and training to augment this loan initiative, making it more accessible and easy to use.
Eligible military community members include:
* Veterans
* Service-disabled veterans
* Active-duty service members eligible for the Military’s Transition Assistance Program
* Reservists and National Guard members
* Current spouses of any of the above
* The widowed spouse of a service member or veteran who died during service or of a service-connected disability
Patriot Express loan proceeds can be used for most business purposes, including:
* Start up costs
* Equipment purchases
* Business-occupied real-estate purchases
* Inventory
* Infusing working capital
* Managing your business
* Expansion
* Preparing your business for the possibility of your deployment
* Setting up to sell goods and services to the government
* Recovery from declared disasters.
Patriot Express loans feature the SBA’s lowest interest rates for business loans, generally 2.25 percent to 4.75 percent over prime depending upon the size and maturity of the loan. Your local SBA district office<http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-list/2> will have a listing of Patriot Express lenders in your area.