Veteran Entrepreneurs Today

Government and scores of private programs focus on retraining to enter the workforce with a job. The fact is, even with training, many veterans will still find it challenging to find a job. A California state audit “confirms that California's existing programs designed to help veterans find employment are consistently failing to meet performance goals and rank as some of the lowest performing veterans' employment programs in the nation.” The truth is there simply are not enough jobs to go around. Recent news reports disclose that a substantial number of new college graduates cannot find gainful employment. Simply telling post 9/11 veterans to find a job or go to school and then find a job, is indulging in misplaced hope. Veteran Entrepreneurs Today, (V.E.T.), is a free program produced and supervised the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. This unique program coordinates MindMasters style “think tank” groups of veterans, with an emphasis on veterans with service connected disabilities, who express an interest in starting their own business. V.E.T musters local small business community experts on topics such as marketing, legal issues, taxes, management, human resources, and other small business concerns to provide weekly topic discussions/presentations in a round-table format. The group members receive a detailed planning workbook and meet once a week to share challenges, and gain insights. Together they focus on goals and action steps with accountability to each other and the group leaders. Participants receive follow-up support for 6 months after the initial 12-week group.