Tips For Veteran Entrepreneurs

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Starting your own business or company is one of the best decisions that you have ever made now that you are living life as a veteran – away from military life yet near to family life. Always remind yourself that there are endless opportunities for you in the business world. However, it is imperative on your part to familiarize the different strategies to use to achieve ultimate success. Before anything else, it is essential to recognize the reality that you can never succeed in business if you just sit around. There are some things that you must do to guarantee a life of abundance.

Below are some of the tips that every veteran entrepreneur like you must keep in mind:

Check Your Finances

Before you choose a business venture, it is best if you will look into the flow of your income as well as the outflow for expenses. Keep in mind that coming up with a new business can be costly, especially if you have decided to do it on your own. As such, it is recommended to review your finances to ensure that you can afford to build something new. Remember that there are certain fees to be paid for licenses and permits. At the same time, you must have sufficient capital to pay for initial costs.

Conduct A Feasibility Study

Make sure to spend time studying the market before you make any investment. Remember that there are lots of problems that you may encounter during the initial phase of setting up the business. For this reason, it is ideal if you will conduct market research or feasibility study for what you have in mind. Make sure to verify the results with an expert so that you can make better and informed decisions. Otherwise, you may end up losing cash instead of generating profits.

Understand Your Target Audience

Who are the consumers that you want to attract? The answer to this question is essential, as it will determine the approach that you will take in doing business. Be sure to identify your target market at the early stage. You have to look into the demographics so that you can think of better ideas on how to convince them in availing your products and services. Understand what excites and makes your potential customers happy.

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Find Veteran Support Groups

Look for other organizations that are composed of veterans who have also decided to start their businesses. Get tips from these people and let their stories inspire you to aspire for success. Some of these support groups are also intended to help other veterans who are struggling to start a new life after spending years in the military service. It is completely okay to feel lost at the beginning, which is why you have to find the right set of people to connect with.

Look For A Partner

If you are hesitant to start a sole proprietorship, another suggestion that you can take is to go for a business partnership. All you have to do is to look for someone who is trustworthy and can help you in starting a business venture. This person does not need to be a veteran. What matters is that this potential partner has sufficient means to contribute cash as capital. At the same time, he must possess the right skills that can take the business to the next level.

Educate Yourself

Always note that knowledge is power, which is why you have to make it a top priority to educate yourself. Fortunately, it has become a lot easier to gather resources in this age of technology. You can go online to search for a particular subject that you want to learn about. At the same time, you can also go to the bookstore and search for business-related materials. Spend at least an hour a day to read interesting articles and reading materials that can provide you with more insights about entrepreneurship.

Seek Help

Do not be too proud to reject help and assistance from your family and friends. If someone is willing to help you get started, make sure to accept such help with open arms. Just because others are doing great deeds for you does not necessarily mean that they pity you. Instead, they are only happy to see that you have decided to continue enjoying life after serving the public. Believe it in your heart that they only want what is best for you.

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Conclusion

Be smart enough to follow the strategies mentioned above to ensure ultimate success in your new life as a businessman. Do not rush the process of building your name in the business industry. You need to take it slow so that you can avoid committing mistakes and errors. Keep a positive attitude and mood in whatever you do to attract abundance and greatness. Remember that you deserve a happy life.

Life After The War: Hope For Our Veterans

Our veterans made so much sacrifice for our country. Whether Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, or wherever there is conflict, they put their lives on the line just the same.  After the service that they have given to the country is over, they are left with nothing but wounds (physically, emotionally, and mentally).  And another sad reality is that not all retirees are given generous pension or even enough for them to live on for the rest of their lives.

 

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One veteran I had the opportunity to chat with said he was overseas for almost ten years.  He didn’t get the opportunity to see his children while growing up.  His youngest didn’t even recognize him when he came back.  It was heartbreaking for him, even more, when upon his return he didn’t know how or where to start.   With his injury, he was forced to retire early, and the pension he was receiving was just enough for his needs.  He was at lost, jobless, confused, and most of his day he spent staying at home doing the chores.  This made him feel more depressed.

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He is not the only veteran who felt that way.  Talking to more retirees, I found out that most of them have the same experience of feeling lost after they retire from the service.  Some have no choice but to do part-time jobs just to have extra income and be productive, but others find it hard to land a job. Others are thinking of going into business but don’t know how or where to get the money to start one.

 

Organizations Who Assist Veterans Get Their Life Back

In doing my research, I came across nonprofit organizations that help veterans adjust to the civilian world.   Others teach and guide them about business, and even assist them on how to get a loan to start.

Our military men are used to a life where things were laid before them by their superiors.  Everything is scheduled, everything is monitored, and almost every single thing they do is dictated to them.  In the outside world, that’s not the case anymore.  Out here is the real jungle that they have to survive without someone telling them what time to do things or what things they are to do.   They have to decide things on their own, and this is the reason why most of them fail to find hope and get their normal life back.

 

Charlotte Bridge Home

Local veterans from North Carolina formed an organization, Charlotte Bridge Home, which aims to help veterans shift from the Army to civilian life.  They reach out to veterans and guide them so they can find their valuable skills through their military experiences.   These skills will be their ticket back to finding jobs or doing business.  Charlotte Bridge Home assists the veterans in developing self-esteem to empower them by providing them with knowledge (through training) and resources to start rebuilding their lives after the military.

 

VBOC

Veterans Business Outreach Center of Florida is an organization that aims to empower Florida’s veterans and their household to be successful entrepreneurs.  They conduct training and counseling and offer resources so these veterans will be able to provide for themselves and their families.

 

The owner of Veterans 4 You, LLC, Mr. Tim Farrell, was able to expand his business with the help of VBOC.  Now, he is winning contracts from the federal government which amounts to $2 billion.

 

Former US Air Force Torrance Hart once thought of starting a business.   She believed that the skills she developed from joining the Air Force would help her a lot in this venture, and will allow her to transition naturally to her new environment.   The skills she confidently shared were her ability to be organized, disciplined, and motivated.  Torrance Hart is now the owner of Teak & Wine.

 

Life after the military is never comfortable.   This is no secret from the public, and the veterans themselves experienced it.  Good thing they decided to form these groups to help veterans pick up from where they left off or start their new life from nothing.

 

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These organizations have helped thousands of veterans transition from their military to private citizen life, and each veteran is helped according to his needs.   Our veterans should not be treated as victims of wars, but rather wounded heroes who need healing, and they will only heal if we help them.

 

 

Understanding The Link Between Psychology And Business

An entrepreneur faces new challenges every single day. It is the primary reason why a particular businessman needs to stay alert at all times. He needs to be equipped with the necessary skills for an effective and efficient decision-making process. He cannot rely on someone else to complete the job because people expect him to get things done as soon as possible. This can be highly frustrating, especially for someone who is still new to the industry.

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Should You Start A New Business?

Many new changes will come into your life the moment you quit the military life. Everything is going to feel new, which is why it can be frustrating in the beginning. However, it does not have to remain that way for a long time. With the right amount of self-determination as well as support from your friends, everything is possible. One of the essential things that you can do is starting your own business.

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Life As A Veteran: How To Be Happy

Waking up one morning and realizing that you are no longer connected with the military service can be frustrating. You would feel sad as you remember all your previous experiences in the military life. What you are feeling right now is only typical for someone who has gone through a significant transition in life. We understand how tough and demanding it is to accept your reality as of the moment. Because of this, we have rounded up some tips on how you can stay happy now that you are living a civilian life.

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A New Life Ahead For Veterans

Leaving the military life may not be the kind of choice that you voluntarily made. There could be some reasons or circumstances that prevented you from moving forward with your life-long goals in the armed forces or other military services. Everything can feel a little shaky in the beginning, but with the right attitude and outlook in life, your situation will become better. In this article, we are going to discuss what a new life ahead means for veterans.

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6 Ways To Promote Your Business

The business world and industry is full of uncertainties and challenges. Because of these things, it becomes difficult for several entrepreneurs to succeed in the industry. This becomes more problematic for businesses owned or operated by veterans. Take note that these businessmen have spent most of their lives in public service by serving the military.

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Tips In Dealing With Clients For Your Business

The success of your business relies on several factors, one of which is dealing with clients. Whether you like it or not, you have no choice but to interact with people. If you want to succeed in your chosen business venture, be sure to practice providing excellent customer experience. You have to find a way to make the existing and potential clients feel comfortable. At the same time, you must see to it that they are always satisfied with your products and services.

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