Why Veterans Make Perfect Entrepreneurs
Published July 02, 2018
With over 22 million military veterans in the United States alone, it’s no surprise that over 2.5 million American businesses are owned and operated by former soldiers. With superior skills in teamwork, extensive communal support and extraordinary discipline, the line between good entrepreneur and experienced military members is becoming increasingly blurred. Here are the reasons why veterans can create fireworks when they start their own businesses:
Business is the Best Bet to Re-Entering the Work Force
You’ve spent years protecting your country on the battlefield-and we thank you for that. But this also means you were out of the workforce for years as well. You don’t have the three years junior sales experience needed to land that dream customer service job (hey it has to be a dream job for somebody out there!) or maybe you even forewent a traditional college education to protect and serve. If you are your own boss, none of it even matters-you’ll automatically ace the interview! According to reports, those with active-duty experience are 45% more likely to be self-employed. And why not? You deserve to be the one calling the shots after years of being monitored by a military sergeant. Don’t let anyone tread on you.
Giving Back Gives You More Opportunities
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a big fancy business degree from a big fancy business university to succeed in entrepreneurship. Everyone from consumers to fellow businessmen want to thank you for your service and opening yourself up to your country by opening their wallets. Many customers would prefer their coinage contributing to a product made locally by a veteran than buying something online just to see a “Made in China” sticker on the bottom. Those who are proud to be their country’s citizen will be proud to buy from you. Being a veteran-owned business will also make you stand out from other small businesses out there so you won’t be camouflaged by all other ordinary small companies.
Giving back isn’t just reserved for your consumers- the entire business community-small and large- want to see you succeed. Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary makes it a priority to invest in veteran-run businesses- most notably a company that produces bottle openers from bullets. If going on national television isn’t your style, there are even government institutions and associations to enlist in. The United States government provides specialized benefits to “service-disabled veteran-owned businesses” while you can join the National Veteran Owned Business Association to connect with other servicemen and their companies.
You Already Have All the Skills Necessary for Business (Yes Really!)
While succeeding in a business is a battle in its own right, nothing compares to succeeding in an actual battlefield. In order to navigate literal minefields, you needed to have skills in team-building, problem solving and operating under pressure. Congratulations! Those competencies are needed everyday in the field of business!
Let’s start with team-building. You spent day in and out with your colleagues, more than anyone else in your life. One soldier may have been a big mouth, one a quiet wallflower and one who’s just counting the days to going home. Navigating these different personalities is no easy task- which is why now dealing with employees and customers will be a breeze. Additionally, your superior leadership skills will show employees who’s boss. Would you want to mess with someone with professional combat (or IT or engineering or medical) training under their belt?
Problem solving is another valuable life skill that extends far beyond the battlefield. Thinking on your feet is something you’re tested on a lot while in service to the point that it almost becomes natural. While the consequences of issues in business are far less dire than in service, you still need to be astute in your business decisions and persevere until you formulate a good solution. It’s a sure bet that living on a base that you’ve had a sleepless night or two...or twenty.
Lastly, you know a thing or two about operating under pressure- you may have even operated heavy machinery under immense pressure. The good news? You can take a deep breath because there’s a lot less pressure in business. Because you are used to every issue being important, you can apply this sense of urgency to your new business. Better yet, you will get a lot done in a short amount of time meaning you can get our businesses up and running quicker than you can run during PT.
Still Don’t Believe? Here Are Five Top Businesses Started by Veterans:
1. Wal-Mart- Founded by Sam and Bud Walton who served in the Army and Navy respectively
2. FedEx- Founded by Frederick Smith who served for 4 years in the US Marine Corps
3. Nike- Co-founded by Phil Knight who served seven years in the Army Reserve
4. GoDaddy- Founded by Bob Parsons who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War
5. Sperry Shoes- Founded by Paul Sperry who served in the Navy and used his experience to invent the world’s first boat shoes
Not a veteran but still want to show your patriotism? Check out our flag invoice templates featuring over 38 countries! Freedom is not free and neither is your business, so send invoices and get paid quickly with Invoice Home.
Thanks for using Invoice Home!
Blog Posts
- 7 Ways to Prevent Work-From-Home Burnout
- How to Get a Customer to Pay Your Invoice
- New Year’s Resolutions for Small Business Owners
- Holiday Gifts for Small Business Owners
- Why You Should Use an Invoice Template Software
- Managing & Engaging Your Remote Employees
- How to Deal With Difficult Customers
- How to Send an Invoice
- 4 Simple Steps to Start Freelancing
- You’re Setting the Wrong Goals for Your Business
- How to Get Over Your Phone Anxiety
- Questions to Ask Yourself When Starting a Business
- 4 Steps to Take When Taking on a New Client
- Introducing Cash Receipt Templates!
- How to Make Your Small Business More Professional
- 9 Invoicing Documents, and When You Should Use Them
- Common Mistakes Freelancers Make
- How to Network Without Leaving Your Home
- 6 Signs That You Might be Ready for a Side Hustle
- 8 Financial Blogs Small Business Owners Need to Read
- How to Prevent Late Payments on Invoices
- Top 10 Countries by Startup Ecosystem
- 5 Reasons To Use Paperless Invoices
- How to Avoid a Toxic Workplace
- Why You Should Upgrade to Unlimited Invoicing
- Tech and Economy: How Tel Aviv became the Start-up City
- The Importance of Customer Service
- What is an Invoice?
- 5 Plants to Minimize Toxins & Maximize Productivity
- M-Commerce in Developing Countries
- Customize Your Invoice
- 9 Ways to Vacation Stress-Free
- How to Get Your Laptop Spring-Ready
- The Truth About Failure
- 5 Women You Should Know About
- The Most Expensive Super Bowl Ads of All Time
- Top 10 Cities for Female Entrepreneurs
- Jobs That Didn't Exist 20 Years Ago
- Gifts for the Entrepreneur in Your Life
- How to Secure Your Small Business
- Unique Ways to Thank Your Customers
- Best Cities to Live in With a Salary of $50,000
- How Your Business Can Profit From Halloween
- How to Separate Yourself from Your Business
- How to Manage Your Mental Health as a Business Owner
- Books to Read Before Starting a Business
- 5 Ways to Get Loyal Customers
- Why You Should Take a Staycation
- Businesses You Can Start While Working Full Time
- Should Freelancers Ever Work for Free?
- How to Stay Active at the Office
- Best Business Ideas for People Who Love to Travel
- How to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch
- The Best Places in the World to Work Online From
- 5 Businesses You Can Start for Free
- How to Organize Your Desk for Maximum Productivity
- How Your Business Can Profit off the World Cup
- What the Color of Your Logo Says About Your Business
- How to Become a Wedding Planner
- Why Veterans Make Perfect Entrepreneurs
- Why Every Day Should Be "Take Your Dog to Work Day"
- How to Enjoy Your Summer
- 3 tips For First-Time Freelancers
- 3 Tips for a Stress-Free Vacation
- Spring Cleaning in The Office
- 5 Tips When Starting Your Business
- New to Invoicing
- 3 Tips on Last Minute Tax Filing
- Characteristics of a Successful Business Owner
- Accomplishing Your 2018 Goals
- How to Set and Achieve Your New Year's Goals
- Tips For Boosting Your Productivity
- Motivational Quotes to Get You Through Any Day
- New Flags on The Template Gallery!
- Be Featured on Our Site!
- How to Create Your First Invoice
- A Helping Hand on the Road to Success
- How Wine and Invoicing Go Together
- How to Use 'My Reports' as Statements
- 1st Day of Summer
- A Faster Way to Organize and View Your Documents
- 3 Ways to Wrap Up Your Month
- 5 Activities You Have Time for While Using Invoice Home
- Creating a Partial Payment
- What Invoices and Technology have in Common
- Get an Invoice that Suits You
- Need more details in your Invoice? No problem! Use the Advanced Form.
- Ready to bill your client? Awesome! Time to convert your Estimate into an Invoice.
- Stay organized! Bookmark customers, unpaid.. Here’s how!
- Need Two Taxes on One Item or a Compound Tax?
- Providing discounts? Effortless work-flow here!
- 500 Free Business Logos for You!
- Introducing 300 awesome Invoice Templates - Make your Business Shine!
- Invoice faster, write less. Copy items like this!
- Faster invoicing? Use the ‘Copy’ button. Here’s How.
- Don't mess with passwords anymore!
- Invoice paid in cash? Set it as “Paid” manually.
- Invoice customers faster with the ‘Email’ feature!
- Self-Organized Invoicing is Here!
- See why the New Invoice Home got a 5 Star Rating!
- 100 Professional Invoice Templates to promote your Brand
- Taxable and Non-Taxable Items on One Invoice? Here’s How!
- Get paid faster with Payment Links! Here’s how.