| |
| |
|
Entrepreneurialism Information |
|
|
|
Veteran Entrepreneurs Are Growing In Ranks
When I'm not running my own business, writing articles about business, speaking to groups and organizations about business, or consulting with companies who want my advice about the running of their business, I teach a weekly class on the subject of (care to guess?) starting and running a business. To quote my frequently-mentioned and wise-beyond-her-years teenage daughter, Chelsea, "Dad, you really need to get a life." This advice coming from a child who believes all roads lead to the mall. What my eldest offspring doesn't understand is I have a great life. In fact, I am living the life I have always dreamed of living. My life just happens to revolve around Planet Business. I am an entrepreneurial addict, a business junkie. Business is my chocolate, my Krispy Kreme donut, my nicotine, my caffeine, my crack. Maybe I'll start a 12 step program for entrepreneurs who want to kick the habit and charge a cover to get in. Hi, my name is Tim, and I'm an entrepreneur... Sounds like a great business idea to me. Out of everything I do I get the most enjoyment from speaking and teaching. Maybe it's the old stand up comedian in me, but nothing feeds my addiction like standing in front of a room of entrepreneurs talking about the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the do's and don'ts of business. My latest class of eager entrepreneurs is a special one in that it is made up almost entirely of U.S. Military Veterans: nearly two dozen men and women of all ages who either have a business idea in mind or are in the process of actually starting and running a business. Going around the room, I asked each student to stand up, introduce themselves, and talk a little about their business idea and what they expect to get from the class. As I listened to each Vet speak, I was impressed at the passion the entire group exuded. Most new entrepreneurs love to talk about their business idea, but this group was somehow different. They were more precise in their thinking, more intense, more passionate than the average entrepreneur. This group was not only excited at the prospect of starting their own business. They were downright zealous about it. As each Vet stood to talk about their idea and their expectations, the rest of the group hung on every word and was truly interested in what was being said. The typical entrepreneur is only interested in his own venture and has a hard time feigning interest in anyone else's. That was not the case here. Each Vet not only listened intently, but empathized with the speaker, as if they were taking a vested interest in the speaker's idea and were eager to help the speaker succeed. It was as if the group who had never met before, had come together as a single cohesive unit with one mission in mind: to succeed in business. The theme became: No man (or woman) left behind, in battle and in business. I supposed I should not have been too surprised. These were, after all, highly-trained, highly-disciplined individuals who have spent time in every corner of the globe in conditions most of us can only imagine. One young entrepreneur in particular was so freshly back from the Middle East that you could almost imagine sand on the floor beneath his boots. They are an impressive group, indeed, and it is my privilege to serve as their leader for the next six weeks. I am learning far more from them about the human spirit than they are learning from me about business. I hope they see it as a fair trade. Veteran entrepreneurs are emerging as one of the fastest growing segments of new entrepreneurs. According to a recent Small Business Administration (SBA) study there are approximately 4.2 to 5.5 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States. The study further revealed that 22% of veterans are either considering starting or purchasing a business in the near future or are in the business start up or purchase phase now. The SBA study was done as a result of The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, which required the SBA's Office of Advocacy to develop information on the various programs designed to assist veteran and service-disabled veterans succeed in business. The SBA study found that: More than one-third of "new veteran-entrepreneurs" and current veteran business owners had obtained skills from their active duty service that were directly relevant to business ownership. This should come as no surprise when you consider the intensity of the training and the emphasis on discipline that comes with military training. Over the course of their career the typical longer-term Veteran receives at least cursory training in everything from time management to employee relations to supervisory techniques to dealing with subordinates (employees) to budgeting and accounting to supply chain management and so on and so on. One organization that is working hard to promote entrepreneurship among Veterans is the Veteran's Corporation. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, the Veteran's Corporation bills itself as "the complete business source for current and prospective Veterans and Service-Disabled Veteran business owners, and for companies interested in working with Veteran-owned businesses." The Veterans Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that was created in 1999 by Public Law 106-50, which also set a 3 percent goal for federal procurement to Veterans including Service Disabled Veteran-owned businesses. The Veterans Corporation serves transitioning military personnel and all Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard and Reserve, seeking to link them with partners and purchasing agents in both the public and private sectors. Membership to the Veterans Corporation is free and available to all transitioning military personnel and all Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard and Reserve. Members will find assistance in securing capital for a business, entrepreneurial education, access to markets and services, and business networking. For more information or to apply for membership visit the Veterans Corporation online at http://www.veteranscorp.org/. Here's to your success! Tim Knox Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs. Related Links:
MORE RESOURCES:
Entrepreneurialism - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
An Entrepreneur Is An entrepreneur is an innovator. She sees a need in the marketplace and creates something new to fulfill that need or improves upon an existing mechanism that already fulfills that need. Could a Non-Profit Structure Be Right for Your Business? If you have a business idea, or an idea for a service for your community, there's one decision you must make early on: are you going to structure your project as a for-profit business, or as a non-profit corporation?Now, it may be that you already have a clear idea about this. Some business ideas are clearly "for profit". Secret Revealed In The Business Code ? Beginners often rush into business without any planning.? Unless you do your homework, there could be many avoidable pitfalls. Success Secrets - What I, Mike Litman Learned From This Old Book Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day in New York and yes, I spent it alone :}.My wife left for lunch with some old friends at 11:30 and a bunch of my friends were busy. A Startup Never Closes When it comes to a startup, the luxuries shared with established companies are few and far between. Chief among them is the luxury to close at the end of the day. Empathy - Not Business Plans - Key to Your Home Based Business Success - Do You Have Empathy? EMPATHY is a Natural Talent, you were born with it and you will never loose it. It can be a blessing or a curse in a home based business. Pre-Money vs. Post-Money Valuation When a company decides that it must raise capital, a key question that must be answered is how much the company is worth. For example, if the business needs $500,000 to get started and/or grow, how much of the equity in that company should $500,000 command? Once this question is answered, the company will go out and try to find investors. Near-death Experience is the Mother of Invention for Two Dallas Electricians To morning commuters, the hulking truck encircled with barricades and traffic cones may be nothing more than a road-clogging nuisance.For Kerem Tepecik and Dale Vith, two men who've made a good living by changing light bulbs forty feet above the pavement, the so-called "bucket truck" is more ominous. Defining a R&D Framework for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on Information Product Generation IntroductionKnowledge is the key resource that forms the institutional basis of the post-industrial economy and society. It should be empasized that it is institutions of higher education that give tangible expression to this argument by acting as catalysts for knowledge and research-driven economic growth as well as well-being enhancement. Making the Financial Transition Making the financial transition from paid employment to earning a living on your own is probably the single biggest challenge facing many would be entrepreneurs. For most, the mere thought of financial insecurity holds them back from even trying. The Term Sheet's Role in Raising Venture Capital Entrepreneurs and companies who are seeking venture capital often negotiate with one or more venture capital firms on a number of important issues. These issues include the amount of capital to be raised, the investment terms, etc. Find Out If You WILL Be Successful As a Franchisee? Will I be successful as a franchisee?One of the soundest pieces of advice to take when considering becoming a franchisee is to 'Assess Yourself'. Assess whether you can accept direction. 100% of Nothing What would it be worth to you to receive a steady stream of new customers with little or no effort on your part? Would you be willing to pay 10% of the revenue they generate? 20%? 50%? Or do you believe that you can't afford to pay anything?During a recent discussion, I was surprised that people said they could not afford to 'give up' 20% in commissions to reach new customers. If you have more work than you can handle, that makes sense. Good Questions, good Answers; Bad Questions, Bad Replies I'm convinced that asking the right questions is one of the most important skills you need to become a successful business person. Questions have the power to direct you or to distort you. Securing Second and Third-round Venture Capital Financing Widget sales are booming - the competition is scrambling, demand is up, and the books are finally treading water. Your core management team has big ideas for the future of Widget Inc. Documenting Partnerships in Your Business Plan Forging partnerships to improve market penetration has become commonplace, particularly for "new economy" businesses. And, most companies proudly mention their many partnerships in their business plans. How To Get More Clients and Customers; Dont Sell Be of Service Whether you are just starting your business or focusing on growing it, I'm sure you are like most small business owners you are looking for ways to get more clients and customers. There is a lot of information out there on selling, persuasion tactics, and gimmicks to get people to buy. An Entrepreneurs Challenge Living in the twilight zone has its advantages. In the early days of starting my business, I found the limitations of living in a rural area to be restrictive. 5?4?3? 2...1? A streak dating back more than three decades came to an end at midnight on New Year's Eve. For the first time since 1972, as America rang in 2005, "America's Oldest Living Teenager" was not in Times Square to count down the dropping of the giant ball. Be an Entrepreneur The Department of Labor predicts that the #1 employer in 2010 will be "self." A recent Internet poll of 25-44 year olds revealed that 90% of them hoped to own their own business.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |