VA Creates New Center for Veteran Entrepreneurs

VA Creates New Center for Veteran Entrepreneurs

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) marked the expansion of its efforts to help veteran-owned businesses with the dedication of the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE). At the dedication ceremony, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi stated, “VA helps veterans with health care, education, benefits. We should also help them develop businesses that will provide stable lives for their families.”

The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act (Public Law 106-50) expanded VA’s authority to counsel veterans about self-employment and business expansions. The CVE originated as part of that legislation, and following passage of that act, VA, the Small Business Administration and the Association of Small Business Development Centers signed an agreement to work together to assist veterans with new business opportunities.

Veterans who own – or want to start their own businesses – can call or email the new Center, located at VA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to receive assistance from a national network of business specialists. Information will be available about loans, business management programs, online training for entrepreneurs and procurement opportunities with federal, state and local agencies.

Gail Wegner, Deputy Director, explains, “When a veteran business owner calls, or even a veteran who is a “pre-emerging business owner,” we refer them to a network of people who are at their disposal, and who will support their efforts and provide the opportunities they’ll need to achieve their goals.” She adds, “We tell them all they need is commitment.”

One of the programs CVE provides is the National Veterans Business Development Corporation (NVDBC). The members of the NVBDC are charged with the responsibility of expanding the provision of and improving access to technical assistance regarding entrepreneurship for the Nation’s veterans. The Corporation further assists veterans, including service-disabled veterans, with the information and expansion of small business concerns by working with and organizing public and private resources.

The Director of the CVE, Scott Deniston, is continuously about the work of establishing relationships with government and non – Federal markets. “We’ve established a network of friends,” says Wegner. “The Center has advocates in many government agencies and with Federal contractors.”

Whenever it is discovered that a company’s diversity programs are not actively supporting veterans, the CVE begins the process of informing and educating the top management to break down those corporate barriers. “We want every big business to commit to using veterans and service-disabled veterans in their supply chains.”

Wegner loves her job and her enthusiasm is infectious. Her background prior to coming to the CVE was as a Small Business advocate. According to Wegner, “Veterans possess great survival skills and an attitude of teamwork. They’re great employers and employees.”

“This program is about respect and opportunity,” Wegner explains. “Many service-disabled veterans just want an opportunity to be productive. Achieving a measure of pride again within their families and communities helps them to gain self-respect.”

Out of the 22 million businesses in the United States, the government estimates that over 5 million are owned by veterans. Plans are underway at the Center to register each veteran-owned business and advise owners of opportunities to do business with the federal government. Under this program, a veteran-owned business has 51 percent of the business controlled by a veteran.

The primary goal is to support economic empowerment for every veteran entrepreneur and to provide resource assistance for veterans and service-disabled veterans who are considering business ownership. The organization plans to accomplish this by educating citizens about the benefits of the program; locating and listing veteran-owned businesses; coordination of prime and subcontracting business opportunities for veterans with Government and private sector buyers; and encouraging growth through intergovernmental and private sector initiatives

Anyone interested in the Center for Veterans Enterprise can contact the website at http://www.vetbiz.gov/ or call toll free 1-866-584-2344 or (202) 565-8336.