Tips for Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs

Our Veterans have sacrificed a lot for our country--in some cases, they’ve literally put their lives on the line! And because of this sacrifice, we’re able to live in peace and focus on our families, careers, and hobbies. But the service doesn’t stop for many Veterans when they leave the military. There are over 2.5 million Veteran-owned businesses in the United States today, and these Veteran business leaders are solving problems, employing people in your community, and continuing their service through business. The unique experiences they’ve had in the military have positioned them well to lead in the business world, and they continue to give back. Here are some tips you can use to support the Veteran entrepreneurs in your community:

Integrate Veterans With Peers: A big hurdle for many Veteran entrepreneurs is a lack of contacts and community in the civilian world. One way you can help the Veterans in your community overcome this is to integrate them with their peers. Whether you are a leader in a company that hires Veterans, a networking event organizer, or simply an influential person in your community, taking the time to introduce Veterans to their civilian counterparts is a big help. In doing so, you’ll also help your civilian contacts as well. Veterans bring unique skills and experiences to the business world, and their civilian peers also have an opportunity to learn from them.
Mentor a Veteran: Mentorship is crucial for any business leader, but it’s even more important for Veterans, because the business world often operates very differently from the military. Mentorship can help Veterans transition more easily into the civilian world, and can also help them avoid the common pitfalls that every new entrepreneur faces. By providing mentorship to Veteran entrepreneurs, you can help them polish the skills they learned in the military and apply them towards success in business.
Become Involved With Veterans Organizations: Another great way to support Veterans is to support the organizations that serve them. Whether you choose to give your money or time, there are many organizations that help Veterans deal with trauma, find community, and transition back to civilian life. There are even programs designed specifically to support Veteran entrepreneurs such as the Center of Excellence for Veteran Entrepreneurship and Vet to CEO.
Work With Veteran Businesses: Perhaps the best way to support the Veteran entrepreneurs in your community is to do business with Veteran-owned companies. These companies run the gambit from large tech startups to local service companies, but one thing is common between them all: they’re driven by a mission and dedicated to improving their communities. At G.I. Junk, one of our commitments as a Veteran owned business is to provide employment opportunities to other Veterans, and we challenge the rest of the community to do the same. Indeed, hiring Veterans is not an act of charity. In fact, the skills that Veterans bring with them to the workplace make them some of the best employees you can hire. Every one of our employees is either a Veteran, Service Member, or military dependent. We know what it means to serve, and we’re eager to demonstrate this military service to you for your next junk removal job!
In addition to being a 100% Veteran owned and operated business, we also work to promote other local Veteran businesses. Check out our Facebook album containing our weekly small business Saturday posts where we highlight local Veteran-owned business!
Got Junk?You can see a more detailed list of our residential and commercial services; review a gallery of our before/after images; read our reviews; or book online (for either a free quote or full job completion).

We provide service within the following parts of the Portland Metro Area:
NE Portland, Fairview, Troutdale, SE Portland, Gresham, Happy Valley, Clackamas, Boring, Damascus, Milwuakie, Jennings Lodge, Oak Grove, Gladstone, Oregon City, Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, Canby.