Life After the Military: Why Entrepreneurship is a Good Fit for Veterans

November 7, 2019

Making the transition out of the military and back into civilian life is exciting, but it can also be stressful for veterans as they explore options and determine their next steps. After dedicating a significant amount of their lives to protecting and defending their country, it can be a challenge to find career satisfaction in post-military roles

One exciting option for many veterans is entrepreneurship. Business ownership is a popular career choice for veterans looking for a challenge in the next chapter of their lives. In fact, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics last published in 2016, there are more than 405,000 veteran-owned businesses in the United States, comprising 7.5 percent of the 5.4 million businesses in the country. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding new post-military service career opportunity, small business ownership may be right for you too.

Military Service Provides Invaluable Skills and Training for Running a Business

Military experience in any branch lends itself to an entrepreneurial lifestyle, because it provides service members with a strong foundation in the following skills that small business owners need to succeed:

Leadership and teamwork: Regardless of the rank achieved, military service teaches invaluable leadership and teamwork skills. Small business owners who want to create any type of business other than a sole proprietorship are best positioned to succeed when they are able to model selfless leadership by encouraging positive team morale even during stressful times and guiding their employees’ work while not being afraid to lead from the front. When you own your own small business, you need to be willing and ready to have your employees’ backs — and know that in turn, you will have a support system behind you helping you reach your personal and professional goals.

Problem-solving: Service members also have to learn and apply creative problem-solving skills in a variety of situations, sometimes thinking on their feet and making fast assessments of the facts and circumstances. So, too, must small business owners be ready to be agile decision-makers.

Strategic planning and risk management: Military service teaches people to think strategically, helping them evaluate the big picture while keeping their focus on what’s happening in the here and now. Business owners need to think about the current day, week, and month, but must also make decisions that make sense for the long-term success of the business. Entrepreneurship is often a balancing act; small business owners with military experience are well-equipped to navigate the planning and risk management decisions that come with running a business.

Resiliency and perseverance: Another similarity between small business ownership and military service is the need to be resilient and to persevere even when the going gets tough. Both entrepreneurs and service members must be able to handle adversity and maintain their focus in high-stress environments. Being self-motivated and being able to rely on the self-discipline and resilience they learned in the military helps veteran business owners continue working hard even when nobody is there to make them do so, knowing that their hard work will ultimately help them reach their goals.

Forge Your Own Career Path After the Military

Veterans who choose entrepreneurship do so for a variety of reasons. Many of those reasons are the same reasons that attract entrepreneurs without military backgrounds, including the ability to control their own destiny, income potential that is not capped at a set corporate salary or hourly wage, and the flexibility to manage their own schedules. Many veterans are also drawn to small business ownership because of the control it gives them over their careers and the opportunity to continue giving back to their communities.

Questions about starting a small business? There are many verified and helpful resources out there including the National Veteran-Owned Business Association and G.I. Jobs — both of which are designed to provide information and assistance to veterans looking for their next career path.

Omar Zaki, a military veteran and small business owner, choose to forge his own career path as an Allstate Agency Owner. He credits his military experience for helping him believe in himself, and for teaching him invaluable lessons about leadership and integrity — lessons he applies every day to build and create success in his own small business.

If you are a veteran, or currently in the military exploring your next career path, consider an opportunity as an Allstate Agency Owner where you will be able to help customers protect what matters most in their lives. Not only will you be able to make a difference in someone’s life, but you will also be your own boss and earn equity in the business you build with the opportunity to sell or pass it down some day. To learn more, visit www.allstateagent.com or contact a recruiter today at 877.711.1015

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marklrockefeller/2016/08/03/why-the-military-is-the-best-entrepreneurship-training-program-in-america/#59e510a63d60
https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/top-five-reasons-veterans-succeed-as-entrepreneurs.html
https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/3-entrepreneur-veterans-explain-how-military-experience-is-good-for-business.html

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