The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program offers resources to veterans, service members, and military spouses who are interested in starting or growing a small business.

What is the Veterans Business Outreach Center Program?

The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, and family members interested in starting or growing a small business. SBA has 28 organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as VBOCs.

How can the VBOC program help my small business?

SBA’s VBOCs offer workshops, training, counseling, and mentorship opportunities in your area. VBOCs can also help you navigate SBA’s extensive resource partner network and refer you to a community partner, lender, or SBA program.

Transition Assistance Programs

VBOCs work closely with SBA district offices and Transition Service Managers at military installations to conduct Boots to Business classes for service members and military spouses. VBOCs also help conduct B2B Reboot classes off installations for veterans of all eras, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses.

Pre-Business Plan Workshops

VBOCs conduct entrepreneurial development workshops dealing specifically with the major issues of self-employment. An important segment of these workshops covers the usage of the Internet as a tool for developing and expanding businesses. Each client is afforded the opportunity to work directly with a business counselor.

Concept Assessments

VBOCs assist clients in assessing their entrepreneurial needs and requirements.

Business Plan Preparation

VBOCs assist clients in developing and maintaining a five-year business plan. The business plan includes such elements as the legal form of the business, equipment requirements and cost, organizational structure, a strategic plan, market analysis, and a financial plan. Financial plans include financial projections, budget projections, and funding requirements.

Comprehensive Feasibility Analysis

VBOCs provide assistance in identifying and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the business plan to increase the probability of success. The results of the analysis are used to revise the strategic planning portion of the business plan.

Entrepreneurial Training and Counseling

VBOCs, working with other SBA resource partners, target entrepreneurial training projects and counseling sessions tailored specifically to address the needs and concerns of the veteran entrepreneur community, including service-disabled veterans, women veterans, and veterans interested in procurement.

Mentorship

VBOCs conduct, as appropriate, on-site visits with clients to ensure adherence to their business plans. Additionally, VBOCs review monthly financial statements to determine whether a revision of the business plan is warranted or that desired results are being attained.

Other Business Developmental Related Services

VBOCs also provide assistance and training in such areas as international trade, franchising, internet marketing, accounting, and more.

To learn more about SBA’s resources for veterans, visit sba.gov/veterans.

The mission of this office is to provide veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, and family members with programs and services to start, grow and expand their small business.

About our office

The Office of Veterans Business Development’s mission is to provide veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, and family members with programs and services to start, grow and expand their small business.

OVBD is SBA’s liaison with the military business community and has a number of programs and services to assist aspiring and existing entrepreneurs through training, counseling and education, access to capital, contracting opportunities, and disaster assistance.

RESOURCES

Veterans service members and military spouses

● Boots to Business

● Boots to Business Reboot

● Boots to Business Revenue Readiness

● Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program

● Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

● Resources for military spouses

● Veteran small business certification

Women veterans

● IVMF – Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)

● Lift Fund – Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Program

● Boots to Business Reboot

● Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

● ONABEN – Beyond the Boots: A Veteran and Service Member Initiative

Service-disabled veterans

● Warrior Rising

● Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University – Riata Center for Entrepreneurship

● St. Joseph’s University – Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans

● VETRN

● Boots to Business Reboot

● Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

Reserve and National Guard Members

● Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (MREIDL)

● Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program

● Boots to Business Reboot

● Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)

SBA Resource Partners

● SCORE

● Women’s Business Centers

● Small Business Development Centers

● National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC)

● U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Hiring Our Heroes

Other government resources

● Surplus Personal Property for Veteran-Owned Small Business programs

● U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Programs

● The Federal Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)

● EEOC Small Business Resource Center

● Report – Financing Their Future: Veteran Entrepreneurs and Capital Access

● DOL VETS Veteran Trucker Fact Sheet

Other SBA resources

● SBA’s Government Contracting Classroom

● SBA Offices and Program Locator

● Veterans Business Development Officers

Grant opportunities and documents

● OVBD Grant Documents

● Grants.gov

● General Services Administration – Schedules

● System for Award Management

CONTACT US

Office of Veterans Business Development

409 3rd St. SW, Suite 5700

Washington, DC 20416

Phone: 202-205-6773