How much money do I need to start a business after the military?

It depends entirely on the type of business. A service business like consulting, contracting, or freelance work can start with a laptop and a phone. Maybe $500 to $1,000 for an LLC, a website, and basic tools. A retail business, restaurant, or manufacturing operation needs significantly more, often $50,000 to $250,000 or more. Start with a service business if capital is tight. You are selling your expertise, which you already have. The overhead is minimal and the risk is low. You can always add products or physical locations later once the cash flow supports it.

Can I use my GI Bill to start a business?

The GI Bill does not directly fund business startups, but you can use it strategically. Use your GI Bill to get a business degree or take entrepreneurship courses while starting your business. The housing allowance gives you income while you build. Some veterans use the GI Bill at a low-cost online school primarily for the housing allowance while working on their business full time. This is not what the GI Bill was designed for, but it is legal and it is a strategy many veteran entrepreneurs have used. Also, the VET TEC program (if funded) covers technology training programs, including some that teach the technical skills needed to start a tech business.

What is the biggest mistake veteran entrepreneurs make?

Spending too much time planning and too little time selling. The military teaches you to plan thoroughly before executing. In business, you need to sell quickly and fix things as you go. Most failed veteran-owned businesses did not fail because of a bad idea or poor execution. They failed because the founder spent six months perfecting the website and the logo instead of finding a customer. Sell first. Build later.

Should I get a business partner or go solo?

A business partner divides the risk and brings skills you do not have. It also divides control and creates the potential for conflict. If you go with a partner, pick someone whose skills complement yours, not duplicate them. If you are the operations person, find someone who is strong in sales or finance. Put everything in writing. Even if you are going into business with your best friend from your first duty station. Have an operating agreement that covers decision-making, profit distribution, and what happens if one of you wants to leave. The conversation is awkward now. Not having the conversation is catastrophic later.

What business ideas work best for veterans?

Veterans tend to succeed in businesses that reward discipline, process, and leadership. Government contracting is the most obvious path, especially with SDVOSB status. Construction and skilled trades align well with military technical training. Security and investigations leverage operational experience. Logistics and transportation match military supply chain backgrounds. Fitness and training businesses work for veterans with PT and coaching experience. Consulting in any field where you developed deep expertise. The common thread is businesses where execution matters more than innovation. Most successful businesses are boring industries executed well. That plays to veteran strengths.

Veteran Entrepreneurship: How to Start Your Own Business After Military Service

By GetVetsHired · July 2026 · 6 min read

You have been thinking about it since your last deployment. Maybe since your last PCS. The idea that you could call your own shots. Build something that is yours. Stop asking for permission and start making decisions. Entrepreneurship is a natural fit for veterans. You already know how to operate with incomplete information. You know how to plan, execute, and adjust when the plan falls apart. You know how to manage resources and lead people. Those are the core skills of every successful business owner. What you probably do not know is the ecosystem that exists specifically for veteran entrepreneurs. There is more support, more funding, and more free resources available to you than to any other group of new business owners. The military spent years teaching you how to accomplish the mission. Now there is a system designed to help you accomplish this one. Here is how to use it.

Why veterans make good entrepreneurs (and what holds most of them back)

The data backs this up. Veterans are about 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than non-veterans, according to the SBA. Veteran-owned businesses employ over five million people and generate over a trillion dollars in annual revenue. The skills that make you effective in uniform also make you effective as a business owner. Operational planning. Resource management. Risk assessment. Team leadership. Decisiveness under pressure. The ability to adapt when conditions change. These are not soft skills. They are the hard skills of running a business. What holds veterans back is not a lack of ability. It is a lack of knowing where to start. The military gives you a career path. The entrepreneurial world does not. You have to build the path yourself. That is intimidating for anyone. But the good news is that the path exists. Other veterans have walked it. And there are organizations whose entire mission is to help you find your way.

The funding landscape: what is available specifically for veterans

Veterans have access to funding sources that civilians do not. Here is what exists and how to access it. SBA Veterans Advantage loans: the SBA 7(a) loan program has a Veterans Advantage program that reduces or waives guarantee fees for veteran-owned businesses. These loans go up to $5 million and can be used for working capital, equipment, real estate, or refinancing debt. SBA Express loans for veterans: faster processing and a streamlined application for loans up to $500,000. If you need capital faster and in a smaller amount, this is the route. SBA microloans: loans up to $50,000 through nonprofit intermediaries. Often come with business training and mentorship attached. Boots to Business: a free SBA program available to transitioning service members and veterans. It is a two-day in-person or online course that walks you through the fundamentals of starting a business. This is the best first step if you are still exploring the idea. Veteran small business grants: StreetShares Foundation offers grants to veteran entrepreneurs. Hivers and Strivers is an angel investment group focused on veteran founded startups. Second Service Foundation provides grants and mentorship. Unlike loans, grants do not need to be paid back. They are competitive and they take work to win. But the money is out there. Service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) status: this is not funding directly, but it opens doors to federal contracts. The government sets aside at least 3 percent of all federal contracting dollars for SDVOSBs. That was over $20 billion last year. Your DD-214 and VA disability rating can become a competitive advantage in the government marketplace.

Your first three steps: do these before anything else

Most veterans who want to start a business do everything in the wrong order. They design a logo. They open an LLC. They build a website. Then they wonder why nobody is buying. Here is the correct order. Step one: identify the problem you are solving. A business is not a product. A business is a solution to a problem that people will pay to have solved. Before you spend a dollar or a day building anything, articulate the problem in one sentence. 'Small construction companies in my area cannot find reliable subcontractors who show up on time.' That is a problem. 'I want to start a construction company' is not a problem. It is an ambition. Make sure yours is the first thing. Step two: validate that people will actually pay for your solution. The military teaches you to plan thoroughly before you act. In business, that instinct often leads to building something nobody wanted. Instead, find ten people who have the problem you identified. Ask them if they would pay for a solution. Ask them how much. If you cannot find ten people who say yes, your business idea needs rethinking. Step three: sell something before you build anything. Offer your service to one customer manually. Do the work yourself without any systems or software. Get paid. This does two things. It proves the business model works. And it forces you to understand what the customer actually needs, not what you assume they need. Only after you have done these three things should you spend time on an LLC, a logo, or a website.

How to get veteran-owned business certification and why it matters

Veteran-owned business certifications open doors to government contracts and corporate supplier diversity programs. Here is the landscape. Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB): certified through the SBA. Requires at least 51 percent ownership and control by one or more veterans. This certification makes you eligible for certain VA set-aside contracts. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB): requires at least 51 percent ownership by one or more veterans with a service-connected disability. This is a higher tier of certification that gives you access to the 3 percent federal SDVOSB contracting goal. This is real money and less competition than the open market. The certification process takes time. Start it early. You will need your DD-214, business formation documents, personal financial statements, and a lot of patience. The SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification program (VetCert) is the portal. State-level certifications: many states have their own veteran-owned business certification programs for state contracts. These are usually simpler than the federal process and worth pursuing if you plan to bid on state or local government work. Corporate supplier diversity: large companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot have supplier diversity programs that actively seek veteran-owned vendors. Certification is usually required to participate. These programs can be a reliable revenue stream if your business fits their needs.

Franchising: the middle path between employment and entrepreneurship

Building a business from scratch is risky. Franchising is a middle path. You own the business. You make the decisions. But you get a proven system, brand recognition, training, and ongoing support. For many veterans, this is the right model. You get the autonomy of ownership with the structure of an established system. It plays to the military strengths of following a proven process while still leading the team. The franchise industry actively recruits veterans. Many franchisors offer significant discounts on franchise fees for veterans. Some waive them entirely. The International Franchise Association's VetFran program lists hundreds of franchise opportunities with veteran discounts. Financing is also easier for franchise businesses. Banks are more willing to lend against a proven franchise model than a startup concept. If you combine veteran SBA loan benefits with a franchise, you can often get into a business with less personal capital than a startup would require. The tradeoff is less creative control. The franchise tells you how to operate. For some veterans, that is a feature, not a bug. You execute the system instead of inventing one from scratch.

The personal transition: going from a steady paycheck to variable income

This is the part nobody talks about. In the military, the paycheck arrives on the first and the fifteenth no matter what. In a business, your income is whatever is left after expenses. Some months it is a lot. Some months it is nothing. That uncertainty is the hardest part of the transition for most veterans. Here is how to manage it. First, save at least twelve months of living expenses before you go full time on your business. The standard advice is six months. For entrepreneurs, double it. Revenue is lumpy and unpredictable. You need a longer runway. Second, start your business as a side hustle while you are still employed. This is the safest path. Keep your paycheck. Build the business on nights and weekends. Transition to full time when the business is producing enough consistent revenue to replace your salary. This takes longer but it removes the financial terror. Third, understand that you can go back to a job if the business does not work. Starting a business is not a one-way door. If it fails, you go get a job. You will have learned more about business in twelve months of running your own than you would learn in five years of working for someone else. That experience makes you more employable, not less. The worst case is not that bad. Acknowledge that and the risk becomes manageable.

How a resume tool can help your business (this is not what you think)

You are not building a resume for yourself. You are building a resume for your business. When you bid on government contracts, apply for loans, or pitch to investors, you need to present your qualifications in a format that decision-makers understand. Your military service record is not that format. A contract proposal evaluator does not know what a company commander does. A bank loan officer does not understand an NCOER. They need to see your experience in terms that translate to business credibility: leadership experience, budget management, operational planning, team building, project execution. A resume tailoring tool can help you build the 'about the founder' section of your business plan, your bio for loan applications, and the capability statement you send to government contracting officers. It translates your military career into the business language that lenders, investors, and contracting officers expect. Running a business is about selling. You sell to customers, to lenders, to partners. Every sale starts with credibility. Your military career is the most credible thing about you. Make sure it reads that way.

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