Why Entrepreneurship Works for the Military Community
Imagine trying to start a business while moving homes every few years. Jumping from community to community, leaving established entrepreneurial networks or storefronts behind — essentially, starting over time and again. That’s the harsh reality for both veterans and military spouses who try to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality while constantly relocating from base to base.
As a military spouse and CEO of Patriot Boot Camp, I am vastly aware of the entrepreneurial support gaps the military community encounters. I have also seen many talented veterans, service members, and military spouses overcome these challenges to start and scale massive businesses across the country.
The military community is an important, but underrecognized, demographic that plays a critical role in advancing the US economy, with veteran-owned companies creating 5.6 million jobs and generating $1.1 billion in sales in 2017. The military serves as one of the best entrepreneurship training programs available, as skills gained in the military translate well into business ownership. In fact, 49 percent of World War II veterans went on to own or operate their own businesses. From my experience as CEO of Patriot Boot Camp, here are a few of the reasons why entrepreneurship works for the military community:
Remote work works
While COVID-19 has clearly wreaked havoc on small businesses across the country, one silver lining has been the increased flexibility to work remotely, with 94 percent of workers reporting productivity as the same or higher than before. For digital-first businesses, work can be conducted anywhere — not only benefiting entrepreneurs but also their employees.
Take military spouse Erica McMannes, for example. As founder and COO of Instant Teams, a tech-enabled talent services company that builds high-quality remote customer support, Erica and her cofounder set out to solve a problem they were all too familiar with: high military spouse unemployment. Instant Teams operates a fully remote organization of 160+ team members (94 percent military spouses, 4 percent veteran, 2 percent civilian) spread across the globe. In just four years, Instant Teams has grown to become a successful, multi-million dollar business with over $2M in venture capital funding.
Virtual education and networking is available
Support is critical when you’re a founder entering a competitive marketplace. An enormous benefit of entrepreneurship is the community that comes with it — and in today’s climate, it’s available virtually. A networking community serves as a support system, offering expertise from those who’ve been in the same shoes, a sounding board for new ideas, and occasionally, a compassionate ear with which to share grievances. No entrepreneur finds success on their own.
There is a vibrant digital community for veteran and military entrepreneurs — whether it be an online course, entrepreneurial boot camp, accelerators, and more. Some resources include the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans & Military Families, Patriot Boot Camp, and the SBA’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). And of course, accelerators like Techstars, Y Combinator, and 500 Startups offer entrepreneurs valuable skills, with many offering training and events virtually during the pandemic.
Entrepreneur and military veteran Bart Lomont launched Robin Autopilot, an emissions-free robotic mowing service, after graduating from a boot camp. He was then accepted by the popular television show Shark Tank. He credits the advice and camaraderie from the boot camp with helping him turn Robin into a $4 million business, which gave him the confidence to go franchise. Today, Robin processes more than 2,000 inbound requests per day for franchising, is on a path for revenue growth while taking zero upfront investment, and was successfully acquired in 2019.
Structure and discipline carry over
Members of the military are accustomed to structure. The military provides a job, training, a steady paycheck, and a physical regiment that offers a sense of security that early entrepreneurship does not. The structure and discipline learned during the time spent in the military translate well into entrepreneurship. Mapping a course, creating a plan, and sticking to it are skills that every business owner needs to succeed.
For these reasons and many more, veteran entrepreneurs are well equipped to overcome the challenges of starting and growing a company. There is more to learn about how to better equip veteran founders to succeed — and what organizations and decision-makers can do to better support them. To better understand the barriers that veterans face and the common pathways that help them overcome challenges that are specific to their experience, check out Endeavor Insight and Google for Startups’ latest report.
