State resources give veteran-owned businesses a fighting chance.

• Position: Small Business Resource

When it comes to helping veterans and military spouses set up their own businesses, the Small Business Centers at the 58 institutions in the N.C. Community College System are poised to help.

These local Small Business Centers provide a variety of seminars on starting and managing a business. One such program is Boots to Business, a two-day seminar offered in collaboration with the Small Business Administration, the Department of Defense and Syracuse University.

This free program covers a variety of topics in eight modules and is open to veterans, current service members and their spouses. In two very fast-paced days, participants are introduced to business ownership, the concepts of business feasibility, markets and competitive advantage, sources of capital, and business planning training.

"We have two days to share an immense amount of information in ways that military service members can relate to," says Steve Gill, a retired Marine major and a Boots to Business instructor. "They understand the importance of the mission and the need for planning, planning and more planning. They are eager to get started in their business, but they also know that they have to lay the proper foundation."

Help for veterans who want to start a business doesn't end with the two-day Boots to Business seminar. Veterans and military service members also are encouraged to take advantage of other free seminars offered by the Small Business Centers and to seek one-on-one, confidential guidance from the centers' business counselors. Counselors can help explore business ideas more deeply...