Prior to starting my company, Frontline Support Solutions, I was fortunate to go through a program at Oklahoma State University centered on veteran entrepreneurial education. At that conference, I was able to get some of the most advanced, laser focused, executive level construction education I’ve ever received. This year, I got to go back to that event (this one held in at The University of Florida) as a speaker! Although it feels like I’ve come full circle, the knowledge that I gained the first time as a delegate and the second time as a presenter will serve me just the same.

The Veteran’s Entrepreneur Program is designed for service disabled veterans who have a business concept or are trying to grow an existing one. I mentioned in my last post that only thirty-four veterans were picked out of over five hundred applicants; we had some outstanding talent. This is a highly intensive, six day course that is jam packed with speakers, events and classes. The attendees get there early in the morning and are busy until dinner time. Sometimes there are even extracurricular courses that extend into the late evening where attendees can further develop their business plans.

I’m telling you, the entire syllabus was incredible. It ran the whole gamut from targeting your business idea and indentifying your market, to running your teams and the management of operations. We delved deep into their financials; doing a ‘P&L’ and balance sheets. There was also a great presentation on cash flow and how important that is.

There were also some great speakers. One gentleman by the name of Dr. Jeff Stamp, who owns a company called Bold Thinking Institute, spoke about getting out of the box when it comes to making business decisions. If you get stuck in your thinking, try to look at the problem from a different angle; put it in a shaker and shake it up. His presentation ended up being about an hour and a half because the veterans wouldn’t let him go, asking him a ton of questions. If that was the only thing I had seen the entire time, I would have been happy. It really got me thinking about ways that I could improve my process.

At the event, they provide everyone, presenters and attendees, with a binder full of reading material, class slides, and instruction that is cogent to their events. When I started looking through it later, I saw many things I learned five years ago that I haven’t yet applied. One of those is creating a company culture. You see, I know why I started my company, why it is I’m doing what I’m doing. But I need everybody on my team to be that laser focused. If I can create that within my company, we will move forward as a stronger unit, creating what is called ‘company culture.’ If someone on the team is not aligned with that vision and doesn’t agree with it, he’s probably not in the right space.

I got excited being there and learning as a presenter, so it’s easy to see how impactful it can be for those just starting out in the small business arena. If you’re a service disabled vet that has an entrepreneurial spirit be sure to check the event out for next year. In fact, if you even so much as know someone who has those qualities, share this blog. You never know where one step in that direction could take you. Of course, if you have questions about the conference or anything at all, contact me, Joe “VetBizMan†Perez, directly.

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