I have become aware of a disturbing practice from some underhanded companies: they are taking advantage of the fact that many folks have just left the military and they are looking for work. Preying on these veterans by offering to hire them for very low wages is reprehensible. It is simply unacceptable for veterans to have such a difficult time finding a rewarding job. They should not be forced to accept a job with artificially low wages when they have unique skill sets, leadership capabilities, and the motivation to make a difference. I get extremely angry whenever I hear a story about veterans being mistreated in this manner.

I recently made a blog post about my attendance of the Veteran’s Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Florida. While I was there, I heard from some folks that were having difficulty finding work. Even though there can be many variables that are causing this situation, veterans have the ability to translate their military skills into strengths that are valuable assets to any private business, small or large. For example, here in San Antonio, Toyota has a very forward-thinking program that seeks to hire veterans into their automotive workforce.

In fact, a friend of mine who is a marine has been actively involved in that program. He understands the value of veterans and how they can contribute to Toyota’s success. They are a large corporation with significant funds at their disposal, so they have the ability to scale and pay very well. They are an exceptional example of how we can all benefit by making sure veterans are properly allowed to utilize their wide ranging skills.

If any entrepreneurial veterans want to start a business, I would first caution them to make the time investment of learning the basics of business. They will need to do some studying first, in order to understand how to be successful. Stumbling early on can be very discouraging and painful. I don’t want anybody to end up giving up after encountering difficulty that could have been avoided through preparation. I would strongly suggest that anybody looking to become an entrepreneur get some training while still in active duty, or as early as possible. Veterans can succeed in their ventures if they learn and follow some basic tenets of running a business.

I would also encourage veterans that are interested in starting a business to visit the nearest Small Business Development Center in their area. Additionally, there is a Procurement and Technical Assistance Center located in most large metropolitan areas. You can also contact me, Joe “VetBizMan†Perez, directly if you have any questions.

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