Our commitment to serving those who’ve served for us, today and every day
Each year on Veterans Day, we thank our veterans for their sacrifice, bravery, and the example they set for us all. We are reminded of their service and bravery each day as we enjoy all of the rights and privileges that our military veterans fought for us to have. Here at Veterans Franchise, our mission is to give back to our veterans in the best way we know how: helping those who have served transition from service to entrepreneurship.
We firmly believe that military veterans are the perfect fit for the franchising model, having the most important keys to entrepreneurial success firmly ingrained in them from their time serving in the armed forces. Military veterans know discipline, structure, and dedication better than most, making them ideal candidates to own their own businesses and thrive as franchisees.
“The franchise industry is a strong supporter of veterans,” explains David Schwartz, CEO and founder of VeteransFranchise.com. “Many franchise opportunities are aggressively recruiting veterans as franchisees. They realize how perfectly military training translates into franchise ownership.”
Because of this, there are countless franchises and business opportunities that provide support, financial benefits and other incentives for those who have served in the armed forces. That’s part of the reason why CEO Dave Schwartz founded VeteransFranchise.com, and the reason why VeteransFranchise.com is committed to only featuring veterans-friendly opportunities on our site to connect veterans with only the best opportunities available for them within the franchise space.
This Veterans Day, we encourage everyone to go out and thank a veteran for their service and for making the ultimate sacrifice so that we can all enjoy the benefits of freedom and peace. Whether you’re a military veteran, a military spouse, or whatever your situation may be: Veterans Franchise remains committed to giving back to our veterans and their families, not only on Veterans Day but every day.
One of the biggest questions we get from our customers is why we’re so committed to helping veterans start the next stage of their lives as business owners. Some of the reasons are obvious: I mean, if you’ve navigated our site even a little bit, I’m sure you’ve seen us post about how military veterans make the perfect fit for the franchising model. But, did you know that our commitment to military veterans runs even deeper than that?
When CEO Dave Schwartz founded VeteransFranchise.com, he didn’t just do so because he knew veterans made great franchisees. He did so because if there’s one thing Dave knows, it’s franchising: and he has a special soft spot for military veterans. To him, starting VeteransFranchise.com was the best way he could think of to give back to the brave men and women to whom we owe our freedom. The way he saw it, they’ve served us all in more ways than we can count… this was the least he could do to serve them back.
In fact, Dave has always had a certain soft spot for military veterans ever since he was a little boy. Growing up, one of Dave’s greatest inspirations was his best friend’s dad, Ross Glatzer: a successful CEO and Vietnam veteran. His two philosophies?
Pay significant attention to detail &
Never take anything for granted
Young Dave took this philosophy to heart and adopted the same philosophy in his own life. Another one of Dave’s greatest inspirations was his grandmother, who also had a soft spot for military veterans and made sure to impart on her grandson the importance of always thanking them for their service, even if it means going out of your way to do so. “We’d be going for a walk and she’d see someone with a veterans hat on or something, and she would literally turn around and walk like two blocks to catch up with them just to stop and thank them for their service,” Dave recalled, “that really stuck with me.”
So nowadays, Dave always makes a point to go out of his way to thank a veteran every chance he gets. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a much greater appreciation for their service and their sacrifices,” Dave explained, “especially WWII veterans, since there are so few of them left. What they’ve sacrificed for our country, what those sacrifices provide for us every day… they deserve to know how much their sacrifice truly means, and I feel honored every time I get a chance to learn a piece of their stories.”
One regret that always sticks with him, Dave described, was one day a couple of years back. He was coming out of Costco with arms full of groceries in famously-hot Charleston, SC, and was in a rush for whatever reason. He happened to see a man walk by with a WWII veteran hat on, and he was in such a rush that he didn’t stop to say hello.
“It might sound stupid, but it’s seriously one of my biggest regrets and it really sticks with me,” Dave explained. “I mean, I can’t believe I was so selfish. I wish I knew who that man was, I wish I’d gotten a chance to hear his story… I was literally in my car driving away and I KNEW I should’ve gone back, but I didn’t. And I regret it to this day.” he said.
“And I think this applies not just to our veterans, but to people in general: just take the time. I mean, what’s a couple of minutes out of your day? It’s such an easy thing to do, just stopping to say hello: in fact, it’s the absolute least you can do,” Dave said. “This also applies to being truly PRESENT in life. You may have a day that’s all mapped out; you may be the busiest person in the world. But in order to be truly present, you can always make time. Sometimes it’s the little things that can really make the biggest difference.”
Happy Memorial Day from your friends at VeteransFranchise.com In observance of this special day and in honor of all those who’ve served, we wanted to do something a little different this year.
We asked each of our team members to tell us about any veterans in their lives in an attempt to share as many stories of these courageous individuals as possible. So, without further ado: meet the veterans that are extra near and dear to our hearts here at VeteransFranchise.com
Aldred Leon Millman
June’s grandfather, the late Aldred Leon Millman (1919-2019) served in the United States Army as a pilot during World War II. During his time in service and throughout his personal life, he was involved in theatre and was the leader of a big band orchestra. Mr. Millman is survived by four sons, eleven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
We thank you for your service, Mr. Millman!
Captain James L.D. Monroe
Reeves’ grandfather, James aka “Capn Jim” Monroe, served in the United States Navy Supply Corps for 30 years, providing supply and logistics support for several US Navy ships. Throughout his time of service, Captain Jim was stationed on the U.S.S. Fletcher as a junior electronics supply officer. He also served on the famed U.S.S. Kitty Hawk as a supply officer during the Vietnam War. Lastly, Jim was stationed on the U.S.S. Saipan, also as a supply officer, before his retirement.
We thank you for your service, Capn Jim!
Colonel Clinton D. Summerfield
Reeves’ grandfather, Colonel Clint Summerfield, was drafted into the United States Air Force in 1962. He then went into officer training school and, following his graduation, did his first tour in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Following this, Colonel Summerfield returned stateside and was stationed at the Pentagon, where he worked for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force as the Legislative Liaison. His job as Liaison was to work closely with those on Capitol Hill and, as his job title suggests, acted as the liaison between the USAF and Congress. As his career progressed, he spent time working with the United States Foreign Services Committee, the Colonels Group, and did two tours at the Military Personnel Center. He then went on to complete a second tour at the Pentagon, this time assigned to the Office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. In this role, he served as the Secretary of the Air Staff Board and was in charge of budget allocation for the entire USAF. When asked to reflect on his time spent in the USAF, Clint had this to say:
“Being drafted turned out to be a wonderful experience because, in the military, you get to work with an incredibly diverse group of people from all different backgrounds and from all over the world. For me especially, it was an incredible opportunity to get out and explore the world, being that I was just a boy who grew up in a small town in Wyoming. It was an experience that I never would’ve had if I’d just stayed in my hometown and my military service has given me a unique insight on people and on life.”
We thank you for your service, Colonel Summerfield!
Captain Vanessa Summerfield
Reeves’ grandmother, Vanessa Summerfield, enlisted in the United States Army and served as a Behavioral Health Technician from 1974-1977, retiring from the army as an E4 rank. Vanessa then went on to serve in the United States Air Force, joining in 1981 and rising to the rank of Captain by the time she retired in 1993. Vanessa’s first assignment in the Air Force was at MWR Headquarters, where she piloted the Air Force Family Daycare Program. She worked in this role for several years before the Air Force sent her to Georgetown Law School to complete her J.D. After her graduation from Georgetown in 1987, Vanessa then served as a JAG Officer, also known as a Judge Advocate General, until her retirement from the USAF in 1993. When asked to reflect on her time spent in the armed forces, Vanessa had this to say:
“Five of my siblings followed me into one kind of service or another, so it makes me proud to know that my service inspired them to do the same.”
We thank you for your service, Captain Summerfield!
Colonel McGinn
Reeves’ great-grandfather, Colonel McGinn, served in the United States Army from 1941-1968. During his time of service, Colonel McGinn was stationed in the Philippines and the Aleutian Islands during the Korean War, for which he earned a bronze star. He was also stationed in Panama twice, as well as Puerto Rico. He later served as Nuclear Inspector General for all of Europe in the early 1960s and was stationed in the Dominican Republic, later serving as Nuclear Liaison to Spain and various other Spanish-speaking countries due to his fluency in Spanish.
We thank you for your service, Colonel McGinn!
If you have any stories of a special veteran in your life that you’d like to highlight, feel free to send them our way! We’d love to feature as many stories as possible: not just on Memorial Day, but every day.
In the past few years, thousands of veterans have joined franchising. This is a report that has been released by the International Franchise Association. The VetFran program has also played a major role in ensuring that hundreds of companies subsidize the franchise joining costs for veterans. This means that veterans interested in becoming business owners get discounts, training, and mentorship for them to have successful ventures. Such offers have given the sector a boost, making it possible for more military veterans to join franchising.
Why Veterans Make Great Franchisees
Vets who join franchising mostly end up being successful because they have skills and values that boost their businesses. Franchisors actually say that the teamwork and leadership skills possessed by vets as well as the propensity that enables them to follow a system make them successful franchisees. Veterans usually make perfect franchisees because they already have the necessary drive and leadership to own and operate successful businesses. Additionally, military veterans comprehend the reasons why they should adhere to guidelines and systems strictly. These are some of the reasons why franchisors are looking for them all over the region for recruitment. Any military experience impacts veterans with numerous skills needed to run a business successfully. The military background, therefore, gives people the required tools that make them unique in any industry. These tools include incredible decision-making abilities, leadership skills, determination to succeed, and personnel management experience. Therefore, if you have served the country at a military capacity, you can be sure that you have what it takes to run a successful enterprise in franchising.
What Franchisors Offer
There are numerous franchises that are actively searching for vets who can purchase their businesses. Other franchises have unique programs with the sole aim of giving financial incentives to support military veterans. Because of this, those who have served the country at any capacity in the past have continued to indulge in various enterprises and the number has been increasing over the years. To offer more support to veterans and their families, some franchises also have programs for military families and spouses.
How VeteransFranchise.com Can Help You Get Started
Regardless of the category of business, most veteran franchisees have similar traits that fuel their business success. This means that they work hard, they actively look for means to give back to society, they have grit and they are also team players. Of all the countries in the world, America is one of the best places to be a military veteran. This is because, from the recent past, there has been an explosion of different opportunities for veterans to create their own empires in franchising. Additionally, there are very few limitations that can hinder a veteran from establishing any number of franchises in the industry. The marketplace, therefore, allows franchise owners to create any number of well-established brands. Are you curious about how much better your life could be if you established your own franchise? Life does not have to stop when you are relieved of your duties as a military veteran: it can be the beginning of another life in the franchise industry. Several businesses want to appreciate the service you gave to the country. Take advantage of such opportunities and make a fresh start and improve your family’s future.
Of course, with any investment, it’s critical to do a lot of research to choose the opportunity that’s best for you. Start by asking around to other franchise owners to get their advice and insight. Next, research the different options available and do market research to identify which would be the most successful in your area. Perhaps most importantly, carefully develop your budget to account for all associated costs and fees to ensure you have all the tools you need to start and maintain your business.
VeteransFranchise.com is designed to provide as much information as possible on each veterans-friendly franchise so you can easily identify which opportunities align with your needs. Feel free to browse our franchise listings or search for available franchise opportunities by location, investment level or industry. Also, rest assured that only franchises and business opportunities that are as supportive of veteran business ownership as we are will ever be featured on VeteranFranchise.com. Thank you for reading our blog – we wish you the utmost success in your next business venture.
I recently read a great article on Entrepreneur.com (find here) about veterans currently in the franchising industry. The veterans interviewed give advice about the lessons they’ve learned in the military and the way in which those lessons translate to their business. Here of some of my favorites:
1. YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Amit Kleinberger, the CEP of Menchie’s, a frozen yogurt franchise, discusses how the military shaped his unique leadership style. He says that “Often what I explain to people is that the military is considered by many as the finest institution in the world for leadership because it really places people in tough situations. When you’re in combat in tough situations, people don’t follow you because you tell them to follow you, they follow you because they believe who you are.” 2. YOUR ABILITY TO TAKE INTIATIVE
While in the military there is a very set way of doing things; there are also opportunities for taking initiative and making decisions within those boundaries. Gordon Logan, the founder of Sports Clips, comments that “You can’t always call home to get instructions when you’re in a combat situation or a stressful situation. Those same skills transfer quite readily to franchising.”
3. PLANNING AND THEN BEING WILLING TO CHANGE THE PLAN
This is a crucial skill that the military teaches. Adaptability is important in any job, including the franchising industry. Veterans learn how to set goals, and execute the plan during their service, but just as with any plan in life, things are going to go wrong, and you will have to be flexible.
4. TAKING A LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
It’s a crucial skill, in the military and in business, to while paying attention to details of the task at hand, not losing sight of the main objective. Jenna Bazdaric, a tropical smoothie owner in Poughkeepsie, NY, says “In the military you learn to manage a lot of things at one time because there are a lot of moving parts involved in missions… As an owner-operator, I have to know what’s going on on a day-to-day basis but also keep my eye on the bigger picture.”
5. CONFIDENCE IS KEY
Vinay Chadha, a Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies owner in San Diego, CA says “One of the most important traits I developed while in the military is confidence. What I found was that nothing is out of reach as long as you work hard, continually feed your mind with knowledge, and know yourself and what you are capable of nothing can get in the way of your goals.” When you trust yourself and your abilities, you are a whole lot more likely to succeed.
What lessons have you learned in the military that translate to your business skills? Share your lessons in our comments section below!
The BRICKS 4 KIDZ® model, was founded by Michelle Cote in St. Augustine, FL. Michelle started an after-school Spanish Class (outside the school system). In the spring of 2008 while filling out the forms to become a “School Board Vendor,” teaching Spanish at the school the following school year, Michelle noticed a category (on the form) for “Creative Science.” Her son loves to play with LEGO® bricks, and she thought to herself…”Maybe I could lead a Creative Science LEGO® class too.” Michelle was awarded the bid for both the after-school Spanish and the Creative Science Lego® class. That summer Michelle advertised a Spanish Camp and a LEGO® Camp. She had 3 children sign up for the Spanish and 35 children sign up for the LEGO® camp! BRICKS R KIDZ®was recently featured in Entrepreneur Magazineand was selected as #200 in their Top 500 Businesses ranking!
After seeing the excitement over the LEGO® bricks, Michelle decided to go with the LEGO® after-school class in the fall…and it took off. That Fall, Michelle found herself at 3 different elementary schools with an average of 20 students in each class every week. Now Michelle does over 20 after-school enrichment classes a week, PLUS in-school field trips, 11 camps during the summer and bunches of birthday parties every weekend!Today BRICKS 4 KIDZ®has over 320 franchises in 14 countries and 39 states making it one of the fastest growing franchises in the US and Canada (and possibly the world).
Business Model
BRICKS 4 KIDZ® provides project-based programs designed to teach principles and methods of engineering to children, ages 3-13+, using LEGO® bricks.
BRICKS 4 KIDZ® has a high probability for success in your area because:
It’s a proven model – truly a home-based business
Requires only a modest investment
Has NO national competition
Quick ROI on your low-cost franchise
Can be operated as a part/full time business
Has high profit margins
Has low fixed overhead
It’s easy to operate
It can be easily taught to anyone
The classes, camps and birthday parties are affordable by nearly any family
Parents view the classes, camps, and birthday parties as educational and therefore feel that the fees are well spent
The BRICKS 4 KIDZ® Schedule follows the school-year calendar – no corporate hours with this business
Year-round income with camps during school vacations and birthday parties anytime
Thrive in any economy by providing affordable classes to parents who put education first on their list of expenditure
Turn Your Dream into Reality For many people, the dream of owning their own business is just that – a dream. But it doesn’t need to be. With a BRICKS 4 KIDZ franchise you can turn your dream into a reality and be your own boss, create a new career, and begin enjoying the many benefits of business ownership. Learn more about this opportunity and the incentives they offer veterans here: http://veteransfranchise.com/franchise/BRICKS-4-KIDZ.
Crimson Cup Coffee and Tea has helped hundreds of independent coffee shops get off to a successful start. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has taught more than 250 independent coffeehouse owners across 28 states how to set up and operate a profitable coffee business.
Their comprehensive, hands-on training approach allows you, the franchisee, to hit the ground running when you open your doors for business, so you can minimize mistakes and become profitable quickly. Their handcrafted coffee plus their passion, equals a lucrative, growing community of successful independent coffee shops!
The Crimson Cup franchise opportunity offers the best of both worlds. They offer all the benefits of a franchise, without the franchise headaches and expenses. They are not a franchise, and that is a good thing. Instead of a cookie-cutter store design that each franchisee is required to imitate, Crimson Cup allows franchisees to create their own unique coffeehouse name, look and personality to reflect that person’s individuality. And each franchise owner still gets to benefit from their 21 years of knowledge and experience in the coffeehouse business to teach you everything you need to know to be successful.
In addition to supplying awesome coffee, syrups, sauces and recipes for espresso-based drinks, Crimson Cup also provides guidance in:
Developing a business plan
Scouting a location and negotiating a lease or purchase
Name and Logo development
Arranging the coffee bar, menu and seating area for maximum efficiency
Creating a pour-over brew bar
Developing a menu
Choosing, installing and maintaining equipment
Marketing, including promotional signage for seasonal specials
A recent franchise industry study conducted by the International Franchise Association shows that 1 out of 7 businesses in the franchise industry are currently veteran-owned. This statistic offers positive feedback as opposed to the 2012 statistic that 9.9% of Iraq veterans were at the time unemployed. Since then, many large manufacturing companies have begun offering veteran incentives and outreach programs to help transition recent vets back into a job that matches the skills they learned in the military. Alcoa, Boeing, and General Electric all offer veteran initiatives, and have joined forces to employ over 15,000 military vets. All three have implemented programs to help vets transition from life oversees into a manufacturing career here in the States.
“We believe this initiative could have a major impact on the hiring of veterans nationwide,” Says Rick Stephens, a Boeing senior vice president. “It’s a proven approach for matching the skills of those who have served our country to the hiring needs of American businesses.” Their program, known as ‘Get Skills to Work,’ is comprised of three major concepts. It offers accelerated skills training for vets whose military experience does not immediately translate to their work in a manufacturing career. The program also aids in matching the right vet to where his existing skill set might be most effective, while also taking into account his or her personality traits and work habits, to find the best employment match. Finally, the program raises awareness to current employers wanting to hire veterans, and helps them find the best match for what they’re looking for in a future employee.
“Veterans offer the technical, leadership and critical thinking skills that advanced manufacturing demands,” said Paula Davis, president of the Alcoa Foundation. “Forming the Get Skills to Work coalition and coordinating with nonprofits to train, recruit and develop veterans is an exciting model that has the potential to change lives.”
Through the Manufacturing Institute’s Right Skills Now program, training sites for veterans will open across the U.S. in 2013. We can only expect that similar programs will continue to appear as more and more veterans begin to return home and begin life in the US workforce.
The International Franchise Association’s VetFran initiative has strengthened its partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring our Heroes program thanks to a newly forged relationship with Capital One Financial Corporation.
The partnership is part of the IFA’s Operation Enduring Opportunity, a campaign to hire 75,000 veterans and military spouses and 5,000 wounded warriors by the end of 2014. New hires may be recruited as franchisees or as team members.
As part of the partnership, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Capital One made a sizable, $80,000 contribution to the International Franchise Association.
VetFran had an opportunity to exhibit this past Friday at the Capital One sponsored Job Fair for Veterans and Military Spouses in Washington, D.C.
For more information on Hiring our Heroes, please follow this link.
John Brenneman, a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, credits his military training with the success of his five Hungry Howie’s pizza franchises. After leaving the military, John chose to follow Hungry Howie’s “proven operating model” and recommends that other veterans do the same.
Hungry Howie’s, a restaurant franchise known for its flavored pizza crust, has been delivering quality pizza for 40 years. The franchise is consistently finds itself listed as one of the top ten largest pizza franchises in the nation and has won several awards:
Military Friendly Franchise by G.I. Jobs Magazine, May 2012
#3 Best Pizza Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine’s Top 500 Franchise edition, January 2012
Chain of the Year by Pizza Today magazine in 2004
Most Hungry Howie’s franchisees cite the pizza franchise’s “crustomizable” flavored pizza crust (which comes in eight different flavors) and personable staff as the main reasons why customers return to Hungry Howie’s.
As a member of VetFran, Hungry Howie’s offers qualified veterans a 50 percent discount on the initial franchise fee. All franchisees are provided ongoing support and training, extending a helping hand in real estate transactions, store construction, operations, distribution, finance and marketing.
The restaurant franchise is rapidly approaching 600 stores located in 21 states. Hungry Howie’s is currently looking for franchisees all across the United States. Only Florida and Michigan have limited franchise unit availability.
