For many, the days after Labor Day mean a return to pre-summer levels of activity. But here in DOT's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), we never slowed down, working hard throughout the summer on several veteran-oriented Boots to Business: Reboot events in conjunction with the Small Business Administration.
We think America's veterans are natural entrepreneurs who can make a real impact on transportation. They are disciplined, goal-oriented self-starters who are accustomed to accountability. They also know the value of being decisive but flexible. With unemployment among our veterans outpacing the national average, training in entrepreneurship just makes sense.
Leveraging the talents of some of our 22.5 million veterans will promote self-employment, strengthen our transportation industry, and help stimulate our economy.
At this summer's DOT Boots To Business: Reboot events, instructors introduced veterans to the fundamentals of business ownership and led them through the key steps for assessing their business concepts and developing business plans. They also introduced participating veterans to a network of lifetime business support through OSDBU's network of Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRCs).
OSDBU establishes agreements with chambers of commerce, trade associations, educational institutions, and other business organizations to serve as our SBTRCs. Then, the centers work closely with the transportation contracting community and with technical assistance providers to serve transportation-related businesses in their respective regions. With all of these partnerships and industry expertise, we provide a wide range of business counseling to veteran-owned businesses and also to other small, women-owned,and minority-owned businesses, including certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
Boots To Business: Reboot events also connected participants with other key resources to help access start-up capital and additional technical assistance. like Veteran Business Outreach Center, Women's Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE Counselors.
We have a nation that needs better transportation infrastructure; we have millions of veterans with the skills and experience to help us make that happen. Helping entrepreneurial veterans transition from service to startup makes good sense all around, and OSDBU is proud to work for our veterans.
