After completing military service, U.S. veterans can take advantage of a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures, including becoming first-time business owners. Learning how to start a veteran owned business is a key process for those interested in entering a new phase of their professional lives. For many service members, the franchise model presents an attractive business opportunity because it provides powerful support systems and in-depth training formats similar to military structure.
As a home-based travel agency franchise with a long history of success, Dream Vacations is an ideal franchise opportunity for veterans who wish to own their own business while enjoying the freedom to live and work wherever they desire. Dream Vacations was recently ranked #67 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2023 Franchise 500 ranking and is consistently highlighted as one of the best affordable franchises for veterans across the U.S. In fact, one in three of all franchisees at Dream Vacations are veterans and active-duty military immediate family!
How to Start a Veteran Owned Business: First Steps
Whether you decide to start a new business from scratch or invest in a proven franchise model like that of Dream Vacations, understanding how to start a veteran owned business is critical to laying the groundwork for future success. Here are some first steps to consider when starting a new business:
- Do Your Research: What business model best suits you? Which industry can help you thrive as a veteran business owner? How can your personal strengths build on future success in the industry? Dream Vacations is recognized nationally for its support of veteran franchise owners, and we are proud to tailor our home-based, travel agency franchise model to fit the needs and interests of U.S. veterans in different phases of their lives.
- Craft a Business Plan: Once you’ve chosen your industry, it’s time to create a business plan that will include your services or products, ideal customer demographics, projections for growth and marketing strategies. These tasks are all part of learning how to start a veteran owned business successfully. With a proven business formula from Dream Vacations, our franchise supports veterans at every step of the way with a full breadth of resources and networking opportunities so you can navigate business ownership confidently.
- Connect with Other Business Owners: A crucial piece of developing a new business is building relationships with fellow entrepreneurs who can impart advice and encouragement. Dream Vacations recognizes the importance of these relationships, so we provide veteran-specific networking groups where new franchisees can learn from fellow veteran franchise owners.
- Lean On Available Resources: With the time-tested franchise model at Dream Vacations, we’ll provide the tools and training you need to get your new business in front of potential customers. Our travel agency franchise extends marketing expertise and cutting-edge tools to veteran franchisees so you can focus on expanding your reach and attracting new clients.
Incentives and Resources for Veteran Business Owners
At Dream Vacations, we’re often asked if there are any incentives for veteran franchisees, so we are proud to offer a wide spectrum of discounts and incentives for U.S. veterans to jumpstart their paths to successful business ownership. For example, veterans and active-duty military immediate family receive a 30% discount off the initial franchise fee when they join our travel agency franchise. Furthermore, the first business partner that a veteran franchise owner brings on has their training fee waived. Our veteran franchise owners can also advertise a diverse bundle of travel discounts to their military customers.
Beyond lucrative veterans franchise incentive programs, Dream Vacations offers veteran-specific business resources to support their growth. These include:
- Marketing Assets For Veterans: With an array of effective marketing assets highlighting past military experience and a commitment to quality customer service, you can distinguish your travel agency business from local competitors. In addition, Dream Vacations unveiled a set of new marketing technologies during summer of 2022 to encourage business growth in an increasingly digital world. These include automated post-booking tools so customers are prompted to leave positive reviews on social media, as well as improved customization options for flyers and website banners so you can perfectly capture your brand and stand out from the competition.
- Command Center: The Command Center is a one-stop hub designed just for veteran business owners that provides educational tools, reward programs, discounts, marketing support and more for military members. By utilizing the Command Center to its full potential, you’ll know how to start a veteran owned business in no time at all.
- VetFran Membership: Dream Vacations’ partnership with VetFran allows our veteran franchise owners to take advantage of high-quality lead generation and educational resources about franchise ownership to ensure franchisees have all the tools they need to succeed as veteran business owners.
For military vets who want to own their own business, choosing the right business model means your ambitions can be practically endless. As a home-based, veteran friendly franchise, Dream Vacations offers freedom and flexibility to veteran business owners who can work from home with little overhead costs. So, it’s no wonder that many service members who want to know how to start a veteran-owned business turn to Dream Vacations.
Interested in learning more about how you can become a franchise owner with Dream Vacations and join one of the best franchises for veterans? Fill out our brief information request or give us a call!
