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july 2015
Veterans in Franchising www.franchisingusamagazine.com
the
Veteran Institute for Procurement
Notice, News, Network:
Three N’s Rule
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors Caters to Veterans
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V eterans in F ranchisin g S upplement july 2 0 1 5 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com
Contents Cover Story
News & Expert Advice
34 Pillar to Post Home Inspectors
36 Notice, News, Network: The 3 N’s Rule Conference Attendance
Focus 38 Bar-B-Clean 40 Blue Moon Estate Sales
Darcella K. Craven, Executive Director, Veterans Business Resource Cente
42 National Center for VIP Arming Vets to Win Jim Mingey, Founder & Managing Director, Veteran Business Services
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C over S tor y - Pi l l a r To P ost H ome I nspecto rs
PILLAR TO POS
CATERS TO
PILLAR TO POST H INSPECTORS CAT TO VETERANS For two decades, Vince Stoakley
traveling the world as a member o ARMY VETERAN VINCE FINDSSto H retiring from theSTOAKLEY Army in 2012, WITH PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECT calling that was not just a job, but would let him expand his roots.
F
or two decades, Vince Stoakley was Ă ŐůŽďĞƚƌŽƩĞƌ͕ ƚƌĂǀĞůŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ĂƐ Ă ŵĞŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ h͘^͘ ƌŵLJ͘ ŌĞƌ ƌĞƟƌŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƌŵLJ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϮ͕ ^ƚŽĂŬůĞLJ ŶĞĞĚĞĚ ƚŽ ĮŶĚ Ă ĐĂůůŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĂƐ ŶŽƚ ũƵƐƚ Ă ũŽď͕ ďƵƚ Ă ĐĂƌĞĞƌ͕ ĂŶĚ ŽŶĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ůĞƚ Śŝŵ ĞdžƉĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ƌŽŽƚƐ͘ KŶ :ƵůLJ ϴ͕ ϮϬϭϯ ^ƚŽĂŬůĞLJ ŵĞƚ ƚŚĂƚ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚ ǁŚĞŶ ŚĞ ŽƉĞŶĞĚ ŚŝƐ WŝůůĂƌ dŽ WŽƐƚ ,ŽŵĞ /ŶƐƉĞĐƚŽƌƐ ĨƌĂŶĐŚŝƐĞ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŚĞ ƐĞƌǀĞƐ ƚŚĞ ,ŽƵƐƚŽŶ ĂƌĞĂ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŽŵĞ ŝŶƐƉĞĐƟŽŶ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂů ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐƐ ŽĨ Ăůů ŬŝŶĚƐ͘
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͞DLJ ŵŝůŝƚĂƌLJ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŚĂƐ ƉƌŽǀŝĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞŐƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ŵƵůƟͲƚĂƐŬŝŶ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ƐŽ ĐƌƵĐŝĂů ƚŽ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ Ă ƐƵĐĐĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕͟ ƐĂŝĚ ^ƚŽĂŬůĞLJ͘ ͞/ƚ ǁĂƐ ŝŵ ƚŽ ŵĞ ƚŚĂƚ ĂŶLJ ĨƌĂŶĐŚŝƐĞ / ǁĂƐ ƉĂƌ ƐƉĞĐƚĞĚ ŵLJ ŵŝůŝƚĂƌLJ ďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚ ĂŶ dŽ WŽƐƚ ,ŽŵĞ /ŶƐƉĞĐƚŽƌƐ ĐůĞĂƌůLJ Ěŝ
/ŶĚĞĞĚ͕ WŝůůĂƌ dŽ WŽƐƚ ,ŽŵĞ /ŶƐƉĞĐ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶƚůLJ ƌĂŶŬĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ dŽƉ ϱϬ Ĩ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ĨŽƌ ǀĞƚĞƌĂŶƐ ŝŶ DLJƌŝĂĚ WƵď ƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŽŶ ŶƵŵĞƌŽƵƐ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞƐ Ă ƉŽƌƚĂůƐ͘
sŝŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ Ă ^ĞƌŐĞĂŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŵLJ͕ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŚĞ ƐĂLJƐ ŵĂĚĞ Śŝŵ ǁĞůůͲƐƵŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĞLJŽŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͛Ɛ sĞƚ&ƌĂŶ ĂƐƐ WŝůůĂƌ dŽ WŽƐƚ ,ŽŵĞ /ŶƐƉĞĐƚŽƌƐ ĨƌĂŶĐŚŝƐĞĞ ^ƚŽĂŬůĞLJ ĂůƐŽ ƉŽŝŶƚĞĚ ƚŽ WŝůůĂƌ dŽ W ŵŽĚĞů͘ ,ŝƐ ĞŶƚƌĞƉƌĞŶĞƵƌŝĂů ƐƉŝƌŝƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ ŝŶ ƉůĂĐĞ ĨŽƌ ŶĞǁ Ĩƌ Ă ĚĞƐŝƌĞ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŝƐ ǁŝĨĞ͕ dŚĂŝũĂ͕ ƐĞĞƐ ĂƐ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ŐŽƚ Śŝŵ ĚŽŝŶŐ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂƐ ĂůůŽǁĞĚ ŚŝƐ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƚŽ ŶŽ ĨƌĂŶĐŚŝƐĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ĨŽƌ Śŝŵ͘ tŚĞŶ ĞŶĚƵƌĞ͕ ďƵƚ ƚŚƌŝǀĞ͘ ͞dŚĞ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ ŝŶ ŚĞ ůĂŶĚĞĚ ƵƉŽŶ EŽƌƚŚ ŵĞƌŝĐĂ͛Ɛ ůĂƌŐĞƐƚ Owner Vince and wifeĨŽƌ ŶĞǁ ĨƌĂŶĐŚŝƐĞĞƐ Ăƚ WŝůůĂƌ dŽ WŽƐ Thaija Stoakley ŚŽŵĞ ŝŶƐƉĞĐƟŽŶ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͕ ŚĞ ŬŶĞǁ ƚŚŝƐ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ŶĞƚ͖ / ŶĞǀĞƌ ĨĞůƚ ůŝŬĞ ǁĂƐ ŝƚ͘ ĚŽŝŶŐ ŝƚ ĂůŽŶĞ ĂƐ / ŐƌĞǁ ŵLJ ďƵƐŝŶĞ ŵĂĚĞ ƚŚĞ ƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ ĂŶ ĂĐƟǀĞ tĞŝŐŚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŽƉƟŽŶƐ͕ sŝŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ dŚĂŝũĂ ƚĂƌLJ ŵĞŵďĞƌ ƚŽ ďĞŝŶŐ Ă ĨƌĂŶĐŚŝƐĞĞ
ST HOME INSPECTORS
TO VETERANS
ARMY VETERAN VINCE STOAKLEY FINDS HIS CALLING WITH PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS
was a globetrotter, of the U.S. Army. After oakley needed to find a t a career, and one that On July 8, 2013 Stoakley met that requirement when he opened his Pillar To Post Home Inspectors franchise where he serves the Houston area with home inspection services for residential buildings of all kinds. Vince was a Sergeant in the Army, a posi tion he says made him well-suited to the Pillar To Post Home Inspectors franchisee model. His entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to work with his wife, Thaija, got him doing research on the perfect franchise opportunity for him. When he landed upon North America’s largest home inspection company, he knew this was it. Weighing their options, Vince and Thaija were most impressed by Pillar To Post’s commitment to the VetFran program, which provides military veterans with discounts on initial franchise fees. “My military experience has provided me with the integrity and multi-tasking ability that is so crucial to running a successful business,” said Stoakley. “It was important to me that any franchise I was part of re spected my military background and Pillar To Post Home Inspectors clearly did.” Indeed, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is
consistently ranked in the Top 50 franchise systems for veterans in Myriad Publica tions and on numerous websites and portals. Beyond the company’s VetFran assistance, Stoakley also pointed to Pillar To Post’s support system in place for new franchi sees as one of the most important factors that has allowed his business to not just endure, but thrive. “The system in place for new franchisees at Pillar To Post is the perfect safety net; I never felt like I was doing it alone as I grew my business. I made the transition from an active mili tary member to being a franchisee an easy one,” said Stoakley. “We try to be both vendor and friend to each customer,” added Stoakley. “We also love giving back to the community; so far, we’ve helped build three homes in the area as part of Habitat For Humanity. We also plan to donate one free home inspection
a month to a service member. We are certain that our unique emphasis on the community will help ensure that our Pillar To Post Home Inspector franchise remains successful and continues to grow.”
About Pillar To Post Home Inspectors Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the largest home inspection company in North America with 450 franchisees, located in 48 states and eight Canadian provinces. Long-term plans include adding 500-600 new franchisees over the next five years. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors has been ranked the No. 1 home inspection franchise in North America by Entrepreneur Magazine. For more information about Pillar To Post Franchise visit: www.pillartopostfranchise.com or call 877-963-3129
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Darcella K. Craven, Executive Director, Veterans Business Resource Center
Notice, News, Net
Three N’s Rule Conferen If you have no interest in contracting with the government, then spending your money at a procurement conference may not be the right choice. However, if participating in government contracts is in your company strategy, there are a few questions you need to ask when deciding which conference(s) to budget for and attend. This can be used for all conferences. Start with Are there any franchise specific conferences you are required to attend as a part of your franchise commitment? This will significantly impact where you spend the rest of your valued resources.
As a small business owner you can be easily overlook the need to attend conferences. When you are working in your business – making sales calls, ordering parts or managing people – it is easy to get caught up in the daily work needed to make your business run. Small business owners know they should and need to attend conferences as a part of business growth. You most likely attended conferences, seminars and trainings and mastered the art of networking, partner identification and fund raising in order to get your venture off the ground through attending conferences.
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The question we hear most often isn’t “should I attend a conference” but rather “how do I decide what conferences to attend for my company outside of the ones that the franchiser is promoting?” This is a great question because there are so many conferences from which to choose. Just take a quick minute from reading and type “what small business conferences should I attend” and you will see many articles stating the top 14, 8 or 7 conferences for small business in the country. These articles give you a good summary of the pertinent content of each conference, but not a real good understanding of how to choose. The answer is, as it always is when it comes to these types of questions, it depends.
Do you have someone to continue to operate the business while you are away? If you have a solid management team or dependable employee you have more freedom to choose opportunities that may require up to a week of your time. Can you operate your business while you are on the road? If you do not have a dependable structure, having a flexible business that can be operated online or outside traditional operating hours will help. How long can you afford to close the doors if you do not or cannot? Knowing how many days you can operate without a cash flow is a must. Now that you have these answers, go back to the google search and wander through the many conferences. Choose a few that on the surface you feel are interesting. Do not think too hard on them. Choose those that from the brief description sound
twork:
nce Attendance Darcella K. Craven
like something you may want to attend. Choose them because they are being held in a location that you want to see. Or there is a keynotes speaker that seems fascinating or informative. Now, take that list and let’s run it through the Three N’s Rule: Notice, News, Network checklist.
Notice Will you be noticed by your clients at this conference? Do not assume or guess or wish. This is an important question that impacts your finances. Will the people who will buy from you be in attendance? You can see this by looking at previous year’s attendee list or digging deeper into the description.
News Do you need to be considered an authority in your industry? Awards and peer recognition can be very important to a small business owner. Is there an opportunity for you to speak where you can show how much you know about the small business you are in or small business operation in general? Often times a conference may have committees that arrange volunteer activities for charities or social hours. Being a part of this committee can help you get your name out in the paper, on the conference website or newsletter and bring in more notice.
Network Does this conference offer me the opportunity to grow professionally or connect you to others? Once you are
“Once you are in business, your need to network does not stop. You should still continue to reach out to your fellow small business owners for support.” in business, your need to network does not stop. You still should continue to reach out to your fellow small business owners for support, look for potential funding sources and business partners. Keeping yourself educated on the small business world you have joined is a must for growth. Additionally, ensuring that you maintain a healthy mental acuity allows you to make sounder decisions when it comes to the operations of your small business. Conferences that offer professional development, personal development and spiritual development fall under this N. Going back to the franchise requirements, run those conferences through the same test. Do not attend a conference that does not have a clearly defined N for you. If the conference is a requirement, decide which one or more of these N’s you are there to accomplish. Once you have the hang of how to make these decisions, you may come up with your own test. Here at the Center we also use People – Partners - Politics for outreach decisions. It makes determining how to use your resources easier. Good luck in the conference outcomes.
If you need assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to our Center. The VBRC Crew stands prepared to assist. Darcella K Craven has over 20 years of experience in corporate, government, non profit and military organizations. She is currently the Executive Director of the Veterans Business Resource Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting Honorably Discharged Veterans, National Guard and Reservist and Active Duty personnel and their families with transitioning back into civilian life with starting and expanding businesses. An Army Veteran, she holds a Masters of Arts in Management from Webster University and is currently pursuing her Doctors of Management focusing on impact of military experience on small business decision making. Darcella has been featured in numerous articles for her transition from the military and the welfare system to an accomplished business woman and is actively involved in many civic organizations. For more information: Website: www.vetbiz.com
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Veter ans in Fr anchising
Ba r-B-Clea n
Army Veteran Fir
Entrepreneurial Success with Ba More than one million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will enter the workforce in the next five years. Rather than attempt to elbow their way into the tight job market, some veterans are pursuing franchising because it mimics the rule-based system they grew accustomed to in the military. One such veteran is Matthew Sprague, a U.S. Army veteran who has found success in owning four Bar-B-Clean franchises in California’s Los Angeles area. Before joining the Bar-B-Clean team, Sprague spent nearly five years in the U.S. Army, earning the rank of field artillery sergeant during his service that included one combat tour in Iraq from 2010 until 2011. In 2013, he was honorably discharged and moved to Pasadena, California with his wife, Linda, and two small children. But like most veterans these days, he had a difficult time finding a job that would support his family. “I was working for Enterprise Rent-A-Car making $10 per hour,” recalls Sprague, noting that even the best promotion would have only raised his hourly pay to $13.50. “That simply wasn’t going to cut it.”
Matthew Sprague
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It was then that Sprague began exploring his options in franchising.
Profile
“SOP (standard operating procedure) is a term well understood by anyone who has served in the armed forces. It refers to a plan, a system, a step-by-step
res Up
ar-B-Clean
“Everyone knows grills get extremely greasy and dirty, but they really hate to clean them…Bar-BClean fulfills that customer demand.”
method for how a particular mission or function will be carried out. Veterans understand the importance of following a plan to successfully execute a mission and capitalize on every opportunity,” Sprague says. “This systematic approach to achieving goals is very similar to the franchising model of doing business and it’s why more and more veterans like myself are taking advantage of franchise opportunities after returning to civilian life.” Shortly after starting his search for a home-based, low-investment franchise opportunity, Sprague came across BarB-Clean, the only barbecue cleaning franchise in the country. He recognized the tremendous opportunity in a niche market with little or no competition and purchased his first Bar-B-Clean territory in April 2014. He bought three more territories later that year. Today, Sprague’s Bar-B-Clean franchises
offer residential and commercial customers a convenient, low cost grill cleaning solution. Using a proprietary steam cleaning system that pumps out 310 degree steam vapor at 75 psi, the service – which typically takes between 2 ½ and 3 ½ hours to complete – includes a deep cleaning of the interior and exterior of the grill, as well as a thorough inspection of the burner and ignition systems. “It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. I want to be that somebody,” says Sprague, noting that nearly 90 percent of all U.S. households own a grill or smoker and more than 60 percent of those owners use their grills year round making a periodic cleaning necessary. “Everyone knows grills get extremely greasy and dirty, but they really hate to clean them. Until now, grill owners haven’t had many places they could turn to have their grills professionally cleaned. Bar-B-Clean fulfills that customer demand.” With four Bar-B-Clean territories under his belt – serving Pasadena, South San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and the Burbank/Glendale area – Sprague has cleaned more than 600 grills in the past
12 months, nearly half of which he has cleaned since the beginning of this year alone. He is in the process of purchasing a fifth territory in West Los Angeles, and says he would someday like to own 10 total territories throughout the Los Angeles area. “Veterans bring a lot of great things to the table,” says Bar-B-Clean founder and CEO Bryan Weinstein, who offers veterans a 30 percent discount off Bar-B-Clean’s $19,500 franchise fee. “Their leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills are second-to-none in my experience and Matthew is no exception. I anxiously look forward to his future success.” For other veterans considering the BarB-Clean franchise opportunity, Sprague says he expects they’ll get from it what they put into it. “It’s definitely an up-andcoming business. For someone who wants to work for themselves, it’s a great way to go. Think about it. Everybody that owns a backyard barbecue is a potential client!” For more information about Bar-BClean and its franchise opportunity, visit www.bar-b-clean.com.
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Veter ans in Fr anchising
Blu e M oon Estate Sales
From USMC Reserve Gunnery Sergeant and NYPD Police Officer to
Estate Sales
From USMC Reserve Gunnery Sergeant and NYPD Police Officer to Estate Sales Hard to believe that being a Marine and owning an estate sales franchise have anything in common, but they do. Just ask Marine Corps Reserve veteran Brendan Ryan. For nearly 23 years, the retired NYPD police officer and father of three children continued with his normal work and family life, ready to support the Marine Corps in combat, humanitarian efforts and national emergencies when called upon. Three of those calls mobilized Ryan for active duty in Iraq – in 2003, 2005 and 2009 – where he served as a USMC Reserve Gunnery Sergeant.
Brendan Ryan
Franchising USA
Profile
“Blue Moon Estate Sales is an outstanding business for veterans because it rewards the characteristics common among men and women in uniform.”
During his time as a reservist, Ryan embraced each and every challenge thrown his way because being a Marine wasn’t just a job – it was a way of life. When he left the service, he promised himself that he would find a new career that echoed the teachings and philosophies of this important chapter in his life. Ryan retired from the Marine reserves in 2014, one year after retiring from the NYPD, and stayed true to his former pledge when he and his wife, Kristen, purchased a Blue Moon Estate Sales franchise in Charlotte and Union County, North Carolina. “I couldn’t have chosen a better franchise that matches up so perfectly with my skills and desires,” said Brendan. “Blue Moon Estate Sales is an outstanding business for veterans because it rewards the characteristics common among men and women in uniform: a capacity for hard work and service; respect for authority and the property of others; and an ability and willingness to follow proven systems within an organization to reach specific goals.”
Today, Brendan and his wife are helping hundreds of families with their residential, commercial, and moving liquidation services, providing an organized and professional way to ease the complicated and overwhelming burden of selling a personal estate. From determining a convenient time line to sweeping up after the sale, they do everything. Other services include, but are not limited to: a complimentary and extensive evaluation of the home, appropriate pricing from antiques to everyday items, categorization and staging of the home, marketing, hosting and staffing of the sale. “Many people find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. They may be downsizing, dealing with the death of a loved one or moving to an elder community. Our goal is to manage their estate sale in a professional and caring manner while using our proven system to get them the most profit,” Brendan added. Brendan is indeed a perfect fit for Blue Moon Estate Sales. Franchisees are expected to be dedicated to integrity, compassion and professionalism.
According to Blue Moon Estate Sales cofounder Debra Blue, they are also expected to be energetic, caring people who want to help those in need while enjoying the rewards of owning their own business. “We’re lucky to have Brendan,” Blue adds. “He’s highly trained, he’s loyal, and he has the integrity that matches our company’s values.” For more information about Blue Moon Estate Sales, visit www.bluemoonestatesalesusa.com. For franchising information, visit http:// bluemoonestatesalesfranchising.com.
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Jim Mingey, Founder Founder& &Managing ManagingDirector, Director,VBS’ VBS
The Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) is the country’s first-ever program to train veteran service-disabled and veteran owned small businesses to succeed in the federal contracting market. The Montgomery County Chamber Community Foundation funds this threeday, 27-hour comprehensive training program with its partners and other VIP Sponsors. The VIP Program is offered at no cost to veteran businesses admitted to VIP. VIP is aimed at veterans who are senior, “C-level” executives of small businesses with about three employees and at least two years in operation. The June 2015 VIP session graduated 50 veteran-owned small businesses, from 12 states, Washington D.C., and a U.S. Island Territory. Veterans Business Services (VBS) was among the proud graduates who were lauded by VIP and received Congressional recognition as well. VBS has been searching for ways to allow smaller franchise ventures to partner with established government contractors.
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Teaming on contract proposals has been especially helpful for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) which can be certified to enhance bid proposals and also be eligible for Set-a-Side contracts. Contract Awards are of course still dependent on quality, experience and price considerations so combining an SDVOSB with a larger experienced contractor can be a winning combination. VIP is the brainchild of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation President, Barbara Ashe, who is also the VIP National Director. Since the program launched in 2009, VIP has graduated 496 veteranowned businesses from 35 states including Alaska and Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and a U.S. Island Territory. 80% are SDVOSB, 39% 8(a), 51% minority-owned, 13% woman-owned, and 11% are HUB Zone qualified. VBS has now become part of the exclusive VIP network and plans to leverage that status to enhance training opportunities for its own SDVOSB franchise network. The VBS Franchise Accelerator will now incorporate a procurement module into its custom training programs which will then allow its SDVOSB clients to accelerate their federal sales and marketing strategies.
“The VBS Franchise Accelerator will now incorporate a procurement module into its custom training programs.” • A survey of 184 VIP graduates created 2018 jobs and increased their revenue by an average of 49% • within their first year of graduation. Over 82% said they changed the way they do business after • graduating from VIP; 55% of their employees are former warfighters, including service-disabled;3 of • the 7 SDVOB/VOB winners of the Veteran Affairs T4-$12B Contract are • VIP Graduates; Many teaming agreements for federal contracts have been formed among VIP • graduates; and 1 of the 10 SDVOSB winners of the NIH CIO-SP3 GWAC -$20B contract is VIP • Graduate Longview. Its Prime Contract Spot on PACTS I - earned a $178M contract
VIP 5.0 Graduate Session To expand upon the success of the VIP Program, MCCCF created the VIP 5.0 Graduate Session. This program is designed for the continued education of Veteran Institute Procurement (VIP) graduates. VIP 5.0 offers a full day of training to the VIP alumni and introduces new information and capacity enhancing capabilities. VBS’ Founder and Managing Director, Jim Mingey, is a decorated Vietnam veteran raised from a proud military background. An entrepreneur for more than 35 years, Jim can relate
on a personal level to the needs of the veteran small businessperson, and possesses the practical knowledge to implement his experience in today’s market. Jim participated in the EBV Program at Purdue University, is a mentor at American Corporate Partners, developed the first approved franchise training program for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program at Veterans Administration, and was instrumental in forming the first equity fund in the United States exclusively for veteran owned small businesses and franchises: The Veterans Opportunity Fund. Jim intends to keep on ‘advocating’ for veterans in franchising. For more information: Email: jmingey@ VeteransBusinessServices.us Phone: 202.349.0860 Web: www.mcccmd.com/foundation/ veteran-institute-procurement#sthash. GwJf8pvd.dpuf
James Mingey
“The VIP Program is offered at no cost to veteran businesses admitted to VIP. VIP is aimed at veterans who are senior, “C-level” executives of small businesses with about three employees and at least two years in operation.” Franchising USA
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