From Veteran to Hispanic Entrepreneur

Resources for Aspiring Hispanic Business Owners

Many resources exist to help with the transition from military life to entrepreneurship. The following is a sampling.

• • Boots to Business. Boots to Business is offered by Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Business in cooperation with the SBA. At the beginning of the program, veterans are introduced to entrepreneurship as a lifestyle through a 12-minute video. Then, they take a 90-minute training session and receive a book titled “Introduction to Business Ownership.” Veterans who want to continue in the program can then earn a Boots to Business eight-week online “mini MBA.”

• • U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Latino entrepreneurs can take advantage of advocacy and educational resources from the USHCC. Advantages of membership include free educational training at tier one universities, participation in corporate partner programs and opportunities to advertise member companies in trade publications, press releases and other media.

• • LatinVision Finance. LatinVision Finance offers capital to both Latino startups and existing businesses. They also offer a variety of seminars including “Marketing to Latinos,” “Hispanic Business Networking” and “Investing in Latin America and in the U.S. Hispanic Market.” When Latino veterans succeed with their businesses, they can return to LatinVision as investors and fund other Hispanic-owned startups.

• • Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA). For veterans who are interested in fields like accounting and finance, ALPFA offers courses in financial literacy through local sponsors. ALPFA also provides scholarships for Hispanics who want to attend undergraduate or graduate school. Members of ALPFA invest in their communities by helping Latinos complete their tax returns through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. Hispanic veterans who want to become accountants or financial advisers can take advantage of local ALPFA networking events, receptions and other programs.

• • Veteranscorp. To fulfill its mission of educating veterans about small business, Veteranscorp helps them connect with other small business owners, find Federal Mentor Protege Programs and win contracts from the federal government. Veteranscorp also helps veterans connect with mentors who can help them develop their business ideas and plans.

• • National Veterans Entrepreneurship Program. This program from The Riata Center at Oklahoma State University (OSU) teaches veterans, particularly veterans with disabilities, to start and sustain their own business ventures. Both experienced faculty and successful entrepreneurs lead intense training modules based on OSU’s entrepreneurship curriculum. Veterans who complete the program receive 24 hours of continuing education credit from OSU.

Make the Move

With the number of programs and resources available, now is a good time to make the transition from military service to Hispanic business owner. Other resources may also be available to help veterans make that move.