Women Veterans Conference!
Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) Conference Is Coming to Orlando, FL
U.S. Small Business Administration
And Syracuse University
Bring
V-WISE to Orlando, Florida
March 1-3, 2012

Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) is an entrepreneurial training program for female veterans of all service eras and branches with a passion for and interest in either starting a new small business or growing an existing one.

This unique entrepreneurship training program was designed specifically by Syracuse University with the Office of Veterans Business Development, U.S. Small Business Administration to encourage and support female veterans interested in pursuing careers as small business owners and entrepreneurs. V-WISE is committed to helping female veterans interested in pursuing careers as small business owners and entrepreneurs. This unique entrepreneurship training program is committed to helping women veterans by providing them the tools to become successful entrepreneurs; its goal is to integrate their leadership, integrity, focus and drive into a premier education training programs taught by accomplished entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship educators from across the United States.

V-WISE enables female veterans to find their passion and to learn the business-savvy skills to turn their ideas or businesses into growth ventures while recognizing entrepreneurship as an important part of economic growth nationwide. This program is key for female veterans to truly pursue their dreams and make them a reality!

V-WISE is a three-phase program

• Phase 1: What’s first? A 35-day online, self-study course focuses on the basic skills of entrepreneurship and the language of business.
• Phase 2: Ready, Set, Go! a three-day conference where participants are exposed to accomplished entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship educators from across the United States. This segment includes two tracks or training: a growth track, tailored to those participants already in business, and a startup track focused on potential future entrepreneurs. Courses include business planning, marketing, accounting/finance, operations/production, human resources and work life balance. (The online course segment is a prerequisite to conference training.).
• Phase 3: Keep Moving…provides ongoing support and mentorship delivered online and through a robust, comprehensive network of mentors and partners.

Admission is on a rolling basis so early application is highly recommended. Participants are responsible for a one-time $75 registration fee and their transportation to and from the on-site conference. All hotel and conference fees are covered through the support of the Small Business Administration.

If you are a female veteran, active-duty female transitioning within 24-months, spouse or female partner of a veteran who is running or growing a small business, or if you are interested in starting a new small business, then V-WISE is your answer!

To apply visit Whitman.syr.edu/vwise.
U.S. Small Business Administration
And Syracuse University
Bring
V-WISE to Orlando, FL
March 1-3, 2012
Female veterans should apply immediately!
Click here to view the V-WISE Brochure (PDF)

Detroit to Host VA Small Business Conference, Hiring Fair
Help for Veterans Who Own Businesses, Seek Jobs

The National Veterans Small Business Conference, the government’s premier event for Veteran-owned small businesses, is coming to Detroit’s Cobo Center June 25-29, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced today.

VA also announced that a “VA for Vets” Hiring Fair will be held during the conference for Veterans looking for careers in the public and private sectors. The conference is expected to attract thousands of Veterans, business owners and federal employees, and bring an estimated $3 million in direct spending to the city.

“VA is committed to bringing more Veteran-owned businesses into the public-private partnership,” said VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich. “In addition to the National Veterans Small Business Conference, our Detroit Hiring Fair will provide Veterans with on-the-spot job opportunities and interviews, while also offering career search classes and one-on-one counseling.”

Last year’s National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo in New Orleans drew almost 5,000 attendees, and more than 6,000 participants are expected this year.

The Detroit Hiring Fair builds upon VA’s success Jan. 18 in Washington at which a partnership of federal agencies and private industry attracted over 4,100 Veterans and resulted in over 2,600 on-the-spot interviews and more than 500 tentative job offers.

“These events are part of Secretary Shinseki’s ongoing efforts to help Veterans find employment in both the public and private sectors,” said Gingrich. “As the President said in yesterday’s State of the Union address, Veterans are crucial to our economy, and we need to find them jobs.”

This year’s conference will include an open house that gives Veterans the chance to learn the wide range of resources available to help them with their own businesses.  Also available will be the VetGovPartner online platform, which enables networking, viewing the business profiles of all participants, and identifying business opportunities with more than 400 government procurement decision makers in attendance.

Known historically as the world’s capital for the transportation industry, the Detroit metro area is reinventing itself with six booming industries: medical research, defense, entertainment, green tech, urban farming, and aeronautics.  About 330,000 Veterans are served by the city’s VA medical center, and more than 704,000 Veterans live in Michigan.

VA invites all interested persons and businesses to attend.  More information is available at www.nationalveteransconference.com. Registration for the conference begins Friday, January 27.

NASA Veteran Owned Business and SDVOSB Industry Day 2012
Houston Texas
January 31, 2012

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is announcing a “NASA-Wide Veteran Owned Small Business/Service Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Industry Day 2012” event to be hosted by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center on January 31, 2012, in Houston, TX.

All Veteran Owned Small Businesses/Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses are highly encouraged to attend this NASA-wide event and participate in various Workshops such as “Responding to Market Research and Sources Sought Synopses”, “NASA Mentor Protégé Program”, “Small Business Program Changes”, and “Working with Prime Contractors”, as well as sign up for One-on-One Business Matchmaking Sessions to present your company capabilities. You will have the opportunity to present your company capabilities to various JSC Center Program and Technical Directorates, all the NASA Centers, as well as local JSC Large Prime Contractors.

NASA has placed high importance on achieving the SDVOSB goal  participation for Fiscal Year 2012 and beyond and therefore is seeking the maximum practicable attendance and participation of all SDVOSB’s.

Your attention is invited to visit the following weblink at
http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/SB-IndustryDay.html for more information on the Agenda for the day’s events, RSVP information, maps and directions, as well as to sign up for the Workshops and One-on-One Business Matchmaking Sessions.

The November-December 2011 VetLikeMe SDVOSB Newsletter (Volume 2, No. 6) is now available for viewing.

In this issue: Aldevra GAO Decision — Moot but Not Mute – My name is Rodney Marshall, owner of Aldevra. Many people have followed our case over the last several months. It started by protesting the Department of Veterans Affairs‘ (VA) solicitations to use the fed-eral supply schedule (FSS) without first considering service disabled veteran owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) sustained our protest (meaning they agreed the VA should consider SDVOSBs before FSS) and recom-mended that the VA cancel the solicitations and re-solicit as SDVOSB set aside if there were two or more qualified SDVOSBs. The VA initially refused to comply with GAO‘s recommendation and, most recently, cancelled the solicitations so it becomes a moot issue.… click here to view entire issue.

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VetLikeMe (VLM) is a publication focused entirely on service-disabled veteran owned business.  We feature National news that affects our community, interviews with federal government officials and agencies, legislative activities at the State level and editorial opinion.

Launched in October 2009, VLM is published by BluePoint Productions, a non-profit business certified and verified by the  Veterans Administration as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.

Hardy R. Stone, the sole proprietor of BluePoint Productions, is a 100% service-connected disabled veteran (SDVOSB).

The following newsletters require Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download from adobe.com.

Current VetLikeMe Issue:

November – December 2011 VetLikeMe

Archived VetLikeMe Issues:

September – October 2011 VetLikeMe

July – August 2011 VetLikeMe Newsletter

May – June 2011 VetLikeMe Newsletter

March – April 2011 VetLikeMe Newsletter

January – February 2011 VetLikeMe Newsletter

November – December 2010 VetLikeMe Newsletter

July – August 2010 VetLikeMe Newsletter

May – June 2010 VetLikeMe Newsletter

March – April 2010 VetLikeMe Newsletter

January – February 2010 VetLikeMe Newsletter

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This is a public service announcement (PSA) brought to you by Veteran Owned Business.   Veteran Owned Business is in no way affiliated with the above organization(s). We do not in any way endorse the above business/organization or guarantee the above offer.  VeteranOwnedBusiness.com and the Veteran Owned Business Directory are simply providing information we feel is of interest to veterans, active duty military, reservists, service disabled veterans, veteran owned businesses, service disabled veteran owned businesses, families of veterans, families of our armed forces and any other person or persons directly or indirectly involved with the United States military.

If your business is (or you know of another business) owned by a veteran (VOB), active duty military, reservist or service disabled  veteran (SDVOSB) of the United States, Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard or National Guard, please be sure to visit the VeteranOwnedBusiness.com sign up page to get your free listing.

The objective of our FREE Veteran Owned Business Directory is to continue to offer a growing list of products and services that are unique in the fact that they are all owned by, sold by and/or serviced by past and present military members.

VeteranOwnedBusiness.com is proud to announce the addition of several new sub-categories added to our Free Veteran Owned Business Directory of over 8,000 members.

Attention Veteran Owned Business Members and Visitors:

We recently added a new Veterans Administration Medical Center links page to the Veteran Owned Business Resource section.  Here you will find links to each VAMC around the United States (including Puerto Rico).  We’ve also added a link to many VAMC Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and more!

Click the VA Seal below to view a state-by-state list of VAMC websites, VAMC Facebook pages and VAMC Twitter accounts.

According to the most recent Census Bureau Survey of Business, the percentage of Veteran-owned businesses under Hispanic ownership doubled from 2002 to 2007.   Hispanic veteran-owned businesses now number over 113,000. These businesses employ about 141,000 people and account for nearly $25 billion in receipts.

“Hispanic veterans have demonstrated an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit worthy of our continued support,” said Javier Palomarez, President & CEO of the USHCC. “These talented veterans and service members have honored our country with their commitment, and it is critical that we ensure they have access to the resources and opportunities that will turn their training, experience, and drive into prosperity for the American people.”

he U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) acknowledges the importance of supporting veteran entrepreneurs as well. The SBA’s bipartisan efforts to ensure that veterans have access to necessary resources should be applauded. In fiscal year 2011, the SBA has funded 4,300 loans totaling upward of $1.5 billion in financing for veteran-owned small businesses. Furthermore, all government agencies remain committed to meeting requirements that at least 3% of federal contracts be awarded to service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and at least 5% of all federal contracts be awarded to minority-owned small businesses.

As thousands of veterans return to the U.S. in the coming months, it is crucial to assist them by providing a strong foundation for their economic success, and the USHCC will continue to commend the SBA and policies that allow for veteran-owned small businesses to flourish.

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of nearly 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that combined generate in excess of $420 billion annually. It also serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers and business associations in the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.ushcc.com.

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This is a public service announcement (PSA) brought to you by Veteran Owned Business.   Veteran Owned Business is in no way affiliated with the above organization(s). We do not in any way endorse the above business/organization or guarantee the above offer. 

VeteranOwnedBusiness.com and the Veteran Owned Business Directory are simply providing information we feel is of interest to veterans, active duty military, reservists, service disabled veterans, veteran owned businesses, service disabled veteran owned businesses, families of veterans, families of our armed forces and any other person or persons directly or indirectly involved with the United States military.

If your business is (or you know of another business) owned by a veteran (VOB), active duty military, reservist or service disabled  veteran (SDVOSB) of the United States, Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard or National Guard, please be sure to visit the VeteranOwnedBusiness.com sign up page to get your free listing.

The objective of our FREE Veteran Owned Business Directory is to continue to offer a growing list of products and services that are unique in the fact that they are all owned by, sold by and/or serviced by past and present military members.

Just in Time For Veterans Day 2011:

In addition to the ability to search over 8,000 Veteran Owned Businesses by:

Status (VOB or SDVOSB)
Keyword
Business Name
State
County
City
Zip Code
Radius (x miles around a zip code)

VeteranOwnedBusiness.com site visitors are now able to easily search our members specifically by military branch.  If you want to take your support to an even more specific level, you can search for businesses owned by veterans who served in certain military branches.

To do an advanced search of our growing Veteran Owned  Business member-base of over 8,000: http://www.veteranownedbusiness.com/advanced_search.php.

If your business is (or you know of another business) owned by a veteran (VOB), active duty military, reservist or service disabled  veteran (SDVOSB) of the United States, Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard or National Guard, please be sure to visit the VeteranOwnedBusiness.com sign up page to get your free listing.

The objective of our FREE Veteran Owned Business Directory is to continue to offer a growing list of products and services that are unique in the fact that they are all owned by, sold by and/or serviced by past and present military members.

Today we say “Happy 236th birthday to the United States Marine Corps!”

Search Only “USMC” Veteran Owned Businesses

A special “thank you” today also for our brothers and sisters who have and continue to serve in the USMC. Thank you for your service!

Please be sure to “Follow VOB” on Twitter and “Like VOB” on Facebook for news, updates, events, bids and more.

From one veteran to another… thank you for your service to our country!

Brian K. St.Ours, Founder
Veteran Owned Business
2420 Minton Road
Melbourne, FL 32904
(877) 862-5478
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