Veterans Business Boot Camp May 8 in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will host a one-day Veterans Business Boot Camp on May 8 at the Jacksonville Community Center for military veterans who own or want to own a business.

Using the book Business Plan in a Day by Rhonda Abrams, the event will explain and illustrate a business plan format that veterans can use when starting or expanding a small business. Each paid registrant will receive a copy of the book.

Following the boot camp, Arkansas veterans wanting further assistance with writing a business plan can apply for step-by-step coaching through ASBTDC’S new Veterans Small Business Mentoring Program. The free 16-week program includes activities and regular one-on-one mentoring. Participants will receive small business training, resources crucial for writing a business plan and their mentor’s regular feedback as they complete their business plans.

Developing a business plan helps entrepreneurs organize their ideas and goals into a roadmap they can follow, according to ASBTDC’S Herb Lawrence.

“Anyone trying to establish and run a successful business needs a well-thought-out business plan,” Lawwrence said. “As you create your business plan, you learn about your target market, evaluate your competition, set goals, determine risks and estimate costs — all things you should do before opening a business or expanding an existing business. And for those seeking bank financing, lenders often require a written business plan.”

Lawrence, a veteran as well as a seasoned small business consultant and trainer, will be the lead facilitator for the Veterans Business Boot Camp. Lawrence is the center director of the ASBTDC regional office at Arkansas State University and a certified business adviser. He spent seven years on active duty in the Army Signal Corps and served 13 years with the Arkansas National Guard.

The boot camp event will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude by 4:30 p.m. The registration fee, which includes lunch, is $50. Advanced registration is required. Each veteran attending may bring his/her spouse at no additional charge if both people preregister. Registration is available at arkansas veteran.com/bootcamp or by calling (501) 683-7700 or tollfree at (800) 862-2040. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested in advance. Contact Shannon Roberts, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204 or (501) 6837700. The community center is at 5 Municipal Drive in Jacksonville.

The boot camp and mentoring program, funded in part through a grant award with the U.S. Small Business Administration, are part of ASBTDC’S continued outreach to veterans who are current or prospective small business owners.

ASBTDC is a partnership of the SBA, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education and serves new, existing and innovation-based small businesses through a statewide network of seven offices. Learn more about ASBTDC’S entrepreneurial services for veterans at arkansasveteran. com/business.