New England Regional Administrator
Mike Vlacich
This year we celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW) October 31 – November 4, 2022. During NVSBW we recognize the achievements of our veterans across New England, and we will celebrate the strength and resiliency of the veteran business community.
Here are a couple of interesting facts about veteran-owned businesses:
- There are over 1.76 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States.
- These businesses employ nearly four million people.
- Across New England there are 81,293 veteran-owned businesses, 20,693 were employers, and 60,600 were non-employers.
It’s not that surprising that there are so many veteran-owned businesses across the country. Veterans make great entrepreneurs. Building a successful small business requires hard work and dedication—traits that are in no short supply among service members, veterans, and military spouses. Resilience, poise, adaptability – not only do these traits define our Nation’s service members and veterans, but they are also critical ingredients for successful entrepreneurs. At the U.S. Small Business Administration, we recognize the value the military community brings to our great country through their service in the armed forces and as small business owners who contribute more than $1 trillion in sales to the U.S. economy on an annual basis.
Time, effort, and grit – combined with community support – propel members of the military community to launch and maintain profitable businesses. The endeavors of business ownership are lifechanging for owners and those around them, from family members and community members to patrons. Veterans are selfless, altruistic, and natural leaders – qualities that carry them through their military careers and post-military endeavors. In turn, many veterans who pursue entrepreneurship end up using their business as a launchpad to help others. It’s typical that when service members transition to civilian life, they don’t leave their military community behind. Instead, they find other ways to contribute by lending a hand to other veterans any way they can.
For these reasons and many more, our veteran business owners are such an important part of our communities, so it is extremely important to note that they don’t have to enter their mission of entrepreneurship alone. The SBA and Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC) are here to help. Our duty is to ensure these entrepreneurs are empowered and celebrated at every stage of business ownership.
Our programs and services aim to help veteran entrepreneurs start or grow their business, and we pride ourselves in celebrating the accomplishments of veteran-owned small businesses across the country. We engage veteran entrepreneurs in educational opportunities that supports the building of small businesses, encourages industry specific networking, and contributes to long term sustainability of businesses.
Through the SBA and VBOC, the military community has a partner to support them at all stages of small business ownership. No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, transition assistance, entrepreneurial training, disaster assistance, access to capital, and government contracting opportunities are available to you.
To our nation’s veterans and military community, thank you for your hard work, dedication, and the sacrifices you make. Thank you for your service.
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On Wednesday, Deputy District Director Rachael Roderick led a NH Veteran Government Contracting Leadership Circle in Portsmouth, NH
NE Regional Administrator Mike Vlacich hosted the first SBA New England Veteran-Owned Small Business Virtual Roundtable.
SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Veterans Business Development, Larry Stubblefield, and New England Regional Administrator, Mike Vlacich, joined the inaugural meeting of the NH Veteran Government Contracting Leadership Circle. This group is led by Rachael Roderick, SBA NH Deputy Director, and includes representatives from federal agencies in the region, seasoned service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses in NH, and small business resources.
During the Leadership Circle, the SBA, NH Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and the New England Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC) representatives discussed current and pending changes in the market and best practices to optimize opportunities for small veteran owned businesses participating in federal contracting. The representatives, and NH Veteran small business owners discussed ways to expand VOSB certification in NH and increase opportunities for current and future VOSBs in the federal marketplace. This group plans to meet quarterly.
FedPoint hosted the event at their facility in Portsmouth, NH. FedPoint is a federal prime contractor for the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and administers benefits for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) for federal employees and qualified relatives.
While at FedPoint, Mike Vlacich hosted the first SBA New England Veteran-Owned Small Business Virtual Roundtable. Larry Stubblefield and Jennie Murphy, Director of the Veterans Small Business Outreach Center of New England had the opportunity to share remarks and interact with veteran small business owners from across New England. Nashua-based AJ Jarnagin, founder of Expansia was a featured panelist at this event. He had the opportunity to share more about his business, how his military background has helped in his small business journey and share advice for other veteran business owners.
Larry Stubblefield updated the group on the launch of SBA’s new Veteran Small Business Certification Program transferring from the VA Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE). Scheduled to officially begin operations and accept new applications in January 2023, the Veteran Small Business Certification Program will be the Agency’s primary vehicle for handling certification for veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs)—important classifications that enable those businesses to qualify for sole-source and set-aside federal contracting awards.
Recently SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman shared much-anticipated news that she intends to grant a one-time, one-year extension to current veteran-owned small businesses verified by the VA’s Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) as of the transfer date on January 1, 2023.
“The decision to extend the certification will make a real difference for our nation’s veteran business owners as we move forward with transitioning this certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Larry Stubblefield. “In addition to supporting a smooth transition for currently certified firms, we will be able to focus on certifying new entrants and growing our base of certified firms.”
These events were part of SBA’s celebration of National Veteran’s Small Business Week (NVSBW). During NVSBW SBA celebrates, connects, and empowers service members (including National Guard and Reserve), veterans, and military spouse entrepreneurs and business owners – past, present, and future. Now in its ninth year, NVSBW raises awareness of veteran small business ownership and encourages communities to support their veteran- and military-owned businesses. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov/nvsbw.
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