{"id":977,"date":"2021-11-01T09:09:21","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T14:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/ndptac\/?p=977"},"modified":"2024-10-04T10:42:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T15:42:55","slug":"nov-2021-why-would-a-veteran-owned-business-want-to-sell-to-the-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/ndptac\/2021\/11\/nov-2021-why-would-a-veteran-owned-business-want-to-sell-to-the-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Nov 2021: Why Would a Veteran-Owned business Want to sell to the Government?"},"content":{"rendered":"

On November 11, 1918, the Great War ended. A year later, Armistice Day celebrated the end of that war.\u00a0 Then in 1926, Congress passed a resolution for an annual observance.\u00a0 Several years later, the United States celebrated its first National Veteran\u2019s Day on November 11, 1938.\u00a0 To honor this day of remembrance and our service members we wanted to highlight Veteran-Owned businesses in this month\u2019s PTAC update.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of our military women and men elect to start a business.\u00a0 One way to grow and expand their business is to sell to the government whether at the federal, state or local (county, city, universities, etc.) level. Besides growing or expanding, why would a veteran-owned business sell to a government agency?<\/p>\n

Veteran Victoria Volk, owner of The Unleashed Heart, LLC shares her why.\u00a0 In her own words:\u00a0\u201cAs a veteran, who became very acquainted with grief as a child, I understand the impact grief has over one’s lifetime, and how deployment adds another layer of grief to a soldier’s life. There is a lot of talk about suicide prevention within the military; however, very little mention of grief. I had tried several avenues to get an <\/em>evidence-proven method<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for processing grief accepted as a therapeutic option for soldiers and veterans into the military community with no luck. The resistance I was met with is what drove me to seek out government and federal contracts as a means of working through other channels to provide this program at no cost to soldiers and veterans, while also sustaining and growing my business.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Visit her website<\/a> for more information about her business.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the perceived benefits to being a veteran is to have a unique opportunity to sell to the government as a benefit for your service. Our product is not a reach for its perceived value or sales proposition, there are millions upon millions of doors in our society, and in-service in all dwellings, the government is no different. We are very excited about the prospect of a future partnership for both parties. I am interested in the opportunity to sell our products to the government in any and or all ways possible,\u201d <\/em>stated Veteran Jim Newenhouse, Founder and CEO, of the Door Stud<\/a>, LLC as his why<\/em> of selling to the government agencies. At Door Stud, \u201cWe have a maintenance and installation product for handling doors that help prevent injury, it can be used for maintenance and or installation, or simply just material handling. We have yet to be recognized as we are going through the veteran certification process as a business.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

There are many reasons why a veteran chooses to operate a business and sell to the government.\u00a0 My Aquatic Services<\/a> veteran owner and president, Troy Derheim, is about giving back. \u201cWe love the idea of helping more people. I have been in the retail and service business for almost 30 years. The business is rewarding but the impact is smaller and not as rewarding. We started helping small communities about 14 years ago, it is a completely different sense of accomplishment when you are able to change the lives of a community rather than one family. Don\u2019t get me wrong, we love the results of seeing a family use their personal pool for the first time, or share a story about how a hot tub changed the family communication and memories. We want to make a bigger impact on society, entering government contracting enables us to make a dramatic impact on a community as a whole. We can see the community benefit for years to come helping children, families, the elderly, disabled, as well as veterans in need. An aquatic facility may be the only resource a community can afford that can benefit every single member of that community. Water saves lives, brings families together, and creates lifelong memories that can never be taken away. We want to be a government contractor that impacts 1000\u2019s families a year, not just the select few who can afford a private aquatic solution in their personal back yard.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Veteran-owned small businesses can be verified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Check if your business is eligible to be verified on their website<\/a> or on the Small Business Administration\u2019s \u201cVeteran Assistance Programs<\/a>\u201d page.\u00a0Why would you want to be verified by the VA? Because federal agencies set aside solicitations for verified and self-certified veteran-owned businesses.<\/p>\n

If you are a business-owning veteran or know a veteran small business owner, there are resources available to support the business. Your first stop should be the Veterans Affairs Business website<\/a>, , plus a few more resources below:<\/p>\n