You’re home from a life that has been planned for you. There were no job interviews, just orders.
But here at home no one has planned the next phase of your life. The one thing most returning service men and women are prepared for is leadership, so why not become CEO of our own company? Some of the transferable skills all veterans have are the ability to balance a budget, complete a mission, and train and manage personnel.
The options you consider somewhat depend on the job you had in the military. If your skills directly translate into a civilian job, great! Open your own diesel repair shop, launch a computer repair business, start your own restaurant, or form an engineering group to repair roads and bridges. Make it your own!
If your job doesn’t directly translate to a business, consider purchasing a franchise in a business you see a need for. In the south, 55+ communities are everywhere, and their HOAs require landscaping, painting, and pressure washing be kept up year-around. A talented handyman or cabinet maker with reasonable rates can make a great living remodeling homes. One contractor in South Florida makes Murphy beds in all types of creative styles.
It is very hard to find honest, hard-working contractors, and many seniors find themselves repeatedly taken advantage of by unscrupulous servicers. If you emphasize your military background and live out the work and personal ethics you learned in the service, you will have far more work than you can keep up with. Soon you’ll be expanding and adding your military friends as your business partners.
JDog Junk Removal and Hauling and JDog Carpet Cleaning are among the few franchises open only to veterans and their family members. Veterans who have purchased a JDog franchise find it an easy transition because the organization is built on the very same values you learned in the military. With low start-up costs and a complete training program, JDog helps you become successful very quickly.
Look to resources like Military.com and VA.gov for former CEOs who are willing to mentor new entrepreneurs. These sites offer all kinds of educational and informational articles on starting up a business.