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Military Leaders in Transition published the views of Mary Kennedy Thompson, a former Marine Corps officer and now the Chair of the VetFran Committee of the International Franchise Association.  Thompson said the IFA considers veterans as critical partners of the government towards the economic recovery and future of the country.  She cites the military training of these veterans as a plus qualification to own or operate small businesses.  She likewise concludes that veterans and franchising are “a perfect fit”.  There is one veteran-owned franchise for every seven franchises.  This translates to over 70,000 veteran-owned franchise business in the U.S. to date.  To help veterans own franchises, the Operation Enduring Opportunity program has almost 500 companies that offer incentives such as the waiver of franchise fees and discounts.

VSB: What specific skills are needed to be a successful franchise owner and how do those dovetail with the talents of those currently leaving military service?

MKT: Franchising provides an ideal structure to enable returning veterans to become leaders of and productive participants in the U.S. economy because of its systems, training, support and need for team leadership and operational excellence. These are skills honed in military training.  According to the U.S. Census, one out of every seven franchise business owners is owned and operated by a veteran.  More than 70,000 veteran-owned franchise businesses in the United States provide jobs directly for 815,000 Americans and generate more than $41 billion in GDP.

To sum it up, veterans are good for franchising, and franchising is good for veterans. In fact, for many, it’s a perfect fit.

In 1991, the IFA launched VetFran, a strategic initiative to help Gulf War veterans access business ownership opportunities in franchising. In 2011, as hundreds of thousands of service men and women began to return from Iraq and Afghanistan, the IFA and franchised businesses launched Operation Enduring Opportunity, a campaign to hire and recruit as franchise business owners, 75,000 veterans and their spouses, and 5,000 Wounded Warriors, by 2014.

VSB: Is purchasing and operating a franchise an expensive proposition? If so, how can military members do this without putting their family’s savings and retirement income at risk?

MKT: Through Operation Enduring Opportunity, over 480 companies are offering incentives. Some companies are waiving franchise fees altogether. Lenders and other sources of financing have stepped up. For example, my company has two programs that financially help honorably discharged U.S. and Canadian veterans. Through the VetFran and Program for Assisting Veteran Entrepreneurship (PAVE) we provide a range of incentives and discounts. These include, but are not limited to, a 25% discount on the purchase of the initial base franchise territory as well as in-house financing for qualified veterans.

VSB: Where can military leaders learn more about special franchising opportunities for veterans?

MKT: The IFA Veterans Franchise Toolkit can help veterans access and explore franchise opportunities with skills and attributes and financial assessment tools, an online course, a catalogue of opportunities offered by over 480 VetFran members, and access to the VetFran Mentor Network, staffed by franchise business leaders. …

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