#VETBIZ Week is Here! What makes veteran owned small businesses special?

This week, October 31st - November 4th, 2022 is National Veterans Small Business Week. As a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran of the United States Air Force I have a special affinity for my brothers and sisters who owned U.S. small businesses. Veteran business owners accounted for 6.1% (351,237) of all U.S. employer businesses (2018 Annual Business Survey (ABS) , and employ approximately 4 million workers. Census Bureau’s Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics (NES-D) data find that approximately 6 percent of receipts from all nonemployer firms are from veteran-owned firms.

Veteran owned small businesses derive from individuals who were trained to have a mission focus. Our desire and passion to serve others is deeply ingrained in us from the time we joined the military. The longer you serve, the more you develop habits of great service. This behavior is perfect for running a business. All branches have the service above all things to protect our country attitude. The Air Force core value, "service before self" has been adopted by my family owned firm, Sumnu Marketing . This concept alone separates veteran owned small businesses from others immediately. Customers want to know that they can rely on someone who puts them first.

I have been teaching SBA Boots to Business twice a year for many years to introduce transitioning military members into entrepreneurship. Companies like FedEx, Chick-fil-A, New York Yankees and many other veteran owned companies have been widely success because they have military characteristics. Sumnu has won the SBA Nevada Family Owned Company of The Year and been a staple in the Las Vegas market for over sixteen years. The company's founder, Shaundell Newsome served in the United States Air Force for a decade. His dad, the company's first investor after Shaundell was a Vietnam Veteran. Shaundell's daughter Tiara Flynn, the company's majority owner today served nine and a half years in the Air Force. Surviving America's Greatest Recession and the recent Covid-19 Global Pandemic is more than an accident for our small business. The focus on serving is the primary reason that loyal customers to stick it out through adverse situations with Sumnu.

Celebrate Veteran Owned Businesses this week. Learn about this special commitment to serving above all things from them. If you are a #VetBiz continue to use the skills and capitalize on the characteristics from the military that separates you from everyone else.