Branch Manager
SBA - Guam
Did you know that
veterans make up a large number of successful small business owners? According to the most recent U.S.
Census Data, veteran-owned firms represent 9 percent of all U.S. firms. These
2.45 million veteran-owned businesses employed 5.793 million individuals. In
the private sector workforce, veterans are more likely than those with no
active-duty military experience to be self-employed.
As we welcome back our returning troops and wish a fond
farewell to those retiring from military service, the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) is offering Operation
Boots to Business (B2B) Program, an initiative to train veterans and
transitioning service members in business entrepreneurship. Transitioning
veterans are natural entrepreneurs, possessing the training, experience, and
leadership skills to start businesses and create jobs.
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B2B Group Photo: (Front
row, seated, left-right): My-Randa
Quinata, Kay Harris, Rona Baluyot, Tyana Thayer, Teri Mendiola
(2nd row, left-right): Frank Crisostomo-Kaaihue – Guam VBOC, Jorge
Rivera, Richard Taitague – Navy Base Guam TAP, Conrad Baluyot, Cleon Huskinson, Tony Mendiola, Angel Mamanta
& Jorge Ramirez
(back row, left-right): Ken Lujan – Manager, SBA Guam Branch Office,
Doug Payne, Samuel Jones, Reinhard Sponseller, John Pangelinan, Robert Sherman,
Fred Granillo – Guam SBDC, and Darroll Wiltz – Guam PTAC.
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Boots to Business, or B2B, began as a pilot program in July
2012 and began to be fully implemented, with a rolling start across the nation
starting January 2013. B2B is being implemented as a nationwide program to
standardize entrepreneurial training to veterans coming off of active duty and
re-entering the civilian workforce. The national rollout of Operation Boots to Business:
from Service to Startup aims to provide exposure to entrepreneurship to the
250,000 service members who transition every year.
The SBA is a government sponsor of B2B offered in
conjunction with the Department of Defense’s redesigned Transition Assistance
Program (TAP). Part of the redesign is a new curriculum known as Transition
Goals, Plans, Success (Transition GPS). Transition GPS is offered to service
members separating from military service and provides preparation for
transitioning to civilian life, including benefits information. Additionally,
each service member may elect entrepreneurship as an optional training track.
B2B has been specially designed for currently transitioning
service members. It caters to all paygrades, Enlisted and Officers, as well as
military spouses and dependents.
SBA is always looking for volunteers to help mentor veteran
entrepreneurs. If you are a veteran entrepreneur and/or enjoy working with
veterans and would like to volunteer time toward this effort, please contact Kenneth
Lujan at the SBA Guam Branch Office at 671-472-7277 to find out how! For
additional information on other business services offered to veterans, please
contact Frank Crisostomo-Kaaihue at the Guam Veterans Business Outreach Center
(Guam VBOC) at 671-475-4900 or Richard Taitague at the Transition Assistance
Program (TAP) Office at 671-333-2056/7.
Please visit www.sba.gov/contents/veterans.
