News Taffy

Thursday, November 11th Arkansans all over the state will pause to honor the service and sacrifice of our military veterans prior service and those currently serving in the Arkansas National Guard or Reserves.   According to the Veterans Administration there are currently 254,664 military veterans in the state, or just over 8.8% of our entire population.   Many of these veterans are also small business owners contributing to the economic vitality of the state and employing many other Arkansans helping create better lives for themselves and their families.

According to the U.S. Census there are:

No question that small businesses in our state are vital to our overall economy and veteran owned small businesses are a significant part of that economy. 

On Tuesday, November 16th the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center network will be hosting a day-long conference for our Veterans in Business at the Jacksonville Community Center in Jacksonville, Ar.  Military veterans, National Guardsmen, Reservists and their spouses are invited to attend this unique conference to learn how to keep their businesses thriving and how to successfully launch new ventures.  Whether an existing business owner or a veteran considering starting a business this conference (For veterans – Led by Veterans) will provide them with practical tools and training to help them succeed.

Attendees to the conference will hear from other veteran entrepreneurs sharing their experiences, successes and insight in managing successful businesses.  There will also be a series of training sessions to help these veterans “Sharpen Their Competitive Edge” with discussions on:

More importantly, attendees will have a unique opportunity to network and make connections with  other veterans in business as well as representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center and the ASBTDC.  I hope that any veteran business owner or veteran interested in starting a business will make plans to attend.

There is a $20 registration fee to cover the cost of lunch.  The registration fee also entitles the attendee to bring a spouse or business partner at no additional charge.  Advanced registration is required to ensure sufficient meals, refreshments and hand out material is available.  To register veterans should contact the ASBTDC at (501) 683-7700 or tool free (800) 862-2040 or register on-line at http://arkansasveteran.com/school.