Program offers business opportunities to vets Published Nov. 7, 2003 By Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Veterans Affairs loan program, long known for helping veterans get their own home, is now helping them obtain their own business.Veterans can now go from "defending the American dream to owning it," said Don DeBolt, president of the International Franchise Association, which sponsors the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative program."It's the one way we can focus attention to our veterans who are leaving the military and would like to have their own slice of the American dream and would like to have their own business to operate," he said. "And the beautiful thing about franchising is that there are no glass ceilings, there are no barriers to success.”VetFran was first introduced in the early 1990s, and officials have since worked to attract and educate members of the armed forces about the opportunities through business ownerships and franchising, DeBolt said. VetFran officials work closely with the VA to offer franchise opportunities for retiring veterans transitioning back into civilian life, he said.The VA "is very high on finding business opportunities for former military (members), and franchising is one of the areas (identified) to look at," DeBolt said.Businesses participating in VetFran have agreed to help veterans acquire franchises by providing "best-deal" programs and financial incentives not otherwise available to other investors, DeBolt said. Veterans can acquire business franchises with down payments of 10 percent or less of the initial franchise cost, which can range from $45,000 to $150,000.A wide range of franchises are available including food services to hotel and automotive services. VetFran has 113 companies participating in the program, DeBolt said."There is a large menu in franchising … We'd like to think that there is something for everybody," he said, "not only in terms of their skill sets, their interest and their passions, but also from their pocketbook standpoint."Veterans can find franchises for a few thousand dollars in initial investment to a few million dollars, "if you're interested in a Ritz Hotel," DeBolt said.Veterans must realize that owning their own business is a real possibility -- that "where there is a will, there is a way," he said. But he also suggested that before making a decision to own a business, veterans must take a personal inventory of their business interests."They need to know their skills sets, what they feel passionate about. They need to know the interests and desires of their families, what their families would be supportive of," he said.To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit the VA's Center for Veterans Enterprise Web site at www.vetbiz.gov.