SBA offers "Boots to Business Reboot" training
Veterans and spouses to learn entrepreneurship at July 14th Springfield event - registration now open

[July 10, 2017]  Boots to Business Reboot, the entrepreneurial training program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), will be presented on Friday, July 14 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Prairie Capital Convention Center (1 Convention Center Plaza, Room B2) in Springfield. Any veteran, service member (including members of the National Guard and Reserves), or spouse considering business ownership is eligible to enroll.

Boots to Business Reboot is a two-step program. Step one is the in-person workshop. After completion, participants continuing to pursue business ownership are encouraged to enroll in step two, an eight-week online course offered by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University and a consortium of entrepreneurship professors and practitioners. Participants are also directed to additional SBA resources, such as their network of Veterans Business Outreach Centers (www.sba.gov/vboc).

“We know veterans make great entrepreneurs. In fact, nearly one in ten businesses in the U.S. are veteran-owned,” SBA Illinois District Director Robert “Bo” Steiner said. “They have leadership skills, tenacity, and discipline required to start and grow businesses, but most haven’t applied those skills in a business context before.” Boots to Business Reboot helps them prepare for success and evaluate the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship. In addition, participants are introduced to SBA resources available to access start-up capital, technical assistance and contracting opportunities.

To register for Springfield’s July 14 Boots to Business Reboot class, visit https://sbavets.force.com/ or contact Stephanie Spengler at stephanie.spengler @sba.gov  or [phone] ext. 114. To learn more about the program, visit: www.sba.gov/bootstobusinessreboot .

About the United States Small Business Administration

Since its founding on July 30, 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. SBA provides assistance primarily through its four programmatic functions: Access to Capital (Business Financing); Entrepreneurial Development (Education, Information, and Technical Assistance & Training); Government Contracting (Federal Procurement); and Advocacy (Voice for Small Business). The SBA’s Office of Veteran Business Development formulates, executes and promotes policies and programs to empower veteran small business ownership and serves as an ombudsman for veterans to ensure all SBA programs are accessible to service members, veterans, and their families. For more information visit www.sba.gov and www.sba.gov/vets.

[Jessica Mayle, Public Affairs Specialist]