Had a great time at the 2012 Maine National Guard Professional Development Conference in Rockland this Saturday. It was good to see many of the people we email all the time, and a chance to get closer to the folks that get it done for this Nation. I was proud and honored to spend the day giving out brochures and mugs to those that wear the uniform. Hope we see you all in the business page soon. Great day!!

Wanted to again thank the wonderful folks at NexStraps. They were a big hit.

...and, see, I told you, the PEZ would be great. Something for everyone in the family.

Thank you for your service and stay safe !!

Battlefield to Business Success [Kindle Edition] - $0.99 Chad Storlie (Author)

www.combattocorporate.com

I came across this book recently and found most of it to be very informative and succinct. I have really tired to stay away from veteran issues I know nothing about, so in looking at this book, I naturally thought it was about translating military skills to business. As I got deeper into the Preface, I realized it was not so much a business book, but a transition plan for combat veterans. It was written mostly for veterans moving into the corporate world, and that had seen combat, but I saw clear concepts that relate to the veteran business owner as well. I found the concepts in the Preface to be very revealing.

• The value of Military Skills in the workforce
• What are your plans and goals
• What is your story
• Take some time to explore
• Understand your daily risks
• Do not be afraid to ask for help and to help others

I don't usually push authors or books, but this one seemed to lay down a straightforward mantra without the drama or extensive prose. I am not qualified to speak on most of these subjects, but I did find this to be a good read, gave me insight I didn't have and a chance to review and contemplate some transitions in my own life.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Registration

This is an interesting concept borrowed form PTAC Matchmaking events. These are 15 minute meeting with up to 5 lenders to determine how bankable you are and what loans they may have for your business. I think this is a good opportunity for servicemembers to explore small business possibilities, network with other businesses and locate specific assistance. Really hope to see Veterans take advantage of this.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Augusta Civic Center, North Wing 76 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330

Agenda

Some good information from Army Times Edge about Franchising. They surveyed franchises with the following critera:

• Started franchising before 2007.
• Had at least 50 franchise units.
• Had a minimum and maximum initial investment that averaged $750,000 or less.

Click Here to view the Best for Vets: Franchises 2011

Some words of wisdom from veterans that purchased franchises:

"Some people aren't meant to buy a franchise. ... They really do want you to follow the rules. "

"Talk to the owners. See how they like it and how much support they get from the corporation. ... how much support you get from the other owners."

"Figure out where they're making their money. A lot of franchises make their money charging you a lot upfront. "

Franchising and veterans have gotten a lot of airplay over the last 4 or 5 years, and most of it for very good reasons. Many veterans are ready to go in a franchising environment and bring the needed experience and attitude to make them succeed. Also, many franchisers are targeting veterans because they are looking for franchisees with many of the traits the military develops: discipline, resourcefulness and a strong work ethic. Franchisers also recognize that veterans have access to additional funding sources.

These can be a win/win for the right person and the right franchise.

It is very important to fully examine the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), a legal document franchisers are required to provide to prospective buyers. Do your due diligence and know what you are getting involved in. Also, call your local SBDC or your lawyer and discuss it with them.

Good luck in your venture and Thanks for your service.

A co-worker passed on a story from the New Hampshire Business Review (NHBR) about more NH Veterans starting their own business. See article here

This is not a new story for veterans and it shows that they continue to take things into their own hands and move forward, and not just for themselves, but for other veterans. When veterans start businesses, they hire veterans.

Matthew Bernard (the Vet in the interveiw) goes on to say, "Veterans must "re-educate themselves" for the civilian work world and be able to highlight their transferable skills such as problem-solving under pressure, discipline, ability to adapt, and their leadership experiences."

Bernard, like many other Veterans have realized that their military experience and training is their path to success, for themselves, other Veterans and this nation. We owe so much more than freedom to our Veterans.

Thank you for your service!

Camo Cover
I got a Kindle Fire a few weeks ago and have spend some time with it in several different situations.

Sitting on the couch watching TV: This is great to look up those questions I have when watching TV. (you know; who is that person? what program were they in 30 years ago? etc. ) Since I can't remember anything anymore, this is great to do a quick lookup on Google. Saves lots of auguments.

Podcasting: Loaded MyPod (free version), downloaded a bunch of podcast on astronomy, and a few on UFOs. Podcast are great to listen to on the drive home.

Social Networking: Not really a fan, but I try to stay up on the trends. The Fire is really nice for wasting time.

Gaming: Love the Angry Birds and Stupid Zombies. Now this is real productivity.

Amazon: Since I buy lots on Amazon, this is the way to go.

Not really into the reader, but it's not too bad, even for my aging eyes. TM 2012-01-18-9502-VOSB TECHNICAL MANUAL, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMALL BUSINESS TYPE is easy to navigate and not to difficult to read. This goes for most PDFs.

Hate the keypads on these tablets. Drives me crazy.

Flash enabled (the only tablet I will own) so you can watch our Online workshops. A little small, but it works quite well.

Videos work pretty well, but low bandwidth wifi is a killer.

Conclusion: This is a great tablet for 200 bucks. I can see why Boot on ground has it listed as a "most requested" item "to help relieve boredom & stress."

If you have a loved one deployed (anywhere), this would make a great gift.

Thanks for your service and be safe!

Wanted to welcome home the 130 Marines and Sailors assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Corp Forces Reserve. We wish them well and thank them for their service.

On another note: I wanted to comment on Col. David Sutherland's story "Key Pentagon aide views Maine as ideal destination for veterans".

"Sutherland stressed that returning service members are not victims, they are veterans, and that they don't need pity, they need understanding."

Damn right!

One other thing, saw where Gen Libby was stepping down. He will be missed. His parting words said volumes.

"A decade of War has taken its toll on this nation, its treasure and this generation of warriors and we owe them what we promised them, our full support and necessary resources as they recover from their visible and invisible wounds."

Thank you General for your service and sacrifice, it was my pleasure to have met you.

After lurking in several online forums I noticed that some servicemembers would like to see a more military style of engagement to starting a business. It has been known for a long time that ex-military personnel make good small business managers, so I spend some time reading through some of the older training and field manuals, then started a military style training manual for starting a small business. Some of this was started from FM 1-112 Attack Helicopter Operations and TM 10-1670-293-23&P Direct Support and Maintence for Parachutes, Personnel Type.

Some of this is kind of 'tougue in cheek', but you will find the information to be accurate and to the point. This is still a draft, but would be glad to hear from any of you that would like to make comments or suggestions.

The point here is not to poke fun, but to put the information in a format that is familiar. Click the download link to take a look.

Stay safe and thank you for your service.

Thanks to the Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, employers hiring unemployed veterans after November 22, 2011 and before January 1, 2013 may qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).

Tax credit is 25% of the qualified first year wages for veterans working at least 120 hours, and up to 40% for those working at least 400 hours. The Maine Department of Labor will verify the unemployed period requirements. A brief summary:

Forms and Instructions

Check out all the benefits...to you, your company, the community and the veteran...

Contact: Maine Department of Labor Attn: Veronica Danforth 55 State House Station Augusta ME 04333-0055

207-623-7977

Veronica.f.danforth@maine.gov