Franchise Discounts for Military Veterans

Military veterans are one of the most successful groups of small business owners in the country < according to the U.S. Census Bureau. They own proportionately more small businesses than the general population, plus their gross income is more than twice that of non-vet owned small businesses.

Franchise companies have long recognized that veterans fit the ideal profile of a great franchisee. The parallels in background and orientation between veterans and franchises are clear. Veterans are disciplined, understand the importance of teamwork, and are willing to follow the rules to execute a proven system. It is no surprise that VetFran, a program created to help veterans become franchise owners, is one of the most poplar programs in the history of the IFA.

VetFran, originally known as the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, was spearheaded by the late Don Dwyer shortly after the Gulf War ended in 1991. It was reinitiated in 2003 with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Corporation, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. VetFran now boasts more than 200 participating franchise companies and has enabled more than 600 former military personnel to become franchise owners.

VetFran is a simple voluntary program designed to be a win-win. It provides franchise companies with a pool of exceptional potential franchisees while offering very real help to veterans who want to acquire a franchise. There are two basic areas of tangible assistance:

1. Information: Through VetFran, the information available to veterans goes beyond what is available to the general public. The program provides specific information about financial and other assistance available from specific franchises.
2. Financial: Participating franchise companies offer special financial incentives to qualified veterans that are not available to non-vets. Incentives typically total tens of thousands of dollars worth of aid through reduced initial franchise fees, scholarships, additional training and support, or material credits.

Are you a veteran? For more information on the VetFran program, including a listing of the participating franchise companies, visit the IFA's website: www.ifa.org