I am working with a veteran who just got approved for $10,000 to start his woodworking business. The VR&E program is paying for: - Table saw, wood plainer, skill saw, miter saw, drill press, power sanders, cordless drills, joiners, router, and a whole lot more. He is going to build hat holders, decorative wooden American flags, cutting boards, etc... It is a small business, but it will give him the extra cash he needs in retirement. Yes, he had to build a business plan. Yes, it did take months to put together. But, he is able to start his business with very little start-up capital.

Your next customer, partner, or biggest supporter could already be in this community. But do they know what you do? As veterans, many of us are used to keeping our heads down and letting the work speak for itself. In business, we also have to help people understand that work. Share something you’re building. A problem you helped a customer solve. A lesson you learned. A challenge you could use help with. And keep sharing. One post won’t reach everyone, and people need time to connect your name with what you do. The more we understand each other’s businesses, the easier it becomes to make an introduction, recommend someone, or pass along an opportunity. That’s part of why this Veteran Business Community exists. Veterans should take care of veterans. Knowing what another veteran is working on gives us a place to start. What are you working on this week? Drop it below. Then take a minute to see what another member is building. You might know someone who could help.

It's the same skill I had to master when I started my first business in 1997. And 30 years from now, it will still be the most important skill you can learn. SALES. Think about how much has changed in business over the past 30 years. The internet. Social media. E-commerce. Automation. And now AI. Today, you can build a website in minutes, create marketing content with AI, and launch a business from your kitchen table. But there's one thing technology hasn't changed. Someone still has to get a customer to part with their hard-earned money. When I started my first business in 1997, I quickly learned that having a great product or service wasn't enough. I had to learn how to find customers. Start conversations. Understand their problems. Communicate the value of what I was offering. Ask for the sale. And handle rejection when the answer was no. Nearly 30 years and nine businesses later, those fundamentals haven't changed. Here's what I see happening with a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs today. They're spending months building websites, designing logos, creating content, and perfecting their business plans. But they're avoiding the one activity that actually generates revenue. SELLING. And if your goal is to turn your side hustle into a full-time business, you need to understand something. You don't replace your paycheck with a business idea. You replace it with paying customers. That's why Day 5 of the FREE 5-Day Startup Veteran Challenge focuses on building a simple sales strategy to start finding customers and generating revenue. Because you can have the best idea in the world, but until someone is willing to pay for it, you don't have a proven business. The tools will keep changing. The technology will keep advancing. But 30 years from now, businesses will still need customers, and someone will still need to make the sale. 👉 Join the FREE 5-Day Startup Veteran Challenge: https://startupveteran.com/challenge

Between Hal and I, we have about 20,000 LinkedIn connections. If you have not added us to your network, you are missing networking opportunities. It has taken us at least 20 years to get these contacts. Make sure you connect with us and ask for connections to people that may help you as an entrepreneur.

As a solo entrepreneur of 25+ years learning new things is vitally important to keep growing. I’m thankful for finding this group. See you guys soon.