From Sacrifice to Success: Veteran Entrepreneurs in the Federal Marketplace

Given that next week marks the beginning of National Veteran Small Business Week (Nov 1-5), we would like to honor those that have served our great nation and returned to us to endeavor on the path of the American dream: to work hard, share an expertise to create sustainable success, and create a business and wealth opportunity that can make so much possible for you and your family.  

The hope is that those who sacrifice for the greater good are set up for success to come home and achieve their professional goals. Veteran-owned businesses, specifically SDVOSBs (Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business) who not only provide skills for the advancement of our economy and our national defense, but who also see the value more than most in employing other veterans, deserve our support. 

The best way to support these businesses and their owners is to arm them with the information they need to be successful. While not all SDVOSBs have established their work in government contracting, which requires different standards for certification, they will all be mandated to follow the standards set forth by the Veterans Administration in the coming years. The oversight is shifting to the Small Business Administration (SBA) creating a learning curve for SBA staff and most likely many delays in the process due to an overwhelmed system and understaffing issues. 

So, what does this mean for SDVOSB companies? 

1. All SDVOSBs will be required to be certified through a review congruent with the current CVE (Center for Verification and Evaluation) process of the VA. If you act now, you can submit your business for SDVOSB certification through the VA’s program to receive a more timely process than what lies ahead with the SBA.
   
   a) At present, only companies who do business with the VA are required to certify in this way. Businesses who do not participate in VA work are able to self-certify their status, which is going to be eliminated with the transition to the SBA for oversight.

2. If you are a self-certified SDVOSB, you need to be sure that the majority ownership of your company is indeed a person qualified for SDVOSB status and that they are the obvious primary operator of the company.

While the transfer of oversight is still 2 years away, the process should be started as soon as possible. The easiest route to use for this process, if you are currently a self-certified SDVOSB, is to enter the CVE system with the VA. If you wait for the SBA take over, you can expect major delays and errors due to the adoption of oversight for another disadvantaged group, the problem of being understaffed and under trained on a new system, and the bottle-neck effect of a slower process. 

The best thing all SDVOSBs can do is to get certified through CVE as soon as possible. 

For more information, you can connect with the National Veterans Small Business Council (NVSBC) to join and get the best up-to-date information regarding this topic and more related to the advocacy and advancement of veteran-owned small businesses.