Veterans Ready
to Start Boot Camp for Businesses.
http://www.tallahas see.com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID= /20080609/ NEWS01/806090321
Tallahassee Democrat, By Tabitha Yang, June 9, 2008
Army veteran Alex Garza's brown eyes light up when he talks about the idea for the small business he plans to start.
A participant in Florida State University's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, Garza, 38, explained he came up with the idea for his invention after hearing how difficult it is for the blind to keep track of their money, since all the bills are the same shape and size.
"I developed an idea to help solve this problem," said Garza, who lives in New Mexico. He's currently developing something called a money identification card system that would produce different Braille labels for each bill.
Garza was one of 15 veterans at a welcoming reception and dinner Sunday at the Golden Eagle Country Club for the boot camp participants.
This is the first year that FSU is hosting the boot camp, an intense week of business classes focusing on starting and managing a small business.
The participants were welcomed at the airport Sunday by cadets from FSU's Air Force ROTC, and later went through orientation at the Park Plaza Hotel.
J. Michael Haynie, assistant professor in entrepreneurship at Syracuse University, had the idea to start the first entrepreneurship boot camp last summer. He spoke at the opening reception and thanked Randy Blass, an FSU business professor, for bringing the boot camp to Tallahassee.
"If there's two things that I believe in without the shadow of a doubt, it's the power of entrepreneurship to change people's lives, to change communities, and ultimately our nation, and also the power of veterans, those who have served our country and are ready to overcome any challenges," Haynie said.
Business Boot
Camp Begins for Veterans. Tallahassee
Democrat, By Dave Hodges, June 6, 2008 Business owner
Daniel Hash traces his entrepreneurial urge back to childhood. He raised birds
as a hobby and knew there was a business in it
somehow. He was right. In
2004 while he was still in the U.S. Air Force, he launched United Doves, a firm
that provides white doves for release at weddings, funerals and special events.
"I'm actually in the process of franchising it out," said Hash, who lives in
Cabot, Ark. "I have individuals who are interested in operating under the United
Doves name." The former
aircraft mechanic and Iraq veteran who earned an Air Force Commendation Medal
will be one of 15 trainees participating in the first Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
for Veterans with Disabilities at Florida State University's College of
Business. The program begins Sunday and lasts a
week. "Monday morning
it starts in earnest, with breakfast at 7:30 and then we'll go straight through
to 10 o'clock that night," said business professor and program director Randy
Blass. "That's pretty much how each day will
be." The program
brings together world-class faculty, entrepreneurs, disability experts and
business professionals to train the veterans in the finer points of
small-business ownership. There is a week of training at FSU, online study and
12 months of support from faculty experts. The participants will attend
workshops that cover how to write business plans, raise capital, attract
customers and develop a marketing strategy. The idea for a
business bootcamp originated with Syracuse University, which held its first
session last year for 20 vets with disabilities resulting from military service
in Iraq and Afghanistan. This summer, FSU, Texas A&M University and UCLA are
working with Syracuse to expand the successful program across the
country. Clay Rankin is
traveling to Tallahassee from Cox Mills, W.Va.. An Army veteran who was in the
military police, he struggles with a herniated disc he suffered while lifting a
grenade launcher onto a truck in Iraq. He has a master's degree in criminal
justice and would like to use his background in a business capacity,
specifically as a government contractor. Rankin will be
attending the program with Archie, his black Labrador retriever from the Patriot
Paws Program. The dog serves as a caregiver, doing such things as pulling
grocery carts, carrying shopping bags, opening drawers, fetching socks and
picking up things Rankin drops. He sees the
bootcamp as a way to make contacts and explore what he needs to do in providing
contract services. He has participated in events by the Small Business
Administration and others that bring the federal government's prime contractors
together with potential subcontractors who could provide business
services. "Contracting
with the federal government became a natural progression, so the job became to
flesh that out," Rankin said. "As long as the focus is centered around serving
others. That's what matters."
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