More Than Half of U.S. Women Veteran Business Owners Say Their Leadership Experience in the Military Inspired Them to Start Their Own Business
Many Credit Entrepreneurship With Easing Transition to Civilian Life
Count Me In for Women’s
To help women veterans fuel the growth of their small businesses and create new jobs for veterans and civilians across the country, Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence has partnered with Capital One to develop the Women Veteran
Women vets face a number of challenges to growing their businesses, found the Count Me In and Capital One study. For example, nearly half of the women surveyed (46 percent) report that they do not have business plans in place for the next one to two years, a shortcoming that can impact growth and profitability. They also recognize that they have more to learn about building and expanding their business. Twenty-eight percent say their greatest need is learning about securing new customers, while 24 percent say they need guidance in gaining access to capital. Other issues women veteran business owners report facing include managing finances and cash flow (19 percent), creating a marketing strategy (15 percent) and developing a clear strategy for growth (14 percent).
To help women vets overcome these and other business challenges, Count Me In and Capital One will kick off the WVEC initiative with a conference and business pitch competition for women small business owners who are military veterans or spouses/domestic partners of vets on
“At Capital One, we’re proud to support our service members who are looking for ways to translate their unique skill sets into the civilian workforce,” said
Capital One has committed
“The energy and motivation that women veterans bring to their business ventures is unmatched, and we are very excited to use our experience helping women reach their entrepreneurial potential to help this important - and growing - group of new entrepreneurs,” said
At the
- Learn growth strategies from nationally renowned small business experts.
- Meet women who have built their ideas into million dollar successes through Count Me In programs, who will offer advice and insights on how to think like a CEO, position a business for success, improve work-life balance, and more.
- Pitch their businesses for a chance to join Count Me In’s celebrated Business Accelerator Program, a six-month intensive business education program designed to help women grow their businesses significantly within 18-36 months.
- Connect with hundreds of motivated women veteran entrepreneurs from across the country in a variety of business sectors – new clients, vendors and peers.
To help women prepare for the
- Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, VAI Consulting and
Training, LLC ; America’s First African American Female Combat Pilot; - Hero Barker, Director, Veterans Business Resource Center, of
Norfolk, Va. ; Samira B. Cook-Gaines , Director,Washington D.C. Women's Business Center ;Theresa Daytner , CEO,Daytner Construction Group Dawn Halfaker , Founder & CEO, Halfaker and Associates, President, Wounded Warrior Project Board of Directors;Tina Kapral , Director of Education Programs,Institute for Veterans and Military Families ,Syracuse University ;Susan Lee-Merrow , Virginia Small Business Development Centers;Pauline Leitch , Director,Springfield (Va.) Women's Business Center ;- Kathy Roth-Duoquet, CEO, Blue Star Families;
Karen Smaw , Vice Chairman,Fairfax County Economic Development Authority ;Tatiana Stead , Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Capital One, Lt. Colonel (Ret.), United States Air Force Reserve;Cassaundra St. John , CEO and Founder,F7 Group ;Susan Wilson , Founder & CEO,The Judgment Group , Spouse of US Military Veteran;
Survey Methodology
The findings reported in this release are survey conducted by the opinion research firm,
About Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence
Count Me In is the leading not-for-profit provider of business education and resources for women interested in growing their micro-businesses into million-dollar enterprises. Founded in 1999, the organization inspires and instructs thousands of women business owners online, at live events, and through peers, coaches and experts to significantly increase revenues and create new jobs. CMI has developed a reputation nationally and internationally for accelerating business growth and positioning women in the forefront of global economic recovery. For more information on Count Me In programs and resources visit www.countmein.org.
About Capital One
is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., and ING Bank, fsb, had $213.3 billion in deposits and $302.0 billion in total assets outstanding as of September 30, 2012. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One and ING Direct offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
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Source:
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence
Heather Mangrum, 212-245-1245 x201
hmangrum@countmein.org
or
Capital One Financial Corporation
Shelley Solheim, 917-589-6203
shelley.solheim@capitalone.com