The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced that it will celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW) from November 11-15, 2024. “Each year during National Veterans Small Business Week, the SBA highlights the unique entrepreneurial spirit of veterans, service members, National Guard members, reservists and military spouses,” said SBA administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “America is the proud home of millions of veterans, service members, and military families. They are our neighbors and friends, and in many cases, the owners and employees of local small businesses we love and support. The SBA is going further than ever to enhance and expand our support for veterans, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and it is a profound honor to serve those who have served our country, this week and every week.”

During NVSBW, the public is invited to attend virtual and in-person events across the country on critical topics, such as military-to-civilian transition assistance, entrepreneurial training, government contracting, disaster assistance and access to capital resources. View the event calendar here for a list of local, regional and national events.

In addition to local events hosted across the U.S., the SBA will host two national webinars for NVSBW. The Are You Lender Ready? For the Military Community webinar will be held on November 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET. This two-hour virtual workshop will help veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs learn how to write a strong business loan application and hear tips directly from lenders.

 
A second webinar, Certification Advantage for the Military Community, will be held on November 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET. During this one-hour virtual workshop, business owners will discover how federal contracting certifications can boost their business growth and gain valuable insights to help them compete for government contracts.

Additionally, as part of this year’s NVSBW celebration, five dedicated instructors who teach Boots to Business at various military installations and in local communities nationwide are being honored as Boots to Business Instructors of the Year. The honorees are:

  • Todd Bennett, 2024 Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, OCONUS instructor, located in South Korea.

  • Manzel McGhee, 2024 SBDC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, Abilene, Texas Small Business Development Center.

  • Mitchell Fitzpatrick, 2024 VBOC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, St. Louis VetBiz Veterans Business Outreach Center.

  • David Terrell, 2024 SCORE Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, Southern Arizona SCORE.

  • Eric Phillips, 2024 SBA Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, SBA Colorado District Office.
The Boots to Business Instructors of the Year recognition ceremony will be held virtually on November 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET.