The Veterans Business Resource Center is on a mission to help members of the military community to thrive as entrepreneurs.
Rick Brown, the center’s veterans business advisor, knows a thing or two about carrying out missions.
Being a veteran himself, Brown traveled all over the world during his time in the Air Force. Following his tenure as an airman, he decided to become a business owner, setting up shop in São Paulo, Brazil.
Brown would then go on to teach business classes in the U.S. before accepting the veterans business advisor position at the VBRC, located on Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus.
Just as the military is filled to the brim with rules and regulations, so too is the process one must go through in order to start a business. This is where Brown and his team at the VBRC come in.
With the help of the VBRC, fledgling business owners can start the process of taking their ideas from the drawing board and making them a reality.
Brown offered the basic outline for how the process begins.
First, someone must find out whether there is a market for their idea — this is what is known as a “lean approach.” Next, cost estimates are established, considering such factors as negative cash flow. In addition to this, the VBRC team offers counseling on several different business-related topics and can help with securing SBA and PPE loans.
The VBRC also has resources to coach business owners on how to better utilize social media to promote their products.
Brown also teaches the 10-week-long Everyday Entrepreneur Program which, according to the VBRC website, “teaches entrepreneurs how to identify and validate a business opportunity, mitigating costly errors, then build a solid ‘go-to-market’ strategy to successfully launch the business.”
Brown stated that he takes great pleasure in teaching these classes as veterans make for great students. He also remarked on the comradery found among the veterans in his classes which he says is unique to military members.
“Entrepreneurs have that drive,” Brown said.
Visit the VBRC web page for more information or to schedule an appointment.
