Veteran Entrepreneurs Business Start

As part of the RivCo Small Business Thrive Program, the OCIE SBDC will assist participating Veterans to prepare to successfully launch their businesses. This program will cover topics on business planning, finance, market analysis, digital marketing, social media, licenses, permits, and more. Veteran Entrepreneurs Business Start is specifically focused on military veterans that are looking to start their first business. At the completion of the program, participants can apply for a County of Riverside grant for $2,500.

Week 1: Introduction to Business Ownership

• Entrepreneurship
• Business Names/Licensing & Permits/Insurance
• Legal Forms of Organization
• Fictitious Business Name Filing
• EIN/TIN
• City Business License
• Special Licensing
• Home-Based Business and Zoning
• Taxes- IRS and FTB
• Insurances
• Contracting Programs for Veterans (Overview)
• Veteran’s First Program
• California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program

Week 2: Market Analysis & Customer Discovery

• Customer Discovery
• SWOT Analysis
• Federal Contracting Marketplace
• SAM.gov
• GSA.gov
• USA Spending.gov
• FPDS-NG.gov
• Acquisition.gov
• State and County Contracting Marketplace
• PTAC
• Cal e-Procure
• Public Purchase
• RivCo Procure (veteran preference)
• Contracting Programs for Veterans – Deep Dive
• Veterans First Program
• California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program
• Boots to Business
• Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (WVETP)
• Service-Disabled Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program (SDVETP)
• Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship Training Program (VFPETP)

Week 3: Business Planning

• Business Plan
• Organization and Management Plan
• Business Development Plan
• Marketing Plan
• Financial Plan

Week 4: Financial Literacy & Awareness

• Block will be taught by AmPac Tri-State CDC
• Access to Capital
• Basic Documents required for Loans
• Steps for Funding
• Alternative Lenders
• Accounting & Accounting Systems
• Financial Statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cashflow Statement)
• Southern California Grants & Riverside County Funding Programs (Block taught by Joaquin Tijerina, Riverside County)

Week 5: Digital Marketing & Social Media

• What is Marketing
• Traditional and Digital Marketing
• Benefits of Digital Marketing
• Website
• Website Builder & Domains
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Content Marketing
• Customer Journey
• Email Marketing
• Social Media
• LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Pinterest

Week 6: Legal Considerations

• Veteran Business Ownership & Control
• Management and Employees
• Affiliations
• DD214
• Service-Connected Disability
• Conflicts of Interest
• Ethics in Contracting
• Legal Considerations
• The legal Structure of your Business (Recap)
• Founding Documents
• Operating Agreement
• Shareholders Agreement
• Trademarks
• Health and Safety Laws
• Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements