Many of our patients who use our prosthetic devices are disabled veterans who are no longer in the military due to their disability.
Many of them have expressed frustration with transitioning from the military to civilian life, which can be hard enough for a veteran who doesn’t have a disability.
But, as we’ve helped them to learn, there are plenty of opportunities available to disabled veterans who want to find a new way to use their skills and experiences.
One of the most common ways disabled veterans have gotten back in the game and realized their potential is starting their own business.
Here, we’ll talk about how starting your own business can empower you to seize the day and live the life you want - even with your disability.
Veterans Have What It Takes: Courage
The veteran patients we’ve worked with, to a person, have something that every entrepreneur needs: courage.
Courage isn’t an absence of fear; it’s acting in the presence of it. And there’s a lot to fear when you’re starting your own venture, just like there’s a lot of fear when you face life with a disability.
What you’ll realize is that you have courage, and this courage is a must-have trait for a would-be businessperson. Courage is what will keep you moving forward even though the path seems intimidating and you may not be sure where you’re going or what you’re doing.
Courage sustains, not just in business, but in living life as a disabled veteran.
Veterans Know the Value of Teamwork and Leadership
You may have been in a leadership position when you were in the military, but even if you weren’t, you were part of a team and understand how teamwork and leadership go hand in hand to achieve a mission.
These traits are very difficult to find in the workforce among people who didn’t serve. Employers will pay a premium to find a hard-working team member, let alone a leader. As a veteran, you have an advantage.
Even if you don’t start your own business, you can parlay your experiences as a dedicated team member to the workforce. There is an employer out there who’d love to have you.
And if you are starting your own business, you’ll be able to put together a strong team because you know what it takes to get the job done when it comes to people.
The Government Will Help You
As a veteran, you will have preference for government contracts if you start your own veteran-owned small business (VOSB). A lot of veteran business owners have benefitted from this preference.
As a disabled veteran, you will get even more preference because you can qualify as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB).
All of this comes with more opportunity for grants, loans, and other sources of funding to help get your business off the ground.
Above all, realize that life doesn’t end with the beginning of a disability. It’s just beginning. Your next journey is at hand, and it can be whatever you want it to be. Don’t let your disability get you down. See it as an opportunity to recognize the possibilities that lie before you - and seize them with courage, boldness, and determination.
BioTech helps disabled veterans with prosthetic devices, giving them the tools and support they need to live the life they want. Contact us for more information.