National Invest In Veterans Week® is an official observance recognized through National Day Calendar®.
This page provides a policy-aware, data-forward overview of veteran entrepreneurship—built for
policymakers, researchers, veterans, and stakeholders seeking grounded context.
🏛️ Policy Context
Federal research attention on veteran- and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses has been elevated over time,
including through frameworks such as the
Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999.
The U.S. Small Business Administration and federal statistical sources have supported ongoing measurement of veteran-owned
business activity to inform policy and resource allocation.
📊 Key Metrics Snapshot
Veteran-owned firms (snapshot)
2.4M
Displayed benchmark on this dashboard
Employees of veteran-owned firms (snapshot)
5.8M
Displayed benchmark on this dashboard
Note: These figures are presented as dashboard-level reference points. Official totals vary by source, year, and methodology.
🗂️ Census Benchmark (Historic Reference)
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners (SBO) benchmark (2012, conducted every five years),
there were
2.52 million veteran majority-owned businesses, including employers and non-employers.
These firms collectively represented a substantial share of U.S. business activity, including receipts, employment, and payroll.
This section is presented as historic context. For the most current federal series, researchers typically reference newer
Census/ABS releases and SBA research updates.
🧩 Why This Matters
Veteran-owned businesses are meaningful economic actors—job creators, local market stabilizers, and community anchors.
Yet veterans can face unique barriers in entrepreneurship, including capital access, procurement complexity, and network gaps.
National Invest In Veterans Week® exists to elevate veteran entrepreneurship and support participation through public awareness,
civic recognition, and practical resources.
🧭 Public Participation Objectives
- Support veteran-owned businesses through purchasing and referrals
- Promote veteran-owned businesses via social sharing (e.g., #NationalInvestInVeteransWeek / #InvestInVeteransWeek)
- Encourage workshops and skill-building for aspiring veteran entrepreneurs
- Partner with a veteran-owned business to help tell their story
- Nurture veteran startups via grants, fundraisers, services, and recognition
- Host veteran business gatherings (virtual or in-person)
- Mentor veteran entrepreneurs with guidance and introductions
🧮 Interactive ROI Tool (Policy-Level)
Interactive Veteran Investment Return Calculator
This educational tool models how public investment in military service can translate into long-term economic contribution
when veterans become business owners or community leaders. Inputs include service duration, training cost assumptions,
and illustrative post-service business output.
⚠️ Educational Use Only
Results are illustrative, policy-level estimates. They vary materially by industry, geography, firm size, and timeframe.
This tool is not financial, legal, or investment advice and should not be used to make investment decisions.
🛰️
This page is designed to serve as a neutral, high-signal reference layer inside the Veteran Economic Intelligence ecosystem:
measurable context, transparent assumptions, and actionable pathways for public participation.
