Published 2026-11-11 · Last updated 2026-11-11
Happy Veterans Day to everyone who served in the U.S. military, and to the families who served right alongside them. I'm Anthony Rosa, an Army veteran and the founder of Optimus Business Solutions in Salem, New Hampshire, and today I want to point veterans who run a business, or want to, to the help already built for them. In New Hampshire that means three places to start: the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England for counseling and training, the SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) for federal contracts, and the Boots to Business course for anyone still in uniform. Here is what each one does and who qualifies, every fact from the SBA's and the VA's own pages.
What does Veterans Day honor?
Veterans Day began as Armistice Day. According to the VA, the fighting of World War I stopped when an armistice took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and November 11, 1918 is generally regarded as the end of that war. An act of Congress in 1938 made November 11 a legal holiday called Armistice Day. In 1954, after World War II and Korea, Congress replaced the word Armistice with Veterans, so the day would honor American veterans of all wars. It is a thank-you to the living: the VA says Veterans Day is largely meant to thank living veterans, while Memorial Day remembers those who died in service.
Why I'm writing this one myself
I spent the first half of my service in the U.S. Army as a military police officer, starting with basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and the second half in an intelligence unit, where I fell in love with technology. One of the drills I remember most from my MP years is the blindfolded reload. You do it over and over until your hands know the steps without your eyes. The point was never the drill. It was being ready when it counted.
The photo in this article is me at home in uniform with my family. When I look at it now, the uniform is the last thing I notice. I see the people standing next to me. Nobody serves alone, and nobody builds a business alone either, which is why the programs below are worth knowing.
What help is there for veteran-owned businesses?
Four programs cover most of what a veteran owner needs, from a first business plan to a federal contract. All four are SBA programs.
| Program | What it does | Who it serves | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England | Workshops, counseling, mentoring and business plan help | Veterans, service members, Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and family members in all six New England states | VBOCNewEngland.org |
| Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) | Certifies veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses for federal sole-source and set-aside contracts | Small businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans | certifications.sba.gov |
| Boots to Business | A two-day, in-person introduction to business ownership, part of the military's Transition Assistance Program | Service members, including Guard and Reserve, and military spouses | Your installation's Transition Assistance Program |
| Boots to Business Reboot | Boots to Business classes held off installation | Veterans of all eras, Guard and Reserve members and military spouses | Your Veterans Business Outreach Center |
What is VetCert, and who qualifies?
VetCert is the SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification program. It certifies two kinds of firms: veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Certification used to sit with the VA; the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 moved it to the SBA as of January 1, 2023.
According to the SBA, a firm has to meet these basic requirements:
- The VA identifies the owner as a veteran or a service-disabled veteran.
- The business is small under the size standard for a NAICS code listed in its SAM profile.
- One or more veterans own and control at least 51% of the business.
- For SDVOSB status, that 51% is owned and controlled by veterans the VA rates as service-disabled.
Here is why it matters. Certified SDVOSBs can compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts across the federal government, and the federal government aims to award at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to SDVOSBs each year. Certified VOSBs can also pursue sole-source and set-aside contracts at the VA under its Vets First program, and for those VA opportunities there is no self-certification. If you never plan to sell to the government, you can skip it. If you do, it is the first door.
What does a Veterans Business Outreach Center do?
A Veterans Business Outreach Center, or VBOC, is an SBA partner built for the military community. According to the SBA, 31 organizations serve as VBOCs across the country. They run workshops, training, counseling and mentoring, help you write and keep up a business plan, and refer you to lenders, community partners and other SBA programs. For New Hampshire, the center is the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England, which covers all six New England states.
What is Boots to Business?
Boots to Business is the SBA's entrepreneurship course for people leaving the military, offered as part of the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program. The foundational course runs two days in person and gives an overview of business ownership. It is open to service members, including the National Guard and Reserve, and to military spouses, and the SBA says it is available free of charge at participating installations. If you are already out and have no installation access, Boots to Business Reboot holds the class off base.
Where should a veteran owner in New Hampshire start?
- Still serving or getting out soon: take Boots to Business, or Reboot if you no longer have installation access.
- Starting or growing a business: reach out to the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England for counseling and a business plan review.
- Selling to the government: apply for VetCert at certifications.sba.gov before you bid.
- Want help in person: schedule a meeting with the SBA's New Hampshire District Office in Concord.
- Make sure customers can find you: say plainly on your website and your Google profile that you are veteran-owned, where you work and how to reach you.
What the Army taught me about running a business
We drilled until the steps worked without anyone watching, and that is how I think about a small business's systems now. The phone gets answered, the lead gets a reply, the follow-up goes out, whether or not the owner is watching. At Optimus Business Solutions we build that for local businesses: custom-coded websites, AI search optimization so tools like ChatGPT and Google can read and understand your business, and AI receptionists that answer when you're on a job. We're a veteran-owned business in Salem, New Hampshire, and we work in person around Salem and with owners anywhere by Zoom.
Common questions
Is it Veterans Day or Veteran's Day?
Veterans Day, with no apostrophe. The VA explains that it is a day for honoring all veterans, not a day that belongs to veterans.
What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
According to the VA, Memorial Day remembers those who died in service, while Veterans Day honors everyone who served honorably, in wartime or peacetime, and is largely meant to thank living veterans.
Who can use a Veterans Business Outreach Center?
According to the SBA, VBOCs serve service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and family members who want to start or grow a small business. New Hampshire is covered by the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England.
Does VetCert certification come from the VA or the SBA?
The SBA. Certification moved from the VA to the SBA on January 1, 2023. The VA still identifies who is a veteran or a service-disabled veteran, which is the first requirement.
Where can a veteran in crisis get help right away?
The Veterans Crisis Line answers around the clock. According to the VA, you can dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
If you're a veteran running a business, in New Hampshire or anywhere, I'd like to hear your story, whether you want a hand with your website or just want to compare notes. Send me a message and we'll set up a 15-minute call.