The military trains men and women to lead by example. Many of the same traits that make veterans successful in the military also make them great local business owners. Transitioning from active duty to civilian life comes with a new set of challenges. But the very skills honed in the military—leadership, discipline and teamwork to name a few—are the same that make successful entrepreneurs. And not surprisingly, veterans have a strong track record of franchise success—and their commitment to teamwork carries over into other areas as well, including hiring active duty and retired service members and building diverse opportunities across our communities. Franchising can open the door to a new path—a path to prosperity for our nation’s veterans entering civilian life. Together, we are Open for Opportunity.
97% of surveyed franchisors think veterans make excellent franchisees
Although veterans make up only about 7% of the population, they account for a whopping 14% of all franchisees in America
70% have brought on a veteran franchisee or corporate employee in the last year alone
IFA was honored to welcome U.S. Navy veteran and Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisee Clement Troutman to share his inspirational story to the IFA staff this August – following a visit to…
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With their military background, Jessica and Tyler Gustafson liked the familiarity of having a prepackaged business deal with an included operations manual. The Gustafsons’ passion for health and wellness led…
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Open for Opportunity made its way down to the Lonestar state to celebrate Texas’ ranking as the number one state for franchise growth in IFA’s 2023 Franchising Economic Outlook. With…
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Ralph Ware is a decorated veteran, serving in the US Army Acquisition branch for 10 years. After retiring from the military, Ralph searched for an opportunity to use the skills…
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Over the course of the summer, the Open for Opportunity Roadshow had the opportunity to make multiple stops in Richmond, Virginia. Kicking off the first stop, Virginia stakeholders, franchising leaders,…
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Sarah Love was originally a client of Pure Barre, but she enjoyed it so much that she became a franchise owner in Richmond, VA and has been for nine or…
Meet Sarah Love
Lou Schager spent 27 years as a U.S. Naval Officer before joining the Mosquito Joe franchise corporate team. After retiring from the military, Lou was in search of an opportunity…
Meet Lou Schager
John Alexander is a franchise owner of STOP Restoration in Charlotte, North Carolina. His business specializes in restoring homes or businesses that have been damaged. Although he was not familiar…
Meet John Alexander
Rich Freddo was flying planes in the Air Force before he was running a franchise. Rich owns a local CertraPro Painters franchise in Lewisville, Texas. A former Air Force officer,…
Meet Rich Freddo
Scott Hester was serving as an electronics technician in the U.S. Navy when first child was born. He decided he didn’t want to miss his young daughter growing up and…
Meet Scott Hester