Any new business owner, especially those who are starting a retail business, understands the immense amount of work it takes to get a business up and running. Other than long hours and difficult decisions, you’ll also have to factor in how to make your business self-sufficient so that you’re optimized for growth and scaling. The best way to do this is to surround yourself with the best — and veterans certainly do fall under this category.
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces bring immense value to the retail workplace, as they uphold the ideals of discipline, patience, leadership and ability to think on their feet. However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, unemployment amongst veterans is at an all time low, having dropped down to 3.8 percent in 2020. Take advantage of this by hiring a veteran for your company, and watch how these trained professionals transform your business.
If you’re interested in utilizing the wide skill set that veterans bring to the table, take a look at the following guide from Apollo Retail Specialists.
Why Hire Veterans?
The U.S. military prides itself on training its personnel in values like urgency, duty and adaptability. They are also trained to work well within a team, have strong qualities of leadership and equality, and are overall punctual, loyal and hardworking. In addition, the sense of responsibility and ethics that is instilled in veterans, along with so many other attributes, carry over to the civilian workforce after their duty.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 2016 Veterans in the Workplace study also reported that 99 percent of small businesses view veterans as equally or more likely than non veterans to have a high work ethic and follow through on work assignments.
How Can I Hire Veterans?
The government offers grants and aid to businesses that hire veterans, but don’t make the mistake of hiring a vet just to fill a quota. Go about the hiring process just like you would any other candidate — make sure they are qualified and a good fit for the role at hand. For instance, if you’re hiring a vet to handle merchandising in your store, then you want to hire someone who has plenty of experience with this aspect of your business.
To find the right candidates, look up online communities specifically for veterans or veteran-specific job sites; Betterteam put together a great list of veteran job posting sites here - https://www.betterteam.com/veteran-job-posting-sites. There are also veteran organizations and outreach groups who will help match businesses to the right candidate. Career connection programs are also a great method to reach out to potential employees.
You’ll also want your new business set up correctly to make the hiring and onboarding process easier. Forming an LLC for your new business may be an option to consider, as it limits liability for both yourself and your new vet hires. LLCs come with superior protection, flexible management and flow through taxation benefits. It is the ideal asset to a startup, especially as you can save on expensive lawyers fees by filing through a formation company. This business structure also affords good privacy protection, which varies by state, so be sure to check out the regulations for your business jurisdiction. Florida Business Group offers a guide for the Sunshine State’s LLC rules and filing process here - https://www.florida-llc.net/.
Setting Your Vet up for Success
You’ll need to set up veterans for success by ensuring that your workplace is veteran friendly. For instance, retail merchandising businesses should prepare onboarding documents and training, with a solid plan in place to help your hire adapt to the civilian workforce. Try to ensure your workplace is accessible, with flexible and remote work options for your new employees.
Many veterans will face mental health concerns when adjusting to post military life, so make sure you have resources that they can avail if need be.
Veterans are an invaluable asset to any workplace, from retail to office work, but they are often overlooked. By hiring them you will ensure your new business has the right foundation to take off and achieve stable success. From world class training to niche knowledge in specialized areas, vets are the perfect value addition to any up-and-coming business, retail merchandising or otherwise.
If you’re looking for assistance for your retail business, Apollo Retail Specialists can help. We can connect your company with veteran and non-military employees who work anywhere between 3 and 40 hours a week, so no matter how much help you need, we have a solution for you. Contact us online or call us at 813-712-2525.
Written by: Kelli Brewer