Veterans Buying Businesses

When you get out, everyone gives you the same two options: get a job, or start something from scratch. There’s a third option almost nobody mentions. You can buy a business that already works. A wave of business owners are retiring over the next few years with no one to take over, and many of them would rather sell to someone who knows how to lead people. I’m not a veteran. I’m an operator. I started my first company at 23, grew it into five, and sold to private equity in 2024. I wrote The Due Diligence Bible because I’ve watched buyers lose money on deals that looked fine on paper. In this session I’ll show you how buying a small business actually works, where veterans have a real edge, and where people get burned. What we’ll cover When buying beats starting from zero, and when it doesn’t How the financing works, including the SBA fee breaks for veterans. (The VA doesn’t make business loans, even though a lot of people think it does.) Using your TSP or 401(k) to buy a business, and the risks people skip over Whether a business you buy can qualify as veteran-owned for government contracts The first red flags I look for in a seller’s financials, including a real deal where $400K in add-backs fell apart How to talk about your service so sellers and lenders take you seriously You’ll leave with An honest answer on whether buying a business fits you A first draft of your buy box, meaning what you’d buy, where, and at what size The free SBA resources for veterans that most people never hear about Who this is for: transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses who are serious about owning a business. You don’t need a finance background. That part is my job. Bring your questions, because we’ll save time for live Q&A. At the end I’ll explain how I work one-on-one with buyers who want help finding and closing their first deal.