Ask an Expert: Attention, vets ... Recognize your start-up skills

— -- Q: I am a combat veteran and am having a hard time finding work. I have thought about starting a business but am not sure. Do a lot of vets go the small business route? — Bill

A:I met Bill when I was in D.C. last week for the Small Business Administration's Small Business Week. As I am writing this column on Memorial Day weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to answer his question here because there are a lot of vets in the same boat.

• There are 25 million veterans in the United States. 8 million are from the Vietnam era, and the vast majority of the rest are from the Gulf War to the present. More than 1 million men and women have already served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

• 22 percent (about 5 million) of those veterans are either purchasing, starting, or at looking at starting a new business.

There are many reasons why veterans make great entrepreneurs – they tend to have the leadership skills, planning ability, and stick-to-it-tiveness that go hand-in-hand with small buienss success.

In addittion, they also have the desire, and need, to be their own boss. Consider this sobering statistic: According to this USA TODAY report, "The 11.2% jobless rate for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who are 18 and older rose 4 percentage points in the past year. That's significantly higher than the corresponding 8.8% rate for non-veterans in the same age group. ..."

So, between their unique skills set and the tough economy, veteran entrepreneurship is likely to be on the rise.

Here is an example: Army Staff Sergeant Robbie Doughty was only 32 when a roadside bomb in Iraq cost him both his legs. Honorably discharged from the Army, the sergeant and his young family faced a very uncertain future as he endured months of rehabilitation, not knowing what he would or could do in his condition, or how he would care for his young family. And then he received the phone call that changed his life.

On the other end of the line was Michael Ilitch, the owner of the Little Caesars Pizza franchise (as well as the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings.) Having read about Sergeant Doughty in USA TODAY, and even though he had never met the sergeant, Ilitch simply wanted to thank Doughty for his service and give him some words of encouragement.