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Years ago, a business could begin with a pencil and a quiet conversation after supper. At the kitchen table, someone would start adding up the cost of tools, jotting down ideas, and thinking about that first customer. Nothing fancy. Just a plan, a little hope, and the willingness to try.
Someone says, "I think we could make this work."
That is a hopeful moment. But it is also a moment when a little encouragement--and some practical help--can make a difference.
The SBA Office of Advocacy's 2025 state profiles, using 2022 Census business data, report 15,387 veteran-majority-owned businesses in Iowa, 14,412 in Kansas, 33,730 in Missouri, and 11,224 in Nebraska. Together, that is nearly 75,000 businesses across the Great Plains.
As National Veterans Small Business Week approaches, I think about the veterans and military spouses who may be sitting at that table right now. They have an idea. They are willing to work. What they need next may be someone who can help them sort through the questions.
I believe we ought to be there for them.
November 9-13, the U.S. Small Business Administration will recognize and support veteran and military-connected entrepreneurs through National Veterans Small Business Week. It is an opportunity to celebrate their businesses, but it should also be an opportunity to help someone get started.
To me, opportunity must mean more than handing somebody a brochure.
If a veteran wants to buy a business, we should help that person understand where to begin. If a military spouse has a product but needs a business plan, we should help connect that entrepreneur with useful guidance. And if financing is the roadblock, we should help explain the options--not promise an outcome, but make the next step clearer.
The SBA's Veterans Business Outreach Centers and Boots to Business program provide starting points for military-connected entrepreneurs seeking business guidance and entrepreneurship training. This year's observance also highlights access to capital, acquisition financing, contracting, manufacturing, agriculture, and specialized training.
Those subjects may sound technical. The questions behind them are not.
Can I afford the equipment? How do I find customers? Could I buy the business where I work?
We should meet those questions with patience and straight answers. Asking for help should feel like progress, not another hurdle.
And there is a role here for all of us. A business owner can make an introduction. A neighbor can become a customer. Someone with experience can take the time to listen.
We do not have to know every answer to help someone find the right person.
This National Veterans Small Business Week, let's put our gratitude to work. Visit the SBA's observance webpage, find an event or resource, and share it with a veteran or military spouse. Then support a military-connected business near you.
Help turn that notebook on the kitchen table into an open door.
Brad Zaun is the SBA Regional Administrator for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska and a former Iowa State Senator.