The city of Asheville has been proclaimed the number one destination for veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners by the United Services Automobile Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, according to a press release from the USAA. The organizations cite Asheville’s robust small business environment and veteran support services as factors that make the city stand out.
“Asheville earns the top spot by offering opportunity, growth and livability,” reads the USAA write-up of the city on their website. “Known as a tourist and retirement destination, the strong presence of veteran-owned businesses and small businesses per capita also indicate a strong foundation for veteran entrepreneurs.”
Working with Sperling’s Best Places and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, the USAA and Hiring Our Heroes generated the list based on several variables, including the presence of established veteran-owned and other small businesses, the presence of colleges in each city, the tax climate of the city and its proximity to an airport and other transportation facilities.
In addition, the study team looked at the ability to transfer licenses and other certificates in each city, as well as the support network for veterans present in each locality. A total of 401 U.S. metropolitan areas were evaluated in the study.
“Our mission is to make sure every service member leaving the military makes an informed decision about his or her next step,” says Eric Eversole, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president of Hiring Our Heroes. “This list identifies the top places for those veterans who want to use their discipline and determination to start and grow a small business.”
The full top ten list includes:
1. Asheville, N.C.
2. Sarasota, Fla.
3. West Palm Beach, Fla.
4. Staunton, Va.
5. Prescott, Ariz.
6. Wilmington, N.C.
7. Missoula, Mont.
8. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
9. Oklahoma City
10. Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
“Entrepreneurship is one avenue separating service members are encouraged to consider through the military’s Transition Assistance Program,” says Eric Engquist, assistant vice president at USAA and an Army veteran. “This list can help aspiring veteran entrepreneurs map out their financial plan well in advance of transition.”
In addition to the entrepreneur list, USAA and Hiring Our Heroes also compiled a list of the top cities in the U.S. for veterans to seek educational opportunities and jobs matching their military skill sets; two other cities in the Carolinas — Greenville, NC and Columbia, SC — were ranked in the top ten in these categories. The full list of those cities can be found at usaa.com/bestplaces.
For more information on the USAA “Best Places for Veterans” rankings and to learn more about what USAA is doing to support our military members, visit usaa.com. To learn more about what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program is working towards, check out uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes. For more information on the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, visit vets.syr.edu or see the press release below.
Press release:
USAA and Hiring Our Heroes Announce Best Places for Veteran Entrepreneurs
List identifies metro areas for veterans seeking entrepreneurship opportunitiesSAN ANTONIO – Asheville, N.C., is the best place in the nation for veterans entrepreneurs according to a new study commissioned by USAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes.
The 2015 “Best Places for Veterans” entrepreneurs list identifies U.S. metro areas that offer a robust veteran-owned and small business environment. The full entrepreneurship list includes:
1. Asheville, N.C.
2. Sarasota, Fla.
3. West Palm Beach, Fla.
4. Staunton, Va.
5. Prescott, Ariz.
6. Wilmington, N.C.
7. Missoula, Mont.
8. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
9. Oklahoma City
10. Fort Walton Beach, Fla.“Entreprenuership is one avenue separating service members are encouraged to consider through the military’s Transition Assistance Program, and early planning can help them succeed,” said Eric Engquist, an assistant vice president at USAA and Army veteran. “This list, along with USAA’s other transition resources such as the military separation checklist and assessment tool, can help aspiring veteran entreprenuers map out their financial plan well in advance of transition.”
“Our mission is to make sure every service member leaving the military makes an informed decision about his or her next step,” said Eric Eversole, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president of Hiring Our Heroes. “This list identifies the top places for those veterans who want to use their discipline and determination to start and grow a small business.”
USAA, a leading financial services provider to the military community, and Hiring Our Heroes commissioned Sperling’s BestPlaces and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University to create or provide data for this list. The four organizations worked together to determine measurable variables for 401 major U.S. metropolitan areas, which are defined as one or more central cities including the surrounding county or counties. The variables for the entrepreneurship list included:
- Veteran-Owned Businesses Per Capita
- Small Businesses Per Capita
- Percentage of Very Small Businesses
- Certification/License Transfers
- Presence of Colleges
- Retirement Tax Climate
- Airport Nearby
- Stability
- Health Resources
Each variable was weighted and each metro area was then ranked based on its total points for all variables. Metro areas with the following attributes were excluded from the list: unemployment rate more than 1 percent above the 2014 national average, property and personal crime in the top five percentile and median cost of living more than 20 percent above the national average. More information about this year’s criteria can be found at http://www.usaa.com/bestplaces
“This list helps veteran entrepreneurs know where other veteran business owners and small businesses are plentiful, where there is a local talent pool for hiring and where they can put their benefits and skills to work,” said James Schmeling, managing director at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. “Separating service members also benefit from the affordability and accessibility these places offer. We know from our work delivering the Small Business Administration’s Boots 2 Business entrepreneurship track in the Transition Assistance Program that geographic location choices are very important to veteran and family member entrepreneurs.”
USAA and Hiring Our Heroes also commissioned lists of the top metro areas for veterans seeking higher education opportunities and careers that align with military skills sets. Visit usaa.com/bestplaces to see all of the lists.
About USAA
The USAA family of companies provides insurance, banking, investments, retirement products and advice to 11.1 million current and former members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving our nation in the U.S. military or have received a discharge type of Honorable – and their eligible family members. Founded in 1922, USAA is headquartered in San Antonio. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness and educating the public on how the free enterprise system improves society and the economy.This list does not represent any endorsement, expressed or implied, by the Department of Defense or any other United States government agency.
The trademarks, logos and names of other companies, products and services are the property of their respective owners.
About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)
The IVMF is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education and policy issues impacting veterans and their families post-service. Through our focus on veteran-facing programming, research and policy, employment and employer support, and community engagement, the institute provides in-depth analysis of the challenges facing the veteran community, captures best practices and serves as a forum to facilitate new partnerships and strong relationships between the individuals and organizations committed to making a difference for veterans and military families. Learn more about IVMF at http://vets.syr.edu.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.