Boots to Suits: Perillo Informs Veterans of Assistance for Small Business Start-Up

State Representative Jason Perillo (R-113) today issued a reminder to veterans of the Armed Forces that there is assistance available to start their own small business in the form of the “Boots to Suits” program.

“Our veterans have dedicated themselves to selfless service with honor,” said Rep. Perillo.  “When they have completed their active duty and return to civilian life it is great to have a program like this which can help set veterans on their way to productive careers that employ the skills they attained in the service of our nation in concert with new skills and tools which give them a jump-start.”

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) is a consortium of business schools and universities hosting a program for veterans interested in starting and owning businesses.  The University of Connecticut School of Business is one of eight participating institutions. The veterans who participate in the program receive business suits, laptops, and training on the fundamentals of business ownership. 

Veterans interested in participating apply to the program at one of the eight institutions. To qualify, applicants should:

• have separated from active duty service after 2001 or be in the administrative process of separating,
• have a ‘service-connected disability’ as a result of military service (including activated National Guard and Reserves), and
• demonstrate a strong interest in entrepreneurship and small business ownership or management.

UConn has participated in the program since 2010 and welcomed 23 veterans in 2013.

The program is largely privately funded and offered at no cost to post-9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities. Participating veterans also receive ongoing technical assistance after the Bootcamp.

For more information vie the UConn School of Business visit their website at:  http://ebv.business.uconn.edu/