Title

FORT RUCKER, Ala.--Veterans may receive government funding to begin or expand small businesses, government agency representatives informed them at the "Book Your Flight to Business Success" conference Friday at the Soldier Service Center.

Conference speakers also addressed small business planning and receiving government contracts.

Fort Rucker's Army Community Service (ACS) and Troy University's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Center for International Business and Economic Development sponsored the event.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) small business specialist Linda Sitney answered many veterans' questions about government funding available to help them with their small businesses, ACS Employment Readiness Program Manager Debbie Gaydos said.

Sitney said federal agencies are required to give at least 3 percent of funds available through contracts to veteran-owned small businesses (VOSB) and service disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB). Through a database on www.vetbiz.org, veterans can register their small businesses with the VA, increasing businesses' visibility for contracting dollars. Veterans can put information and a short video about their businesses in the database.

Veterans will also be notified of contracts available in their areas and receive updates about pertinent legislation.

The Web site also lists available funding for veteran-owned businesses, Sitney said.

Presentations from U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Brent McMahan and Raymond Hembree provided veterans with information about tools available through SBA.

McMahan said SBA offers different types of counseling to include how to present a business idea to a bank for a loan and how to manage a small business more effectively. The SBA has a department devoted solely to government contracting. For more information on SBA, he advises veterans to visit the organization's Web site, www.sba.gov.

Veterans learned how to start a small business from Sandra Lucas, director of Troy's SBDC, while Judy Callin, a senior consultant with SBDC, presented an introduction to government contracting.