How To Turn A Great Idea Into An Action Plan

by Greg DeLine, president and CEO of DeLine Holdings

If you’re serious about becoming an entrepreneur, chances are good that you already have a killer idea in mind. You’ve probably gone further than just a basic concept — whether that means getting product details down or making plans for when you eventually make it a reality. You know your idea is more than just a pipe dream, and you’re ready to put it into action.

The problem is, no matter how much you’ve brainstormed or how many strategies you’ve drawn up, taking something from theory into reality is a whole different ball game.

It can be easy at this point to let fear and doubt take over, to turn your sure thing into something you’re not sure about at all. You may think the time isn’t right or the audience isn’t there. And you may be right. Or it may be that there’s no such thing as bad timing if the idea is right. If you’re ready to truly begin your life as an entrepreneur, the question shouldn’t be when or if — but how.

3 Things You Can Do to Get Your Idea Off the Starting Blocks.

Regardless of where you come from or what your situation is, when you’re trying to figure out how to start a business, two things will always be true: Hard work is a thing that everybody can do, and commitment is a choice anyone can make. A word that’s thrown around a lot is passion, but action is more important. You just need to know how to start.

1. Find a mentor. 

If you were to climb a mountain for the first time, you’d hopefully bring along an experienced guide. Likewise, the best advice for new entrepreneurs I can give is to find someone to help guide you on the rocky path of starting a business.

An experienced mentor can act as an anchor, a sounding board, or even just emotional support. Mentors can offer advice based not just on their successes, but on their failures as well. A mentor offers something you can’t manufacture: experience.

If you’re unconvinced by any of that, don’t forget that a successful businessperson also tends to come with a network of valuable connections, which can also drastically improve your chances.

2. Figure out your niche. 

You might have an amazing idea you’re passionate about, but if there’s no market for it, your excitement won’t be enough to turn it into a successful product. It’s crucial to do your research beforehand in order to find out what niche in society you can fill. Ask yourself what sort of demand you’ll create. Can you fill a void in the market or disrupt what’s already there?

To understand where your idea fits, you need to examine a variety of factors. This includes everything from the economy to the politics of the time to whatever legal requirements you may need to fulfill.

If you’re able, you should also test out your idea on your target demographic. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can set up a temporary landing page advertised to a small group of people, or you can go with a focus group or survey to determine consumer interest.

It’s important to remember this isn’t just about validation; it’s a chance for improvement. The more questions and criticisms you’re willing to entertain at the beginning of the process, the more bulletproof your idea will be when you actually roll it out.

3. Know your limitations.

One of the biggest challenges for many people with high ambitions is being honest with themselves. But the only way you can succeed is to truly understand your assets and liabilities. To borrow a phrase from “Dirty Harry,” a startup has got to know its limitations.

Of course, that can be easier said than done — which is why the SWOT analysis exists. An acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, this exercise is designed to identify external and internal advantages and obstacles that your business has to contend with. This offers a true reckoning of what you do well and what you need to work on, which you can then use to create a business plan that actually works for you.

When I was in third grade, our class built a kiln to fire pottery in art class, and my teacher gave me the position of foreman. I went home to my dad, who has always been my hero, and asked him what being a foreman was. He told me, “That’s the head honcho — the man in charge. You’re made for that.”

That little sentence was a blessing because he gave me something to reach for. And it’s why I can say this to you: Don’t let fear and doubt prevent you from becoming the successful entrepreneur you want to be. After all, you’re made for it.

 

The president and CEO of DeLine Holdings, Greg DeLine is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Greg has started and owned more than a dozen successful companies. He has a passion for relationships and helping others reach their full potential. In addition to leading various companies, Greg is the president of the board for Phoenix Programs, past president and current board member of Love INC, and a Leadership Circle level sponsor of the Heart of Missouri United Way.

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How To Build A Solid Foundation For Your New Business

A new business will require a strong foundation to ensure future success. From your website and business plan to your online marketing efforts, it’s advisable to have many of these business elements in place early on.

If you’re thinking about starting a business or have recently jumped into the world of entrepreneurship, check out these ways from members of the online small business community to get your business up and running.

Build A Startup Business Plan.

Creating a business plan should be one of the first steps for any new startup. A business plan will give you a roadmap to follow as you develop your business. There are several steps you need to go through when creating a road map for your business to follow.

Start with a description of your business Then have a specific plan around your goods or services. Produce a detailed marketing plan of how you will promote your business. The final but important part of the plan will be the financials of your business. This includes a profit and loss account and outline balance sheet. 

Creating a Business Website.

When you’re just starting with a new business venture, you might not have a lot of money or resources to build your website. There are currently many companies offering to make your website some for free! You need to have an online presence. Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to create a trustworthy site for your brand. The essential of any new business is building a reliable brand name, identifying logo, and identity from day one.

Connecting with Your Target Market Online.

Once you have built your website and perhaps some social media accounts, you need to find ways actually to make connections with potential customers. There are some great resources online to help you (Beginners Guide to Social Media) You need a method or methods to send relevant and captivating messages, as well as targeted information to your customers at critical points when vital for your business. 

When using social media for your business, your focus should be on creating a strong sense of community among your target customers. Build your reputation and brand into a trustworthy and professional company. 

Prioritize Relationship Marketing.

In fact, the relationships you form with your customers, whether online or otherwise, can help you build a business that’s sustainable over time.

If you want to create a pool of returning customers, being part of a social media community means the consumer has given their own personal data to be shared and used. This means you could be successfully targeting your business on all of these social media sites if you know how to utilize them properly…

Make sure your UX is future proof.

The experience that you create for your customers online can make a significant impact on your success. UX testing can help you ensure that you provide a positive experience. But it’s also a good idea to look ahead to the future.

Focus for Exponential Growth.

New businesses have plenty of opportunities for growth early on. However, you need to know the right things to focus on at the right time. You need to ensure that your efforts are targeted toward high impact activities. If you want to go into business, you first need to build your knowledge base. It can help to gain insights and inspiration from industry leaders and to gain knowledge from other experts via Ted Talks and other business and social mediums which you can do work for you.

Email marketing is another essential element of any online marketing plan. But if you want your messages to make an impact, you need people to open them; therefore, you need to ensure you know how to boost your newsletter open rate.

Create an effective Content Strategy.

Content marketing should be a regular part of any company’s marketing plan. However, some companies forget to keep their customers in mind when they create that content.

By choosing the right channels to figure out, your content strategy will help you move your business in the right direction as it will help you get your business connected to the millions of potential customers out there – people who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer and say.

Use a Transcription Service.

Lots of business (video and audio, academic, legal) require transcription services for their office dictation needs. Many companies look to Transcript Divas, one of the most reputable companies around. Outsourcing to a trusted outfit will save you time and money.

Some of the major benefits of using a transcription service for your business are that you don’t have to employ someone with all the costs that involves. You don’t have the cost of equipment and you can be sure that the quality of work is high and consistent.

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10 Silicon Valley Facts Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Silicon Valley – a fantastic moniker that conjures lots of images, right?

That’s because, in real life, it’s also a fantastic place. And entrepreneurs and business people agree!

But just how interesting is this place outside of its fancy reputation and name? The following are some of the most interesting facts about America’s most popular technology hub.

1. It Started with a Garage.

I know. You’re sensing a pattern here. Microsoft? Disney? Harley Davidson? Dell?

Like all those giant companies, Silicon Valley essentially started with a garage. The “starters”? The founders of Hewlett Packard.

Yes, that’s William Hewlett and David Packard.

It was in their garage in Palo Alto that paved the way to the rise of Silicon Valley.

But why “Silicon Valley”?

2. “Silicon Valley”: Behind the Name.

And no, it’s not because the valley is made of silicon, although that could be true metaphorically.

This place in California is the center of technology. And a lot of the companies there are in the electronics industries.

These companies manufacture HUGE numbers of electronics and computer parts. And you guessed right, yes, they manufacture silicon chips for most semiconductors.

The exact name didn’t come from a vacuum, though. It was Don Hoefler who first used the name Silicon Valley, USA.

He used the name in the title of his newspaper article at the Electronic News in January 1971.

3. “Valley of the Heart’s Delight”.

And we’ve got more scoops about its name. However, let’s backtrack a little and talk about its geography.

Major cities in the region are San Jose, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View. San Jose is the biggest city.

And Silicon Valley itself, as the name suggests, is a valley – a region in Northern California in the famous Santa Clara Valley. It is the point of interest in this item.

Santa Clara Valley, in the mid-20^th century, boasted amazing and colorful cherry blossoms. They bloom in the spring season.

And because of the aesthetic, people started calling the place the “Valley of the Heart’s Delight.”

4. Used to be a Navy Research Facility.

There used to be the US Navy’s Moffet Field where the valley is currently located. Yes, we know. A tech hub with the presence of the military facility sounds a lot like a spy thriller setting, or somewhere along those lines.

But the ambiance in the San Francisco Bay Area looked a lot more sci fi-ish than spy-ish. A lot fewer conspiracy theories too.

Apart from that, the Valley now houses R&D centers for various schools like Stanford University.

Stanford started the establishment of its services in the area. Soon after, industries from both private and public sectors followed suit.

5. Surviving the Great Depression.

The Great Depression was a, well, greatly depressing time in US history. It changed a lot of things, and a lot of things changed because of it. Some for the worse, but also some for the better.

But Silicon Valley stood the test and came out even better than before the crisis hit.

During that time, there was high unemployment, overproduction, and deflation in the early 1920s and 1930s. Adding to the turbulence was the workers’ decision to join labor unions to push for fair wages.

But the Valley survived, sustaining businesses amid the political struggles.

6. Average Salary.

As one might expect from a techno hub in all of the USA, the average salary in the Valley is comparatively high. The official average is around $122,242 every year.

Directors and Managers are the highest takers. But if you’re lucky and stumble upon the product development engineering team, you can expect around $173,570 every year.

For other figures, the total profit of the Valley is around $250 billion. The whole turnover of the world economy, meanwhile, is around $75 trillion.

7. Home of Popular and Influential People.

And of course, such high-rolling figures are complete with high rollers. The Valley is home to some of the most powerful and influential people in the world.

Among these names are Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Tim Cook (Apple Inc.). There’s also Elon Musk with his Boring Company and Tesla.

Mark Zuckerberg and Mark Marcus – that’s a lot of Mark[c]s there! – have Facebook. Jack Dorsey from Twitter is also on the list.

Marc Benioff has cloud computing, while Travis Kalanick served as the Uber CEO (before getting kicked out).

High rollers!

8. Expensive Adorable Homes.

And because we got high rollers in the region and higher salaries, well, expect real estate to also be up there.

A standard four-bedroom house is around $2.8 million. We know, it’s staggering. And it rises every day.

In 2018, a report showed that a one-acre dirt lot area – yes, empty lot, with nothing – had a price of $15 million in Palo Alto. The business opportunity in the area pushes the price up.

Giant companies can afford that, and giant companies buy land in the area to develop into businesses.

9. Diversity in the Workforce.

And in Silicon Valley, there’s diversity. The workforce brags different genders, orientation, nationalities, race, colors, and background. Really, if you’re obsessed about inclusivity, here’s a place for you.

And this makes sense because the talent, innovative vision, and skills do not discriminate. They don’t have any gender or color. They exist in people regardless of whatever.

Of course, there are unfortunate cases of harassment and discrimination. But in a world-famous techno hub like the Valley, it’s just a matter of time before these cases and perps get rooted out.

10. Mecca for Startups, Innovators, and Inventors.

And need we say it? The place is all over the map of the rich, powerful, and influential. That’s because it’s some sort of a Mecca for startups, innovators, and innovators.

A lot of now-titanic companies started humbly in the Valley as startups. Companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, and more have their headquarters in this place.

It would not be an exaggeration if we say Silicon Valley is the home of the future.

Conclusion.

With all of these facts about the Valley, who wouldn’t want to be there? It surely will survive through years of innovation and development. If you’re thinking of putting up a startup or business, it’s probably the place to be.

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Is Life Insurance Required For Your SBA Loan Approval?

When applying for a loan through the Small Business Administration (SBA), you have to meet some basic qualifications. For example, you need excellent credit, $5 million or less in annual revenue, and a net worth equal to or less than $15 million.

Once you meet the SBA’s requirements for being a small business, you’ll need to meet an additional set of requirements provided by your lender. These requirements often include holding certain types of insurance policies that designate the lender as a payee. 

What types of insurance coverage will you need? That depends on your industry and your loan’s collateral. It also depends on the program you’re applying for and most importantly, whether your loan is secured. However, one thing is virtually guaranteed – if you’re the only one running your business and your loan is unsecured, you’ll need a life insurance policy. Your policy must be valid for the duration of your loan with a benefit that matches the amount of your loan.

For some entrepreneurs, a whole life insurance policy makes more sense than term life insurance. However, the details of every policy will differ, so it’s crucial to choose your policy after you know your lender’s requirements.

Are you considered high risk? You can still get life insurance.

Some life insurance companies won’t approve people considered to be ‘high risk.’ High risk people include smokers over 50, people who engage in dangerous activities, and people with health problems. It’s also hard to get life insurance with a felony on your record.

Although getting life insurance through standard insurers is hard, some companies have insurance policies designed for high risk people. For example, Gerber has a policy for people aged 50 to 80 years old. Gerber’s high-risk policies issue benefits from $5,000 to $25,000 with no medical exams required and no questions asked. 

Why is life insurance required to get an SBA loan?

A personal life insurance policy would help your loved ones pay off your debt and pay for basic living expenses if you die. Life insurance for SBA loans is similar, but allows your lender to collect the payment to be reimbursed for the cost of your loan. It’s basically life insurance for your business.

Multiple life insurance policies are often a good idea.

Some small business owners benefit from carrying multiple life insurance policies. These businesses buy policies in addition to what’s required by their SBA lender. For instance, a key person insurance policy provides a payout to the business owner when a critically important employee dies. For businesses that would lose a significant amount of revenue after losing an essential employee, key life insurance is non-negotiable.

A buy-sell agreement is another common insurance policy, though mostly optional. Businesses with multiple owners can combine their individual life insurance policies into a buy-sell agreement. Under a buy-sell agreement, all partners determine a price required to buy out a surviving family’s share when a business partner dies. Under this agreement, the life insurance policy pays the buyout price to the surviving family.

Are you surprised that you might need life insurance to get an SBA loan?

While carrying common policies that cover earthquakes, floods, and property damage makes sense, you might be surprised when a lender says you need life insurance. However, it makes sense. Lenders need to do everything possible to ensure they’ll get repaid. Borrowers without collateral to secure the loan will naturally be required to secure their loan in other ways. 

Applying for an SBA loan? Avoid common mistakes.

Most lenders will require that you buy a life insurance policy before the loan is finalized. Have a plan for submitting multiple applications to different insurers if you’re considered at risk. Don’t wait until the last minute to look for high risk lenders.

When you do get the required insurance policies, make sure you designate your lender as a conditional recipient of a portion of your policy’s benefits. Don’t name your lender as a beneficiary. Beneficiaries are entitled to the full payout of your death benefits. Your lender doesn’t need to be entitled to the full payout – only the amount that matches the balance of your loan. Designating your lender as a conditional recipient ensures that your beneficiaries get the remainder of benefits after your lender receives their payment.

The process of applying and getting approved for an SBA loan can take a while, so make sure you do things right from the start.

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Effective New Ways To Get Instagram Followers In 2020

Do you want to increase the followers of your company page on Instagram? And do you want to increase your following count as soon as possible then try using tool like Activeig to bring more likes, views, followers and comments.

In this article, we will show you ways to achieve your goal organically.

Borrow hashtags from competitors.

Why not use the hashtags of your competitors, consciously? Always keep an eye on your competitors on Instagram and especially the posts that have the most Instagram likes. Analyze them and try to do better than them!

Insert Instagram hashtags in comments.

Instagram works through this hashtag system, now you know it. In the description of the photo, you can post at most 30, but how many hashtags to use on Instagram to get more followers?

According to studies, the winning hashtag number is 11 and up!

We checked a bit on the net, and many statistics speak of at least nine tags per photo. There’s more: an excellent technique is to insert fifteen hashtags in the description of the picture and then self-comment on it by inserting other related hashtags.

Here we can take advantage of our marketing skills and insert “longtail hashtags” or all the related tags that could attract Instagrammers.

Publish a post every 3 hours for a boost effect.

If you want to become popular on Instagram, you will have to be constant and punctual.

Constant: it means that you will have to spend a lot, but a lot of time, on managing your Instagram profile. It is not possible to do otherwise, especially if you have a company profile, you must publish! Of course, do not imagine that the top of the list of the most followed profiles is 12 hours a day to post photos on their smartphone. Here we talk about a real business, a “new” profession. For those who have understood the potential of Instagram, the investment is more than rewarded, if you do not have time, schedule your posts.

Active on Instagram. According to Activeig the best way to increase the followers of your profile is to hit the like button on the content of others and, above all, to comment on the photos of others. Following a profile is not enough to be followed and certainly does not ensure a like or a comment. The best way to get many Instagram followers for free is to be super active on their profiles.

Having so many inactive followers on Instagram is useless.

Having so many followers on Instagram is useless. How? It is useless to have thousands of followers if you bought them from a site that sells them fake. It is illegal and also counterproductive. But even if all your followers were true, it would be of no use to have 10 thousand inactive ones. The only thing that matters has active followers. It is better to have 500 active than 10,000 disinterested.

There are only 43% of companies on Instagram interact with their followers. Interacting is the best way to forge effective and efficient (online) bonds because from a single active follower, more than a hundred can be gained, while from a hundred inactive followers, nothing is gained.

If you have many inactive followers, you will have to deal with the harsh reality for your posts; nobody will like your posts. So your popularity on Instagram will be as ephemeral as a stink in the high mountains.

Arouse emotions.

To catch the attention of followers and become popular on Instagram, you will have to catch the emotions of your followers and, above all, those who are not yet active or who is always latent.

The photo of a tender kitten melts the heart even to the most ruthless bank manager. But you will have to publish mostly your own photos. So try to evoke a feeling, an emotion, or at least explicitly indicate it in the tags and description.

Shoutout or Paid Shout.

It simply means “promote and get promoted.” On Instagram, you can advertise another account simply by quoting it in a post with the @ snail. You can create real collaborations, and once you find the right influencers, you can ask them to promote you. Obviously, everything has a price!

On the other hand, you want to do without it and automate this and other types of organic promotions, you need a BOT with which to increase your followers automatically but constantly.

Apply AIDA (Attention or Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action) to your social strategy.

The last point is the most important of all. So take a deep breath because now it’s getting serious! The best way to become famous on Instagram and to have many followers is definitely to apply AIDA to your social strategy. If you’ve already read the book, you know what we are talking about.

Applying AIDA means proceeding by order having a very precise marketing plan. Briefly summarizing the essential points, it is necessary to start:

• By choosing a precise personality: a good name and a nice photo are not enough, here we talk about style. Create your own unique style in photos, comments, and hashtags. Do you want to be nice? Well, always do it, to the bitter end, do not publish your sad or sad post, you would drop your followers!
• Secondly, it is necessary to choose the target audience.
• Finally, you must always be obvious in expressing your intent i.e., Call To Action.

An advanced technique to have more followers on Instagram.

Hide the Instagram hashtags included in the comments. This is a gem for experts: if you do not want too many blue hashtags to appear visibly in your comment, perhaps because you believe that many users may think of you: “here is another instaspammer,” you can use this technique.

Just take the whole list of hashtags you want to insert in the comment and copy them to a text editor, such as Notes on the Mac or Word on the PC. Enter before the hashtags five lines list with just one point for each, as well:

#Mothersday #mother #mom #happymothersday #motherhood etc.…

The game is done! Try it and let me know if it works!

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When You Should Take Out A Business Loan

There are great reasons to take out a business loan and situations in which this should not be considered. At the end of the day, you go into debt so you have to be very careful. Nowadays, it is very easy to take out a loan, even with bad credit thanks to services like LetMeBank.

However, there are always situations that are better, when loans are a very good idea. Examples of such situations are presented below.

1. Expanding Physical Location.

Outgrowing the initial office location is a great time to expand. Maybe you now run a retail store and you have too many customers. In all such cases, business booms and you can expand. However, this might not be possible due to a lack of finances.

When faced with such a situation, a business loan might be a very good idea. It helps you to cover all the upfront costs associated with expansion. Just make sure that you can deal with the extra expense associated with paying the loan back and that the new physical location was carefully chosen.

2. Building Future Credit.

When you want to apply for a larger financing option in the future, usually in a number of years, you can start with the smaller loans so that business credit can be built. A young business so often has a very hard time when it comes to qualifying for the larger loans. This is especially the case when both the owners and the business lack strong credit history.

When you take out a smaller loan you build a relationship with a lender. In the future, you will be able to qualify for the larger loans. Just be extra careful because even a single late payment can lead to hurting your chances of receiving that larger loan in the future.

3. Equipment Needed For The Business.

Business offering can be improved when you buy equipment. This is actually one of the most common reasons why companies ask for loans. They need IT equipment, machinery or other tools so that service can be performed. In addition, the equipment that you buy with the loan can be used as collateral in the future, just as with the car loan.

Before this loan is taken out though, separate business needs from things that would be nice to have. For instance, the employee might love a new margarita machine but this might not be needed for your business to perform actual operations.

4. Inventory Purchases.

Inventory is a huge expense for a business. Just like equipment purchases, you have to keep up with demand by actually replenishing inventory with high-quality and plentiful options. At times, this is really difficult because you need a large inventory before you get your investment back. That is especially the case for the seasonal businesses.

You need to create an accurate sales projection to see if this loan would be a smart financial move. Sales projections have to be created based on sales from previous years. Also, you have to calculate debt cost to compare with projected sales. Remember that sales figures will vary from one year to the next. You should be conservative and use as much data as possible when the projections are created.

Conclusion.

The four examples mentioned above are great situations when a business loan would be a great idea. However, many others exist and you have to take them into account. Always calculate whether or not the extra money you get is worth it for the business. If not, you need to consider other ways to raise capital. Never take out a loan when you are not 100% sure that it is a smart business decision.

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Why Employers Should Consider Combat Boots A Bonus

by John Ramirez USA CSM (Ret.), Dean of Operations, College of Doctoral Studies at University of Phoenix

Your new hire may not be wearing combat boots. But employers would be wise to look for them on a resume when making hiring decisions.

With unemployment rates reaching historic lows, U.S. businesses are facing an unusually competitive market for attracting and retaining talented employees. Not since 1969 have employers experienced an unemployment rate this low, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting sub-four percent unemployment for much of 2019.

Although these rates bode well for jobseekers, they present business owners with a unique challenge for recruiting talented employees and keeping them in key positions long-term.

When looking for talent, employers would be wise to consider a group of individuals who share a common qualification ― military service. Studies show that they receive promotions faster, stick with companies longer and bring more work-related experience to their careers.

A recent study titled the 2019 LinkedIn Veteran Opportunity Report, which looks at the underemployment of veterans found that military veterans tend to outperform their civilian counterparts in four ways, which may be meaningful to U.S. employers in today’s labor market.

• Retention: Veterans remain with their initial company 8.3 percent longer than non-veterans.
• Promotion: Veterans are 39 percent more likely to be promoted earlier than non-veterans.
• Education: Veterans are 160 percent more likely than non-veterans to have a graduate degree or higher.
• Experience: Veterans with bachelor’s degrees have 2.9 times more work experience.

Indeed, military veterans bring a unique value to the labor market, and they bring a unique skillset. They often possess soft skills and social/emotional intelligence traits from their military training that make them highly competitive from an employment perspective.

These skills include time management, solid communication, teamwork, commitment to individual tasks, group leadership and the ability to learn new tasks quickly.

Every soldier develops these skills during their military service and obviously the more tenured the veteran and, depending on the rank he or she held when they left military service, the stronger these skills. Additionally, veterans come with a wealth of experience and have multiple skills in various roles, responsibilities and duties.

Truth is, the characteristics veterans must embody in their military role are the same characteristics that constitute a path to success in civilian jobs. During my 27-year military career, I learned how serving our country can make veterans strong employees and desirable hires in today’s competitive labor market.

Here are nine attributes that military service members often possess that employers  should consider.

1. Veterans are fast learners.

From basic training on, veterans have had to learn new skills quickly, with the understanding that they could be called upon to step into a life-or-death role at a moment’s notice. While everyday employment may not be as dire, all workers should be able to respond to training and feedback, then implement new skills.

2. Veterans are team players.

Military training emphasizes the importance of teamwork. A veteran knows that nothing great is accomplished in solitude. Great things can be achieved when team members know their role and play it to the hilt.

3. Veterans are leaders.

Veterans know what it means to step up and take responsibility for the outcome of an effort. They know how to delegate and shepherd tasks efficiently.

4. Veterans adapt to diversity.

The all-volunteer military is a melting pot. Veterans serve on teams with people of all ages, races, sexes, religions, values and economic backgrounds. All are working toward the same larger goal, with each contribution and person adding value.

5. Veterans perform well under pressure.

Again, a veteran knows that one decision could mean the difference between a positive and negative outcome. Military training conditions them to keep a cool head under fire. Whether it is communicating with a challenging customer or bumping up against a short deadline, the ability to work well under pressure is valuable in any work environment.

6. Veterans play by the rules.

Veterans respect procedures and chains of command. They know if someone goes rogue, the whole team suffers. They also understand the importance of processes. Don’t confuse this with an inability to be flexible.

7. Veterans Stay Current with Technology.

The military uses cutting-edge tech. Veterans have likely been exposed to gadgets and apps employers never even dreamed of. The types of technology used in a civilian work environment may not be exactly the same as what the veteran is trained to use in military tasks, but the ability to leverage knowledge is invaluable.

8. Veterans Act with Integrity.

With lives on the line, veterans learn to say what they mean, mean what they say, accept consequences, and take responsibility. This is a leadership quality that cannot be faked and for some, cannot be learned.

9. Veterans Have a Sense of Duty.

Every veteran knows what it means to serve a higher purpose. They know the pride of being a small piece of a greater whole. All the work that is done by each individual culminates in one total action. Veterans know this, understand it, and embrace it. Loyalty to the task, the goal and the overall vision is essential to any team’s success.

Keeping an eye out for combat boots on incoming resumes could yield candidates that already embody the professional skills and soft skills you are looking to recruit and retain. A veteran may already be prepared as the perfect fit for your business.

 

John Ramirez is Dean of Operations for the College of Doctoral Studies at University of Phoenix and a retired US Army command sergeant major and. During his distinguished 27-year military career, Ramirez held numerous leadership positions and was selected as one of the “Top Hispanic Leaders” in the Army. He is a graduate from the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy and recipient of the Sergeant Major of the Army William Bainbridge Ethics Award.

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