VETERANS IN FRANCHISING
EMPOWERING VETERANS THROUGH FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES By Dan Mock, Mister Sparky
Authority Brands’ Dan Mock Insight on How Being a Veteran Enables Successful Franchising
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ith Veteran’s Day in November, it is important to focus on how franchising can empower veterans returning to civilian life. Franchising offers a unique and lucrative entrepreneurial opportunity that can help vets build businesses while serving their communities and relying on skills they honed while in the service.
38 FRANCHISING WORLD / November 2023
As a veteran, I am passionate about lifting up other vets and I frequently rely on the training and skills I learned during service. Before carving out my career in franchising, I was in the Army and served as Battery Armorer, taking care of and maintaining all weaponry for my company. It was a role that taught me responsibility and would shape the leader I am today. IFA’s VetFran identified that an impressive 14 percent of franchise owners in the United States are veterans with numbers trending upward, as 65 percent of franchisors noted their overall number of veteran hires have increased in recent years — and for good reason. Franchising offers a nearly seamless opportunity for veterans to return to civilian life with flexible, profitable franchising opportunities, and the skills vets learn in the service also create tough, tenacious and successful business leaders. Some of the skills and experiences gained throughout my service in the Army that have served as cornerstones to my leadership include: