5 Key tips for Finding VOBs and SDVOBs
From the battlefield to the boardroom, more veterans are venturing into the corporate world in order to start businesses. VOBs and SDVOBs are among the most successful start-ups due to the resilience and excellent leadership skills of their owners. As a result, more customers and corporations are seeking out the services of VOBs and SDVOBs.
However, Identifying which businesses are veteran-owned can be challenging considering the vast number of businesses that are in operation. Here are 5 key tips you can use for finding the diamonds in the rough.
1. The VA’s Vendor Information Pages
A resource provided through the VA, the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) are a great resource for finding CVE verified VOBs and SDVOBs. In addition, because the CVE verifies business for only VA contracts, other governmental organizations also use this resource to verify if indeed a business is veteran-owned through the Veteran’s first program. Governmental organizations that use this resource often for finding VOBs are the US Army, Air force, and Nuclear departments. There is also a more advanced search available, where they can find out about company size, revenue, and many other aspects of VOBs and SDVOBs.
The Sam.gov website is also another excellent resource for finding VOBs. It is mostly designed for finding what government contracts are available, but it also contains a database of veteran-owned businesses. It pulls this information from the VA database.
2. VOB Networking Programs
There are some organizations that were established with the aim of connecting VOBs and SDVOBs with corporations and consumers. They serve as a resource for networking, mentoring and advocating for VOBs to be awarded contracts with government and private corporations.
Such organizations include the Veteran Owned Business Roundtable and the Vets First Verification Program (offered through the federal government).
These organizations offer programs and other resources that make it easier to find VOBs and SDVOBs.
3. Social Media
Surprisingly, social media is a great place to find VOBs. Just like other businesses, VOBs are also seeking to market themselves in front of a larger audience in order to increase sales. Therefore, most of them have a solid social media presence where they proudly display their veteran owned status and other qualities of their business.
In addition, many directories and organizations that connect VOBs to customers also have dedicated social media platforms.
4. Government Websites
The federal government also provides resources that enable VOBs to connect with corporations and consumers. The U.S Small Business Administration is one of those governmental sites. For Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses is also an excellent resource that is specifically designed for SDVOBs.
5. Look out for Signs
Most VOBs and SDVOBs proudly display their veteran ownership on their websites, physical locations and social media platforms. You can easily identify these businesses by keeping an eye out for signs around the organization’s premises.