The Beginning: (Note from the Founder)
The original idea for Veterans Incorporated came back in the fall of 2009 when a group of Marine Corps League (Detachment 399) members were discussing how to assist returning soldiers in re-acclimating after their combat service. We discussed several areas but most of our conversation was on how to get them back into meaningful employment. This caused me to remember an experience I had as the job service director of the John E. Grottberg Community Veteran Center (the first veteran job placement center in the State of Illinois). We were having difficulty finding long term employment for individuals. Then a unique opportunity presented itself: a local paint store owner offered to employ three or four vets and purchase a truck with all the necessary equipment to set up a paint crew. It made perfect sense, when the owner explained how he would invest hours with families going over color combinations, paint requirements and the equipment they would need for painting their own Victorian homes. Once they discovered how labor intensive it was, they simply took his color combinations and hired a paint contractor – he not only lost the paint sale but, more important, all the time he invested in the family – with his own "paint crew" he not only would have been able to sell the paint but all the replacement tools. Unfortunately, since we were at the end of our job placement grant we were unable to get it started. Then the veteran center closed. Even though we were able to get a number of vets hired, our sponsor went in another direction. so we were never able to implement the program.
Further discussions took place over the next few months, including why most small businesses fail: They didn't do the required paperwork. They did not have the skills required to operate the "backend" of a company (e.g., office management, bookkeeping, marketing, etc.). The idea developed that we could help these guys set up individual for-profit businesses (divisions) under an "umbrella company" that would handle all the aforementioned services. This would allow them to work together as a team and refer work between them.
In the spring of 2010 the founders tested the concept by placing an ad in a coupon medium. This Ad received an overwhelming response. One simple ad for a Lawn Care Division generated interest and opportunity for additional work for other divisions. This proved that collective advertisement works-especially for our concept and that individuals were interested in working with veterans.
Over the last few months, we have developed a "Marketing Division" and have been able to gain support from various vendors allowing us to purchase equipment at dealer pricing which we pass onto the
division owners. They too want to help veterans become gainfully employed, as it helps them market themselves in a positive manner.
Founder: Jim Winquist
Mission Statement:
Veterans Incorporated is a vehicle to assist veterans and their family members enter into meaningful employment by helping them to either operate their own business or work for a fellow veteran.
Veterans incorporated divisions and members are certified veterans by their discharge papers showing their time of service and branch.
Veterans Incorporated will assist the veteran in every way possible similar to how soldiers bond with their comrades while serving our country.
Veterans Incorporated will assist in business planning, development, finance, office management, marketing and equipment purchase. Helping to refer other Veteran Incorporated Divisions to assist their residential accounts Divisions will assist each other in serving the community. By implementing here in civilian life the same team concept that worked in the military Veterans Incorporated Divisions work to assure overall success. We know that if we help them they will return the favor.
We will also assist the community at large with veteran service providers for lawn care, painting, remodeling, and other areas as our individual business divisions are developed and expanded.
Each division will be operated by someone with years of experience in that specified field, guaranteeing our customers they are receiving the best possible service.