Jordan True ⋅ Claremont, CA U.S. Navy, Petty Officer First Class ⋅ 7 years served

I recommend also looking for mentors on Veterati. Many list interests and specific tasks they want to help with, including business plans. I would also try to find a Boots 2 Business class at a nearby base and look up your local SBA office and SCORE, a mentorship program for small businesses. Finally, Bunker Labs has a tool called Launch Lab Online that has a session starting soon aimed at helping us get our business idea of the ground. I can't speak for the quality yet, but I applied to the waitlist for the session starting in January. Then there are a couple of follow-up programs offered through Bunker Labs, too.

Hopefully this was helpful and not too late.

-Jordan

Bernard Agrest ⋅ Tulsa, OK Teach for America ⋅ 5 years experience

Hi Erick,

I hope you're doing well and having a wonderful Thanksgiving. First off, thank you for your service.

Your plan to start a Social Service Agency for disadvantaged youth is a highly commendable one! I would recommend you get in touch with organizations such as Score who specialize in helping people create business plans.

Beyond that, I would also encourage you to reach out to advisors in our 'Community' tab who have experience with the non-profit industry or in creating a small business.

Lastly, I would also encourage you to do some research into grant writing, as that could help you secure funds for your future agency.

Best of luck going forward and please don't hesitate to reach out if there's anything else I can do.

-Bernard.