Making the Transition from Veteran to Franchisee

On July 24, 2011, after five years in the military, Kevin McClenahan, a former Staff Sergeant in the 3rd Special Forces Group, opened the doors to his Doc Popcorn franchise in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Last spring, Joy Bolluyt purchased a Cybertary franchise. After 20 years in the military, during which she was often separated from her family, Bolluyt now runs her virtual assistant business from her home in Lorton, Virginia.

Both McClenahan and Bolluyt are joining the ranks of a growing number of vets turned franchisees. According to a recent study conducted by PwC for the International Franchise Association -- the first-ever study of veteran ownership in the franchising industry -- one out of every seven franchise businesses are owned and operated by veterans of the U.S. military.

The force driving these numbers can be partly linked to the IFA’s VetFran program. More than 400 IFA franchisor member companies participate in VetFran, offering financial incentives, training and mentoring to veterans wishing to buy franchises. Since the program’s inception, more than 2,000 vets have become franchisees One VetFran participant, Snap-on Tools, reports 11 percent of its new franchise starts last year were former military personnel and expects this trend to continue this year. 

While these numbers illustrate the success of the VetFran program, there is another reason franchising appeals to military veterans: the simple fact that franchise ownership can make the transition back to civilian life smoother.

We spoke with McClenahan and Bolluyt as well as Laurie E. Pollock, a senior franchise consultant with FranChoice and the host of a free, monthly webinar, Veterans Exploring Franchise Ownership, about what making the transition to civilian life entails and how franchising can help.