To align your brand with veterans for the long term, you must make a cultural shift to become a veteran-committed company.

Before starting your outreach campaign, understand your target audience.

VetFran’s founding member, The Dwyer Group has launched a scholarship program “Women in the Trades” and strongly encourages female veterans and military spouses to apply. The program is designed to help women achieve their dreams and goals by beginning a career in the trades.

The transition from US Army Specialist as a Military Police Officer, to that of a kilt-wearing window and exterior cleaning technician might seem odd from an outsider’s perspective. But in all reality, it makes perfect sense.

As part of the franchising industry’s support of the White House Joining Forces initiative, IFA leaders joined President Obama, Vice President Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden onstage to mark the hiring of 290,000 veterans and military spouses who have been hired or trained since the launch of the initiative in 2011.

As part of the franchising industry’s support of the White House Joining Forces initiative, IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira joined President Obama, Vice President Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden onstage to mark the hiring of 290,000 veterans and military spouses who have been hired or trained since the launch of the initiative in 2011. Franchising contributed almost a quarter of this total.

To someone who has not served, the term Military Experience is just an expression but to many who have served it is the foundation for the rest of their lives. Never again will he or she have the kind of responsibility that the military demands and at such a young age.

VetFran was founded in 1991 in an effort led by Chairman Don Dwyer, Sr. (USAF, Ret.), founder of The Dwyer Group, to support veterans returning from the Gulf War transition to the civilian economy.  Since then over 6,300 veterans have become franchise owners through VetFran and The Dwyer Group continues to play a leading role in VetFran.

The franchising industry made history as the IFA launched Operation Enduring Opportunity, a campaign built off of our VetFran strategic initiative to hire and recruit 75,000 veterans and 5,000 Wounded Warriors as business owners and team members.

What began as a small gesture by a waitress at a Texas based Bennigan’s, has now grown into a national campaign to honor members of the military.  A picture of a pint of beer left by a Navy veteran to honor one of his own was posted to facebook by waitress Hannah Hobbs who “couldn’t pour it out without having everyone know about it.”