There are roughly 1.6 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States. Together they generate approximately $1 trillion in annual revenue and employ over 3 million Americans. Veterans are 45% more likely to start their own business than their civilian peers, and nearly half of veteran entrepreneurs identify as social entrepreneurs, meaning their business model is designed to solve a community problem, not just turn a profit. On average, 35% of the employees at veteran-owned businesses are other military-connected individuals.
Those numbers come from the U.S. Census Bureau, the SBA, and Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. They are not talking points. They are the measured economic impact of what happens when you give veterans the tools and the trust to build something.
But here is the part nobody puts on a poster: despite this track record, veteran business ownership has been declining. The self-employment rate among veterans has dropped to roughly the same level as their civilian counterparts. Access to capital remains a barrier. Federal contracting set-asides get reshuffled with every administration. And at the local level, most communities do not even know which businesses in their area are veteran-owned, let alone make a deliberate choice to support them.
That is why we built the Veteran Business Directory.
In North Central West Virginia, veteran-owned businesses are not corporate entities with government affairs teams. They are contractors, restaurants, service companies, retail shops, and specialty trades run by people who served this country and then came home and kept serving their community. They hire locally. They reinvest locally. They show up at the same events, shop at the same stores, and coach the same little league teams as everyone else.
When you choose to spend your money at a veteran-owned business, you are not making a symbolic gesture. You are directly funding a local economy built by someone who carried a different kind of responsibility before they ever carried a business plan. You are supporting someone who is statistically more likely to hire other veterans, more likely to focus on community impact, and more likely to build something that outlasts a quarterly earnings call.
Our directory exists so you can find them. We list veteran-owned businesses across Preston, Monongalia, Marion, Harrison, Taylor, and Wood counties and surrounding areas, complete with contact information, service descriptions, and branch of service. If you own a veteran-owned business and you are not listed, register through our Business Directory page. If you hold SDVOSB or VOSB certification, or want to learn how to get certified, visit our new Certification page for guidance on the process.
We also run the Network of Appreciation, a program where local businesses that offer veteran discounts or considerations display our logo. When you see the 850 Committee logo on a storefront, that business has made a commitment to the veterans in their community. Recognize them for it.
Supporting veteran-owned businesses is not charity. It is an investment in the people who already proved they will show up when it matters. They answered the call once. Now they are building something. The least we can do is walk through their door.
