As Veterans Day arrives every year I am reminded of the incredible sacrifices the great veterans of our country have made and continue to make every day. Yet, I am also saddened to think of the many obstacles a large number of them face, unfortunately, as they make the transition from military to civilian life and into the workforce.
Whether it’s health problems and painfully long waiting periods before receiving treatment or facing a higher unemployment rate than that of the general population, our veterans sometimes return from serving our country only to face additional challenges here at home.
While I realize that one individual, or company, cannot solve all of these problems, it is crucial that we do what we can to assist the men and women in the military. Not only as they serve, but to continue showing our gratitude and support when they return home.
I am deeply grateful and happy to see that many Edible Arrangements business owners are offering free products or have special promotional offers for veterans on this special day as a way to show their thanks and appreciation.
At Edible Arrangements, we have been a long-time supporter of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program that encourages veterans to become franchise owners and helps them through the process of business ownership. And it is also why we encourage our franchisees to hire veterans.
In my experience, veterans have the exact qualities that make them amazing business owners or team members.
Thanks to their training, veterans are organized and disciplined, persistent and not afraid to take on challenges. Additionally, they are committed while being able to operate successfully alone or with a team.
We have many tremendous veteran business owners at Edible Arrangements. One I have highlighted many times before is Maurice Welton, a stellar example of the positive values that former military personnel bring to the workforce.
Maurice echoes many veteran voices when he says that his success as a businessman is due, in large part, to the discipline he developed while serving in the military.
Maurice is just one example of the many, many members of the Edible Arrangements family that served our nation as members of the military. We salute each of you on this special day and are grateful to you for your service.
If you are a hiring manager or a small business owner, I urge you to be open to hiring vets and to actively reach out to them.
If you are a franchisor, know that veterans make amazing franchisees and small business owners — I speak from experience!
More than anything, I hope that everyone will take the time to remember the sacrifices these brave men and women have made on our behalf and will make it your goal over the next year to do what you can to support them as they make the transition from the military back to civilian life. You will not regret that you did.