The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) has a mission of making all small businesses better, although one of its newer programs specifically works with military-connected individuals and families in starting and growing a business.

NBDC Veterans Assistance and Services Program (VASP) provides business services to National Guard members, reservists, active duty personnel, veterans, and their spouses. The program’s goal is to expand entrepreneurship opportunities for service members and their spouses by providing assistance in starting, sustaining, and growing a small business. Services are customized to individuals’ needs and experience – such as offering introductory business courses online to new “vetreprenuers” or helping seasoned companies in positioning themselves for government contracting. NBDC VASP is funded through the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) and is hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Business Administration.

Part of the NBDC’s effort is to help raise awareness of service disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned businesses through the Buy Veteran campaign (www.buyveteran.com). This is a national campaign spearheaded by the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA). Their focus is to bring awareness to and advocacy for the nation’s 3 million veteran-owned businesses. In the Omaha market, one can find one-hundred-and-sixty-seven veteran-owned companies competitive in business-to-consumer, business-to-business, and business-to-government markets. The campaign also includes the “Veteran-Owned Business” badge, which gives these companies an easily identifiable badge that identifies them as veteran-owned. Local NBDC efforts include highlighting local vetrepreneurs on the back cover of Strictly Business.

At the helm of the program is Jason Bousquet. Jason served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force for 11 years before transitioning to the Air Force Reserves where he is a major assigned to U.S. Strategic Command Global Strike. Jason is backed up by a talented team both with military and economic development ties. Business plans and general consulting are carried out by Dr. Tim Donahue, a U.S. Army veteran, and Cliff Mosteller, a retired Air Force Veteran. Andy Alexander served in the Army for 26 years as both an officer and non-commissioned officer and now is director of NBDC’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Andy is assisted by Traci Miller, who is a prospective Air Force officer. The most recent addition to the team is Portland Oehmke, a former senior airman at Offutt AFB. Prior to NBDC, Portland assisted veterans with job placement at Nebraska Department of Labor and with G.I. Bill applications at University of Nebraska – Omaha.

The NBDC VASP services are set up to be flexible to meet the needs of service members, veterans, and their families. VASP services are free of charge to individuals residing in the state of Nebraska or those who will be establishing their business in the state.

For further details about Nebraska Business Development Center Veterans Assistance and Services Program, please visit http://nbdc.unomaha.edu/VASP/ or you can keep up with VASP details and events at www.fb.com/vasp.midwest