Chris Bindewald, a Marine Corps veteran who served in the first Gulf War and is partially disabled, believes most veterans are better suited to business ownership than working for someone else.
A corporate culture that he said has lost its bearings, become disorganized and over-reliant upon restructuring to solve problems can be a hostile environment for veterans, especially those used to leading.
“I was in charge of 34 men, and coming out of the military I was asked to do meaningless, nonstimulating jobs,� said Mr. Bindewald, a former platoon sergeant, who, with his wife, Jean, recently opened a Worcester company that provides medical staffing to hospitals and long-term care facilities.
“That’s why a lot of veterans go into the police, fire and emergency services despite earning less money,� said Mr. Bindewald, a Worcester resident. “There is a mission associated with it. Those jobs are stimulating and provide adrenalin. I think that’s a huge thing for veterans who go into the civilian world. They are used to leading and then they are asked to start over again, and don’t move through the ranks fast enough and don’t get stimulated. A person who is focused, structured and capable begins to feel bored.�
But starting a business takes more than leadership skills, discipline and focus.
Veterans, especially those right out of military service, don’t always have the money to become entrepreneurs. Mr. Bindewald, 36, who spent five years in the Marines, serving in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, said he saved for 10 years to buy his @Work Medical Services franchise, which opened in August.
When he did, he got a surprise thank you for his military service.
Mr. Bindewald discovered that his franchiser was among 182 companies participating in the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative sponsored by the International Franchise Association of Washington, D.C. The program offers honorably discharged veterans financing incentives that aren’t available to other franchise operators.
Under the VetFran program, @Work Franchise Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn., gave Mr. Bindewald a 25 percent discount on his initial franchise fee, worth $4,375. “I would not have wound up with this franchise if it wasn’t for VetFran,� said Mr. Bindewald
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