As we give special thanks to the men and women of our great nation who have served in the military, I also give special thanks on this day to the late Don Dwyer for creating VetFran.

The Veterans Transition Franchise Agreement (VetFran) was established by the founder of Dwyer Group soon after the Gulf War ended in 1991. And for the past 25 years, VetFran has helped thousands of military veterans across the country transition to civilian life and enter the franchising industry by offering financial incentives towards franchise ownership.

The key is to follow the system…in the military and in franchising

It was Don’s great vision to give veterans the ultimate thanks for protecting the very freedom under which we do business. And as a military veteran himself, he recognized the superior training of our men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and their success at following systems. As a result, through VetFran, those veterans now have incredible opportunities to educate themselves on the franchising industry and follow the proven systems of franchisors from coast to coast.

In addition, Don knew the values of our military transitioned well to the Code of Values for Dwyer Group. It was not only a good business idea but also a strong culture fit.

The success of the program that began at Dwyer Group was shared across our service brands, was then adopted by the International Franchise Association and today is a voluntary program that includes more than 650 franchisors across the country that have helped more than 6,000 military veterans acquire a franchise business.

One tough Marine explained the journey this way

Mary Thompson is the Chief Operating Officer of Franchise Brands for Dwyer Group. And she rose through the franchise ranks with a unique perspective as a veteran, a franchise owner, a multi-unit franchise owner, the president of franchisor brands and today the COO of franchise brands at Dwyer.

In a recent interview with @OurFranchise at the International Franchise Association, she talked about her own transition from the military to franchising:

“My dream was to be an entrepreneur as I was driven to build and lead a team toward a common mission. While I had the financial backing to open a business, I did not have the business experience to do so. Since franchising is built on systems and processes designed to create success, it was a logical solution to my challenge. I liked the Cookies by Design business model and product. Franchising was the solution that allowed me to meet my goal and I knew with hard work I would follow the system to success. Within three years I was a multi-unit franchisee meeting my goals and fulfilling my dream of small business ownership. Franchising and the systems that it brought to me helped me as a veteran with – no business experience – to have a system to follow. It also provided me the support of the franchisor who drilled down on unit level economics helping me grow both personally and professionally faster than I would have without the systems.”

From Honor to Owner – VetFran thanks veterans on this day and every day

As we thank our military on Veterans Day, we continue to thank them every day through the success of this program and the incredible franchisors that participate.

To date, Dwyer Group brands have awarded more than $2.1 million in discounts to 374 veteran franchise owners of Dwyer Group service brands. And there is still more work to be done.

As the drawdown of the military from active duty continues, there is a growing audience in search of that next career move. The chance to wear a new uniform – one that represents a franchise business they can champion – is out there. Meanwhile, the International Franchise Association predicts a 3.1 percent growth in the franchising sector for 2016.

The IFA’s motto to help more military veterans move “From Honor to Owner” is stronger than ever.

To find out more, visit: www.vetfran.com.