Veteran Experience: 2012 Military Friendly Franchises List Is Out

The total number of veteran-owned franchise businesses among the most military-friendly franchise companies jumped nearly 35 percent to a record 11,469 in the last year, with the average percentage of veteran-owned franchise businesses in military-friendly franchise systems climbing to 28 percent, a spike from 17 percent just a year ago.

As a result, veteran-owned franchises generate more than $41 billion annually and employ 1.5 million people. You can see which brands made it onto G.I. Jobs' 2012 Military Friendly Franchises list here (http://www.militaryfranchising.com).

The list satisfies veterans' need to know which franchises they should consider, which ones give them the best financial incentives and training, and which have the highest number of veteran franchisees

Comprising the top 10 percent of franchise concepts doing the most to recruit and train America's veterans as business owners, franchises on the list range from restaurants to truck-based and home-based opportunities. The common bond is their shared priority of recruiting owner-operators with military experience.

"We have overwhelmingly found today's returning veterans to be highly skilled people with excellent operational skills that apply well to business ownership. The independent thinking required in today's military, combined with an emphasis on processes and systems, makes veterans a perfect fit for franchising," says Richard Ascolese, President & CEO, Coverall North America, Inc.

"According to the SBA, one in four returning veterans are interested in starting their own business, but they are often unclear where to begin the process," says Sean Collins, vice president for G.I. Jobs. "The list is a transparent resource for veterans to compare franchise opportunities." All survey fields for each franchise on the list are displayed at http://www.militaryfranchising.com, allowing veterans to know exactly what incentives each franchise offers and how many veterans are already on board.

The 2012 list was compiled through research by G.I. Jobs, in which thousands of franchises nationwide were polled. Methodology, criteria, and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of a Franchise Advisory Board consisting of Mail Boxes Etc. founder Jim Amos, Spring-Green Lawn Care President James Young, Mr. Rooter President Mary Kennedy-Thompson, and Mark Daly, national media director for Anytime Fitness. All four board members are military veterans or come from military families.

The full list of Military Friendly Franchises was published in the June issue of G.I. Jobs, the July/August issue of Vetrepreneur Magazine, and on http://www.militaryfranchising.com, a web tool that helps veterans decide which franchise to choose.