The Jenks Chamber of Commerce is launching a new program to honor and support veterans who own and work at Jenks businesses.
“Saluting Veterans in Business” will include a listing of veteran owned businesses as well as veterans employed at companies located in the Jenks community. The Chamber will also create a list of resources for veterans looking to start or grow a business.
“According to the SBA, veterans are 45% more likely to be self-employed than non-veterans,” said Zach Thomas, the Chamber’s director of economic development. “Additionally, veteran-owned businesses employ 5.8 million people across the country. In Oklahoma, more than 36,000 firms are veteran-owned.”
The Chamber has a dedicated landing page for the program, including the sign-up form, at jenkschamber.com/veterans.
“Veterans play an undeniable role in the success of a community and of a small business,” Jenks Chamber President Josh Driskell said. “We hope this program will allow us to highlight those who have given so much to our country as well as help them with their entrepreneurial dream.”
Driskell noted that both the Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs have resources available online. He said Chamber staff will include those resources and will work with local groups to ensure local veterans are connected with any tool that can assist them.
“Saluting Veterans in Business” is open for all businesses, not just Chamber members, Driskell said. During the week of Veterans Day, the chamber will also have content highlighting veterans in Jenks businesses.
According to a study by the SBA, more than 2.5 million businesses are majority-owned by veterans and those firms have receipts of more than $1.14 trillion. The payroll of veteran-owned firms nationwide is more than $195 billion, according to the study.
