As residents of Virginia Beach no doubt know, they are the epicenter for veterans of the US Military. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District (which encompasses the City of Virginia Beach, parts of Norfolk and Hampton, Accomack County, and North Hampton County) has the most veterans per capita, with 18% of residents having served in the military.

But Virginia Beach residents contemplating their career path in the private sector may not know that there are roughly 2.4 million Veteran Owned Businesses (VOBs) in the U.S. according to SBA.gov. And success for veterans in the private sector through business ownership is evident locally: Veteranownedbusiness.com reports that when states are ranked by the veteran-owned percentage of businesses, West Virginia and Virginia take 2nd and 3rd place in the nation, respectively.

There is a huge concentration of veterans in the Virginia Beach area, and the number of new Reservists, Service Disabled Veterans, Military, and Veteran Spouses of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, or National Guard increases every day. As these numbers rise, the Virginia Beach – Washington D.C. Corridor will need the growth rate for new careers and business opportunities to increase in lock-step. Right At Home, a Nebraska-based healthcare franchise recognizes a huge opportunity for symbiotic growth for both veterans and the home healthcare industry in this local market and all over the U.S. Veterans and their spouses can join the Right At Home Franchise family both as franchisees and as employees of local franchise owners.

Martin Kohli, chief regional economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes an aging population will likely result in a greater need for home health and personal care aides, who provide individualized daily client care. The number of such aides is expected to grow by over 48% in the 10 years from 2012 and become one of the most commonly-held jobs by 2022. Home health aides typically work for a medical institution and keep a record of services performed and the client’s conditions, in addition to providing home care and companionship.

Similar to home health aides, personal care aides provide individualized home health services to elderly clients living at home. However, personal care aids are restricted to providing only basic medical services and will often work in conjunction with nurses or social workers. The BLS expects that over 580,000 jobs for personal care aides will be created in the decade through 2022, the most out of any of America’s fastest-growing jobs.

Right at Home doesn’t provide medical care to clients, but instead offers services like housekeeping, meal preparation, personal care, household errands, and assistance in bathing and dressing, and is already leading the trend that the BLS is projecting. Since the company began franchising in 2000 has surpassed the $1 billion milestone, representing more than 50 million hours of care provided to more than 75,000 seniors and the disabled in their homes.

“Growth of the in-home care industry is accelerating as our aging population continues to demand services in the home that allow them to retain their independence,” explained Allen Hager, founder, and chief executive officer for Right at Home. “And with Right at Home’s proven track record, we will continue to attract franchisees who fulfill Right at Home’s mission to improve the quality of life in their local communities.”

Veterans and Franchising: Be the Boss

One out of every seven franchises in the United States is owned by a veteran, according to a study conducted by the International Franchise Association (IFA). That means that Veterans account for about fourteen percent of all franchise owners.

There are several programs that veterans can take advantage of in transitioning into franchising opportunities. The IFA’s VetFran initiative states that the franchise industry has committed to hiring and recruiting 80,000 veterans and military spouses as team members and franchise business owners through 2014. This initiative and the commitment from franchisors have opened up advanced resources to these veterans through training, financial assistance, and industry support, many franchisors value the business traits of veterans and offer pricing breaks, financing, and other incentives. The government and other non-profit organizations have also stepped up their game to grow business opportunities for veterans and their spouses. More Information can be found on the VetFran website or www.vetfran.com.

“Military veterans make such ideal franchise business owners because they possess the leadership, dedication, and work ethic to own and run significant businesses.” Eric Little, Vice President of Franchise Development for Right At Home shares. The ability to follow systems, and procedures and understand how to take care of another person and anticipate their needs is a huge part of the culture we create here. We call it Success with Significance. The relationships between the families, caretakers, franchise  owners, and individuals with Right At Home support is just like a military team. Everyone has to take care of each other”

Right At Home has identified that 10 percent of their franchise system are veterans and was named to the 2013 Top 100 Franchises for veterans by Franchise Business Review. In addition to a relatively low-cost startup investment, Right at Home Franchise is also a member of VetFran, which allows the brand to offer a 10 percent discount off the franchise fee, making it extremely appealing to veterans who look to continue their lives of service by serving those seniors in need in their communities. For more information on the discounts Right At Home provides to Veterans, fill out the franchise information kit.

One such veteran pursuing success and significance with a Right At Home Franchise is Brig. Gen.George Brinegar decided to retire his Army boots in 2010 after 28 years in the military and opened his home healthcare business with the Right At Home franchise brand. What he also found was many of his clients who needed the services that his new business provided also came from a military background.

As of a year ago about 20 percent of the company’s 45 clients are veterans and another 60 percent of the clients are surviving spouses of veterans, Brinegar said.

“It should not be a surprise to us, because so many of our men and women have served in the military in this area. It’s a part of our culture,” said Brinegar, 53.

For those interested in supporting the growth of veterans in franchising, and specifically helping Right At Home reach influencers connected with veterans and their spouses who are looking for franchise business opportunities in Virginia Beach and the Washington D.C. Metro area, we have a couple of different support guides to help with outreach.

If you’re connected to this community because you’re a member of the press or blog community or work in a supporting industry within the government, divisions of the military and armed forces, or you provide thought leadership and insights through communities, organizations, or nonprofits that handle veteran’s affairs, you are considered an” influencer”. Please download our influencer guide for ways you can help. You can also share our influencer guide on social media or directly with others that you think can help further the initiative.

If you know of any veterans or their family members who may be interested in this new career opportunity with Right At Home, please forward this blog post or share our veteran’s franchise kit with them so they may download our franchise kit for more information on how they can explore a new career with Right At Home.

About Right at Home

Right at Home, Inc. is an international franchise organization based in Omaha, Neb. independently owned and operated franchise units offer in-home companion and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Right at Home offices directly employ all caregiving staff, each of whom is thoroughly screened, trained, bonded, and insured before entering a client’s home. All ongoing care is monitored and supervised by more than 250 local franchise offices located across 41 states nationwide, as well as internationally in China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Canada. For more information on Right at Home, visit https://rightathomefranchise.com/veteran/

*Net Billings in 2011 for 191 Offices open one year or more as of December 31, 2011. 68 or 36%of these Offices attained or surpassed the represented level of financial performance