How to Recruit Veterans as a First-Time Business Owner

You don’t need a massive team to hire well. What you need is clarity about your needs, your systems, and the kind of teammate who can grow with you. Veterans bring grit, precision, and a built-in sense of responsibility. But they won’t automatically apply just because you want them. Hiring former service members, especially as a new business owner, takes more than a job posting. It requires understanding what they’re looking for, what they’ve experienced, and how your opportunity fits into that transition. You’re not just filling roles. You’re building trust from the first word.

Get Structurally Ready to Hire

Before you ever hit “publish” on a job listing, make sure your business can legally and logistically support a hire. That means forming an LLC or other entity, getting your EIN from the IRS, and understanding what records you’ll need to keep. New owners often delay this step until they’re overwhelmed. But if your foundation isn’t solid, your hiring will wobble. You don’t want your first hire chasing down their own payroll forms. You want them stepping into something stable. That’s why it helps to handle business formation and compliance with a single platform like ZenBusiness, which takes care of paperwork, deadlines, and registration so you can focus on the human side of growth.

Write Job Posts That Speak to Veterans

You’re not hiring a buzzword. You’re hiring a person with a background that speaks in action verbs and outcomes. The standard job post, full of vague responsibilities and copy-pasted expectations, won’t get read. You need to use military‑translated skills and language that draw a line from their past missions to your current needs. Say what you’re actually hiring for. Are you looking for someone who can adapt quickly to change? Someone who can run logistics without handholding? Say it, plainly. Clarity isn’t just respectful,it’s magnetic when done well.

Decode Military Resumes Without Guesswork

The resume might feel foreign at first. It won’t be stacked with familiar corporate logos or certifications you recognize. Instead, you’ll see years of service, acronyms, deployments, and leadership experience that doesn’t line up neatly with civilian language. Don’t get stuck there. The story is still there, it just needs decoding. Look at what the person was responsible for, what scale they operated at, and how they were trusted. That’s often more relevant than whether they’ve worked with your preferred software. You’re not hiring keywords. You’re hiring judgment, execution, and stamina.

Start with Part-Time or Project Roles

You don’t need to go all-in on a full-time hire if that’s not what your business can handle yet. Start where you are. One smart move is to start with trial roles. Maybe you need weekend coverage. Maybe you need someone to take over a short-term ops project. Veterans are often open to these entry points, especially if they’re transitioning out of service or shifting into a second career. This also gives you time to see how they work, how they problem-solve, and how they handle autonomy. If it clicks, it scales.

Reach Veterans via Beginner-Friendly Platforms

The hiring platforms you know might not be the best places to find veterans. Huge job boards bury your listings. Corporate channels feel impersonal. But there are veteran-oriented job sites and local programs designed for small employers trying to make their first hire. These aren't high-friction systems. They’re made for people like you—new, small, and serious about hiring well. They often offer free postings, résumé routing, and even basic matching tools. You’re not invisible. You just need to show up where they’re already looking.

Understand Financial Incentives Without a CFO

Don’t leave free money on the table just because paperwork feels like a drag. The federal government offers hiring incentives like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), and it’s not just for big corporations. You can learn basic tax credit eligibility in a few clicks, and if your veteran hire qualifies, you could receive a significant tax reduction. The process isn’t overwhelming—it just takes awareness and timeliness. The key is to fill out and submit the right forms before your new employee’s start date. That single step can turn a tight-margin decision into a confident yes.

Support Veterans Without a Big HR Team

You don’t need an onboarding portal or formal HR lead to give your veteran hires the right launch.  What you do need is structure. Create a simple onboarding doc that outlines expectations, communication rhythms, and your company’s values. Set up a check-in schedule. Be explicit about who to talk to for what. Veterans are used to systems—they’ll thrive with yours if it’s consistent. If you’ve never managed before, say that. Transparency wins. They’ve seen worse leadership. What matters is that you respect their time and give them tools, not just tasks.

Tap Free Veteran Business Resources

You are not doing this alone. There are people—real humans—whose job is to help new business owners like you succeed with veteran hires. Don’t guess your way through it. Instead, tap SBA veteran assistance tools like the Veteran Business Outreach Centers, which offer free hiring guidance, templates, mentoring, and access to local talent pools. These aren’t lectures—they’re operational support hubs. They know how to translate government-speak into next steps. And they’re designed specifically to help small businesses grow with veterans on the team.

Hiring veterans doesn’t require you to be an expert in military culture. It just requires that you lead with clarity, stay open to learning, and build structures that honor their time and talents. You’re not creating a “veteran program.” You’re creating a job that’s worth doing. Start with your foundation. Speak in real terms. Decode with care. Test the fit with low-stakes commitments. And when it works, commit fully. Veterans don’t need fluff—they need direction and trust. You can give them that, even as a first-time employer.