Earlier this month, the SBA announced an expansion of their post-military entrepreneurship training efforts which will commence in July.

The new program intends to:

... give participants “the tools and knowledge they need to identify a business opportunity and launch their enterprise.”

Now, those same course offerings will be made available free of charge to any interested veterans who have already left service.

The adapted curriculum will feature not only business planning for would-be entrepreneurs but also ways to connect to “a network of lifetime business support,” including SBA’s veteran business outreach centers, women’s business centers and agency counselors.

Here's the schedule:

• July 11-12: Washington, D.C.
• July 24-25: Dallas-Fort Worth
• July 29-30: Miami
• July 31-Aug. 1: Chicago
• Aug. 5-6: Boston
• Aug. 6-7: Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Aug. 8-9: Kansas City, Missouri
• Aug. 13-14: Detroit
• Aug. 13-14: Philadelphia
• Aug. 15-16: Los Angeles
• Aug. 20-21: Seattle
• Aug. 25-26: Charlotte, North Carolina

For more information, go here.

Paraphrase and repeat back what you hear. You may think you get what the other person is saying, until you attempt to restate their message in your own words. When they’ve finished speaking, paraphrase what they’ve said to make sure you’ve heard the actual meaning and intent of their words. Consultant Guy Harris suggests saying things like,”I heard you say … . Is that correct?” and ”If I understand correctly, your concern is … .”

Tip #4 from Intuit on being a better listener.

Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship heard testimony this week from veterans about the challenges they face in starting their own small businesses, according to Black Enterprise, in a hearing called, “From Military Service to Small Business Owner: Supporting America’s Veteran Entrepreneurs.”  Click through to read more about the hearing.

Some of the programs the SBA runs to assist veterans include:

• SBA Patriot Express 7(a) Loans: low-interest loans targeted specifically to veteran small business owners.
• Boots to Business: public-private partnership to teach transitioning service members how to start a business.
• Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship: comprehensive entrepreneurial training program designed for women veterans.
• Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities: specific training and business counseling for service-disabled veterans.
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Procurement: sets aside federal contracts for competition only among service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers: counseling, training, and mentoring programs for veteran small business owners.