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Fort Campbell Soldiers Reintegrate into their Communities through Boots to Business program

Boots to BusinessClarksville, TN – As a Clarksville native, Fort Campbell has always been a part of local life for me, one I admit I sometimes take for granted. Fort Campbell and Clarksville have formed a symbiotic relationship over the years, though. Without Fort Campbell, Clarksville would be much, much smaller; both economically, and culturally.

One of the great benefits of Fort Campbell’s proximity to Clarksville is the ethnic and cultural diversity it infuses into our community. Clarksville is definitely a “New South” city, in part, because people who have grown up in Clarksville in the last few generations have grown up around people from all over the world, brought here by and through their connections to Fort Campbell.

I believe it is a tribute to Clarksville that so many Fort Campbell soldiers and their families choose Middle Tennessee as a place to live when they reintegrate themselves into civilian life.

For many of them, this is a difficult transition. For career military personnel, civilian life is quite different than life in the military. For some, the added challenge of the scars of war, both physical and psychological, provide social and professional hurdles that are not easy to overcome. Our servicemen and their families deserve our support, and Clarksville natives in every part of town do an outstanding job of supporting them.

One organization that has recently come to my attention that notably reaches out to retiring servicemen, servicewomen, and their spouses is the Tennessee Small Business Development Council (TSBDC) at Austin Peay State University. Through the TSBDC, service members and veterans can participate in “Operation Boots to Business”.

’Operation Boots to Business’ is a Two-day Transition Assistance Program (TAP) This workshop is for transitioning service members and veterans, you will determine if starting a business is right for you, if your business idea is feasible.

How to conduct market research, and the importance of market research. Legal forms of business the opportunities and challenges, government contracting. Financing and business plan development. Entrepreneurship and small business ownership is a key opportunity for transitioning service members and veterans as they transition to civilian life.

If you have a passion and the drive to start a business, this intensive training workshop is a perfect fit for you! (source: TSBDC @ Austin Peay State University)

The Operation Boots to Business workshop is held at the Glenn H. English, Jr. Army Education Center on Fort Campbell.

I was invited to speak at the workshop, on June 26th. After my talk, I fielded questions for almost an hour. Also, I had the opportunity to sit in on part of Dr. Ronald Gordon’s lecture, and I was very impressed by the expert presentation he made. I think Operation Boots to Business is an excellent resource, among several offered by the TSBDC, for service members considering a start-up or other small business venture in Middle Tennessee.

For more information about Operation Boots to Business, click here to visit the TSBDC @ Austin Peay State University page on the TSBDC website. Clarksville is fortunate to have found in Fort Campbell a strong partner in local business. I am honored, as are many Clarksville natives, to have the opportunity to support the service members that adopt our city as their own, and work to make Clarksville a better place to live and work.

Noel R. Bagwell, III, Esq.
Noel R. Bagwell, III, Esq.http://www.ExecutiveLP.com/
Noel R. Bagwell, III, Esq. is an attorney and the founder of ExecutiveLP® a business law firm for start-ups and small-to-medium businesses (SMBs). Noel is also the National Center of Preventive Law's Leader for Start-Ups and Small Businesses. A graduate of Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, Noel distinguished himself by earning the 2010 Scholar of Merit award for his academic performance in Economic Analysis of Law. He has since won multiple awards for pro bono legal service, much of which has been provided to veteran entrepreneurs in Middle Tennessee and beyond. He also has extensive experience as a public speaker and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) instructor.  NOTICE: The opinions and ideas expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the author, and may not necessarily reflect the views of the website on which they have been published. Nothing in this article should be construed to be “legal advice.” No attorney-client relationship results from the consumption of this media material. Please contact an attorney if you need legal counsel. This article was written by Noel Bagwell for ClarksvilleOnline.com, and is intended only to inform the general public of the author’s opinion. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and not of any government agency, company, corporation, or individual.
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