Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Data snapshot 2026-10-04

Where veteran-owned firms are, what they do, and how old they are

A pulsing map of every U.S. state built from the SBA VetCert snapshot. It shows firms, industries and company age. It carries no company names and no personal details.

The pulse map
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Pulse size and speed follow the value shown: bigger and faster means higher. States with fewer than 30 certified firms are not shaded. Tap or click a state for details.

Top states for this view

Counts are SBA VetCert certified firms that show a public location (34,319 of 42,114; 7,795 hide it). Jobs and employee counts are not in this data, so this map shows firms, industries and company age, not jobs. Industry is one keyword-estimated primary category per firm. Age is the year each firm reports starting. Only aggregates appear; no firm names.

Older Veterans

“Publish & Preserve” Hub

Veterans carry decades of service and business know-how. This hub helps older and retiring veterans turn it into a book, protect it, earn from it and keep it for the next generation.

The gap it fills

Federal veteran business help centers on forming a company and winning federal contracts. It is built around standard commercial entities and procurement readiness. Memoirs, thought leadership and passing knowledge on are a different kind of work, and little step-by-step help exists for them.

The tool

A step-by-step workflow for older or retiring veterans: self-publishing a memoir, protecting intellectual property, setting up a micro-consultancy, and building a way to earn from lifetime military and business insight.

Choose a track

    Income sketch (your own numbers)

    An illustration from the numbers you type, before costs and taxes. It is not a forecast.

    Official places to start
    U.S. Copyright Office USPTO trademarks Veterans History Project SBA SCORE mentors U.S. ISBN agency SAM.gov

    General information, not legal, tax, benefits or financial advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the source or a qualified professional before you act. Your checkboxes live only on this page and are not saved.

    A voice from the movement
    By under-utilizing veterans, businesses are hurting themselves: decreasing productivity and increasing turnover.
    Jeff Shuford
    Nationally syndicated columnist with the American City Business Journals · Co-founder, National Invest In Veterans Week®
    From “How military veterans struggle to find jobs in the civilian marketplace,” Thrive Global, April 6, 2021.
    Read the article
    More by Jeff Shuford: Thrive Global author page. Photo and quote are credited to their sources.
    Research Partner Signal

    CTData Highlights Veteran Economic Facts in Recognition of National Invest In Veterans Week®

    In March 2021, CTData (Connecticut’s data collaborative) published a newsletter edition that explicitly includes “Invest in Veterans Week” alongside broader statewide data updates, reinforcing the observance’s research-aligned positioning and public-interest relevance.

    What this signals
    • Third-party validation: an external data institution chose to spotlight veterans during NIVW.
    • Research alignment: veteran issues framed through public datasets (e.g., ACS-based context).
    • Policy-ready framing: facts first, advocacy optional—usable by government, employers, and media.
    How to use it on your site
    • Add as “External Research Mentions” proof on your Research or Media page.
    • Reference as a model for state-by-state “Veteran Data Briefs.”
    • Link it inside your Dashboard as a trusted, nonpartisan citation anchor.
    Open CTData March Newsletter (2021) View Source Page
    Source reference: “CTData March Newsletter: 2020 Annual Report, Census Tract Changes, Invest in Veterans Week, and More!” (March 5, 2021).

    The Case for Veteran Business Superintelligence


    Decisions about veteran entrepreneurs should start from evidence. Where are the firms? What do they do? How old are they? What does the research actually show, and what is still unknown?

    Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®

    Veteran Business Research Radar

    A discovery index of studies, working papers, dissertations, government reports and datasets on veteran business, with sixteen fields per record and fifteen topic classes. Second dataset in the series. Back to the main site.

    Created by Jeff Shuford, October 8, 2026. Every record links to its source and states what was read. Licensed CC BY 4.0 for the index, classification and analyst notes; the cited works remain their publishers' property. Records are a reviewed sample, not a complete bibliography. Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®.

    Site Content · Discovery Layer

    Search Intent Stream

    A keyword-forward visualization of what visitors are actively trying to find. Designed for editorial decisions and UX tuning. Volume is displayed as relative intensity (not analytics totals).

    NIVW INTENT COUNTS: OPTIONAL
    Discovery Health
    Active queries detected
    Top Intents
    Intensity reflects relative frequency only.
    jeff shuford
    Identity
    how should older veterans use your platform to write a book or share an idea
    Guidance
    veteran
    General
    roth
    Finance
    drayton florence
    Founder
    five satins
    Legacy
    jim freeman
    Legacy
    lonnell mccall
    Comms
    iowa
    Geography
    309 fitness
    Partner
    Long-Tail Discovery
    Shows breadth of inquiry; not a ranked count table.
    how should older veterans how should international atlas goldmine events app book angel shuford advocate byronriley chat gift action
    Interpretation: high-intent queries indicate unmet navigation needs. Consider adding a “Fast Answers” block, clearer IA labels, and a dedicated “Older Veterans: Publish & Preserve” pathway.

    Two Key Research Findings

    • In the 2017 survey, 37% of respondents noted that the lack of access to capital was the biggest challenge facing their businesses. In the 2018 survey, 47% of respondents said that they had already applied for funding for their business, indicating a continued need for capital access. This finding highlights the need for greater resources and information on where and how to access funding for veteran-owned businesses, as well as potential policy changes to increase access to capital.

    • Both the 2017 and 2018 surveys found that respondents expressed a desire for more opportunities to network and connect with other veteran entrepreneurs. In the 2017 survey, respondents noted a desire for more information on how to connect with other veterans, while in the 2018 survey, 56% of respondents said that they had attended a veteran business event in the past. This finding highlights the importance of building a supportive community for veteran entrepreneurs and creating more opportunities for networking and collaboration.

    Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®

    Jacksonville Vetrepreneur Summit Dataset

    A public intelligence system built from government datasets and documentary evidence, with analytical interfaces layered over the data. Aggregated summit registrations 2017 to 2019, no names, merged with certified-firm data. Main site · Google Dataset Search.

    Created by Jeff Shuford, October 8, 2026. A public intelligence system built from government datasets and documentary evidence, with analytical interfaces layered over the data. Aggregated counts only: no names, emails or individual records; counts under 5 are shown as <5. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®.

    Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®

    Veteran Business Super Intelligence Dataset

    One open dataset, built from the SBA certified-firm list and the proclamations found so far: charts, a radar, radar detection, a proclamation tracker, a 2027-onward projector, and downloads. Aggregates only, no firm names. Back to the main site.

    Created by Jeff Shuford, October 8, 2026. Sources: SBA VetCert export of 2026-10-04 (aggregates only, firms with a public location); public proclamation texts and news reports listed in the tracker; benchmarks listed in the benchmarks table. Licensed CC BY 4.0: share and adapt with credit. Patterns, not proof of cause; the projector is a what-if, not a forecast. Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®.

    Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®

    Key Numbers and How a Proclamation Helps

    A staff briefing: key numbers at a glance, a plain-words guide to the data, and what South Carolina, Douglas County (Oregon) and Montana show for National Invest In Veterans Week, with a language analysis, six veteran perspectives and action items.

    Sources: SBA VetCert export of 2026-10-04 (aggregates only, firms with a public location); South Carolina General Assembly H. 3825; KQEN News Radio (March 4, 2022); Office of the Governor of Montana proclamations 2023 to 2026; SBA Office of Advocacy Issue Brief 18; IVMF (2019). Patterns, not proof of cause. General information, not legal or financial advice. Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®.

    Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®

    Montana Invests in Veterans Four Years Running, and the Data

    Governor Greg Gianforte's Invest in Veterans Week proclamations for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, four years in a row, compared clause by clause, with a feature block on 2024 and one on a 2026 KRTV story, and their numbers checked against the SBA certified-firm list, the Federal Reserve, IVMF and SBA Advocacy.

    2023 proclamation ↗ 2024 proclamation ↗ 2025 proclamation ↗ 2026 proclamation ↗

    Sources: Office of the Governor of Montana, Invest in Veterans Week proclamations (2023 to 2026); KRTV News Great Falls (March 6, 2026); Congressional Record, Vol. 170, No. 42, page H1049 (March 8, 2024); Montana Free Press (November 11, 2025), citing 2023 VA data; South Carolina General Assembly H. 3825 (2021); KQEN News Radio (March 4, 2022); Federal Reserve Banks, 2023 Report on Employer Firms (Small Business Credit Survey 2022); IVMF, The Access to Capital Challenge (2019); U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy Issue Brief 18; SBA VetCert export of 2026-10-04 (aggregates only); Jacksonville Vetrepreneur Summit sign-up lists 2017 to 2019 (counts only, no names). Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · Sponsored by National Invest In Veterans Week®.

    VETERAN BUSINESS SUPER INTELLIGENCE℠

    Legislative Intelligence Explorer

    A brand of National Invest In Veterans Week • Verified veteran-owned business data for policymakers

    SBA certification snapshot: OCT 04, 2026 Verified businesses: — All 435 districts + DC & territories

    Find a district or state

    Type a district (e.g. "TX-21", "Virginia 7") or a state, or pick from the lists. Every number below updates for that place, alongside its state and the U.S.

    United States

    What stands out

    Differences from the national rate that are statistically meaningful for a group this size.

      Top industries (estimated)

      Talking points

      Ready to paste into a briefing, letter or floor statement. Numbers update with your selection.

      Key findings for policymakers

      The national patterns with the most legislative relevance. Use "Rank districts" to see where each one is strongest or weakest.

      Rank & compare

      Method, sources & caveats

      • Data: SBA Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) public export, snapshot Oct 4, 2026: verified VOSB/SDVOSB firms. No names, contacts or addresses are used here. Only counts.
      • Districts: as listed in each SBA record, checked against the current 435-seat apportionment. Some states redrew their lines for 2024, so a few records may carry an older district number.
      • Hidden locations: owners hid their location. They count in U.S. totals but not in any state or district, so district counts are a floor.
      • Ownership and readiness: woman-, minority- and disadvantaged-owned status, manufacturing and DOT DBE are self-reported in SBA profiles. "Capability statement on file" means a capability narrative or statement link is present.
      • Industries: estimated by keyword analysis of capability statements and business names ( of firms classifiable). Treat as directional.
      • Veteran population: VA veteran population estimates (2024) as compiled by World Population Review. Used for "per 10,000 veterans" only. Not available for territories.
      • Policy context: the government-wide SDVOSB prime contracting goal rose from 3% to 5% under the FY2024 NDAA, Sec. 863. SBA took over VOSB/SDVOSB certification from VA on Jan 1, 2023; certifications are generally valid for three years.

      Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ • A brand of National Invest In Veterans Week • Public SBA data • Informational only

      VETERAN BUSINESS SUPER INTELLIGENCE℠

      Ranks 26–50

      A brand of National Invest In Veterans Week • Leaderboard continued

      Data snapshot: OCT 04, 2026 Source: SBA VetCert export

      Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ • Founding years self-reported to the SBA • Sole proprietorships excluded from named lists for privacy • Listing is not an endorsement

      Content Intelligence · Distribution Signals
      RSS Subscriber Signal
      A privacy-respecting visualization of feed adoption over time. Exact subscriber counts are intentionally withheld.
      FEEDS PROXY-AWARE METRICS: REDACTED
      Observation Window
      Multi-Year Trendline
      Signal Status
      LIVE
      Signal strengthening Stable distribution Low visibility / unknown
      RSS subscriber signals may be inferred from unique access patterns and reader proxies. This module reports trend only, not totals.
      Pulse deck
      Zulu (UTC)
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      Eastern
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      Countdown
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      All pulse items (plain text, from the datasets on this site)
      • 34,319 certified veteran-owned firms with a public location in the SBA VetCert snapshot of Oct 4, 2026.
      • 85.5% of them hold SDVOSB certification.
      • 50.8% started in 2021 or later; 16.3% started 2024 to 2026.
      • Most certified firms by state: TX 3,796, FL 3,630, VA 3,249, CA 2,592, GA 2,096.
      • 7,795 of 42,114 certified firms (18.5%) hide their public location.
      • Official acts found: South Carolina 2021, Douglas County OR 2022, Montana 2023 to 2026, Pennsylvania Senate resolution 2026.
      • South Carolina: bill introduced Feb 4, 2021 and adopted Feb 11, 2021, in 7 days.
      • Montana has proclaimed the week four years running, 2023 to 2026.
      • National Invest In Veterans Week runs March 1 to 7 every year.
      • Pattern, not proof: start-year gains beside proclamations do not show cause.
      • Montana: 144 certified firms with a public location, 93.1% SDVOSB.
      • Montana firms started since 2023: 32.6% vs 30.6% nationally.
      • Montana 2024 cohort: 16 of 16 firms hold SDVOSB, vs 90.1% nationally.
      • KRTV reported on March 6, 2026 on a Montana veteran who found a job with help from an employment program during transition.
      • Research Radar indexes 21 records: 19 read, 2 queued.
      • No indexed study uses a causal or quasi-experimental design.
      • Franchising has no indexed research record yet.
      • Open question: does SBA VetCert certification raise the chance of a federal contract? Contract awards are not observed.
      • Policy question: are newly certified veteran businesses constrained by capital in their first three years?
      • Jacksonville Vetrepreneur Summit: 186, 151 and 146 unique registrants in 2017, 2018 and 2019; 448 unique people overall.
      • Between 6% and 10% of later-year registrants had registered in an earlier year.
      • Among 2019 summit registrants who gave a business age, 62% were startups.
      • Jacksonville metro: 305 certified firms with a public location; 19.3% started 2024 to 2026 vs 16.3% nationally.
      • Scenario 2030 (current pace of new certified firms, no exits): top states TX, FL, VA, CA, GA.
      • Pace used: average of 2021 to 2024 start cohorts per state, added for 2027 to 2030.
      • Rank order is stable at the current pace: the top five stay TX, FL, VA, CA and GA; only small moves appear lower down, such as CO 11 to 10 and IL 13 to 12.
      • A what-if, not a forecast: exits, rule changes and certification lags are not modeled.
      • Top capability categories among certified firms: Management and professional consulting 5.0%; Construction 3.5%; Manufacturing and fabrication 3.4%.
      • Capability is one keyword-estimated primary category per firm.
      • Written narratives appear on 38.5% of firm profiles; capability statements on 11.9%.
      • 13.1% of certified firms are woman-owned and 38.4% are minority-owned.
      • 60.5% list a website.
      • Women veteran owners reported larger funding gaps than men in IVMF survey data: 44% could not secure growth funding vs 27%.
      • Veteran firms show higher survival and slower job growth in restricted Census data (Research Radar).

      Facts come from the SBA VetCert snapshot of 2026-10-04 (aggregates), published proclamations and reports, and the datasets on this site. This is a data ticker, not a live news wire. The 2030 states view is a what-if, not a forecast. Veteran Business Super Intelligence℠ · National Invest In Veterans Week® · Google Dataset Search