Boots to Business: Free SBA Entrepreneurship Training Inside TAP

If you're a service member transitioning out and you've ever thought about starting a business, the Boots to Business (B2B) program is the closest thing the federal government offers to a free MBA orientation. It's a 2-day training inside TAP, run by the SBA, available at every TAP installation worldwide.

If you've already separated, Boots to Business Reboot is the post-separation version — 2 days online plus a multi-week follow-up.

Both are completely free. Both are dramatically underused.

What You Get From the 2 Days

The B2B curriculum is built on the SBA's standard entrepreneurship framework, customized for the military veteran market. Core modules:

1. Entrepreneurship overview — what running a business actually involves, day-to-day
2. Opportunity recognition — finding and validating business ideas
3. Markets and competitors — basic market research and positioning
4. Economics of small business — pricing, margins, unit economics
5. Legal entities — LLC vs S-corp vs sole proprietorship, choosing for your situation
6. Financing — capital sources, SBA loans, alternatives
7. Marketing and sales — go-to-market for small businesses
8. Resources after B2B — VBOC, APEX Accelerators, SCORE mentors, follow-on training

You don't leave B2B with a business plan written. You leave with a framework, a toolkit, and the path to the next 90 days of work.

Boots to Business Reboot

If you're already separated, B2B Reboot serves you:

• Format: Online, instructor-led, virtual
• Duration: 2 full days plus follow-up sessions
• Cost: Free
• Audience: Veterans and military spouses (B2B Reboot specifically welcomes spouses)
• Frequency: Multiple cohorts per month nationally

Register at sbavets.force.com — the SBA's veteran entrepreneurship portal.

How to Sign Up

If You're Active Duty

Most installations offer B2B as part of the TAP curriculum or as an optional 2-day add-on. Check with your TAP office for the schedule. Some installations require pre-registration; some accept walk-ins.

If You've Separated

Use B2B Reboot. Register at sbavets.force.com and select an upcoming online cohort. Cohorts fill, so register 2-4 weeks ahead.

Spouses

Most B2B Reboot cohorts welcome military spouses. Some pure B2B (active-duty TAP) installations also include spouses if space allows.

What B2B Does NOT Do

• It does NOT write your business plan for you. That's your homework after the training.
• It does NOT guarantee you a loan. SBA loans require their own application process.
• It does NOT make you SDVOSB-certified. That's a separate VetCert process.
• It does NOT replace mentoring. After B2B, connect with a VBOC for ongoing 1:1 counseling.

What's Worth the Time Even If You Don't Start a Business

Even if you don't end up starting a business, B2B teaches:

• Financial literacy at a small-business level (margin, COGS, cash flow)
• Legal entity basics (useful for any side hustle, real estate investment, etc.)
• Marketing fundamentals (transferable to any career)
• Negotiation (in pricing and procurement contexts)

Many B2B graduates report the curriculum was useful even when they took regular W-2 jobs after. Pure educational value.

After B2B: The Continuum of Programs

The SBA's veteran entrepreneurship pipeline continues after B2B:

Veteran Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs)

~30 nationwide. Free 1:1 business counseling, training, and mentoring. Find yours at SBA.gov/local-assistance.

VBOC is your follow-on after B2B. They help you turn the framework into a written plan.

IVMF / Syracuse University

ivmf.syracuse.edu — Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Free online courses including:

• EBV (Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities) — 30-day intensive plus 12 months of mentoring
• V-WISE (Women Veterans Entrepreneurship) — for women veterans and spouses
• Onward to Opportunity — career-and-business hybrid program

Bunker Labs

Now part of IVMF. Cohort-based programs like Launch Lab, CEOcircle, and Breakline. National network with chapters in major cities.

APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC)

apexaccelerators.us — free help winning federal, state, and local government contracts. One in nearly every state. Especially valuable for SDVOSB and VOSB businesses.

SCORE Mentors

score.org — free volunteer business mentoring nationally. Many SCORE mentors are veterans themselves. Match by industry, geography, or both.

Program Statistics

The SBA reports B2B has trained over 175,000 transitioning service members and military spouses since program launch. Conversion to actual business launches varies but the program reports thousands of veteran-owned businesses launched directly out of the program.

The economic return is significant — the VA / SBA reported that veteran-owned businesses generate over $1 trillion in annual sales and employ 5.5 million people.

What to Do Before the Training

To get the most out of B2B, walk in with:

1. A rough idea of what you might want to start (or, "I want to learn what's possible")
2. A budget mindset — what could you invest in the first 12 months
3. Time for follow-through — B2B is the start, not the finish
4. Family alignment — talk with your spouse / partner about the implications

Don't walk in with a fully baked business plan — the training will challenge and refine it. Walk in with curiosity.

Additional Resources

• SBA Veteran Business Hub: sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/military-spouse-veterans-businesses
• Hivers and Strivers: angel investing for veteran founders
• StreetShares Foundation: grants for veteran and spouse entrepreneurs
• PenFed Foundation: equity investments and Master the Mission program
• VetFran: franchise discounts for veterans (600+ brands)

Related

• Entrepreneurship Hub — full programs, set-asides, and resources
• SDVOSB / VOSB Eligibility Checker — pre-screen for federal set-asides
• Veteran Business Outreach Centers — free post-B2B counseling