Tag: Darcella Craven

Darcella Craven Explains Motivation in Helping Veterans through VetBiz.com

Posted on by Eric Coffie

As the President of the Veteran Resource Business Center, Darcella Craven shared how VRBC is helping veterans gain success in the federal marketplace.

BACKGROUND

Before becoming part of the Veteran Resource Business Center (VRBC), Darcella Craven was an army veteran who later worked in different private entities for various administrative roles while also working as a faculty at Sanford Brown College.

She also started her business but it failed that made her pay the Internal Revenue Service a significant amount of money. She didn’t want that to happen to other veterans. So, when an opportunity in helping  veterans came, she accepted it. 

“So that’s my reason for the push here is that it’s amazing to watch people make a decision that changes the course of their life. And so for me, that’s the thing. Whether that decision is, yes, here’s a business and this is what’s going to happen, or no, not right this time… I just appreciate that light bulb moment that you see with folks.”

Currently, Craven is the President of the Veteran Resource Business Center (VRBC). She also volunteers on various nonprofit events that aims to promote entrepreneurship, provide job opportunities, and celebrate small business successes. 

ABOUT THE VETERAN RESOURCE BUSINESS CENTER

1. GOAL

The reason why the Veteran Resource Business Center was created is to assist veterans with startup and expansion opportunities for their small businesses in the areas of Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa region.

The organization helps analyze problems and develops solutions to grow successful veteran-owned businesses as well as provide opportunities for immediate family members of military servants.

They are also part of a larger nationwide network of Veteran Business Outreach Centers (VBOC). 

2. SERVICES

VRBC, on their own, has seven military posts and during the transition process of military members, they visit these areas. They have a week-long conversation with these people on what they will do afterwards. 

“If they decide that entrepreneurship might be a thing they want to do, they can sign up for an additional two days, and that’s when we come in. We can give them this two-day entrepreneurship class, which is called Boots to Business. It’s about a 10,000 foot view of what entrepreneurship is.”

Other than going to these posts, VRBC also provides opportunities to their surrounding community and to the family members and spouses of military servants. 

“So we might bring in an attorney or an accountant or a marketing expert to kind of help deliver those trainings so they can also know what resources are around them as well as what’s available to them nationally.”

THE PROCESS THAT VBRC FOLLOWS

When a veteran is interested in establishing a business, these people should have all the certifications and papers in place first for the assessment.

Then, they make sure that these people have their own business plan and understand what they have written into it.

“A part of our process there is to kind of make sure that they are shored up with their plan and they know what kinds of questions they have and then we get them prepared to talk to people that they may hire. Because it really is specific. I mean you need to know what you’re doing.”

So, a part of this process is to really teach these veterans on what their goal and their market are as well as help them develop a plan on how to reach their goal. 

RESOURCES

If you want to watch the full video of the interview with Darcella Craven as she shared how the Veteran Resource Business Center aims in helping veterans gain success in the federal marketplace, then be sure to click the links below:

009: Darcella Craven – Veteran Resource Business Center President and Chief Fear Conquer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXZkdVKv_rw

009: Darcella Craven – Chief Fear Conqueror and President of the Veteran Resource Business Center

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/darcella-craven-chief-fear-conqueror-and-president-of-the-veteran-resource-business-center/

Darcella Craven—Chief Fear Conqueror and President of the Veteran Resource Business Center

Posted on by Linette Genao

Darcella CravenDarcella Craven, President and Chief Fear Conqueror of the Veterans Business Resource Center, VBRC, is a real champion for veterans. With a colorful personality, she shared exceptional and valuable information with us on the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast.

Thanks to Public Law 106-50 in 1999, the non-profit agency was created. Since 2004, Craven has assisted veterans with startups and expansions of small business, in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Southern Illinois.

However, they are also part of the nationwide Veterans Business Outreach Centers, VBOC, where they basically work as business consultants and assist in transitioning military members and their families.

Under that program, they conduct two-day entrepreneurship trainings on the military post, called “Boots To Businesses,” where experts in different fields come in to speak on a variety of topics and the directions you can go once you exit. They equip veterans with the knowledge and communication skills needed in their entrepreneurship journey.

With more than 18 million veterans in the US, either you or someone you know will be able to benefit from the information Darcella Craven gifts.

HOW DO YOU FIND OUT ABOUT VBOC?

  1. If you’re in the military, the TAP office will be the first place as you transition out.
  2. If you’re not on the military post, “Reboot Boots to Business” is the way to go.
  3. Sign up on their Facebook page, “Vetbiz.”
  4. Check out the website for a list of classes across the country.

TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE MILITARY, FEAR, AND STRUCTURE

american flagWith all of the resources available, it can become overwhelming to know which way to go. Naturally, there can also be a feeling of fear when trying to leave something you’ve been exposed to for so long and are transitioning into something new and less structured.

“In the military, I know when I’m getting up, where I’m supposed to be, what clothes I’m wearing. Someone tells me when I go to the dentist. Somebody tells me when I go to the doctor. Someone tells me when it’s time to eat and when it’s time to go home, right? Now, there’s a lot of flexibility in there doing my job, but quite frankly, it’s structured. One of the biggest things that we do hear from our clients is just the interpretation of when I get out, what? Who’s going to tell me what to do and how do I find that structure?” states Craven.

This can be scary. However, with proper guidance and community, it doesn’t have to be.

VBOC has 22 centers and while they all work a little bit differently, Craven focuses on “the why” of small business and directing people on a clear path. She focuses on mindset change and management of your language in small business.

“How we do it is, I don’t just say, ‘Hey, here’s a new resource, good luck.’ I say, ‘If you’re looking for this, use this resource. If you need this, go to this webinar.’ I try to make clear paths for people. There is so much information out there. You can completely get lost in it and then, you’re just swimming around in information and you don’t know how to use it.”

YOUR GOALS

goals- dart board

Identifying your goals is major when transitioning and to help keep you on track. Having a certification doesn’t automatically mean you will be making millions.

So where does this myth come from?

“It’s the guy in the question mark suit who at two o’clock in the morning. He said, ‘You’re missing out on all the free money.’ It’s bad information passed down from person to person. And quite frankly, it’s our American belief that there’s something out there that we’re all missing because I read a book and the guy said he was homeless one week and four weeks later he was a millionaire and he found the secret and I don’t have it.”

But according to Craven, that isn’t enough. It’s not concrete information.

“That’s wonderful when you’re reaching and you’re striving and you’re going for goals, but unfortunately, if we don’t also shore that up with actual facts and information and how to, then all you basically do is dream all day. So, part of what we’re supposed to do is help them go, okay, yeah, this is the big goal. The dream. The moonshot. Now, let’s see how you get there, right?”

SUPPORT

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