WASHINGTON – Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. Leo S. Mackay, Jr., and International Franchise Association (IFA) chairman Russell Frith will officially open the 12th annual International Franchise Expo during a 9:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Washington Convention Center here on April 11.
Mackay also will address conference attendees and renew a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the IFA to promote the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, commonly known as “VetFran,” which makes franchise opportunities more affordable for veterans.
The expo, hosted by the IFA, offers a free seminar, “Franchising 101 for Veterans,” from 1- 3 p.m., Friday, April 11, sponsored by VA’s Center for Veterans Enterprise.
“The Franchising 101 for Veterans seminar is designed to provide veterans interested in obtaining a franchise the knowledge and confidence necessary to begin putting their dreams into reality,” Mackay said.
IFA first introduced VetFran in the early 1990s as a way for franchisers to express gratitude to military members for their service during the Gulf War. The program allows veterans to acquire a franchise with a down payment of 10 percent or less of the initial cost, which generally ranges from $45,000 to $150,000 for a small business.
“I am pleased that more than 75 companies have enlisted in the drive to engage America’s veterans in the franchise community. We want every veteran who is thinking about opening a franchise and every one of the approximately 180,000 military members who transition annually into civilian life to know about VetFran,” Mackay said.
The expo will continue through April 13. Descriptions of expo symposia and free seminars can be found on the Internet at http://www.IFEINFO.com. Information about business opportunities and programs, including VetFran, and can be found on VA’s Web pages at http://www.vetbiz.gov/. The IFA Web page, http://www.franchise.org, has important information for any veteran interested in investing in a franchise.
