Melissa Washington Small Business Award is sponsored by Southern California Veterans Business Outreach Center (SoCal VBOC). Awarded to a woman veteran to start or expand her business.

SoCal VBOC | Start or Grow Your Veteran-Owned Business $12,000 TikTop Shop Accelerator Free to Veterans & Military Spouses Restaurants Care Resilience Fund Learn More & Apply by June 30 Veteran Business Growth Summit Wednesday, June 17 , 2026 Loan Ready Veteran Business Wednesday, June 17 , 2026 Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy Attention SoCal Veteran-Owned Businesses: Get Connected, Get Counted, Get Ahead Register Your Business Today!

Veteran & Small Business Grants Caltrans Construction Mentor Protégé Program Melissa Washington Small Business Award Up to $5000 awarded to a woman Veteran to start or expand her business View Details & Apply between May 1 - July 31, 2026!

Learn How to Build Import/Export Business Plans - Self-Paced Caltrans 22nd Annual Procurement and Resource Fair Wednesday, August 5, 2026 Vetrepreneur Franchise Coaching Information Session MARKETING ESSENTIALS: ADVANCED TRAINING MARKETING FUNDAMENTALS: BASIC TRAINING ARE YOU READY FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING?

How to Sell Your Product or Service Online Boots to Business | Reboot Online Monday, June 20, 2026 SoCal VBOC admin 2026-06-23T23:41:05-07:00 Welcome to the SoCal Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program provides entrepreneurial development services such as Boots to Business/Reboot, counseling, and referrals for eligible Veterans owning or considering starting a small business.

On this website you will find information on a variety of training events and how to register for Boots to Business/Reboot and workshops on topic such as government contracting. Our mission is to help create, develop and retain Veteran-owned small business! Connect with a Business Consultant Set up an appointment today with a Business Consultant to accelerate your growth!

Manage a Successful Business We’re here to help Veterans start or expand their business vision. Get started today and 760-795-8739 or--> email us at SoCalVBOC@miracosta. edu !

Free local workshops & events to support and help start and grow your small business. Learn about our training workshops & events Workshops and events to grow your business including Government Contracting in a Day and Meet the Buyers. View Our Training Events Calendar An entrepreneurial training program designed for transitioning service members and military spouses.

Evaluating business concepts, understanding business plan concepts, accessing start-up capital and additional technical assistance to launch your business. Learn More and Enroll Today! An entrepreneurial training program designed for Veterans of all eras, Guard, Reserve and military-connected family members.

Identifying business opportunities, learning market research techniques, understanding business plan concepts and connecting with local small business resources to launch your small business. Women Innovators Pitch Competition 2026 Are you a bold, visionary woman entrepreneur ready to take your idea to the next level? Applications for the 2026 Women Innovators Pitch Competition are now open.

View Details & Apply by June 25th! Ready to take your business to the next level? The $5,000 Melissa Washington Small Business Award is accepting applications from May 1 through July 31, 2026.

Whether you’re a fresh startup or looking to scale, this grant is designed specifically for your service and your vision. We are proud to share a massive new tool for our military-connected community. In partnership with The Rosie Network, the Hanks for Our Troops Veteran Business Map makes it easier than ever for consumers to discover and support businesses built by our nation’s service members and their families.

This isn’t just a map — it’s a movement. The map makes is easier than ever to discover, support, and invest in the businesses behind our nation’s service members and their families. Veteran Supporting Businesses Military Spouse Owned Business Learn More & Join the Map The Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy is a free 10-Step, 10-Week class that turns veterans and military spouses into business owners.

Veteran franchising experts will lead you and your classmates through group and individual sessions to get you into franchise ownership. Applicants for the Academy must attend the information session. FRIDAY, JULY 10 & 24, 2026 Curious about becoming a franchise owner?

This 1-hour virtual session is designed for veterans and military spouses ready to explore business ownership through franchising. Learn how our proven process helps you find the right franchise and confidently navigate the path to ownership. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 OR JULY 10, 2026 MARKETING FUNDAMENTALS: BASIC TRAINING for Veteran Owned Businesses Have you wondered what marketing is?

How to get started? How it can help your Veteran owned business? Are you aware of the fundamental 4 Ps?

Do you want to learn more about why research is needed or how customer service fits in all of this? If you answered yes to any of the questions, please join us for the SoCal VBOC’s Marketing Fundamentals for Veteran Owned Businesses. How to Sell Your Product or Service Online Learn the basics for selling your product or service online.

This workshop will introduce you to Shopify and Amazon, basics of website development, additional resources for launching and much more! You will have the opportunity to ask questions about your own product or service. We do not get into drop shipping products that are not your own brand.

Not in business yet? Bring your ideas to the workshop and see if selling online is for you. 22nd Annual Procurement & Resource Fair Interested in doing business with public agencies such as Caltrans, the City, County of San Diego and more?

This is your chance! Stop chasing your leads, meet them right here. Meet Caltrans prime construction and A&E contractors who are ready to team up!

Get face time with Caltrans staff and learn exactly what we need to buy soon. New small business? We got you.

Access certification and technical assistance resources that give you a competitive edge Connect with a community of small business owners who are on the same journey WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2026 Caltrans District 11 Office 4050 Taylor Street, San Diego, CA 92110 Are you a Veteran business owner interested in government contracting and ready to learn the steps to get started?

This webinar will help you evaluate your business, educate you on government contracting processes and requirements, provide you with marketing tools and resources, help you determine if the government market is a fit for your business, and get you started on the first steps. This course is designed for individuals with a very minimal understanding of government contracting.

Facilitated by Mike Sabellico, Senior Procurement Advisor, San Diego, Orange, Imperial APEX Accelerator MARKETING ESSENTIALS: ADVANCED TRAINING for Veteran Owned Businesses Have you attended the Marketing Fundamentals: Basic Training class and are still wondering how to best market your Veteran Owned Business?

Marketing Essentials builds on the concepts presented in the Marketing Fundamentals workshop to dive deeper into the some of the most effective marketing opportunities available to small business owners including branding, customer relationship management, advertising, digital marketing, search engine marketing, and content marketing. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 Are you looking to start or grow your Veteran-owned business?