Partner Profile:
Jenniefer Murphy, “Jennie” (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Director – Veterans Business Outreach Center of NE (VBOC)
Center for Women & Enterprise
Hi Jennie, tell us about the Veterans Business Outreach Center. What is its mission – its reason for being?
The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) of New England provides information on small business ownership to service members and military spouses. We offer our clients access free counseling, training, technical and financial skill development, comprehensive business assessments, and mentoring. Veteran-owned businesses may be startups, existing companies focusing on growth and expansion, or planned future acquisitions. We are happy to support our clients in all phases of the business development and operation process!
The VBOC of New England is a resource partner of the U.S. SBA. Tell us about that and how you work with the Center for Women & Enterprise.
The VBOC of New England is funded by the Small Business Administration and tasked with providing high-quality training and counseling designed to meet the specific needs of small business owners. We work with other SBA resource partners including Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), SCORE chapters, and Women’s Business Centers.
The VBOC of New England’s parent company is the Center for Women and Enterprise. The Center for Women and Enterprise operates 5 Women Business Centers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. We are so fortunate to work for an organization that provides our clients with opportunities for additional training and resources through their programming.
Who is eligible to work with the VBOC and how does the VBOC help businesses in New Hampshire?
VBOC is an equal opportunity institution with a focus on:
- Veterans,
- Service-Disabled Veterans,
- Reservists,
- National Guard members,
- Family Members.
- Active-duty servicemembers preparing to transition from military service to business ownership
The VBOC of New England is available to any eligible client in New Hampshire and can meet with folks remotely to provide our full array of services. Additionally, we have a staff person available in New Hampshire to meet our clients at their businesses to discuss ways that we can provide support and resources to ensure that their businesses thrive!
Is there a particular program or source of information that you would like businesses to know about?
The VBOC of New England offers a broad array of programming to support entrepreneurs and business owners! We are currently recruiting for our 8 part Be Your Own Boss series that supports our clients in developing their business idea and providing business ownership training that is free of charge. Our programming can be found at: Veterans Business Outreach Program (ecenterdirect.com)
Jennie, as Director of the VBOC of NE, tell us a bit about yourself and your role.
I have been the Director of the VBOC of NE for one year. As the Director, I develop and implement the programming that is offered to our clients. I have 20 years of experience as a workforce development professional and have a passion for helping people make their dreams of owning a business become a reality. I am the daughter of a career Army Officer and am thrilled to be supporting past and present military personnel and their spouses in their quest to become entrepreneurs. I hold an M.S. in Nonprofit Business Management from Capella University and own a small business. I bring my leadership skills, integrity, and focus on the mission to the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center of New England!
How should business owners connect with VBOC?
We ask that folks connect with us by registering with our VBOC and completing the Request for Counseling form. All client information is held in strict confidence. This request for counseling is free and confidential. Please go to: Veterans Business Outreach Program (ecenterdirect.com)
My colleague and Program Manager Holly Aker and I look forward to hearing from our clients and providing support for their small business!
How does the VBOC of NE partner with the NH SBDC?
The VBOC of NE partners with the NH SBDC to provide opportunities for cross-referrals to ensure that our clients have access to all of the rich resources that are available in our organizations. We work together to help our clients achieve their goals, address their challenges, and make their dreams of business ownership come true.
Thank you for telling us more about the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England, Jennie. We at NH SBDC look forward to continuing to partner with you to help NH businesses.
For more info on the VBOC of NE, visit https://www.cweonline.org/About-CWE/Veterans-Business-Outreach-Center.
