Support Veteran-Owned Businesses at Makers Market

You click on the news alert, another local market event. But this one in Niles, Michigan, stops you. It’s not the usual corporate earnings preview. It’s about veteran-owned businesses. Veterans like Kelly Griffin, who served as an Army mechanic, now channel that same discipline into entrepreneurship. The annual Veteran Makers Market, founded by Navy veterans, offers these small businesses a crucial platform, free of charge. For them, this isn’t a side hustle. It’s a primary livelihood. Supporting it is more than a feel-good gesture. It’s an economic action with a clear human impact.

The transition from military service to small business ownership is a steep climb. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that veterans have a high rate of self-employment. Yet the path is fraught with unique hurdles. Access to startup capital can be a barrier. Traditional lenders often view new, service-based ventures as high-risk. A 2024 report by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy found that while veteran-owned firms are successful, they can face challenges in securing initial financing. The market in Niles directly addresses this. By removing the vendor fee, a cost that can run hundreds of dollars, the event injects pure working capital back into the business. That money translates directly into materials, marketing or family expenses.

Military skills create a formidable business foundation. Kellee Vanvalkenburg of Cereal City Candles sees it clearly. The regimented training, the attention to detail, the commitment to a plan. These are not soft skills. They are hard operational assets. A study from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families underscores this. It found veteran entrepreneurs often exhibit higher resilience and structured leadership compared to their civilian counterparts. This translates to longevity. When you buy a candle or a jar of jam from these makers, you are buying from a person trained in logistics and execution. The product is just the final manifestation of a deeper discipline.

Your dollar votes in a local economy. This is fundamental. When Megan Schumacher shops at the market, she connects a personal family history to a present-day economic choice. The cash circulates differently. According to research from the American Independent Business Alliance, money spent at locally owned businesses generates a multiplier effect. A significantly larger portion recirculates through other local jobs and services compared to spending at national chains. Supporting a veteran-owned shop doubles down on this principle. You bolster a local family. You strengthen a community’s economic fabric. It is microeconomics with a macro impact.

The event organizers, Aiye Akhigbe and her husband, understand the ecosystem. Their Sticky Spoons Jam business faced the same early struggles. Their market creates a protected space. As Akhigbe notes, it’s a day strictly for veteran makers, without the pressure of competing against established civilian vendors for attention. This is not about exclusion. It’s about creating a focused launchpad. It allows customers to engage directly with the story behind the product. That story – of service, transition and craftsmanship – adds a layer of value that a generic store-bought item can never replicate.

This matters now. The holiday shopping season represents a massive share of annual revenue for small retailers. The National Retail Federation forecasts another strong season. Where you choose to spend that budget creates ripples. Choosing a veteran-owned market shifts those ripples toward a specific, deserving segment of the small business community. It answers Kelly Griffin’s call. We supported them as troops. Now we support them as veteran business owners. It is a direct, tangible continuation of that support. Your purchase becomes an acknowledgment of their service and a bet on their future. It is one of the most concrete forms of gratitude you can offer.