I've spent over a decade building my LinkedIn community. I am very selective to who I let in. Typically, turning down 9 out of 10 requests from people that want to connect. This is because I want to have a people of value, mainly, entrepreneurs, veterans, and supply chain specialists. I'm offering people here the chance to connect with me so I can help make introductions to people who may be valuable to you. I truly just love helping people. https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjones214/ If you reach out, just let me know you are from the Skool platform.

I'm in the process of selling two of my Self-storage facilities. The buyer didn't want a cap on how much 1st lien bank debt they could leverage. I capped them to assure there is still equity in the property in case they defaulted because I was offering a 2nd position with $1.1M of Owner-Financing. They wanted us to take more risk so they could fully leverage the equity in the property if they had to. We were not about to make that concession. Sometimes it is just best to walk away, even if it is a multi-million dollar payout. Another offer will come.

Did you know the SBA has a loan program specifically designed for small businesses that need a smaller boost to get started or scale up? Here's a quick breakdown of the SBA Microloan Program — and why it might be the perfect fit for veteran entrepreneurs in this community. 🔹 What Is It? The SBA Microloan Program offers loans up to $50,000 to help small businesses and certain nonprofit childcare centers start up or expand. The average loan is around $13,000 — right-sized for early-stage or bootstrapped businesses. 🔹 What Can You Use It For? Microloans are flexible. You can use the funds for: • Working capital • Inventory & supplies • Furniture & fixtures • Machinery & equipment Note: Funds cannot be used to pay off existing debt or buy real estate. 🔹 Repayment Terms • Maximum repayment term: 7 years • Interest rates: typically 8%–13% (varies by lender) 🔹 How Do You Apply? You apply through SBA-approved nonprofit intermediary lenders in your area — not directly through the SBA. Each lender sets their own credit and collateral requirements, so terms will vary. 👉 Find a microlender near you: sba.gov/microloans --- Veterans, this is a solid option if you're looking for startup capital or need a cash infusion to grow without taking on large debt. If you've used an SBA Microloan or are considering one, drop your questions or experience below — let's help each other navigate this!

Research shows that 62% of Americans would prefer to be their own boss rather than work for someone else. There are approximately 15.7 million veterans in America today. About 1.6 million already own businesses. That leaves roughly 14.1 million veterans who don't. If veterans are similar to the general population, that means there could be as many as 8.7 million veterans who want the freedom, flexibility, and opportunity that comes with business ownership but haven't taken the leap. There are fewer than 400 of us in this group. Think about that. We've barely scratched the surface. Somewhere out there are millions of veterans with business ideas, side hustles, skills, experience, and dreams that never make it past the planning stage because they don't know where to start or don't have the right people around them. That's why this community exists. Not just for veteran business owners. But future veteran business owners, too. So here's my challenge: Invite one veteran. Just one. Someone who's talked about starting a business. Someone who's already running a side hustle. Someone who needs to be around other veterans building businesses. If each member invited one person, we'd double the size of our community overnight. Find your one and send them this link: https://veteranbusinesscommunity.com

- 🎯 Monday – Marketing Monday (Get attention. Generate leads.) - 🔥 Tuesday – Hot Take Tuesday (Challenge conventional wisdom.) - 🏆 Wednesday – Win Wednesday (Celebrate progress and share success.) - 🤝 Thursday – Teamwork Thursday (Build relationships.) - 💰 Friday – Funding Friday (Talk money. Capital. Growth.) - 📋 Saturday – SITREP Saturday (Report progress. Stay accountable.) - 🎓 Sunday – Sales School Sunday (Learn how to create revenue.) The admin (Hal and I) will be posting on these topics based on the topic of the day. They will be categorized, so you will easily be able to find that topic when searching for discussions. We want you to jump into the conversation and share your thoughts. The more interactive this community is, the more benefit it will be for everyone.