Jobs are hard to find in a slow economy, so more and more military veterans are starting their own businesses using skills from the battlefield.
Sgt. Andrew Brady and his wife, Amy, started Lone Star Armory in Fort Worth just over a year ago, after he was medically retired from the Army with a gunshot wound. They manufacture high-end rifles and make custom modifications to a variety of guns.
"My friends were like, oh, I see what you did there. Can you do that to mine? And you get enough friends that do that and your family, and it's probably time I made this a legitimate business," Brady said. "It's hard. We could do better but we're certainly not doing bad."
The Bradys are among a growing number of veterans starting their own businesses. In fact, the U.S. Census estimates 9 percent of American businesses are veteran-owned.
With six years in the military, including two tours in Iraq, Andrew put his experience and advertising-PR college degree to use.
"Once you get out, you realize, I was in charge of a lot of stuff. And that kind of turns into the entrepreneurship. Well, I have this idea and I want to pursue it. You kind of have the self-discipline and the education," Brady said.
It may be a tough economic climate to start a small business, but the firearms industry has actually thrived, and the Bradys hope they'll continue to be part of it.
Business News
With close to 15-percent unemployment among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, we may see more veterans trying their hand at an entrepreneurial endeavor.
