Small Business Administration: Building Veterans Subs

The Valley Today

The conversation today is part of an ongoing partnership with the US Small Business Administration highlighting small businesses in the Shenandoah Valley as well as offering advice and resources to all small businesses.

In this special Veterans Day episode, host Janet Michael and co-host Carl Knoblock, Virginia District Director for the SBA talk with John Kline, veteran/owner of Veterans Subs.

John shares the history of Veteran Subs, a business he started to combine his passion for supporting veterans with his dream of owning a restaurant. Over the past two years, despite some challenges, the business has grown thanks to strong community support. John discusses the unique aspects of Veteran Subs, such as hosting veteran group meetings and fundraisers and donating a percentage of their sales to veteran organizations. Carl provides advice on establishing a nonprofit arm to maximize funding opportunities and streamline contributions, which John considers as part of the company's future plans.

The conversation also covers Veteran Subs' extensive menu, which includes deli sandwiches, sides, and health-conscious options like "subs in a bowl." Carl suggests marketing strategies like taste tests and emphasizing fresh, in-house-made items to attract more customers.

John talks about the importance of community engagement and how his military background influences his business decisions. The radio portion of the episode concludes with details on how customers can order from Veteran Subs and the importance of location and marketing for continued growth. Listeners are encouraged to visit veteranssubs.com and follow them on Facebook for more information.

In the podcast conversation, Janet, Carl, and John discuss various aspects of running and marketing a small business, specifically focusing on a sub sandwich/deli restaurant owned by John. The conversation starts with Janet addressing issues with the consistency of the restaurant's marketing materials, including discrepancies between the website’s contents and what is actually offered at the restaurant. Carl and Janet highlight the importance of uniformity in branding to avoid customer confusion.

John explains the restaurant’s operational challenges, like long working hours and the difficulty of noticing issues that are obvious to an outsider. They stress the value of an external viewpoint to identify and fix these problems. The discussion then shifts to various support programs for veterans, such as “Boots to Business,” which provides resources and support for veterans starting their own businesses.

Carl and Janet provide insights about utilizing these veteran-focused programs to leverage support and network within the veteran community. Janet underscores the significance of customer interaction and networking, advising John to engage more with the local veterans' community by highlighting their stories on social media. Carl suggests securing intellectual property, like recipe trademarks, and exploring additional revenue streams, such as selling unique branded items.

They address marketing strategies, comparing the effectiveness of social media campaigns against traditional methods like mailing brochures. Both Carl and Janet emphasize the importance of direct, engaging marketing efforts, such as attending local events and offering food samples, over spending money on mailers. They advise John to leverage his veteran status in marketing by using slogans to build stronger community ties.

John shares his struggle with marketing due to limited resources. Carl advises considering franchising as a way to manage branding and marketing challenges systematically. They also discuss location strategy, noting the constraints of the current spot and the potential for better foot traffic in a more visible or easily accessible location.

The conversation closes with Carl and Janet offering further practical marketing advice, like partnering with local institutions for catering and using student interns for research and development tasks to alleviate workload. They recommend tapping into local economic development offices for location scouting to improve visibility and access.

Throughout, both Carl and Janet provide John with practical advice and strategic insights aimed at helping him scale his business and improve its market presence. The discussion was supportive and collaborative, focusing on actionable steps John can take to strengthen his restaurant’s business model and marketing strategies.

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