Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (May 28, 2021) – The top-awarded travel agency franchise for veterans Dream Vacations announces that military veterans can start their next career in the civilian sector by entering-to-win a free travel agency franchise in the “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Owner General” business plan contest. Five winners will be awarded a travel agency business, and in celebration of the contest’s 10th anniversary, one grand prize winner will also receive a berth on a European River Cruise on the Danube River. Since 2012, Dream Vacations has awarded 51 free franchises valued at $637,800 to military veterans. This year’s contest begins on Monday, May 31, 2021, and runs through August 6, 2021.
“The United States is the greatest country in the world because of the sacrifices made by military heroes and their families,” said Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager of Dream Vacations. “Supporting military families is important to Dream Vacations and it is hard to believe we have been giving away franchise business opportunities for 10 years to military veterans as a small token of our appreciation. We honor, respect and salute those in the Armed Forces and we invite you to live the American Dream of business ownership that you made possible for so many.”
The Dream Vacations franchise contest is open to former members of any of the five branches of the U.S. military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who are retired, off active duty and/or honorably discharged prior to the contest start date and are residents of the U.S. To participate, candidates must complete an online entry form and an introductory phone interview with a Franchise Development Manager. Candidates will be required to submit a candidate profile, business plan, and video. Finalists will be invited to participate in follow-up phone interviews before winners are selected. The entry form and all contest details can be found at www.operationvetrepreneur.com.
Five winners will be notified in August 2021. Each grand prize is valued at $12,300 and includes a complimentary Dream Vacations franchise with a waived $10,500 initial start-up fee and monthly service fees. After completing virtual franchisee training, the winners will be armed with all the tools and knowledge they need to begin their next journey as small business owners creating dream vacations.
“Winning a Dream Vacation franchise reminds me of being part of a military unit during wartime operations in the Middle East. Starting a business is stressful and can be financially risky especially if you do it alone without a support network,” said Veronica Loewy, Army Veteran and 2020 Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General winner from Chicago. “Dream Vacations provides the tools needed to survive, just like the military. This includes top-notch leadership in an organization where they have your back, a dedicated Business Development Manager, proven business model, training and customer support in order to complete a successful mission.”
According to the Department of Defense, more than 200,000 military veterans are entering the civilian workforce each day and Dream Vacations recognizes that franchising provides a unique opportunity to leverage the traits gained in the military and translate them to entrepreneurship. This includes teamwork, decisive thinking, leadership and self-discipline to name a few. Those who have served in the Armed Forces also have an innate desire to serve others and see the world, which are important aspects of being a successful travel franchise owner. When military veterans join a home-based opportunity such as Dream Vacations, they have the flexibility to set their own hours so they can enjoy valuable time with family and make up for missed moments due to deployments.
Military veterans and Gold Star families interested in starting a work-from-home business immediately can purchase a Dream Vacations travel agency business now at a 30 percent discount, receive an enlistment package valued no less than $5,000, and can select one of two perks currently being offered — either waived administrative fees valued at $1,350 or a Microsoft®Surface Pro tablet valued at $1,000. In addition to having access to the Command Center, an internal portal with veteran-specific training and veteran-themed marketing assets, all veterans and Gold Star families receive a waived training fee for a business partner and the ability to hire active-duty military spouses and veterans as associates at a discount. Additional veteran incentives include the ability to move residences and stay in business, travel discounts for military customers and access to veteran networking groups.
The only travel franchise to receive a 5 STAR ranking from the International Franchise Association’s VetFran initiative, Dream Vacations proudly supports military veterans and is consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a veteran-friendly franchise. Since 2017 it has been ranked the top travel agency franchise for veterans by Entrepreneur magazine, always ranking either first or second out of 150 franchises nationwide, and other recent number one rankings include Military Times and Forbes. Additional recognitions include inclusion on G.I. Jobs annual “Hot Franchises for Veterans,” US Veterans magazine’s “Top Veteran-Friendly Companies”, USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans” and recognition by MSC Cruises in its Seaside Salute Award. The “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” program won gold from the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards and the IFA Franchising Gives Back Awards.
Military veterans with a passion for travel and entrepreneurship who are interested in opening a Dream Vacations travel franchise and want to be considered as a candidate for the “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” contest, please visit www.OperationVetrepreneur.com or call 888-249-8235.
About Dream Vacations
Travel agents with the top-ranked home-based travel agency franchise Dream Vacations have the resources to plan and create seamless vacation experiences for their customers while offering the best value. A member of the International Franchise Association, Dream Vacations is part of World Travel Holdings and has received partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines as well as national recognition for its support of military veterans. For more information about Dream Vacations, visit www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com. Like Dream Vacations on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise, follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise and watch its videos at www.youtube.com/DreamVacationsBusiness.
Begins May 31, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends August 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 or older at the start of the Contest, have a computer and internet connection, be a legal resident of the US or DC and a former member in good standing of one of the five branches of the U.S. military who is retired, off active duty and/or was honorably discharged prior to the start date of the Contest. If selected as winners, Contestants must commit to a 5-year Dream Vacations home-based franchise, which requires attendance at a New Franchisee Training Class and a starting investment capital (for more information, go to www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com or call 888-441-2542). Only one (1) submission per contestant. To enter, complete the online entry form on our website (www.operationvetrepreneur.com). If qualified and selected to move to the next round after a phone interview, Semi-Finalists must submit a video, Dream Vacations candidate profile, and a minimum 300 – 1,200-word business plan. Submissions must comply with the Submission Guidelines in the Official Rules. Only complete, valid submissions will be accepted. Sponsored by Dream Vacations, 1201 W. Cypress Creek Rd. Ste. 100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. See [www.OperationVetrepreneur.com] for complete Rules and details.