CruiseOne reports the launch of "Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General," which will award free franchises to former members of the U.S. military. The contest comes on the heels of CruiseOne’s "Second Chance at Success" initiative, which rolled out in 2010 and helped five unemployed educators launch new careers in the travel industry.
“Hundreds of thousands of veterans are in the process of returning home from deployments and searching for the right next step. The transition is not an easy one and comes with a unique set of challenges,” said Dwain Wall, senior vice president and general manager of CruiseOne.
The CruiseOne 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 were honorably discharged prior to May 15, 2012.
To participate, candidates must complete an online entry form by September 14, 2012. The form and all contest details can be found at www.OperationVetrepreneur.com or on CruiseOne’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CruiseOneFranchise.
CruiseOne says there will be three rounds of judging as part of this contest. First, candidates will participate in a phone interview with a CruiseOne franchise development specialist. Semi-finalists will be required to submit a franchise application, business plan and resume, all of which will be scored by the CruiseOne executive team. Final candidates will be invited to participate in follow-up phone interviews before winners are selected.
“As an active member of the International Franchise Association and VetFran initiative, CruiseOne is passionate about helping veterans build their own businesses,” said Tim Courtney, director of franchise development for CruiseOne.
Five Grand Prize Winners will be announced in November 2012. Each will receive a free CruiseOne franchise including a waived $9,800 initial start-up fee, as well as one year of waived monthly service fees.
Additionally, CruiseOne will bring the winners to its new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for six days of in-depth training from November 12-17. Winners will be reimbursed for their travel and provided with complimentary accommodations during the training program.
CruiseOne is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is part of World Travel Holdings (WTH).
Visit www.OperationVetrepreneur.com