Military veteran economic impact

More and more members of the armed forces are starting small businesses when they hang up their uniforms. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration:

- Male veterans' self-employment rates were higher than those of non-veterans from 1979 to 2004. The rate was 13.7 percent in 2003, compared to 12.2 percent for non-veterans.

- About 22 percent of veterans in the U.S. were either purchasing, starting, or considering purchasing or starting a business in 2004, according to a study of veteran business ownership. This compares to 12 percent of the general population making plans to start a business, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.

- Almost 72 percent of these new veteran entrepreneurs planned to employ at least one person at the outset of their new venture.