Resources

The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs helps connect veterans and their family members to the benefits and services they earned through their military service. 

Our Central Office is located in Olympia and includes a Veterans Service Center as well as administrative support for all agency programs.

WDVA offers long-term care in our four State Veteran Homes (the Washington Soldiers Home, the Washington Veterans Home, the Spokane Veterans Home, and the Walla Walla Veterans Home) for honorably discharged veterans, and in some cases, their spouses. 

The Veterans Services and Counseling and Wellness Divisions provide claims assistance as well as counseling services for veterans and their family members.  And our State Veterans Cemetery honors veterans in their final resting place.

Bunker Labs was built by military veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military veterans as leaders in innovation. The organization provides educational programming, mentors, events and thriving local networks to help military veterans start and grow businesses.

The Small Business Guides provides helpful information, links to valuable resources, and outlines the steps for starting and operating a business in Washington state. The Small Business Guide is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

The Business Guide includes sections that will help you plan, run, grow, or close a business in Washington State.

We empower entrepreneurs, veterans, and people in rural areas to thrive and create financial well-being for themselves. Over the past 20 years, we’ve provided financial training, business training, business technical assistance, and microloans. We support people who are interested in starting or growing a small business, in order to create income for themselves and their families. In this way, we build communities in the many counties in Washington that we serve. 

We serve individuals living in or who have businesses in Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Pierce (agriculture) Grays Harbor, Pacific, Clallam, Wahkiakum and Jefferson Counties in Washington.

Veterans: All programs are FREE and available to Veterans in Washington State thanks to funding from the WA State Department of Veterans Affairs

The Small Business Association has released proposed regulations to implement the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act of 2018 and is currently seeking public comment. Comments must be received by March 23, 2020. See the proposed rules for more information. See Frequently Asked Questions about the act. 

About the act

On April 16, 2018, the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act of 2018, (S.2679), was introduced to amend the Small Business Act directing the SBA to give access to and manage the distribution of U.S.- owned surplus property, pursuant to a memorandum of agreement between the SBA, the General Services Administration (GSA), and the head of the state agency for surplus properties, to small businesses owned and controlled by veterans.

This is a road map for opening a business in the state of Washington. There are eight steps in the road map but not all of them will apply to your business. We recommend you read through all steps in this road map before applying for your business license. You can download the Road Map as a PDF file if you prefer that format.

Here are the 8 steps:

1. Research and make a plan;
2. Register your business with the Secretary of State (SOS);
3. License your business with the Department of Revenue (DOR);
4. Report your new employees to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS);
5. Apply for a Reseller Permit with the Department of Revenue (DOR);
6. Register as a contractor with Department of Labor & Industries (L&I);
7. Contact your local health department for food handling requirements; and
8. Check with your City and/or County for their requirements.

Start here to see what's involved in each step

The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.

The Veteran Business Outreach Program is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard & Reserve members and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business. The SBA has 22 organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC).

The Veteran’s Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE) provides military veterans, and military spouses the education, resources, and supportive environment to use their natural inclinations and skills to innovate and create their own professional lanes through entrepreneurship. VIBE, taps into several Washington regional assets—motivated veterans, a supportive community, a university setting—with the goal of supporting students as they learn about entrepreneurship and turn their ideas into viable businesses.

Get Verified to do Business with VA

Get verified through the Vets First Verification Program to participate in the Veterans First Contracting Program for VA set-asides and sole-source contracts for SDVOSBs and VOSBs.

No cost, confidential, one-on-one technical assistance in all aspects of selling to federal, state, and local governments.

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The Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises is charged with certifying small, minority and women-owned businesses to facilitate their participation in public contracting and procurement. This is accomplished through a comprehensive certification process and education. The outcome - successful small businesses led by minorities, women and veterans help make our economy and our families more resilient, strengthening our communities and improving the quality of life for all Washingtonians.

Federal Legislation Related to Women Veterans

• P.L. 106-419, “Veterans Benefits and Healthcare Improvement Act of 2000,” authorized special monthly compensation for women Veterans with a service connected mastectomy.  It also authorized benefits to children born of mothers who served in Vietnam and who have certain types of birth defects.

• P.L. 107-330, “Veterans Benefits Act of 2002,” authorized special monthly compensation for women Veterans who lost 25 percent or more of tissues from a single breast or both breast in combination (including loss by mastectomy or partial mastectomy) or has received radiation of breast tissues.

• P.L. 108-422, “Veterans Health Improvement Act&rduqo; authority permanently to extend Military Sexual Trauma counseling and treatment to active duty service members or active duty for training.

• P.L. 110-186, “Military Reservist and Veterans Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act” established a Women Veterans business Training Resource Program.

• P.L. 111-163, “Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010,” provides contract for a comprehensive study on barriers to health care for women Veterans, pilot program to provide group readjustment counseling in retreat settings for newly separated women combat Veterans, mandates inclusion of recently separated women on Advisory Committees for Women Veterans, and requires VHA to carry out a 2 year pilot program to assess feasibility and advisability of offering child care to Veterans

What is military sexual trauma counseling?

Military sexual trauma counseling may include individual or group counseling, marital and family counseling, referral for benefits assistance, liaison with community agencies or substance abuse information and referral to help you deal with the emotions of military sexual trauma and regain confidence in your everyday life.

Am I eligible for military sexual trauma counseling?

Any Veteran, or Service member to include members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, who was sexually traumatized while serving in the military is eligible to receive counseling regardless of gender or era of service.

Where are services available?

Assessment and referral for MST-related counseling is available at all Vet Centers. Onsite counseling is available at selected Vet Centers across the country. In addition, MST-related medical and mental health services are available at your local VA Medical Center and can be accessed by contacting the Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator or your existing VA healthcare provider.

The nation’s almost 20 million veterans have a variety of programs to aid in their success – from wellness to housing to financial aid. But the sheer volume (more than 45,000 private groups and hundreds of government programs) can be overwhelming to navigate. Compounding the problem is that many of these programs take a silo approach, only tackling one problem instead of providing a comprehensive set of solutions.

That’s the role that Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services plays – serving as the connective thread to break down barriers and connect individuals and organizations with easily accessible solutions that veterans and military families need to access meaningful employment, education, housing, and wellness. We work at local and national levels in five focus areas:

• Workforce development and career placement
• Housing solutions
• Wellness research and development
• Expanding funding streams for veteran entrepreneurs
• Advancing impact via service networks

About the Program 

VA Puget Sound offers comprehensive care for women Veterans. We pride ourselves on providing excellent care for women Veterans in our stand-alone clinics at both American Lake and Seattle Divisions and at our community clinics. These facilities provide a unique setting that is private, respectful and convenient.

We respect patients’ preferences regarding provider gender, for health care and mental health care.  We look forward to meeting your health care needs.

Services Offered

• alcohol and drug abuse treatment
• cervical cancer screening
• colposcopy
• evaluation and treatment for trauma
• incontinence treatment
• mammography
• menopause management
• mental health services 
• osteoporosis evaluation and treatment
• primary care
• reproductive benefits
• trauma recovery
• screening for HIV/STDs
• social work

Mental health services, including treatment for post traumatic stress disorder and military sexual trauma are also available. Treatment for substance abuse is available as well.

Patients will be referred to community providers for any service not available at VA Puget Sound.

WOSL- Women’s Overseas Service League – is a national organization of women who have served overseas in or with the Armed Forces. American women who had served overseas with the military forces during World War One founded WOSL in 1921