Six ways out
Most people leaving the service are shown one way out: a job doing what they did in uniform. There are six. Here they are side by side: what each one takes, how fast it starts, and the catch.
| Path | What you put in | How fast it starts | The catch | Fits you if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment firstRead more → | Nothing | As fast as you land the job | A bridge job is easy to stay on for good | Your income is not settled yet |
| A small businessRead more → | Little to none | Months, not years | Finding the first customer is all on you | You would rather build than follow |
| A VA-loan homeRead more → | Often little or nothing down | 45 to 60 days, contract to keys | A house will not replace your income | You are staying put, with entitlement to use |
| Rental propertyRead more → | A down payment and reserves, or a VA-loan home first | Slow by design | The first one is mostly tuition | You are patient and have an income floor |
| A franchiseRead more → | About $25K and up | Months of setup before you open | Royalties on revenue, and personal guarantees | You run a system better than you invent one |
| Buy a businessRead more → | A down payment, plus advisers | Months of searching and checking | The most complex path of the six | You have an income floor and have led people |
- Employment first →
- What you put in
- Nothing
- How fast it starts
- As fast as you land the job
- The catch
- A bridge job is easy to stay on for good
- Fits you if
- Your income is not settled yet
- A small business →
- What you put in
- Little to none
- How fast it starts
- Months, not years
- The catch
- Finding the first customer is all on you
- Fits you if
- You would rather build than follow
- A VA-loan home →
- What you put in
- Often little or nothing down
- How fast it starts
- 45 to 60 days, contract to keys
- The catch
- A house will not replace your income
- Fits you if
- You are staying put, with entitlement to use
- Rental property →
- What you put in
- A down payment and reserves, or a VA-loan home first
- How fast it starts
- Slow by design
- The catch
- The first one is mostly tuition
- Fits you if
- You are patient and have an income floor
- A franchise →
- What you put in
- About $25K and up
- How fast it starts
- Months of setup before you open
- The catch
- Royalties on revenue, and personal guarantees
- Fits you if
- You run a system better than you invent one
- Buy a business →
- What you put in
- A down payment, plus advisers
- How fast it starts
- Months of searching and checking
- The catch
- The most complex path of the six
- Fits you if
- You have an income floor and have led people
Pick where you want to end up
They are not either/or. Most routes start with a paycheck or a small business, and the bigger moves open as you build the floor under them. Pick a destination to see the route there and the checkpoints on the way. Already past a checkpoint? Start from there.
Pick a destination above to see the route there and the checkpoints on the way.
And sometimes the honest answer is not yet. When runway, hours or debt would turn any of these into a fall you could not recover from, the assessment says so, and tells you the one thing to fix first.
Read about each one
- Employment firstA job, chosen on purposeWhat it is →
- A small businessStarted alongside what you haveWhat it is →
- A VA-loan homeUse the entitlement you earnedWhat it is →
- Rental propertyProperty that pays youWhat it is →
- A franchiseA business with the system builtWhat it is →
- Buy a businessOwn something that already worksWhat it is →
Which one is yours?
The assessment ranks all six paths on your answers: your income floor, runway, capital, credit and what you want from the work. Free, about seven minutes, and no email needed to see your result.
Take the assessment →Educational, not financial, legal or tax advice. Where a decision needs a lender, a CPA, an attorney or the VA, take it to them.