What It Means to Work for and Market a Veteran-Owned Business

Hi, I’m Morgan Hickernell, a senior advertising major. This semester, I’ve had the opportunity to intern at H&H Service Company, a unique HVAC contractor with something I’ve never experienced in any of my previous internships: H&H Service Company is a proud Veteran-Owned Business.

Before starting this internship, I had a basic understanding of what being a veteran meant, but I didn’t fully grasp the significance of what being a veteran-owned business entails. A Veteran-Owned Small Business Certification (VOSB) verifies that a business is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans. This certification opens doors for the business to compete for federal contracts, many of which are specifically set aside for VOSBs. It also gives businesses priority when pursuing contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Additionally, there’s the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification, which H&H Service Company holds. This certification is a specialized subset of VOSB, requiring that the veteran owner has a service-connected disability.

Now that you know what an SDVOSB is, let’s talk about how H&H Service Company utilizes this certification in marketing. The first place I noticed the SDVOSB certification was on the company’s website, where the official logo is prominently displayed to clearly communicate their status.

The certification also appears on the owner’s LinkedIn profile and on business cards. On the digital side, the marketing manager uses platforms like Google and LinkedIn to target customers who are passionate about supporting veteran-owned businesses.

H&H Service Company also participates in numerous conferences and trade shows, many of which emphasize the importance of VOSBs. This enables them to connect with an audience that already values this certification.

Through this internship, I’ve learned how to leverage marketing to inform potential customers about the significance of an SDVOSB. But I’ve also come to understand that it’s about much more than just a certification. All the employees at H&H Service Company take immense pride in working for a company with such strong leadership, and that pride truly reflects in the outstanding work everyone produces.