This is a short YouTube video transcript in which Air Force veteran Chris Sweeten describes founding 3D Security Training Solutions after nearly 21 years of service. He credits the Boots to Business program, the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), and mentors (notably Rich) for business planning, market research, funding referrals, and ongoing guidance; the business reached break-even within six months and quickly exceeded early client and growth goals. The speaker(s) also summarize Boots to Business offerings and encourage veterans and spouses to use the free two-day seminar and follow-on resources.
Chapters
I'm Chris Sweeten. I'm the owner of 3D Security Training Solutions. We train security guards to be security guards, bodyguards to be bodyguards. Team building on the corporate side and the art of self defense for the individuals. I spent just shy of 21 years in the Air Force. I got stationed back here in Albuquerque. I knew this was going to be my last duty station. So I started looking into what I was actually going to do when I retired.
He and a friend of his had talked about starting a business. He'd already started putting together his ideas. I told him about Boots to Business. I told him how important it was for him and we discussed his business plan, market research and if you need funding. What kind of funding do you need? Basically my job is taking them from inception to actually getting a business running.
We started out as a home based business. I have an office in the house that we've turned into the 3D office. Our goal is to be out of the house and in an actual office with a conference room that I can use as a classroom. That's our one year goal. Our three year goal is to have our own compound in my own classrooms. I'll have my own shooting ranges. Right now we are spot on, on track. We're actually ahead of it. One of the other goals that we had was to have three corporate clients for security guards. We actually have five. So we're moving a lot faster than I expected us to. And within six months the company actually broke even and pays for itself now every month. And I actually started getting a paycheck. Wasn't much, but it was still a paycheck. It actually was a company at that point. In my mind, I still have my first paycheck stub sitting on my desk that I will frame when we're actually in an office. Because at that point it didn't go. It wasn't a concept anymore, it was reality.
Chris was one of the students in one of our Kirtland Air Force Base Boots to Business seminars. And I had a feeling from the very beginning that he was going to be one of those success stories that we had. And sure enough, he was. We do a two day Boots to Business seminar and that's followed up by an eight week online course. People who are transitioning through the transition program can attend this two day seminar. However, just recently it has been opened up for any active duty service member. Then there is also the Boots to Business reboot program which is available for every veteran and veteran spouse. All of the programs that we offer are available at no charge, whether it's to the veteran, to their spouse, to somebody who's still on active duty, to their spouses. We have all these programs that are available.
The reason why 3D is where it is today is because of the Bootsta business. The VBOC, the checklist that I continually got from Rich when we were standing up to make sure I didn't miss nothing, and the guidance of just calling up Rich and saying, hey, I'm completely lost with this. No matter what he's doing, Rich always had the time. For me going to Rich and the VBOC opened up so many other doors after we got my business plan to where it needed to be. They graduated me to the SBA so I could look into possibly getting a micro lender. And at the same time I was doing that, they pushed me over to score, to make sure I was taken care of with them for the guidance for the marketing side. Everything I have is because of listening. Everybody that the VBOC has pointed us to and all those guys, as long as you're doing your homework, will be there to help support you. Not hold your hand, but support you no matter what you want to do with your life. Taking a two day Boots to Business course is the best decision you're ever going to make. You're going to know whether you want to be an entrepreneur or not. The Boots to Business class is definitely going to help you. It's two days and it's free. There's no reason why you shouldn't do it.
