Story at a glance
- As consumers look to support businesses that align with their values, a new Yelp tool aims to make this effort easier by allowing businesses to self-identify as veteran-owned.
- Internal data show searches for veteran-owned businesses jumped by over 100 percent in the third quarter of 2022 compared with 2021.
- Yelp is also launching a new resource hub for veteran-owned businesses.
Yelp launched a new feature making it easier for users to support veteran-owned businesses ahead of Veteran’s Day on November 11.
The new free tool will allow business owners to self-identify as veteran-owned on their Yelp page, while all businesses that select the identifier will receive a free decal to display in their store window.
Internal data from the review app and website show searches for such establishments in the United States increased by 101 percent in the third quarter of 2022, compared with the same time last year.
The company has previously introduced similar initiatives to highlight businesses run by women and Black, Latinx, Asian and LGBTQ owners.
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Yelp will also launch a $100,000 Veteran Business Fund to support former service members. A total of 10 veteran-owned small businesses will be selected to receive $10,000 each. Eligible businesses can apply for the funds on Yelp’s website.
A Veteran-owned Business Resource Hub will provide owners with tools and information and a look at the company’s efforts to bring more visibility to the businesses.
Around 18 million veterans live in the United States. Each year, 200,000 people in the military make the transition to civilian life.
More than 2.5 million businesses throughout the country are owned by veterans, accounting for about 9 percent of all U.S. businesses.
Research shows veterans typically use their benefits to go to school once they leave the service and subsequently get recruited by corporate America. Many veterans opt to start their own business in areas like transportation, construction, travel and real estate, among others.
In addition, a growing number of consumers choose to support businesses that align with their values, while the new Yelp tool can help make this easier, the company said.
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