Operation Enduring Opportunity: Franchise Fees Waived for Vets

The San Diego-based company that franchises UPS stores announced today that it will award 10 franchises next year to qualified veterans and waive the franchise fee of nearly $30,000.

The announcement was part of a national initiative announced by First Lady Michelle Obama in Washington, D.C.

The goal of "Operation Enduring Opportunity," an initiative launched by the White House, the International Franchise Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and franchise companies, is to recruit as many as 75,000 military veterans and their family members by the end of 2014.

Beginning Jan. 1, honorably discharged veterans who meet certain financial qualifications can apply for new UPS Store franchises, said Becca Andrews Hogan of Mail Boxes Etc., a subsidiary of UPS. The sign-up period will last for up to six months, and qualifying veterans will be awarded franchises on a first-come, first-served basis, she said.

She said the program is an extension of incentives already provided to veterans, 150 of whom have received discounts of between $4,500 and $10,000 off the franchise fee -- totaling about $700,000.

It's unknown whether any of the new stores to be opened under the program will be located in San Diego, but it's possible given the concentration of veterans in San Diego County, Andrews Hogan said.

-City News Service