ORLANDO, FL — (Marketwire) — 08/15/12 — After two decades in the Navy, Evette Soto of Orlando is trying to achieve her dream of business ownership. She has the business picked out: Kitchen Solvers, a kitchen cabinet refacing and kitchen remodeling franchise. She has an interior design degree. She just needs startup capital.
So she-s trying to raise $50,000 through an Orlando-based company, Sprigster, that uses crowdfunding to help veterans finance franchises. Sprigster-s “Boost a Hero” program works like a Kickstarter campaign: Veterans post videos explaining their backgrounds and their business goals. For 90 days, people can donate as much as they want or as little as $1. You can find a link to Soto-s video at .
Sprigster CEO Mark Mohler says “Boost a Hero” addresses a huge problem: veteran unemployment. Of the veterans who have served since 2001, 12.1 percent were unemployed in May — compared to the overall U.S. rate of 8.3 percent.
“Veterans- skill sets often don-t translate well onto résumés,” Mohler said. “When we looked at ways to help vets, we found that franchisors understand the value of veterans and their systems-based training. We also focused on franchise financing because, since they-re FTC-regulated, we don-t have to worry about veterans being targeted by bad business schemes.”
Soto found out about Kitchen Solvers and “Boost a Hero” while researching financing for veterans. She also discovered that Kitchen Solvers discounts franchise fees for veterans as part of the International Franchise Association-s VetFran program.
Soto served from 1983 to 2003. As a former real estate agent, she knows that kitchen remodels are popular and that homeowners benefit from having an expert to guide them.
“I-m excited to start my Kitchen Solvers franchise,” Soto said. “I-m asking people to pledge a dollar, and share my video with friends.”
Kitchen Solvers President Gerry Henley said he and his company are happy to be part of the “Boost a Hero” program.
“I-ve seen people buy lunch for troops to say, -Thank you,-” Henley said. “This is another way that Americans can thank their troops — and help them for a lifetime.”
To learn more, visit .
Evette Soto
407-943-7302
Mark Mohler
Sprigster CEO
407-810-6632
Gerry Henley
Kitchen Solvers President
608-791-5518