Here's how big tech helps small business led by veterans

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Starting your own business is always a risk -- and for veterans who are just getting out of the military and transitioning back to civilian life, it can be even more intimidating.

Since 2017, Google has been helping many of those veterans through Grow with Google, a program that offers trainings and workshops for small business owners.

"It's really Google's commitment to make sure that the opportunities created by technology are truly available to everyone," Lisa Gevelber, VP of Grow with Google, told FOX Business about the program.

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"A big focus area for us has been how do we help create economic opportunities for veterans and military families," she added. "So we've been working both on the job transition side, but also realize the huge opportunity that existed to help all of these small businesses succeed. As Google, we have lots of tools that can do that."

One of those tools includes a veteran-led attribute on Google Maps, where businesses can get a decal saying they're owned, led or founded by veterans.

"We know that so many Americans really want to support veteran-owned businesses," Gevelber said. "And it’s a nice differentiator for those businesses."

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Veterans and military spouses who own their own businesses also have access to quick, free courses on Google's Primer app -- and now, the tech company has started to offer free video call assistance on its small business products to veteran business owners.

Google is even partnering with other organizations for veteran entrepreneurs, such as Patriot Boot Camp, Veteran Capital and Bunker Labs to develop mentorship programs between vets and Google employees.

"We're helping people make good technology decisions," Gevelber said. "We're helping them learn marketing or sales skills, or design best-practices. All the things that Google employees already know how to do, we're bringing those to life for these people who are trying to start and run these businesses."

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Suzie Mills, an Air Force veteran and the founder of Honest Soul Yoga in Alexandria, Virginia, told FOX Business that she's been working with Google products since she founded the studio in 2013.

More recently, she’s worked directly with the Grow with Google team as they develop some of their veteran-specific features.

"They understand small businesses only have so many resources and so much time and so much understanding," Mills told FOX Business. "They've really made things very easy to understand, easy to do. They have the great apps now, so you can track a lot of stuff from your phone, especially as someone who’s on the run all the time."

'I think Google's done a really good job focusing on the small business owner and with their new pushes with veterans, I know they’re really passionate," she added.

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During National Veteran Small Business Week, Google will host in-person training and will post a livestream on YouTube showing veterans how to use some of Google's small business tools.

Gevelber told FOX Business that there will be more than 80 "viewing parties" where people can watch the livestream together.

"We'll show them things like how to get your business on Google Search and Maps, how to do the veteran-led attribute so that you can stand out online and we'll teach them all the basic things that they need to know to be successful on the internet," Gevelber said. "That should be a really big moment, I think. And it's just in celebration of the good things these folks are doing and helping them be successful and get customers."

"We care so much about supporting veterans and military families who have given so much to our country and it's such an opportunity where Google has unique value to add," she added.