Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (May 22, 2013) – Back by popular demand, CruiseOne®, the nation’s largest home-based and military-friendly franchise travel agent network as part of World Travel Holdings, is calling up from the reserves and into action former members of the U.S. military to join its ranks as a travel business owner.
Military veterans are invited to participate in the Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General contest, with five deserving veterans each receiving a CruiseOne travel franchise. The contest begins on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2013 and continues until Friday, Sept. 13, 2013.
“With more than 30,000 troops expected to return home this year, jobs will be in high demand for military veterans,” said Dwain Wall, senior vice president and general manager of CruiseOne. “A career at CruiseOne is the perfect option for military veterans who have an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for travel and want to help people plan their dream vacations.”
The CruiseOne contest is open to former members of any of the five branches of the U.S. military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who are retired, off active duty and/or honorably discharged prior to the contest start date on Monday, May 27. To participate, candidates must complete an online entry form by Friday, Sept. 13. The form and all contest details can be found at www.OperationVetrepreneur.com or on CruiseOne’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CruiseOneFranchise.
There will be three rounds of judging as part of this contest. First, candidates will participate in a phone interview with a CruiseOne franchise development specialist. Semi-finalists will be required to submit a franchise application, business plan and resume, all of which will be scored by the CruiseOne executive team. Final candidates will be invited to participate in follow-up phone interviews before winners are selected.
Five grand prize winners will be announced in November 2013. Valued at $12,700, each grand prize includes a free CruiseOne franchise with a waived $9,800 initial start-up fee and monthly service fees. The new recruits will report for active duty beginning on Veteran’s Day, Monday, Nov. 11, when they participate in a weeklong franchise training boot camp at CruiseOne’s state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. Winners will be reimbursed up to $500 for their travel and provided with complimentary accommodations during the training program.
“At CruiseOne, we salute military veterans and are pleased to offer them the opportunity to work in the exciting travel industry, where they can use their military expertise to own and operate travel businesses,” said Wall. “Integrity, performing under pressure, discipline and dedication to success are just a few of the many traits military veterans possess which make them successful franchise owners.”
A member of VetFran, CruiseOne proudly supports military veterans and is consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a military-friendly franchise. With military veterans accounting for more than 15 percent of its vacation specialists, the company’s accolades include a number one ranking by Forbes in its “Top 10 Military Friendly Franchise” and inclusion on the “Top 100 Vet-Friendly Franchise” lists by Franchise Business Review and 1851, in addition to being named a “Top Franchise for Veterans” by Opportunity World. For the past two years, CruiseOne was named to G.I. Jobs magazine’s Military Friendly Franchises® lists, which represents the top 10 percent of the nation’s franchises that are doing the most to support military veterans.
Military veterans interested in joining CruiseOne and participating in Operation Vetrepreneur, please visit www.OperationVetrepreneur.com.
About CruiseOne®
A member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), CruiseOne® is the nation's leading home-based travel agent franchise and is consistently ranked as a franchise leader by Entrepreneur and Forbes. As part of World Travel Holdings, one of the nation’s top travel retail networks, CruiseOne offers consumers the lowest possible pricing on cruise and land vacations through its relationships with every major cruise line and many tour operators. In operation since 1992, CruiseOne has received numerous awards and a top-ranking status by all the major cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line®, Royal Caribbean International®, Celebrity Cruises® and Carnival® Cruise Line. For more information, visit www.CruiseOneFranchise.com.
Begins May 27, 2013 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends September 13, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 or older at the start of the Contest, have a computer and internet connection, be a legal resident of the US or DC and a former member in good standing of one of the five branches of the U.S. military who is retired, off active duty and/or was honorably discharged prior to the start date of the Contest. If selected as winners, Contestants must commit to a 5-year CruiseOne home-based franchise, which requires attendance at a 6-day New Franchisee Training Class in Ft Lauderdale, FL and a starting investment capital (for more information, go to www.cruiseonefranchise.com or call 800-762-6778). Only one (1) submission per contestant. To enter, complete the online entry form available on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/cruiseonefranchise) or on our website (www.operationvetrepreneur.com). If qualified and selected to move to the next round after a phone interview, Semi-Finalists must submit a résumé, CruiseOne franchise application and 1,200 words-2,200 words business plan. Submissions must comply with the Submission Guidelines in the Official Rules. Only complete, valid submissions will be accepted. Sponsored by CruiseOne, Inc., 1201 W. Cypress Creek Rd. Ste. 100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. See [www.OperationVetrepreneur.com] for complete Rules and details.
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