Barnes earns SBA Veteran Small Business honor

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Mississippi District Office has named a Mississippi State University Extension professor as the state’s 2026 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year in recognition of his work mentoring veteran entrepreneurs.

MSU Extension economist James Barnes will be honored May 28 during the SBA Mississippi District Office ceremony in Jackson for his work helping veterans and military spouses as a national instructor for SBA’s Boots to Business programs, or B2B. The B2B and B2B Revenue Readiness curricula develop sustainable small businesses through education, marketing strategy and individualized support.

Barnes has trained more than 4,000 veteran entrepreneurs in marketing strategy and business planning, helping them clarify their marketing message, attract customers and build sustainable businesses. He teaches one of the core modules in the six-week online B2B Revenue Readiness course, which is designed to help veterans and military spouses develop comprehensive business plans as they prepare to start or expand a business.

The program is approaching a milestone of 5,000 graduates nationwide.

Barnes also teaches online workshops focused on practical marketing skills, including “Master Your Marketing,” “7 Things Your Social Media Plan Should Include” and “AI for Social Media Content.” He is the award-winning author of the book “5 Social Media Mistakes Your Business Should Avoid” and director of the Bricks-to-Clicks Marketing program, which includes free online courses, a podcast, free webinars and the bi-monthly marketing newsletter, Traction.

Barnes was nominated by Mark Scott, director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center, or VBOC, at MSU. The center serves veterans in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana and partners with the B2B programs at the national level.

Scott said Barnes routinely provides one-on-one counseling to veterans and military spouses, helping them clarify messaging, branding and audience engagement strategies.

“Dr. Barnes consistently goes beyond instruction by meeting veterans where they are and helping them apply what they learn,” Scott said. “I’m delighted to see him receive this recognition because his expertise has strengthened hundreds of small businesses across our region.”

Both the VBOC at MSU and B2B Revenue Readiness programs are funded through the MSU College of Business by SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development. Through these programs, MSU provides veterans and military families access to training, counseling and resources tailored to the unique challenges of entrepreneurship.

Each year, the SBA recognizes small businesses and advocates across all 50 states, U.S. districts and territories. National Small Business Week has been observed by the SBA for more than 60 years and highlights the role of small businesses in strengthening local and regional economies.

For more information about the VBOC, visit https://www.vboc.msstate.edu/.