Milestone 1: Choosing entrepreneurship or self-employment
As a military spouse, you need flexibility that allows you to balance work and family. Having that flexibility doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fulfillment and earning potential. Entrepreneurship or self-employment can help you find the balance you seek while allowing you to move forward in your career. You can create the career you want with the work-life balance you need by assessing the requirements of business ownership and learning how these responsibilities fit into your military lifestyle. To assess whether entrepreneurship or self-employment are right for you, start by asking yourself a couple assessment questions:
- Has your experience as a military spouse required you to seek flexibility with your current employer, and/or impacted your search for future employment?
- Do you want to find a portable job that matches your experience, skill or simply your interests?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, self-employment or entrepreneurship may provide the continuity and flexibility you desire in your career. In addition, the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program provides the Entrepreneur EDGE assessment that dives further into entrepreneurship and whether it’s a fit for you.
Key Findings
Our military spouse survey respondents mostly chose freelancing and independent contracting work, and largely for the added benefit of flexibility in work schedules. Parents were more likely to say that flexibility was closest to the main reason they started their own business (42% as compared to 24%* for non-parents).
We asked military spouses to choose among 4 possible reasons for starting their business. A plurality pointed to the need for more flexibility in their work schedule (37%); followed by 28% who say they had trouble finding a job suitable to their interests or skills, 17% who wanted to earn more money, and 13% who had an idea or product that they wanted to turn into a business.
| Had the need for more flexibility in their work schedule | Had trouble finding a job suitable to their interests or skills | Wanted to earn more money | Had an idea or product that they wanted to turn into a business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military Spouses | 37 | 28 | 17 | 13 |
Evaluate entrepreneurship vs. self-employment
Entrepreneurship and self-employment are often used interchangeably, but it’s worth noting not all self-employed individuals are entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is associated with creating, organizing, and maintaining a business venture, such as creating and selling a product online or opening a storefront. A self-employed individual provides services on behalf of him or herself. Common examples of self-employment include freelancing, independent consulting, or 1099 employment.
I started my own business because at all of my other jobs, they couldn’t understand the lifestyle… I just needed to be able to help support my family but do it in a way that is consistent with how our life is set up and not feel bad about it.
2019 Military Spouse Survey Respondent
Resources For
Potential Entrepreneurs
Small Business Administration
Want to learn a bit more about entrepreneurship?
Check out this 30-minute video on the Small Business Administration’s website. This course introduces young entrepreneurs to the basics of creating and financing a successful business. You will learn to evaluate your ideas, choose the best financing options and legally register your business.
GOOGLE MARKET FINDER
A free tool to identify potential markets, discover helpful operational information and start selling to customers at home and around the world.
When we moved here to Hawaii, it was either ‘I’m going to keep complaining about moving and having to start from the bottom…or take the route of becoming a licensed independent contractor. … You’ve got to have the drive. Now the next place we’re moving, I won’t have to worry about finding a job. I know it’ll be ok.
2019 Military Spouse Survey Respondent
Key Finding
Most military spouses who choose this journey are self-employed with no employees.
| Freelancing, independent contracting, or 1099 work | Small-business owner without employees | Independent distributor or multi-level marketing (e.g., Stella and Dot, LuLaRoe) | Small-business owner with employees | None of these | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military Spouses | 61 | 45 | 28 | 11 | 3 |
All done with this step?
Seek small business assistance
Are you ready to explore the resources available that can help you take the next steps toward entrepreneurship or self-employment? There are a variety of military or government, non-profit, and non-government resources and supports that can help you start, maintain, grow, or move your business. If you’re at this point, then you’re ready to do what you do best – jump in with both feet and find out what you need, to get you where you want to go!
Key Findings
The level of interest in private, public, and non-profit resources varied among potential, current, and previous business owners. Educational attainment and the service member’s length of service also impact which resources a spouse accesses.
Entrepreneurial spouses are more likely to look toward non-governmental programs for support when compared to non-entrepreneurial spouses
Those who have previously or currently own a business or are self-employed are more likely to rely on non-military government organizations (44% as compared to 34%)
As both years of service and educational attainment increase, spouses are more likely to rely on military or veteran non-profit organizations (e.g., Hiring Our Heroes)
Resources For
New Entrepreneurs
Small Business Administration
Office of Veterans Business Development
The SBA’s OVBD empowers military spouse entrepreneurs and business owners by providing counseling and training, access to capital, and disaster assistance.
Small Business Administration
Business Smart Toolkit
A ready-to-use workshop toolkit that lays the groundwork for helping new and aspiring entrepreneurs launch a business idea and understand the steps to building a business that is credit ready.
Spouse Education and Career Opportunities
Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment
Learn about the many aspects of entrepreneurship, independent and government contracting and self-employment and how to get your business off the ground.
Spouse Education and Career Opportunities
Entrepreneurship and Freelancing in a Gig Economy
Explore your interests, refresh your resume and jump-start your career by working with career coaches on specialized coaching packages that are designed to help you succeed in the job market.
Bunker Labs
Launch Lab Online
The next step for those who want to start their own businesses and jumpstart the next chapter in their life.
Patriot Boot Camp
Patriot Boot Camp Programs
Provides access to mentors, educational programming, and a community of experts and peers to help them innovate and build impactful businesses.
Rosie Network
Service2CEO Program
Provides military spouses and women veteran business owners and budding entrepreneurs around the country with a supportive learning environment and a free 16-week training program.
All done with this step?
Locate mentors and peer support
You’re used to taking charge. Asking for help doesn’t always come easy for you. But a mentor who has experience as an entrepreneur – someone who started a business from the ground up and fostered its growth, or navigated the self-employment journey through independent contracting or freelancing – can offer sage advice and valuable insight. What’s more, a mentor has contacts you can leverage to grow your network. There are resources available to help you discover your perfect mentor match.
Key Finding
The 2019 Military Spouse Career Journeys study showed that military spouse entrepreneurs are more aware of others who have started businesses
58% of military spouses overall were
aware of others who had successfully
started their own business.
Of those who started their own business,
awareness goes up to 68%.
Resources For
Identifying Potential Mentors
Mentorship
SCORE
A free service that provides you with a business counselor who mentors aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners.
Mentorship
eMentor
An online mentoring program that connects individuals for dynamic mentoring experiences that move them forward in their personal and professional lives.
Mentorship
American Corporate Partners
ACP’s free Mentoring Program connects you with corporate professionals for customized mentorships.
