6 Steps to PCS-Proof Your Business

As a military spouse, one of the biggest challenges is navigating a progressive career path while your service member is active duty. This has led many spouses (and veterans) to start a business on their own or as a family while the service member is still active.

With the proliferation of the Internet and online business, there is much promise in this space for the military-affiliated demographic. It is an option that is opening doors for financial stability for many military families. However, the process is not without its own challenges.

According to the Department of Defense, a military family will move an average of six to nine times in the course of a 20-year career. That is a move every two to three years. For a growing business, that’s theoretically a new market every two to three years. Considering the time it takes to build a quality client list and a reputation in each market – those frequent moves can crush a business, or leave you spending an excessive amount to accomplish the same goals as your civilian business peers.

Fortunately, there are options to help you grow your business without breaking the bank, or losing your sanity.

Create a Mobile-Friendly Business Model

The easier it is to pick up and move a business without losing clients, the more cost effective it will be for you to grow. This is why online business models are ideal for military families. There is limited overhead, greater opportunity to reach a wider audience, and you can work from anywhere!

Remember to make the best of both worlds. If you’re in retail, consider an online store and put together a pop up store in your local area. If you’re a service provider, make yourself familiar with online communication tools like Skype, FaceTime, email, and so on – but leave yourself open to face-to-face networking opportunities.

No matter what your business model, you need to take the time to write your business plan. I strongly recommend reaching out to an organization like SCORE or IVMF eMentor Program to help you hammer out the details. The more defined your business model, the better prepared you will be to handle anything military life throws at you.

Leverage Online Outreach

If you’re going with an online business model, be sure you are fully aware of what you’re getting into. Success is not a simple as putting up a website and a Facebook page to watch the customers roll in. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of savvy.

Do your research on best practices for website design, content marketing, and social media marketing. On a positive note, there is a wide variety of solid information on this topic available for free on the Internet. Start with the websites of the platforms themselves, and go from there. This will help you be more efficient with your time and budget when growing your online presence.

With patience, consistency, and persistence – you can build a brand that will go with you anywhere that the military sends your family. The peace of mind is well worth the long-term effort!

If you need a little more help, Heeren Content & Strategy offers a 15% discount on all digital marketing services for veteran and military spouse-owned businesses, and initial consultations are always free.

Budget Like a Boss

Running a small business is all about the numbers! One of the leading causes of small business failure is cash flow issues. This comes from poor budgeting practices. When you are a military family-owned business, you need to be doubly careful, because your circumstances may change dramatically from duty station to duty station.

Bootstrapping your business and the lean start-up concept is often a great fit for military family-owned businesses. The less debt you have, the more flexibility you will have.

Try and focus on limiting spending and padding your business savings account whenever you can. The more money you have in reserve, the easier it will be to handle the unforeseen issues that can arise from a move to a new market.

If you need outside funding, do your research on your options. There are many ways to fund a young or growing business, it’s just a matter of finding the right fit for you.

Whichever avenue you choose, plan for a dip in revenue when you move – at least temporarily. It takes time to build your client list with each new market, and you need to be sure that you can sustain your family’s needs in the meantime.

Know Before You Go

Market research is key for military family-owned businesses. As soon as you have those orders in your hand, start researching! Learn everything you can about the local area, demographics, networking opportunities, and business regulations. With this information, you can revisit your business plan and make adjustments to build on your momentum from your last duty station.

You may ask – what happens when you are stuck in the middle of nowhere? Some military assignments don’t lend themselves to many networking opportunities. The sooner you can identify this issue, the sooner you can create a plan to work around it. If you find yourself in this situation, focus on how much of your networking you can bring online. A great place to start is In Gear Career for Military Spouses.

In some cases, you may be able to travel reasonable distances to a nearby business-friendly hub. The earlier you start your research, the better you can prepare for these contingencies and find something that works for your unique situation. This will also help you avoid the dreaded cash flow failure.

Remember – there is no “one size fits all” mold for small business! Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Train Your Customer

 If you are a service provider, this is extremely important.

Long before you move, get your clients used to communicating online via Skype, Face Time, Google Hangouts, or whatever tool you choose to use. Make sure they are comfortable with text and email communication. Integrate this strategy with in-person meetings while you’re local to ease them into the new “normal.”

In your contracts (and you do need contracts!), be sure that you clearly define expectations on both sides while you are local and when you are out of state. This way, your client knows exactly what will happen, and what their rights are. You will find that most customers will appreciate this approach, as it is as much for their protection as it is for yours.

Be Honest

When dealing with client relations, trust is key – no matter what your industry. Do not hide the fact that you are a military spouse, even if it may cost you that client. At some point, you will have to explain why you have to move so quickly after launching a business. By withholding this information until it’s an issue, you risk breaching that trust.

Personally, as a service provider – I never let a client sign a contract until they are aware of my military affiliation and what that means for them. I have found that it is not an issue for many clients in today’s online economy; they simply appreciated my honesty and considering their needs over the paycheck. You will likely be met with a similar positive response – but it is better to know for sure before engaging a client.

There are many resources for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs. Keep it tuned to Veteran on the Move for more ideas and inspiration from other members of the veteran and military spouse entrepreneur community!

Contributor: Erika Heeren is the founder of Heeren Content & Strategy. With 14 years of experience marketing and public relations, she has a professional focus on integrated media spanning 16 different industries.

Heeren works with small businesses and non-profit organizations to provide affordable, professional-quality content development, marketing, and public relations services. Her clients include local small business owners, marketing agencies, public universities, media outlets, Huffington Post-published authors, IT firms, and non-profit organizations.

A military spouse herself, Erika is an outspoken advocate for veteran and military spouse education, employment, and entrepreneurship. As a volunteer eMentor for the Military Entrepreneur Program, she works one-on-one with aspiring military-affiliated entrepreneurs to help them grow their business. She also volunteers as a digital marketing instructor with Treasure Valley SCORE.

Heeren is an award-winning writer and has been featured on NextGen Military Spouse, Veteran on the Move, Wright Stuff Radio, and Social Media Week.