September 2013

Magazine

Fall 2013 Vol.1 Issue 2

“Together We Serve�

NMSN Military Spouse Art Exhibit Maintaining Career Continuity Developing a Web Presence Understanding Your Ever Changing Skills The Perfect Career Fit for Military Spouse Lawyers?

Get ready for the

2013 NMSN Military Spouse Career Summit

A few years ago when we launched the very first NMSN Military Spouse Career Summit, we hoped that people would show up for a very different kind of event. At first no one really understood the concept. What, no career fair? No resume help? AND you want me to pay to attend? Then, what’s in it for me? Very legitimate questions as there are a lot of great events out there and others might be a better fit for some. Our summit was [and is] clearly not for everyone. A full day of sessions geared toward professional development, a formal networking event with a panel, entrepreneur sessions and more networking opportunities all jam packed into one event.

It took a lot of faith in what we were trying to achieve to stand our ground, and in the end it was worth it.

When the doors opened at the first event, it was gratifying to see the level of learning, networking and business being conducted. These spouses were here to get things done! They were connecting with HR folks, quizzing program managers from the Office of Personnel Management, installation employment personnel and hiring managers. They were networking with one another to form strategic partnerships and generate business. The feedback we received from that first event far exceeded our expectations and the event has grown each year. The second year, we listened to what our attendees had to say and added a full half day of sessions geared toward our military spouse entrepreneurs. This year, we added the Military Spouse Small Works Art Exhibition and Sale to bring attention to our talented military spouse artists and photographers. We think you’ll be blown away by the submissions we’ve received. Check them out here.

Each year, our community has grown and the summit has followed. This year will be no different. If you’re planning on joining us, I thought I’d share some tips to get the most out of your experience: • • •

• • •

•

Register as soon as possible so you can take advantage of our LinkedIn Group for the event and start networking with other attendees, speakers and sponsors.

Get your business cards and 30 second elevator speech ready.

Set up some meetings in the DC area to maximize your time in the area. If you’re a job seeker looking for a federal job - maybe you’d like to go by the Veterans office at OPM that also serves military families. They are more than happy to help you with any questions about USAJobs and provide some useful tips. If you’re an entrepreneur, aren’t there people you’ve connected with online you wouldn’t mind meeting in person? Here’s the perfect opportunity.

You get the idea - set up some side meetings to make the most of your time.

Make a list of 3-5 people also coming to the summit who you’d love to have coffee with and set it up. It’s always fun to watch people meeting for the first time in person even though they’ve been doing business together online for years.

Make sure you attend every session. Even if you don’t think you’re interested in the topic, there’s always going to be a nugget or two that you’ll be able to use.

Make a reservation for the event hotel. Even if you’re in town, you’re not going to want to miss a moment of the activities and the networking that occurs after the formal sessions end. This is your time to work on your professional development. It’s hard to stay focused if you’re going home at night to deal with the day’s chores in just a few hours before you have to head back. Most of the rooms have double beds, so bring a friend or connect with another attendee to help defray the cost.

Finally, have an accountability partner. Perhaps another attendee or business acquaintance/partner who can’t be in attendance. Within a couple days of leaving the conference, after you’ve had a chance to digest the information, do an after action report with biggest takeaways, follow ups, etc....This will help cement the information in your mind and make you accountable to someone else for follow up items.

Still not sure what to expect? Then join us for a Tweetchat on September 23rd at 1 PM ET. “Hear” from past attendees, speakers, sponsors and others. It’ll be your chance to ask questions and learn more about this year’s event. RSVP now and follow along at #NMSNevents.

Sue Hoppin

is the founder and president of the National Military Spouse Network, a consultant on military family issues and the co-author of, “A Family’s Guide to the Military for Dummies”. Before founding the NMSN, Sue served as the first deputy director for spouse outreach for a military affiliated non-profit with a 375,000+ membership. She is a recognized subject matter expert on military spouse and family issues and has spoken to audiences nationwide ranging from installation career events to leadership training sessions and national conferences.

In 2010, she was appointed by President Obama to the Board of Visitors of the United States Air Force Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Oklahoma.

2

www.nationalmilitary

Things You’ll Learn In This Issue A sneak peek at some of the great content ahead.

1 3

Decoding Employer Benefits

2

Maximizing Conference Attendance Exploring Old Town

Retirement Planning for Entrepreneurs

5

7

6

Pitfalls of Business Start ups ON THE COVER

4

Own YourTime!

H.A.L.T. before you make a mistake

8

Style Tips

Art work by:(L to R) Maria Bennett Hock, Carrie Waller and Lorelei Taylor.

No part of this publication and/or website may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher.

yspousenetwork.org

3

Employer Benefits -The Military Spouse Perspective

by Julie Waters

So you have landed that job and you are so excited to be there! And then you sit down with Human Resources on that first day and they give you the fire hose treatment of policies and benefits. As if your life as a military spouse isn’t already full of initials and acronyms, now you get more at work. So here are a few things you want to know, but are afraid to ask.

What does vesting mean?

Vesting refers to how much of the employer contribution to your retirement plan you get to take with you when you leave the job.

Any money that you contribute to the plan is yours; there is no time commitment for that money. The money that the company puts in may be subject to a vesting schedule. One type of schedule is called graduated. For example, you may be vested in 20% of the employer contributions after your first anniversary, 40% after your second, and so on up to 100% vested after five years. Some companies have a cliff vesting schedule, where if you leave before your two year anniversary you don’t get to keep any of their contribution, but if you stay until after that two year mark you keep 100% of their contribution. The reason this is important to consider is because you know that you will likely have to PCS in two to three years, you know that you will not be able to take all of your employers contributions with you. So if the employer is taking a hard line on salary negotiations because they have such a good retirement contribution you need to keep that timeline in mind.

What are my health care options?

The hiring manager or human resources representative will tell you about the type of health plan(s) the company offers. Even though you may have TRICARE you should pay attention to these options, particularly the cost of the premiums for the plan. It is another piece of information to help you with your salary negotiation. Some companies have a cash-in-lieu of health care option, usually between $100 and $200 per month. The dollar amount will not be the equivalent to the cost of the premium, it likely won’t even be half. If they don’t offer such an option then use the fact that you may not need medical coverage to try to get the salary bumped up. If you do choose to take the company sponsored health plan, then that plan

will be the primary coverage for you and TRICARE will become a secondary payer.

What is an FSA? FSA stands for Flexible Spending Account. These accounts allow you to take money out of your check pre-tax in order to pay for out-ofpocket medical expenses and child-care expenses. At the beginning of the year you can elect a certain dollar amount to go in to the account, once you incur an expense you send in a claim form and a receipt and you get your money that you paid in to the account back and you have not paid taxes on it, so it is like a 20-30% discount depending on your tax bracket. The catch to these accounts is that you have to use the money that you elect to put in to them or else you lose the money. For example, I put $300 in to my medical FSA to buy new glasses and then I never get around to getting my eye appointment by the end of the year. Unless I can come up with $300 of other out-of-pocket medical expenses (co-pays, deductibles, dental work), then I lose that money. Talk to your HR department about specific dollar limits for the medical FSA. These accounts are really good money savers as long as you have a handle on how much your out-of-pocket costs are.

So what questions do I ask?

Hopefully many of these questions will be answered in your orientation, so you should try to take some notes because there is likely to be a lot of new information on those first couple of days at work. So pay special attention to the following: • Recognized holidays - Not all companies recognize federal holidays like President’s Day or Veteran’s Day, though schools and day cares may be closed on those days so you may have child care issues.

• PTO (paid time off) or Vacation and Sick pay - Many companies have gone to a combined bucket of PTO days rather than vacation and sick days. Either way, make sure you find out how those days are earned and when you can start using them.

Julie was born and raised in Washington State. She graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English and earned an MS in Human has held various Human Resource positions. Julie currently resides in Spokane, Washington where she is the Human Resources and Operations Man spouses as she feels it is important to have something personal outside of our military lifestyle.

4

www.nationalmilitary

• My next raise - How often are salaries evaluated? And what are they evaluated on, timing, merit, production? Is there a bonus structure and what criteria have to be met for those, a manager’s discretion or on performance measures?

• Probationary period - What does it mean to this company?

Can I use vacation during this time? Do my benefits not start until it is over? Do I get a review in 90 days? Is there a potential for an increase at the end of the period?

• Potential for flexibility - If your spouse is doing work-ups or is deployed, he or she may not be available for household or child care emergencies. Is your new employer understanding that you are essentially a single parent? What are the options for working from home or staggering hours to help you run your household more efficiently?

• FMLA - This is the Family Medical Leave Act and does provide some protections for military spouses, but the rules are very specific. Make sure you ask your HR person if your new company qualifies under the Act.

Happening now at www.nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

Register now for the 2013 Military Spouse Career Summit taking place October 18-19 in Alexandria, Virginia. www.milspousesummit.com Can’t join us for the live event? Follow along on twitter at #NMSNevents

Calendar of events Join us for our no-host meetups, co-working events or members only Around the Water Cooler chats.

Homefront Business Listings Work with talented military spouse freelancers and entrepreneurs. If you’d like to get your own business listed, join NMSN to take advantage of this member benefit.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney

Sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Get targeted military spouse career and employment information delivered right to your inbox monthly.

Connect with us...

n Resources Management from Troy University. Over the last 12 years, Julie nager at a law firm. She holds a special interest in career building for military

yspousenetwork.org

5

Meet the

Experts...

Carol Bowser is the president of Conflict Management Strategies Inc. and is an expert in workplace conflict --what creates it and how to resolve it. While she HATES arguments, she loves maintaining sanity and increasing production by jumping into conflict to fully resolve it. “…What I really like is listening to people’s stories and working outside the legal system to repair workplace relationships…” She received her law degree from Seattle University School of Law and her Mediation Training through Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution. Carol is a speaker, trainer, and consultant for employers on how to avoid workplace conflict.

Phil Dyer is a successful serial entrepreneur, trainer, facilitator, speaker and author. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he served as an Armor officer in both Germany and the United States, achieving the rank of Captain.

Since separating from Active Duty, Phil has worked in corporate sales for a Fortune 100 company, served as the national financial educator for the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and started several companies.

Janet Farley offers military service members and their families her own brand of straightforward career management and job search advice. Janet is the author of the Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide, 2nd Edition, the Military Spouse’s Complete Guide to Career Success and she writes the JobTalk column for Stars and Stripes Newspaper. She is also the Home Front columnist for the Military Officer’s of America (MoAA) and contributing editor to Bradley-Morris, Inc.,’s Civilian Job News.

Joyce Neave is an authority on fashion and style. As founder of That Mom, Inc. Joyce has been “Styling” for over twenty years. Her many accolades include: Style Setter

by Washington Post, Ten Well Dressed Women in Washington by Washingtonian Magazine, Profiled on WUSA9 News to highlight her wardrobe consulting practice as well as her forward thinking blog.

Joyce is a consultant for several newspapers and blogs. “…I am a wardrobe consultant and personal shopper who specializes in helping moms find their stylized potential.

Whether play-dates, PowerPoints or date night, That Mom, Inc. has you covered…”

Greta Perry’s background makes her superbly qualified to provide what any business interested in developing their on-line presence requires.

She holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of

Maine. During her many moves around the U.S as a military wife, she became a professional volunteer, mostly in leadership positions that involved her use of technology and new media. Greta has also spent countless hours in the military non-profit world using her communication skills, both on and off the computer, to achieve positive results.

From January of 2010 through January 2012, she was the co-owner of a social media consulting firm. Setting new goals in her life, she decided to launch her own company, GP Online Media on February 1, 2012, with the creation of Kickify, while also bringing her blogs under her parent company umbrella.

Rachel Rodgers is a business lawyer for women entrepreneurs.

Her unique practice, Rachel Rodgers Law Office, is run entirely online making her services accessible and convenient for busy business owners. Her secure online law office was one of the first of its kind and has filled a void among women entrepreneurs in need of savvy legal counsel without breaking the bank or compromising excellent customer service.

Human Resources/Civilian Benefits Expert Julie Waters earned an MS in Human Resources Management from Troy University and is also a certified Professional in Human Resources.

Over the last 12 years, Julie has held various Human Resource positions starting her career at FHC Health Systems in Norfolk, Virginia, and most recently at the Military Officers Association of America in Alexandria, Virginia where she served as the Director of Human Resources.

Place an order!

Host a Party

Join My Team!

Patti Cucchiara

Discover the New Nail Revolution!

www.just4u.jamberrynails.net just4.u@verizon.net 703.232.2925

Interested in purchasing a business card-size ad for your milspouse owned business? Contact us at sales@milspousenetwork.org

6

www.nationalmilitary

Julie was lucky enough to choose a career that easily transfers between employers as her husband’s assignments moved them from city to city. She holds a special interest in career building for military spouses as she feels it is important to have something personal outside of our military lifestyle. Julie currently resides in Spokane, Washington where she is an HR Consultant.

Krista Wells, Ph.D., The Military Spouse Coach ®, loves helping military spouses who are ready for change, create careers they feel passionate about, and find life fulfillment. Krista specializes in working with military spouses because it is a topic close to her heart. In addition to being married to a Marine herself, she has worked with hundreds of military spouses through her volunteer work and training. As a personal and career coach, Krista has advised girlfriends of military enlistees, active duty wives, and reserve spouses who don’t

yspousenetwork.org

have easy access to support services. She works with stay-at- home mothers, job seekers, career changers, those who want to position themselves for a career in the future.

As President and CEO of American Support, Matt Zemon brings over 20 years of operations, billing and customer service experience.

American Support is the nation’s only complete provider of back-office services to the telecommunications industry. Zemon and his team helps clients grow their revenue & increase their subscriber base by focusing on making every one of their customer contacts count.

American Support strives to help our customers succeed by operating efficiently, consistently and with excellent customer service, making life better for their clients, employees, investors and families, while supporting our country. American Support currently supports over 400 cable franchises in 26 states.

To learn more about our experts please visit our website.

7

Style Points

Ask Joyce

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Sue Hoppin

Joyce Neave is an authority on fashion and style. As founder of That Mom Inc., Joyce has been styling for over twenty years. Her many accolades include: Style Setter by Washington Post, Ten Well Dressed Women in Washington

by Washingtonian Magazine, Profiled on WUSA9 News to highlight her wardrobe consulting practice as well as her forward thinking blog, www.thatmominc.com. As a NMSN Expert, Joyce answers fashion questions from our readers.

MANAGING EDITOR: Katarina Zuber _________________

EDITORIAL

Q.

I will be traveling for business for four days, I need to pack light, but will need to pack clothes for meetings and then more casual for evenings. Can you make suggestions on the best way to accomplish this?

A.

Absolutely. Begin by looking at your suits. Based on which ones you need to bring, go with a color scheme. If your suits are blacks and greys, you will work in the black family. If your suits are blues and browns, you will work with browns.

Let’s say you chose black and grey.

CONTRIBUTORS: Krista Wells, Julie Waters, Carol Fishman Cohen, Janet Farley, Carol Bowser, Phil Dyer, Matt Zemon, Rachel Rodgers, Katy Brownley, and Joyce Neave _________________

ART & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGN: Katarina Zuber

• You pick one black suit (skirt and slacks) and one grey blazer. One or two pairs of black shoes. Two purses-one big bag for day and a small one for the evening.

• Then for your tops- pack a cardigan set (you can use the shell under a jackets or the set without a jacket), crisp white blouse, and a silk camisole. No lace. Each top will work with each pant, skirt and jacket combo.

Think of the possibilities!

_________________

SALES & MARKETING info@milspousenetwork.org

Use accessories to change up the looks. Try a scarf, gold or silver jewelry. Just make sure your jewelry is not distracting.

No jingles.

For the evenings, you can just take off the jacket. If you have time, throw on a pair of dark jeans same shoes, same tops.

You will look professional and fabulous! And the best part is that all of it will fit into a carryon bag!

8

CONTRIBUTORS: Courtney Chauvin

To reach nearly 6500 people on Facebook, 900 on Twitter or connect with over 1300 monthly newsletter subscribers, advertise with us or sponsor one of our events.

www.nationalmilitary

Understanding Your Ever Changing Skills

By Janet Farley

You want to make the right decisions professionally. We all do. We don’t spend a lifetime at one duty station so it’s important to make the most of the short time we do have while we’re there.

One way to make the best use of your time, employment-wise, is to know your specific skill strengths and shortcomings. If you understand exactly what it is you have to market to a potential employer in the first place, then you can get down to the business of finding the right job in the least amount of time.

You can think of your skills in a few different ways. Let’s take a brief look: Self-Management Skills Self-management skills are those skills that you bring to the wonderful world of work as a person in general. They represent your signature style, if you will. They represent how you do business as a professional.

For example: • Are you analytical in nature?

• Detail-oriented?

• Do you present a calming influence around you?

• Do you communicate directly and succinctly with others?

Your self-management skills are a direct reflection on you and how you operate in this world.

Transferable or Functional Skills Transferable or functional skills are your go-to skills that enable you to work across industries. What they lack in specificity, they more than make up for in practicality. They are abilities that

yspousenetwork.org

you have in one area that can be applied in other areas as well. Think of them as a bridge that can lead to new employment opportunities when you need them to do so. They often fall up under such broad-brush stroke headings as communication skills, organizational planning, management and leadership skills, and basic interpersonal skills.

For example, these skills can work in multiple jobs: • customer service • counseling • consulting • investigation • interviewing • writing • supervising • project management Technical Skills Your technical skills represent the more hardcore work-specific talents you possess that are required to do a job or a task.

For example, your technical skills could be a proficiency you have in operating in a particular

software program or the knowledge of a foreign language necessary to communicate with international customers.

They could also be specific licenses or certifications you have to do a particular job.

It’s important to fully understand your strengths and shortcomings. Even if you think you know them, periodically reanalyze them for yourself. Work is fluid. The skills you learn on the job and perhaps eventually master are forever changing. New ones pop up all the time that you should become proficient in. It’s not a stagnant world of work.You have to stay tuned in to your own level of expertise.

If you want to learn more about skills assessment, you can visit or call: • a career counselor at the nearest military education center • a Military OneSource consultant at 1.800.342.9647 • a career counselor from a nearby college or university career center • the employment readiness program manager at the nearly military family support center • the job search specialist at the transition assistance center (TAP) if you are within the window of eligibility to use it

Janet Farley serves as a NMSN subject matter expert and she is the author of The Military Spouse’s Employment Guide: Smart Job Choices for Mobile Lifestyles (Impact Publications, 2012). For more military spouse employment tips and thoughts, follow her @Smartjobchoices on Twitter.

9

Join us for the 2013 Militar

Photos: Dwelling Moments Photography by Alaina Fitzner

The Military Spouse Career Summit is the signature professional development and employment education spouses are prepared to take advantage o

Grow Your Business

Enjoy a great few days in beautiful Old Town Alexandria

Meet fello milspous entreprene

Thanks to our Summit Sponsors:

For more infor 10

ry Spouse Career Summit

e event of the NMSN. This dynamic and interactive n event is specifically designed to ensure that military of all the opportunities available to them.

Network with fellow attendees, speakers and experts.

Learn more about NMSN

ow se eurs

rmation about sponsorship or to register go to milspousesummit.com

11

October 18-19, 2013

3rd Annual Military Spouse Career Summit

Join us for the 3rd Annual Military Spouse Career Summit!

Friday 8 AM - 12:30 PM Build Your Business Entrepreneur Sessions Friday 6 - 8 PM Panel and Networking Event Saturday 8 AM - 4:30 PM All Day Summit Saturday 4:30 - 7:30 PM Milspouse Art Exhibition and Reception

REGISTER NOW! www.milspousesummit.com 12

www.nationalmilitary

Alexand

ria, VA

Can’t wait till you come visit! Just some ideas to help you plan your visit: • Hop on the free Old Town Trolley and take a quick tour of Old Town.

• While you’re on the trolley, make sure you pick up a Visitor’s Guide and Map for great suggestions of things to do as well as valuable coupons.

• If all the sightseeing makes you hungry, stop off at one of the fabulous Old Town Restaurants. From casual dining at Bittersweet to world class cuisine at Restaurant Eve, there’s something here for everyone!

• After dinner, stroll down to the Torpedo Art Factory and check out the amazing artwork and artists’ studios.

• Trying to get your exercise in? Try the Alexandria Heritage Trail or check into the many yoga and pilates studios in town.

yspousenetwork.org

Jane Smith 452 WhishIwasThere Lane AnyTown, USA

So much to do, hope you stay awhile!

XOXO

13

Time to Get Your Retirement Plan Groove

By Phil Dyer

If you’re a small business owner that read the headline above and th retirement plan, what’s that?’ - you’re in good company!

According to a recent survey by the American College, nearly 2 out o don’t have an active small business retirement plan or haven’t taken much they’ll need to save in order to be able to retire. Does this des If so, two quick things to consider:

2. Put it on Autopilot: Set up an automatic investment 1. Give Yourself a Break: With everything on the typical plan that’s funding retirement savings each month. Don’t small business owner’s plate - including managing cash wait until the end of the year! flow, debt, resources, and sales - sometimes there’s just 3. Choose the Right Custodian: Don’t waste money on not enough time in the day for everything. high fee, high expense investments, consider a low-cost 2. Get Your Retirement Plan Groove On: Break time is retirement plan custodian such as www.vanguard.com, over! Time to get smart about retirement plan options www.fidelity.com, or www.schwab.com. and get one in place. Make 2013 the year you start (or Choosing the Right Retirement Plan improve) your small business retirement plan!

This is where most small business owners get confused and give up! The right retirement plan for your business Many of the small business owners I’ve counseled over the depends on several factors, including earnings level, cash last two decades have great intentions when it comes to flow stability, how many (and what type) of employees saving for retirement, but find themselves overwhelmed you have, and what time of the year you set the plan up. by the “Alphabet Soup” of possible retirement plans (SEP, SIMPLE, Solo 401k, Profit-Sharing, etc) and the differing Here’s what I recommend most frequently, based on rules for each one. Layer in the “financial double-speak” business type: of many financial salespeople and it’s completely understandable why many people just throw their hands up in 1) Part-time, Start-up or “Hobby” Business: This microbusiness is either in start-up mode run part-time to bring disgust and walk away. in some extra money: What I’ll endeavor to do over the balance of the article is • Cash Flow: Inconsistent and sporadic provide you with the specifics you’ll need to know based • Employees:1(owner) on the stage your business is in, along with resources for • Net Income after Expenses: $22,000 or less getting started. Before we dive in, however, here are 3 • Best Plan: Individual Traditional IRA keys to keep in mind for creating retirement plan suc- • 2013 Contribution Limits: $5,500 annually ($6,500 if 50 or older) or net self-employment income, which cess: ever is lower.

1. Save 10 Percent of Pre-Tax Earnings:Your target should • Establishment or Contribution Deadline: Anytime up to tax-filing time (usually April 15th), not including be to save a minimum of 10 percent of your pre-tax extensions. earnings into a dedicated retirement plan. Remember that every dollar you save only reduces your cash flow • Paperwork Burden:Very low by $0.70, since you won’t pay federal and state income tax on your money. If cash flow is tight, start small (2-5 Phil Dyer, CFP®, RLP®, CPCC is a West Point grad, serial entrepreneur percent) and increase savings by 1 percent per quarter egist™. The co-author of VICTORY: 7 Entrepreneur Success Strategie until you’re up to 10 percent. of current (and aspiring) entrepreneurs, including many veterans and mi Small Business Retirement Plan Basics

14

www.nationalmilitary

e On

hought ‘Ummm...

of 3 small business owners either n the basic steps to figure out how scribe you?

2)

• • • • • •

•

running with moderate cash flow and has no other fulltime employees (with possible exception of owner’s spouse): • Cash Flow: Consistent, but variable throughout the year • Employees: 1-2 full-time (owner and spouse) • Net Income after Expenses: $22,000 or more • Best Plan: SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) IRA • 2013 Contribution Limits: 25 percent of net self-employment income up to $51,000 maximum (Example: Net self-employment income of $97,000 would allow contribution of up to $24,250).

• Establishment or Contribution Deadline: By tax filing time, including extensions (usually up to October 15th).

• Paperwork Burden: Low Note: If you have qualifying employees, you must make the same percentage SEP contribution to their plans that you do to yours, so this usually isn’t a good plan if you have lots of employees.

4) Established Business with High Cash Flow and No Other Full-Time Employees: This business is up and running with high consistent cash flow and has no other full-time employees (with possible exception of owner’s Established Business with Moderate Cash Flow and spouse): Other Full-Time Employees: This business is up and • Cash Flow: High and Consistent running with moderate cash flow and has additional • Employees: 1-2 full-time (owner and spouse) • Net Income after Expenses: $51,000+ full-time employees: Cash Flow: Consistent, but variable throughout the • Best Plan: Solo or Self-Employed 401k • 2013 Contribution Limits: $17,500 in salary deferral year ($23,000 if 50 or older) + up to 25 percent of Employees: 2+ (owner plus at least one other fullnet self-employment income for total maximum contime employee) tribution of $51,000.

Net Income after Expenses: $22,000 - $50,000 Best Plan: SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for • Establishment or Contribution Deadline: By December 31st (or fiscal year-end).

Employees) IRA with 2% non-contributory match for • Paperwork Burden: Low qualifying employees.

2013 Contribution Limits: $12,000 annually ($14,500 if 50 or older) for both owner and employees via sal- If you’ve been keeping score at home, you’ll note I left out businesses with “high cash flow and other full-time ary deferral.

Establishment or Contribution Deadline: Plan must employees.” When you get to this point, it’s probably be establish prior to first salary deferral or October time to explore a traditional 401k or 401k Profit-Sharing 1st of tax year, whichever is earlier. Matching con- plan. tributions must be made by tax filing time, including Fidelity has an excellent comparison chart where you can extensions (usually up to October 15th). research your small business retirement needs further.

Paperwork Burden: Low-to-Moderate

3) Established Business with Moderate Cash Flow and Hopefully this overview’s been helpful in carving a path No Other Full-Time Employees: This business is up and through the small business retirement plan jungle. Quesr, trainer, facilitator, speaker, author and America’s Entrepreneur Strattions? Make sure you post them and we’ll do our best es for Veterans (with Larry Broughton), Phil has counseled hundreds to answer them!

ilitary spouses. Contact Phil at success@entrepreneurstrategist.com

yspousenetwork.org

15

Photo: Alaina Fitzner

Own Your Time, Love Your Life

By Krista Wells, Ph.D.

How many of us really own our time? Are you like the rest of us who fall into the category of being overscheduled because we find it difficult to say no? So instead, we say yes to everything and find ourselves stretched thin. One of my clients has a fantastic perspective on this topic, “Instead of giving 50% to 10 things, I give 100% to 5 things. “ Brilliant! In determining what to say yes to, she also seems to balance helping others with choosing volunteer work that aligns with her personal values and vision.

I always try to combine responsibilities so if I have an organization ask me to come and speak on the topic of “spring cleaning your life, “ I may offer my free monthly Teleclass that on the same topic. I also ask clients to stick to one big project at a time. If another idea begins to sidetrack their focus, I have them capture the ideas on paper, file it and then get back on task. It’s hard to “act now” when you are acting on too many different projects, beginning but never ending them. Remind yourself that this isn’t saying “no” to new projects, it’s just saying “not right now, “ and this allows you to have more follow through and thus more impact on the projects you choose!

One of my assistants Sam, manages her time really well.

She always begins her workday with a really good breakfast and frees her work environment from distractions.

She quickly notices when a project isn’t flowing and will then set it aside and “lets things ferment, “ (a tip she adopted from a Navy Captain). Sam is really good at knowing what gives her energy and how to get “unstuck”. I used to get stuck when my agenda read: work out at the gym, work on my article, clean the house while the boys are at preschool. A plan that appreciates my natural energy reads: enjoying some quality time with the baby, walk kids to the park for exercise and after they go to bed, pour a cup of tea and write.

6 Time Management Tips from the Military Spouse Coach® Guaranteed to Help You Get More Done In Less Time!

• Give more effort to projects that align with your vision.

• Leverage your efforts towards multiple projects (think themes).

• Manage your energy, not your time, and be gentle on yourself!

• Constantly work on creating new time saving systems.

• Purposely design projects as process or outcome oriented.

• Make sure your calendar reflects your vision and values.

It is when we try to fight our natural styles that we hit a roadblock; think about your day to day strategies and ensure they align with your natural style.

Think about your vision and goals as you create your daily agenda. When clients of mine write down their vision and goals, they say that decision making becomes a cinch! One client shared that this makes it so easy for her to say “no” to people and “yes” only to projects that yield the most meaningful rewards, specifically rewards that match her vision and goals. Take out your calendar In addition to noticing energy, it’s important to look at and look at where you are spending your time. Do your your natural style. I recently discussed this with my coach, tasks and activities reflect your vision and values? What Amy. Do yet get more jazzed over process or outcome? small changes can you begin making today that will give Process! I have to make the processes fun (for exam- you more time to do what matters most? ple chatting with the kiddos while putting the laundry Krista Wells, Ph.D. is The Military Spouse Coach; a professional certified caaway), whereas my coach Amy is results oriented. She reer coach, speaker and contributing writer for several military publications as milspouse.com, militarymoney.com, and CinCHouse.com. Krista is just checks laundry off her list because, “…my brain func- such a motivational speaker and delivers workshops on military bases worldwide tions better when there are no piles…”. to help women create balance between their personal and professional lives.

16

www.nationalmilitary

Join our mailing list

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.�

C.S. Lewis

yspousenetwork.org

Stay up to date on all the best information and resources for military spouse employment issues.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter Connect with us...

17

H.A.L.T. Before Jumping into the Fray

By Carol Bowser, JD

Recently, I experienced the excitement and aggravation of purchasing a new home. Hours of work.To put it mildly, it was stressful.

Many days, I was short on sleep, missed meals and frustrated by the “hurry up and wait” pace. Frankly, I was Hungry, Frustrated, and Tired most of the month.

I was not my best: cranky and irritable. LUCKILY… I KNEW IT. I don’t even want to think how much trouble I could have caused to my work-life, personal life, and financial security, if I did not slow down and acknowledge my needs before jumping into important conversations with coworkers, clients, or family members.

When we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, our immediate physiological and emotional needs take over.

As the authors of “Crucial Conversations” tell us “it is hard to be at your best, when you are at your worst.” So when Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, H.A.L.T!!!!

This strategy worked great for me while negotiating the Most of us have a very hard time thoughtfully engaging Purchase and Sale Agreement for my new home. It was as in conversation when our bodies or spirit are depleted. simple as, “I am really hungry and a bit tired. Whenever I We are more likely to do something short sighted if not can I follow some wise advise I received from an expert negotiator, ‘never negotiate when Hungry, Angry, Lonely plain dumb. or Tired’. Can I call you back in 15 minutes after I get something to eat?”

Hungry Angry Lonely Tired 18

Notice that I first tuned in and acknowledged what my body was telling me. Next, I articulated it to the person trying to engage me in conversation. Finally, asked if it was ok to reschedule and suggested a time and took responsibility for initiating the conversation.

I worked better. The conversation worked better. The deal was better because I knew to H.A.L.T! Try it. See how your results improve. Tell me how it goes.

Organizations hire Carol Bowser and Conflict Management Strategies, Inc. to increase productivity by easing workplace conflict and tension, to train employees in conflict resolution skills, to evaluate internal conflict resolution processes, to coach key employees to higher levels of performance and to facilitate tangible change within the working environment.

www.nationalmilitary

Supplier Connection

by Katy Brownley

are more than 28 million small businesses in Top Five Reasons to Join Supplier Connection the United States, employing half of America’s workforce. Without sustained demand, we know that small 1. It’s Free – there is absolutely no cost to join. businesses will struggle to grow and stay competitive.

2. We make it Easy – we remove barriers between supRecognizing the importance of small businesses in the U.S. ply chains of large corporations and small businesses. economy, a consortium of large corporations formed Supplier Connection to streamline the search for small business 3. It’s Streamlined – fill out a company profile only once suppliers. Supplier Connection is web-based community, in order to gain visibility from our 19 buying member powered by IBM, which provides small businesses access companies. to the supply chains of our buying member companies.

4. We create Opportunities – network with peers and Supplier Connection is more than just a directory of get access to small business development tools. small businesses; it’s a collaborative network and a place to grow your business. Registered small businesses are 5. We’re dedicated to your Success – a corporate contract required to complete a robust company can be a tipping point to small business growth. profile, which can then be searched and viewed by buying members. Think of it Still need convincing? According to a as a virtual tradeshow – a place to survey by The Center for an Urban showcase your business through Future, small business suppliers marketing materials, videos, case reported revenue growth of studies, client testimonials and more than 250% just a few This August #connectbiz more. To ensure our small years after selling their prodTwitter chat was an opportunity business members have the ucts to a large corporation. for the NMSN community to ask resources to make the most out of their membership, questions about Supplier Connection we also offer a variety of membership and get instant answers business development mafrom a team of Supplier Connection terials.

Resources like the SME Toolleaders. If you missed the chat, Register today at: kit, educational webinars and www.supplier-connection.net. check out the highlights here. access to our members-only If you have questions or want LinkedIn group are just a few exto say hello, visit Supplierconamples. nection on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Like most things in life – the more you put it, the more you get out. Registering with Supplier Connection gives you the opportunity to expose your business to large corporations, and provides access to a network of peers. Keeping in mind the renewed focus on large corporations using small businesses as suppliers, we’d like to share our top reasons to join Supplier Connection.

There

Katy Brownley is the Program Manager for Supplier Connection. She has spent the last decade with IBM’s Supply Chain organization and has dedicated the last 2 years focusing on how corporations can include more small businesses in their supply chain in an effort to do their part to support job growth in the US.

yspousenetwork.org

19

Holiday parties always present an interesting challenge, NMSN Wardrobe Consultant Joyce Neave, gives us her

“Naughty and Nice List.�

With the holidays upon us we all want to be festive and fabulous!

Naughty

Nice

vs.

Avoid novelty sweaters go classic.

Too much skin/cleavage

Cocktail dresses can be lovely and sexy without being revealing.

Just enough skin

Really pretty Forgo the novelty jewelry

Really?

One recent fad is to wear colored tights with peep toe shoes. I recommend we leave that fad for teenagers.

When wearing stockings, always wear closed toe shoes.

Never wear stockings with open toe or strappy sandals

20

www.nationalmilitary

Our NMSN Military Spouse Appreciation Event is one of the most anticipated events of the year for our community.

May 2013 Chic Envy Fairfax, VA

This year, NMSN member, Christina Crawford once again closed her award winning store, Chic Envy Consignments for a private Military Spouse Appreciation Event. We were joined by our Expert Stylist, Joyce Neave for a fantastic evening of great food, networking and fashion. Several of our members benefitted from personal styling tips and EVERYONE enjoyed noshing while shopping in a relaxed environment.

Thank you to both Joyce and Christina for a fantastic evening! If you’re in town for our Military Spouse Career Summit, make sure you stop by Christina’s store located at: 11895 Grand Commons Ave, Fairfax,VA 22030.

yspousenetwork.org

21

Developing a Web Presence

By Greta Perry

Notice that the first two letters in presence are, “PR.” Your web presence could be the single most important part of your business and is the public relations “PR” needed to succeed in today’s world. Whether you have already started developing your brand on-line or are just about to embark on the exciting adventure of a new business, there are a lot of pieces to make this puzzle work in your favor.

The challenge is in finding what platforms best support your needs. Unfortunately, the ever-expanding and evolving web can serve to complicate this process. One day you think you have everything you need and then the game changes overnight (eg: think of the constant Facebook changes). It can be intimidating to try to wrap your mind around all the different platforms and how to best leverage them for your business, but let’s go over some basics.

In my role as an online small business specialist and social media consultant, I often end up taking on the role as “the cleaner” or “fix it up and make it pretty and shiny” gal. However, nothing excites me more than coming in from the inception of a small business idea and seeing it blossom and reach its goals online. When given the opportunity to work with a new client from the very beginning, these are the steps I walk them through: 1. Name: A name is so important that it’s worth taking the time to choose the right name to best represent your business.

Does it define you well? Are you proud of it? Does it sound good on the phone or in conversation? How many companies out there are doing business under that name?

Is the .com available? Does it have acronyms? If so, what do they look like? True story - I know firms whose names spelled out the acronyms SOL and STD. Needless to day, they changed the names.

2. Graphic Design: A good logo is something you should be proud of. Would it look good on a business card, a car or a billboard? Is it unique and does it represent you and your brand well? Will you feel proud to be associ-

22

ated with it? Can you read it well on social media and recognize it as a small avatar?

3.Website:A website is often first impression someone will get of your business. Website prices vary widely, but often times, consumers are unaware what they truly need when shopping for a new site. Make sure you take the time to determine your needs. Content Management Systems (CMS) are the way to go these days and Wordpress is gaining the most ground and is a good platform choice for your web presence. Webhosting is also important to a successful website. Make sure you pick the best vendor and capabilities for your needs. It doesn’t matter how great your site is if it’s down all the time.

4. Social Media/Web Marketing Plan: Developing a plan of action should be part of your overall strategy.

• Outline your goals and a plan to achieve them. Randomly creating a presence on multiple platforms without goals, proper branding and maintenance can actually harm your business.

• Proceed with caution in how you represent yourself on the web and in people’s inboxes.

• If you plan to manage this effort in-house and are not too familiar with social media platforms, catch up on best practices or consider seeking out the guidance of a consultant who can get you up to speed and train you on how to maintain your profiles and web presence.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Geolocation/Web Placement/Reputation Management/Marketing: I know, there is a lot on this point #5 and that is because there are a lot of opportunities to increase web visibility; organically and as a paid advertisement. I could write a book on this section, but will leave you with, “choose carefully” who, how and how much you are willing to pay for this and invest per potential customer.

All these web related aspects of “PR” can be hugely overwhelming, but can be highly beneficial to the visibility and success of your brand/business. Trained professionals along the way can be valuable assets in making your vision come to fruition. If you can’t afford to hire, bite off one piece at a time and hire out when you can. Less is often more and often it is better to not do something than to do it poorly on the web. If and when you do hire a consultant, shop around, speak to several before jumping into a contract and avoid blind faith and brother-in-law deals.

There are so many companies out there that take advantage of people, please check into all web-based companies and get everything in writing. Please also make sure that YOU have control of everything, passwords, logins etc... This is your brand...protect it!

Greta Perry, owner of Kickify, ”Pumping Up Your Web Presence,” has branded herself both on and off-line with her positive energy, intuitive use of technology, and networking successes. She is available for consulting or speaking for businesses and brands of all sizes. Greta is never far from the internet and can be contacted at Greta@kickify.com, Facebook, Twitter @kissmygumbo @kickify @ freetweetadvice, LinkedIn or Google + .

www.nationalmilitary

Pitfalls

By Matt Zemon

Six things to think about when starting a business Starting a new business is exhilarating and it can also be a bit daunting.

There are definitely hazards in the road, but luckily others have gone before and learned some important lessons. Much of that knowledge is available free and it provides a great resource when charting your course. My research pointed out a few important things which proved very helpful on my entrepreneurial journey.

Profit is important, but cash flow is the lifeblood that will enable you to pay your bills as you build a strong company. Every month you need to pay employees, suppliers and creditors and in the beginning, that money can come from lenders and/or you. To grow a sustainable business, the cash flow must eventually come from the sales of your product or service. Only then will you be on solid footing to reach profitability.

fees from multi-unit branded chains, licensing fees from brands, and licensing fees from technology or patents.

Minimize up front capital expenditures with thorough research and imaginative solutions.

For example, use a VoIP service or virtual service like grasshopper.com rather than investing in a costly phone service. These sorts of prudent decisions will allow you to lower your initial capital expenses allowing

conferences and online sources. Get to know them first before you make your decision and make sure the two of you can work together productively.

Be very specific in delineating responsibilities and make sure your prospective partner understands them and agrees. Finally, get it in writing. Here I recommend two very different documents:

Take yourself seriously as a First, of course you will need a business owner and pay partnership agreement. Use yourself adequately. No an attorney who can talk you As President & CEO, Matt Zemon brings over 20 years of operaone works harder and a through the various options tions, billing and customer service experience to American Support. competitive salary will and what happens if you need American Support is the nation’s only complete provider of backkeep you fully engaged. It to “break up” at some point. office services to the telecommunications industry, supporting our also provides an imporSecond, create a scorecard country by providing an alternative to offshore labor.

Matt has been tant element to accurately that details exactly what you named one of Triangle Business Journal’s 40 under 40 while Amerassess the financial state expect each other to do. ican Support is included in CableFax’s “Top 10 places in the cable of your business. If you Making sure your expectations industry to work” and WorldBlu’s “Most Democratic Organizations”. are underpaying yourself, are aligned in the beginning it is harder to gauge the will go a long way towards a health of the company. good working relationship.

In my experience, products or services that generate recurring revenue are the best way to shore up vital cash flow for new businesses. You might think of this as making one sale for multiple months of service. This kind of recurring revenue model guarantees longer term cash flow and firmly connects your customer to your product or service.

It is also great, because you have consistent revenue and don’t have to spend time reselling every month. Some examples of this type of recurring revenue businesses include, utilities (with direct monthly debits), software as service, royalties from content, franchise

yspousenetwork.org

for more cash to be used towards operations, which is critical to young businesses.

Considering bringing in a partner? If so, carefully think through what you need from them. Is it expertise that you don’t possess or funding from someone that will be silent?

If you are going to work with them, what temperament and personality traits are you looking for? Once you know what you are looking for in a partner, look in as many places as possible to find someone that meets your criteria; chambers of commerce, networking, industry events, trade shows,

Lastly, seeking perfection for your product or your company is futile, just as it is in life.

Many entrepreneurs subscribe to delivering the “minimum viable product.” The idea is that chasing perfection deflects resources from the step by step activities that move a business forward. In short, get something to market and then work to make it better based on the feedback you receive. Small but real improvements on a regular basis will keep you and your business moving forward.

23

The Perfect Career Fit for Military Spouse Lawyers?

by Rachel Rodgers, Esq.

There are several challenging hurdles to overcome for military spouse lawyers to maintain a continuous, profitable legal career. Having to be admitted to the bar to obtain work with a particular firm, agency or organization in any given state is very difficult when you are frequently moving and don’t know with any degree of certainty where your next assignment might be. Taking the bar every time you move is not realistic.

I know several military spouse lawyers who have resigned to taking on paralegal positions when they moved to states they weren’t admitted in. After doing all of the hard work required to become a lawyer and spending the large sum it takes to get through law school, this is not a realistic solution.

I can relate to this struggle. Though my spouse is not in the military, we have moved from state to state over the past few years for the sake of his career. I’ve only lived in the states whose bar I am admitted to for a few months out of my legal career thus far. I had to figure out a solution to build a law practice that would make sense for my lifestyle if I ever wanted to do the type of legal work I dreamed of, work with the kind of clients that would be perfect for me and make the kind of money I expected to make back when I was taking out all of those law school loans.

Fortunately, I discovered the virtual law office. Realizing that I could have an online-based, location-independent practice sent me over the moon! It was the perfect solution for my semi-nomadic lifestyle.

What is a virtual law office?

In a VLO, the attorney works with mostly transactional practice servclients from their barred state pro- ing small businesses, however I have A Virtual Law Office (VLO) is a viding legal services through a secure handled housing court cases and means for practicing law entirely portal online, similar to online bank- family law cases on a limited-scope online. This means that no physiing.VLOs who are running a practice basis through my virtual law office. cal office is required allowing attorfrom one state while serving clients neys to maximize profit while having from another state, usually do not Is it doable? the option to work from anywhere. go to court. But you can create a The VLO is especially beneficial to The benefits of a virtual law office are limited scope litigation practice in attorneys who want a flexible lifepretty clear. A practice on your own which you provide unbundled legal style while still maintaining a sucterms with very low overhead that services to clients online. I have a cessful and lucrative legal career.

24

www.nationalmilitary

Attention Milspouse Lawyers: In addition to her session on Protecting Your Intellectual Property during our Entrepreneur half-day, Rachel will also be presenting a pre-conference session entitled: Her Virtual Law Office on Thursday, October 17th in Old Town Alexandria. For more information about her workshop, go here http://www.hervirtuallawofficelive.com/

can follow you from state to state without establishing a new client base every time you move. Not to mention, the ability to work from home and control home much you want to work and how much money you want to make for a balanced legal career.

Of course, all those benefits don’t come easy. There are some challenges to overcome when developing a profitable virtual law office.

Some of the challenges include: • Figuring out the right business entity for your virtual law practice particularly when you are frequently moving.

• Complying with the ethics rules of your state bar (some states are just getting around to officially recognizing virtual law offices) as well as the state bar of the states that you move to. Luckily, most state bars now permit virtual law offices but have specific rules to comply with, such as ensuring that you are not accepting clients outside of your barred state, being clear in your marketing that you do not have a physical office and registering with the state

to accept service on your behalf. close to my 16 month old daughter.

• Maintaining client security when Building your own VLO working over the internet rathI have worked with several military er than face to face can be a chalspouse lawyers to help them crelenge without the right tools. ate their own virtual law office that would follow them from state to • And of course, learning how to marstate but allow continuity in their ket to and obtain clients in a virtual work and enable them to maintain law office setting is another challenge. relationships with the same set of clients from the state(s) where they These challenges definitely require are admitted to practice law. In my some extra research time and effort opinion, the virtual law office is the before you can start your virtual law solution for military spouse lawoffice. Nevertheless, over the last yers who want to maintain profitfew years I have been able to overable, uninterrupted legal careers. come each and every one of these challenges and build a profitable, If you want to learn more about sustainable practice with clients I the ethics rules in your relevant love and bringing in the type of monstates related to virtual law pracey I expected to make as a lawyer. tice, check out Stephanie Kimbro’s blog. She covers the latest news It wasn’t always easy but building my on ethics rules related to VLOs. virtual law office was definitely worth the effort to establish a legal career And if you are interested in learnthat seamlessly follows me wherever ing more about how you can build I go. So far I have run my practice your own profitable virtual law offrom New Jersey, California, Arizona, fice, sign up for my free e-course South Dakota and even while on Virtual Law Office 101: An Introvacation in Europe. I also love that duction to Building a Lucrative VLO. it allows me to work from home

This article is a resource for educational and informational purposes and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. No information in this article creates an attorney-client relationship between us. Rachel Rodgers is a business lawyer for women entrepreneurs. She runs her practice,Rachel Rodgers Law Office, entirely online. In addition to practicing law, Rachel blogs about virtual law offices and teaches a workshop for women lawyers who want to practice law online through her website, Her Virtual Law Office. She has been featured in Forbes, MSNBC, The Washington Post and other publications. Rachel is passionate about supporting military families who make so many sacrifices in service to our country.

yspousenetwork.org

25

Maintaining Career Continuity as a Milita

by Carol Fishman Cohen

Career continuity is one of the biggest challenges of life as a military spouse. Obviously, frequent moves are the culprit; it is difficult to build a career when changing locations every two to three years.

What follows are two examples of military spouses who were able to maintain career continuity over numerous moves, albeit with occasional volunteer work as part of the mix. Take a look at their stories and note the creative ways they were able to keep working.

Jennifer Cropper Jennifer served in the Army for three years and then completed her college degree on the GI Bill. Following her graduation, she found immediate employment at a Colorado bank call center, was promoted within ten months to supervising a team of fifteen sales representatives, and was then promoted again to Branch Retail Sales Manager. Married to an Air Force officer, they were moved to Virginia. With her call center experience, Jennifer was able to get a job fairly quickly, planning the design and operations of a new call center for a resort company. She also was 26

responsible for running training and spouses clubs. Between the public staffing for that call center. speaking, the fundraising, event organization, and marketing, Jennifer was However, the company decided to keeping her general business skills outsource the call center overseas current. and Jennifer lost the job. Jennifer began volunteering with the Langley Officers’ Spouses’ Club as the Historian, Membership Chairperson, and President. After four years, she and her husband moved to Alabama for only 10 months. Then they were transferred to Osan Air Base, Korea where she worked on base as a substitute teacher, and also tutored students on the side. (Note to non-military readers: spouses cannot work in “the economy” overseas or risk losing their VISA/SOFA status).

After two years, her husband was transferred to Germany. Jennifer continued to volunteer in leadership positions at the Officers’ Spouses’ Club. She developed a marketing campaign that resulted in over 100 international spouses joining the Club, raised over $200,000 in scholarship funds, and $10,000 for community improvements. Her presentations focusing on challenges faced by military families and the need for more local support resulted in over 30 business owners agreeing to partner with the

Then Jennifer made a decision. She knew her husband’s military service was going to end within the next two years. After 11 months in Germany, Jennifer decided to move back to the Washington, D.C. area ahead of her husband, to look for permanent employment. Knowing her five years of call center management for the bank in Colorado was her strongest work experience, she focused on work-

www.nationalmilitary

ary Spouse “ Jennifer and Christina demonstrated they could maintain career continuity by using a combination of strategic volunteer work, entrepreneurial ventures, and part time work to augment conventional, full time jobs.” ing for the same bank but in a new location. She also knew she wanted to get back into Human Resources.

She was able to connect with some of her old colleagues from the bank in Colorado, but had a hard time finding the right position in Human Resources. She ended up with two offers, a sales position with the bank, and a U.S. Army Civilian position. She decided on the sales job.

Jennifer spoke frankly about the process “It’s a foot back in the door and I can work my way back to HR. I’m planning on going back for my masters in HR and get my PHR certification. During my interview process, I found it very difficult to overcome being a military spouse..... I really had to explain myself to the point where I told one hiring manager that when it came to moving, I was the project manager in my household. There are numerous logistics that need to be dealt with and as a spouse, 90% of the responsibilities fell on my lap. I even told him how difficult it is being a spouse of a deployed military member. At the end of our interview, he still didn’t get it. “

Christina Crawford Right after graduating from Kings College in New York, military spouse Christina Crawford spent an entire year volunteering for Army Emergency Relief and Army Community Service at Fort Lewis where her husband was stationed. Army Emergency Relief ultimately employed her as a budget counselor, helping families figure out how to pay their bills, and assisting with credit counseling and bankruptcy filings. At the same time, she took an H&R Block tax course and did tax preparation work for six months before moving to Fort Benning, where she worked as a retails sales associate for five months. Moving to Germany, Christina became certified as an aerobics instructor and took over an aerobics class on the base from another instructor who was moving away.

Christina was successful in finding paid work every time she moved, finding her tax preparation skills and her aerobics instructor certification were particularly marketable. She was able to get work in one of these two areas whenever she moved, both on base and off. Ultimately, she be-

Carol Fishman Cohen is the co-founder of career reentry programming company iRelaunch and co-author of the career reentry strategy book Back on the Career Track.

Visit Carol at www.iRelaunch.com and contact her at info@iRelaunch.com.

yspousenetwork.org

came a demonstrator for Stampin’ Up, selling rubber stamps at home parties used for handmade greeting cards, scrap booking, and craft projects. She became one of their top producers and kept that position as she moved from base to base over a 15 year period. Now that her husband’s military service is over and she has settled in Northern Virginia, she runs the Chic Envy (hyperlink to www.chicenvy.com) consignment center with her daughter; a successful venture that also allows her to give back to the community.

Jennifer and Christina engaged primarily in paid work, with some periods of volunteer work in between.

Christina relied on her transferable skills of tax preparation and aerobics instructing to find jobs, and Jennifer focused on call center operations in different industries. Both women chose substantive volunteer work when paid work was not an option - whether it was Jennifer working with the Officers’ Spouses’ Club or Christina working for Army Emergency Relief. Jennifer and Christina demonstrated they could maintain career continuity by using a combination of strategic volunteer work, entrepreneurial ventures, and part time work to augment conventional, full time jobs.

27