giant strides in technology that have occurred in the last seventeen years.
Today, a young entrepreneur can literally use the power of a smart phone to run a variety of convenient small businesses. And most likely, any business they choose will leverage the power of social media to do work for them at all hours of the day or night. There is also a strong possibly that his or her business will occur in multiple countries across the globe and in multiple languages. In today’s world, all this could happen from the palm of your hand, with you still in your PJs, sitting comfortably on the couch. The power of technology today is literally mind blowing. And it’s providing much needed empowerment to the milpreneurs who deserve it!
Ten “Secret Weapons” in Business
I have always been an entrepreneur at heart.
In fact, some of my earliest business memories as an elementary student are of putting together “junk stores” on my front steps. There, I would sell all the prizes that I had earned at the school store for good behavior and top grades. I would bring home my weekly collection of pencils, scented erasers, and stickers (back when those were a “thing”), and display them on the front porch with a homemade “open” sign. I had the advantage of being one of the oldest kids in the neighborhood, and thankfully my little sister and her friends looked up to me, so my junk store had immediate legitimacy.
Like any smart businesswoman, I tested my prices out on the local market. I played with how much the kids in the surrounding houses would pay to bring home my wares. One would think they wouldn’t have much value, given that anyone could earn the prizes themselves for free. But what I found was astonishing! I hit the jackpot with my elementary school customers; they wanted to buy it all! Not only was it fun to have eager customers, but they also taught me my first lessons in presentation and viral word-of-mouth marketing. If I made sure my goods were arranged in an appealing and organized manner and I took good care of the “well-connected” kids on the block, they organically spread the word and business stayed steady.
Given my exciting success, I experimented with adding other random “junk” items to my list of offerings; like Halloween candy I didn’t like and rocks. Yes…rocks! Straight from the back yard to my store. Apparently, that was the point where my greed had gotten the better of my business plan. Before I knew it, the mother of the children who lived next door leaned out her door with her finger up pointing at me, yelling, “My kids will not be buying anymore of your overpriced JUNK!”
That ended the junk selling, but it certainly did not stop my love for entrepreneurism. Whether I played piano for tips at Christmas, sold tickets to family to watch backyard plays I produced with my cousins, or sewed the simplest purses for sale, I was always dreaming up something! I don’t remember my parents particularly encouraging my ideas, but they certainly didn’t quash them either.
As I grew up and began life as an adult, my business ideas shifted to focus on what I could do to help the military world around me. First, there was my big idea to open a coffee hut called the “Daily Grind.” Then, there was my idea to create a series of binders for military families who needed to keep track of different categories of documents. There was also my attempt at securing military base aerobics contracts. And I even toyed with how to create a work-from-home business that would sell fashionable workout clothes. By now, almost all of these ideas have been accomplished by someone else (you’re welcome for the leggings idea, LuLaRoe!), but I like to think my ideas were ahead of my time.
While I was fortunate to start my entrepreneurial journey as a child, as I gained more experience in business I observed that many of my business-owning peers started later in life. Most often, their business ideas would form around their passions and how they could solve problems they saw within the world. I also noticed that many of my friends were propelled by the confidence they had gained through their military experiences.
And then it dawned on me.
Maybe it wasn’t just my lifelong interest in business that helped me gain success. Perhaps the military life I had been a part of for the previous ten years also played a big hand in providing me with the right set of skills to be an entrepreneur?!
As I thought through this idea on a deeper level, I realized there were many reasons why military life was conducive to business ownership. In fact, they were really strong reasons, too…so much so that I eventually named them “secret weapons.” Let’s take a look at the top ten “secret weapons” from military life that creates great entrepreneurs.
Top Ten “Secret Weapons” (from Military Life) That Create Great Entrepreneurs:
1 1. The Powerful Military Network
It is common to hear that business is all about “who you know.” Fortunately, the military community is one giant network of great contacts. With each new move or Permanent Change of Station (PCS), a military family meets a whole new set of people through work, school, base neighborhoods, church, and other community organizations. People who retire from the military usually move at least a handful of times, creating a large network of similarly suited contacts.
Word spreads quickly within the military community once they recognize the value of a great product or service on the market. In fact, “word of mouth” marketing is actually an organic process in military networks. Why? Everyone heavily relies on the opinions and suggestions of their counterparts. In fact, every time we find out we are relocating to a new area, the first thing we do is think about who we already know there and ask them for their recommendations.
The first three questions I always ask are:
• “What are the best schools in the area?”
• “Do you have a favorite hair stylist and how much do they charge?”
• “What is your favorite restaurant?”
The fun part about all this is that military families love to share their favorites. So, when any entrepreneur develops his or her business concept, your local military network is an invaluable resource for marketing! Additionally, because military families are frequently on a regular relocation cycle, their connections extend far and wide across all continents, allowing for quick expansion. Having “boots on the ground” in simultaneous markets can allow for quick growth into multiple areas.
When I launched my social commerce business in 2010, I didn’t exactly know whether it would work. But I did know that it had a lot of utility for military spouses. The business model was lean, it did not need a lot of inventory, and the marketing was done by leveraging the power of social media. That created a huge opportunity for portable work, if people could digest the concept and get over the stigma of similar business models of the past. That left the big question: would my network want to share the message?
Despite my concerns, I jumped in and gave it my all. In just six years, my organization blossomed from a party of one to an organization of over eight thousand entrepreneurs spanning six continents, fourteen time zones, countless military bases and producing over eighteen million dollars annually. Even though the number of civilians on the team now outnumbers the military members, the military values of hard work and being a part of something bigger than yourself have permeated everything we do. Our team has rallied around the idea that being able to serve others with business success is far more motivation than merely just earning a paycheck. I truly believe that the majority of our early growth would never have been possible without the power of our
