5 Businesses You Can Start Today As A Milspouse



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I'd never had trouble finding employment, but it took time to find my “dream job”. 

It was so fulfilling to have a job that I enjoyed and paid what I deserved. This made all those other jobs leading up to it worth it. Then my husband approached me about going back into the military. Of course, I support and love him, but so many things went through my mind. 

First came questions about how long he would be gone and how life would be for our future military children. But I was also scared about what I would do for work. After all, I worked hard for that job! 

So now I needed a flexible job, something that would follow me everywhere.

As a fellow military spouse, I know the struggle you may be facing in your job search. I firmly believe in maintaining your own identity apart from your spouse and their career, kids, chores, errands, and never-ending to-do lists. The best place to start is earning your own money doing something you enjoy that won’t fall apart every time deployment or a PCS comes up.

But where do you start? Here are 5 businesses that you can start today as a Milspouse. 

Virtual assistant

For many small and large business owners, having a virtual assistant is considered vital AND a lifesaver. A virtual assistant is anyone who offers services to other business owners from afar in exchange for an agreed-upon fee. Pretty simple right?

If you break down everything that you can do as a virtual assistant, you may be surprised at the options you can provide clients. These may include any of the following: 

  • customer support

  • processing online orders and refunds 

  • website design and maintenance

  • graphic design

  • calendar management and travel arrangements

  • editing and proofreading content 

  • transcription

  • bookkeeping

  • data entry

This list of tasks available for a virtual assistant is vast, and virtual assistants are always in demand. 

Freelance Writer

If you enjoy writing, you may love this one. Basically, companies hire you to write blog posts, articles, interviews, and more for their site. They could be a ‘blogger’ or a business owner that needs content but does not have time to write them. You also may consider starting your own blog to build up your portfolio before pitching to other blogs, websites, and more to provide content. Blogging can be as little as a few 300-500 word posts for $20-40 each or up to $600+ for longer posts with more research required.

Social Media Influencer 

Is there something you are passionate about? Something that you will discuss with anyone at any time? Maybe you are passionate about fashion, healthy meals, fitness, travel, or photography. Or perhaps you want to help others change their lives, learn a new skill, or gain insight about a specific topic. Influencing might be the right fit for you.  

Influencers are creators who share content while building communities around topics and niches. Instagram is a visual platform and a great place to start. Content creators covering travel, photography, fashion, beauty, fitness, food, and more find success on Instagram, as do lifestyle influencers who share aspects of their personal lives on the platform. Influencers can be found on TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube...you name it, there is a place for social media influencers.

Social Media Manager

This is a little different than a virtual assistant. This role is focused on social media and making it work for the client. Here’s a job you can do if you have experience on social media - which most of us do! After all, social media is here to stay. Build yourself a portfolio showing that you can run groups on Facebook, work on engagement on each platform, and even come up with some sample graphics and posts. Along with Facebook, you will want to be familiar with Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. You will need to keep on top of trends and new features with each. 

And do not forget about Pinterest! Did you know that Pinterest is a huge search engine? You can utilize it to help drive traffic to your client’s website and products directly through there. Setting up awesome pin graphics and scheduling them at the right time helps your client get the exposure they need.

These can all be automated to help you and your client schedule in advance. There are many scheduling options, such as Tailwind, Planoly, Post Planner, etc. You will want to discuss with your clients which ones they prefer, so ensure you are familiar with them. Many have free trials so you can get familiar with the features prior to clients requesting them. 

Create/Sell a Physical Product 

Can you recall a time when someone said to you, “You know, you should sell this!”? Maybe it was a screen pressed shirt you made for your kid’s 2nd birthday; some homemade decor for Christmas; a BBQ sauce you don’t even need the recipe for because it’s a part of your blood. You may also see a need for a product or something that, if created, would make life easier for others. If you have ideas like this, you can turn that into a business that will go with you wherever you are! 

Take some time to brainstorm your ideas and check out the market for similar items. Then use platforms like Etsy, Amazon, Gumroad, and even military spouse specific platforms like Spouse-ly to sell your product. 




Whatever route you choose, there are so many options for military spouses to become successful entrepreneurs. Find support that will make all the difference and don’t simply assume that military life can stop you from fulfilling your dreams. 


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Noralee Jones is a MILSO of 12 years, mom of 4, and writer/creator at Mrs. Navy Mama. Having experience with 7 deployments, 4 PCS moves alone, and the author of the Self-Care Guide for MILSOs, she is an expert on the importance of taking the time to focus on filling our bodies, minds, and souls with our individual needs in order to make the most out of our lives. She is also the Co-Author of The Newbie’s Guide to Military Life, which focuses on supporting MILSOs through the ups and downs of military life through Mrs. Navy Mama. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.


Pinterest + Entrepreneurs: You NEED To Be Using This!



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If you are an avid internet searcher, especially when it comes to DIY projects, wedding ideas or even recipes, you will likely find a link that will lead you to Pinterest. It is a search engine much like Google. 

We often think of Pinterest as more of an app for hobbies or crafts and nothing to do with business.

What we might not know is that Pinterest is an up and coming platform with over 200 million users. These are users that are searching for just about anything these days. Users search either out of boredom, ideas, or for ways to make money. 

According to Sarah Ankney, an accomplished social media strategist, the newest social media strategy for anyone in business is now Pinterest - just like Facebook and Twitter and even LinkedIn.


So why use Pinterest instead of Google? 

Because it now has more user-based content. It has more images on a page than Google, and it is a FREE resource to get so much more than you could have ever imagined. 

Although Google has been the “go-to” for traditional searches, it will not help you form ideas from that particular search. You must already have the idea in mind of what you want to search for. Once you have searched for the topic on Pinterest, it will show you content based on that idea such as boards, pins and people to follow.

In the 2017 article “6 Compelling Reasons You Should Use Pinterest for Marketing” by Jessica Meher, she presents a startling fact. Pinterest has hit more than 10 million unique visitors, making it one of the fastest growing websites ever. Pinterest provides long term web-traffic, meaning that pins last for a long time giving you a greater return of investment on the information that is shared.

Although Facebook has been one of the biggest forces for many small businesses, the organic reach plummeted in 2015 as it moved from being a free resource to a paid media source. Facebook began requiring a business to pay for sponsored and boosted posts to get views, and there are restrictions in place. Pinterest allows one to share much more. From links to your writing, products/services, helpful videos, graphics...who knew? 

I just typed in “Pinterest for Entrepreneurs” and what popped up is enough for me to want to use it for business. “Unlimited free access to the world’s best ideas”.  Has that caught your attention yet? 


So, what can Pinterest do for you and your business? 

According to Ms. Virtual Maven, Pinterest can do plenty for you if done correctly. She reminds you that Pinterest is not just another social media platform for you to manage. Pinterest is a visual network which many have sought out for inspiration. 

How many things have you saved because they either inspired your creative side or motivated you to start something new? This is what Pinterest can do for you. Once you post or “pin” new content and your audience saves it, that same content is shared with their followers. “If you have great helpful content, you will reach many people regardless of how many followers you have.”

Bernadette Geyer of Pinterest for Entrepreneurs: Why? also points out that Pinterest is not the kind of place where an entrepreneur has to be posting every day just to be noticed. There is no pressure to post regularly. One less thing to worry about! 

So are you ready to use Pinterest as a way to promote your business? 

It really is as simple as organizing your bookmarks and creating boards. Your “digital bulletin boards” will help you and your followers find all your information quickly. Pinterest is a simple tool and game changer for entrepreneurs. So take a Pinterest 101 course and get pinning!

And make sure you check out AMSE’s Pinterest page for info, business tips, and more!



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Annette is a military spouse of over 21 years, mother to two teenagers, and a veteran who served in the Army for over seventeen years as a Chemical officer including a deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. She retired and decided to trade in her boots for Converse sneakers to be able to make up for lost time with her children. Since her retirement, she has PCSd from Fort Polk, LA to Fairfax, VA to support her husband's military career. Her blog A Wild Ride Called Life™, LLC. incorporates stories from her post-military life. She shares how she lives life as being a mom and military spouse living with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Along with writing, she also hosts a podcast titled “The Truths We Hide” where she share her story and also hosts guests who share theirs and offer advice to others to help them know that they are not alone.  

Annette is a mentor for veterans on Veterati and for military spouses on Ementor. She has a passion for volunteering and volunteers  as a mentor for TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for children survivors, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Trauma Survivors Network. She has also been offered a volunteer position with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention  in which she will be teaching and speaking to college campuses across Northern Virginia and the DC area. 

You can check out more about Annette at the following: linktr.ee/a_wild_ride_called_life