At U.S. Army Fort Benning in Georgia, some families have found a small business enterprise uniquely suited to their lifestyle in direct selling. The fort’s publication shares how spouses are building community and earning additional income, due in part to the relatively low startup costs, work-at-home flexibility and training afforded direct selling entrepreneurs.
In the August issue of DSN, the Direct Selling Association’s Alyssa Wolice addresses the many ways our industry’s entrepreneurs represent “A Driving Force for Innovation” in this country. “By offering both men and women equal opportunities to launch independent businesses in any field of their choosing, the direct selling industry has empowered millions, including many who have felt discriminated against because of their lack of access to higher education or expensive job training, or their inability to adhere to a fixed employment schedule due to family or personal obligations,” Wolice explains.
Residents of Fort Benning represent a segment of the population with considerable “family or personal obligations.” Opportunities for spouses to earn an alternative income are appealing, but limited to the constraints of a military lifestyle—which denotes frequent, and sometimes unpredictable, moves from one station to the next.
“Owning your own business means you can take your job anywhere you go,” said Cari Morgan, a military spouse and Independent Senior Director with Thirty-One Gifts. “It gives you the opportunity to put family first and work on your own schedule, and it helps you meet people in your new environment as you introduce your business to the community.”
As Wolice notes, over half of Americans own or participate in a small business enterprise. Direct selling extends that opportunity beyond the reach of brick-and-mortar businesses, and it does so in a way that does not limit entrepreneurs to a specific product or service. The industry encompasses a range of companies, with opportunities suited to diverse interests and expertise.
