Spouses find success in home-based businesses Published Nov. 14, 2012 By Sarina Houston VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Maybe I'm dating myself, but when my husband first entered the military, the only people that got to work from home were involved in direct-sell businesses like Pampered Chef and PartyLite. While I avoided these people like a plague at first, I was also secretly wondering how I could land a work-from-home job. I eventually succumbed to -- and later abandoned -- selling Pampered Chef while stationed overseas. Today, more spouses are working from home than ever before, and not just in direct-sell businesses. Ordinary companies are increasingly willing to allow telecommuting and spouses are generally becoming more educated and excited about entrepreneurship. Here at Vance, I'm continuously surprised and intrigued by the number of work-from-home spouses I meet. We have photographers, technical writers, lawyers, small business owners and the ever popular direct-sell business such as Scentsy and Tupperware. But we also have administrative professionals, nutritionists and craft-makers that have turned their skills into successful work-from-home careers. "I really feel like when my husband got his dream job, I got mine too," says Christine Busch, a Vance-based entrepreneur. "My husband joining the Air Force gave me the push to quit my agency job and start doing my graphic design from home." Christine's husband, Tim, is currently in JSUPT, and she says she likes having the flexibility to work around her husband's unpredictable schedule, allowing her to spend time with him while he's home and work while he's away. In a way, military spouses are in a prime position for entrepreneurship. They typically have the stability of their husband's military paycheck and full benefits to fall back on. There are other financial benefits, too, like loan initiatives specific to the military community, courtesy of the Small Business Administration. There are also advantages and benefits available for women-owned businesses. If that isn't enough, earlier this year, Michelle Obama, the nation's first spouse, announced a new effort that would offer at-home jobs to thousands of military spouses in the way of telemarketing and customer service. Over 100 private sector companies pledged to focus their efforts on hiring military spouses. More information about the new spouse initiative can be found at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123296805. So how do you land one of these work-from-home gigs? Well, there isn't just one answer to that question. Spouses have obtained their jobs in many different ways. Some built a business from scratch. Others were convinced by a friend that a direct-sell business is a great way to go and they found success in it. And many others landed their at-home job by chance: being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of opportunities that presented themselves. There seems to be one common factor. Most spouses who work from home have learned to capitalize on their skills, passions and interests. They found what works for them and they took a chance. If you're not the entrepreneurial type, you can seek out work-from-home jobs by asking around in the industry you'd like to work in. But be careful of the work-from-home schemes offered online: A countless number of them are scams. Another Vance-based spouse, Holly Gannett, is a self-made photographer. When she decided to take up photography as a hobby, Holly had no idea that it would turn into a full-time business. "Moving, having kids, the struggling economy, and wanting to be at home but still have a career all motivated me to be self-employed," says Holly. Other than finding it difficult to re-brand her business with each military move, Holly says that her ability to work from anywhere makes her situation ideal for a military lifestyle. She encourages others to do what they love. "Don't be afraid to try the things you wish you could do. Doing what you love will make you happier in the long run." Sarina is the Key Spouse for the 3rd Flying Training Squadron and is married to Capt. Jacob Houston in the 3rd FTS at Vance AFB.