“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
– Winston Churchill. Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II
Taken from the book ‘Building Business Beyond the Magnolia Box – Inspiration for entrepreneurs living in a modern military world. Out now and available on Amazon.
Now, it’s pretty inevitable that when you are partnered with someone in the British Armed Forces, they will get posted at some time or another.
Military postings are where the serving person is moved into a new job or posted into a new role, both abroad or in the UK. Sometimes this can be in the same base as they are already stationed at but, the majority of the time, it can be to a different base in the UK or, potentially, anywhere in the world. Usually, they are accompanied postings, which means that you might choose to go, too. You will have access to military married quarter accommodation and a team of movers who will help you with as much or as little as you’d like. Now, I’m not going to go into the fine details of military moves as, quite frankly, there is a lot of MOD admin that might change and, also, it’s a long and tedious process that you can only truly understand when it happens! Or when it all changes at the last minute.
But, with all that said, I really want to help you if you are moving and running your own business. Yes, it can be done!
That’s why, in the following blog, you’ll find my best tips for surviving a military move when you own and run a small business. All of these tips are tried and tested within my own business, and I have even asked my best business pals to contribute their ideas, too. At the time I wrote this book, I had been married to my husband for almost ten years and we have just completed our seventh house move so, it’s fairly safe to say, I have A LOT of experience in moving my business across the UK.
It has been intense and challenging, to say the least, but it’s also given me some of the best times I have ever encountered. There’s nothing like moving every ten minutes to help you see just how strong your marriage is and just how kind this military community can be.
Making your business transient is crucial if it’s going to survive this crazy military life. We need a business that’s accessible and open to clients and customers no matter where we find ourselves living or the time zone we find ourselves in.
As a business owner and wife of an RAF husband, I chose to relocate every couple of years as his job dictates, meaning that I take my design business, Design Jessica, with me.
Here are seven of my best tips to help you with a military posting as a business owner…
CRM Systems and your customers
I couldn’t be without my CRM (customer relationship management) system. It allows me to keep my clients’ details and work streams in one place and it’s the first place I head to after my morning coffee. I use Pipedrive but others include Asana, which I have heard fantastic things about, and Basecamp, but there are loads out there. Most offer a month’s free trial, which you can try out before signing up. It’s a great way to keep in touch with clients you have made a good relationship with before moving home.
The most influential people in your business are your clients. It can be incredibly difficult to find new clients but much easier to look after your existing ones.
As soon as you know that you are moving, email your clients and explain the situation and how you intend to work with them in the future. You can do this through your email list should you have a product or business, or individually if you are a service-based business.
The secret here is to stay completely transparent so that your customers and clients know the situation and realise what’s happening should you get busy and aren’t replying to their emails in the same timeframe that you usually would.
Lost Clients
One of the saddest parts about moving locations is that some of your clients will forget you. I try to counteract this by sending them the odd email or even a Christmas card each year but, usually, if you aren’t around and reminding them of your existence, you sometimes get forgotten. I don’t let this happen when it comes to my most important clients and will quite often travel quite a way to see them in person. I have also been known to send them flowers on their business birthdays, too. It’s a great way to keep in touch and stay at the forefront of their minds.
Social Media Scheduling
Keeping up with social media can be an absolute nightmare when you’re in the middle of moving. When the internet isn’t switched on for a couple of days or the router is somewhere beneath a pile of other boxes, the last thing you’re thinking about is a Facebook post. My tip? Schedule ahead.
There are loads of apps to help you schedule posts for later on. I’ve used Hootsuite, Later and Meet Edgar, all with varied results. Some you have to pay for and some are free for a limited number of accounts. So have a nosey to see which one suits you and your business the best.
Facebook’s scheduling tool, Meta Business Suite, is free to use and also posts to Instagram. It’s even better for your analytics but it won’t integrate any other platforms.
Can’t think of anything to schedule? Share about your move! People like to see the human side of your business – however, be sure to keep security at the forefront of your mind and avoid geo-tags or any identifying details in your posts that could reveal where you are.
Networking
I find the best way to find new clients and helpful local businesses once you arrive, is through networking.
There are hundreds of networking groups available and it does take a bit of trial and error to find the great ones, but it is 100% worth it.
I love my networking groups. Not only are they great at helping to find new clients but it’s also lovely to talk business with like-minded people.
There’s much talk about the military community connecting with other networking communities and there are loads out there, so go and test them out! If you are keen to build a network that you can take everywhere the military takes you, then check out the free Virtual Networking events we run in the Milspo community.
Change your addresses
There’s no way around it – it’s one of the most annoying things to do when you are moving but it’s even more annoying if you forget to do it. Take some time to list your business profiles, subscriptions, insurances and deliveries so that you can plan the best dates to change them.
If you have a registered business address, you won’t need to worry about this too much as it won’t change, but you should let HMRC know about your contact address. You don’t want to miss out on any important post.
You can also set up a redirection service with Royal Mail for at least six months after you move should you forget to update anything important.
Getting Permissions
No matter where you are posted, you might need to ask permission to run your business from home, if that’s your plan.
Read your renter’s contract or, if you are in Service Family Accommodation (SFA), check with welfare at your new location to find out their suggestions for registering with whoever looks after your housing.
In my experience, it is always different on each base – sometimes, it’s done via email and sometimes through your serving partner’s chain of command but the best thing to do is ask. They may even have some valuable information about your new location whilst you are there.
Take Time Off
Finally, the most important one, which I found out the hard way! Being posted is tough and tiring. More tiring than I ever expected. I swear the boxes breed and multiply when you’ve got your back turned.
The most important tip I can give you if you’re due to be posted, is to book some time off from your business. Yes, it might seem like you can’t and posting dates will often change but, as long as you give your clients enough notice to send you work and have some systems in place for that time, you will be fine. They are human too and will understand.
Make sure you have an out-of-office on for your emails explaining that your internet access and work availability may be limited and email your most important clients personally, so they know you will be away for a bit. I always exaggerate how much time I will be away from the office just in case it all takes a bit longer than planned. Then, if it doesn’t, they’ll be happily surprised and impressed that I am back early.
There are no two ways about it – moving home with a business adds another level of stress and admin, but it is possible. I should know, I’ve done it a few times, so you can do it too! As long as you plan and rely on the systems mentioned above, it should all go as seamlessly as you can hope for. Of course, things will always spring up to challenge you but, after all that effort, you’ll be able to restart as smoothly as possible. Plus, you’ll be able to take advantage of all the new opportunities in your new location. How exciting is that!
Taken from the book ‘Building Business Beyond the Magnolia Box – Inspiration for entrepreneurs living in a modern military world. Out now and available on Amazon.
