Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!
Military Spouse Appreciation Day is celebrated each May on the Friday before Mother’s Day. This special day was first recognized in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. Military Spouses are the backbone of military families, and on this day, we honor the contributions and sacrifices they make in support of our troops.
Did you know? GotSpot is owned and operated by a military spouse! Our CEO Reda Hicks, who is also a practicing attorney, is passionate about helping other military spouses in the workforce. She is the founder of the Military Spouse JD Network, which advocates for licensing accommodations for military spouse attorneys. Reda is also actively involved in the Military Family Advisory Network, Bunker Labs’ Veterans in Residence program, and Houston Salute to Service. Recently, GotSpot was officially recognized as a military spouse owned enterprise by the U.S. Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce.
Reda knows firsthand how difficult it can be to maintain a career as a military spouse. In fact, a lack of employment opportunities is one of the biggest issues facing military spouses, and a source of financial stress for many military families. According to the Blue Star Families 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, 20% of military spouses are unemployed but looking for work, while 67% report being underemployed. Many factors contribute to the difficulties military spouses face finding work, including childcare expenses, frequent moves, a service members unpredictable schedule and more.
When faced with inconsistent and unfulfilling employment opportunities many spouses have decided to take matters into their own hands and start a business. Military spouses make excellent entrepreneurs! Military spouses are resourceful, resilient, and perform well in stressful situations. This gives them the advantage when starting a new business.
There are several helpful organizations and resources available to assist military spouse entrepreneurs including:
- AMSE (Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs): ASME offers members tools and resources to help launch their business.
- Boots to Business: The B2B program is operated by the SBA, and is open to veterans, military spouses, and dependents
- MilSpo Project: a global network of military spouses offering meetups, conferences, and workshops.
- Bunker Labs: Helps thousands of veterans and military spouses build and grow their businesses with educational resources and financial support.
- Hiring Our Heroes (Military Spouse Program): Run by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Hiring our Heroes helps military spouses with career development and networking opportunities.
Want to help support military families? Here are a few ways you can make a difference:
- Support military spouse, or veteran owned businesses in your area.
- Support non-profits and other organizations that are investing in military spouse or veteran entrepreneurs.
- Write to your representative about the importance of continuing efforts to help military spouses and veterans in the workforce.
