Install Parallels 9 first, then Windows 8.1?

Hello,

Just purchased Parallels 9 this afternoon, and MacBook Air with Maverick last week.
So right now I have an image file of Parallels 9 on my MacBook Desktop. I do not yet have the Windows operating system.
I should double-click the Parallel image disk and install Parallels 9 first.
THEN go to Microsoft's Online Store and purchase Windows 8.1, download that as an image file.
Open up Parallels application and install Windows via Parallels application? Is this correct?

I do not yet have any application software that use Windows. But I plan to purchase a tax and accounting software that uses Windows. Do I download these two applications and install as usual? I would like "coherence mode" as these are the only 2 applications I intend to have that use Windows.

Thank you.

 

P.s.

I've been reading some of the other posts. You have to activate Bootcamp first? Then install Parallels 9? Then purchase and install Windows 8.1 via Parallels 9?

Cindy