More and more people are choosing the life of a digital nomad – defined as someone who works remotely and uses telecoms to make a living. This could be anyone: from a graphic designer working from a coffee shop in Bali for a client in New York, to a social media manager working from home for a local client. What they generally have in common is that they are not restricted to a certain workplace – all that is usually needed is a device to work on and an internet connection. This lifestyle appeals to those who want to get away from the structured worklife of working fixed hours in a set location. When you see the amazing places people are now able to work from, with such few requirements, it is little wonder why so many people are choosing this lifestyle. Below are some tips you may want to take when considering becoming a digital nomad.
Identify your skills
You will almost certainly be familiar with using a computer and the internet so let’s step ahead. Are you a competent writer, artist, coder or marketer? If you are any of these (amongst many, many more) then these are great skills to have in terms of their demand, as well as the ease with which this work can be done online.
Sign up to a freelancing website
Upwork, Remote Tasks and Fiverr, to name a few, are great places to start selling your skills as services. This is an online marketplace for jobs so it is very competitive, and just like traditional job hunting, fix up your CV and have a portfolio of past work ready for any potential clients to see. There are a plethora of online jobs on these sites that are all pretty much workable from any location with a steady internet connection. You’ll find your standard jobs such as content writing and website marketing, to less common tasks such as UI designer for a room scheduler. Signing up to these sites are key to taking the step towards being a digital nomad.
Take your business online
If you have a physical business, you may want to consider restructuring it in a way where you can manage it online without physically being there. If you own a brick-and-mortar store, then consider taking it fully online, or delegating the physical store operations to a manager and deal with the online work yourself. This may actually even be advantageous as not only would you be able to travel and work simultaneously, but you may also be able to expand as a result.
Start an online business
If you don’t have a business to take online, why not create one? There are many types of business that can be created and run completely online. Think of dropshipping stores or a social media management business – these may not be the quickest or easiest to set up and maintain, but if you really value your freedom to work wherever you want, this could be a good option.
