With so many apps and technologies that make staying connected wherever you are easy, it’s not surprising that remote work is becoming increasingly popular with employers and workers alike. For employers, it helps to reduce running costs while retaining top performing employees, and workers enjoy the freedom to manage their own schedule, avoid rush hour traffic and make better use of their most productive times without the distractions of a busy office.
Digital nomads take this trend one step further. Either working for a fulltime employer, striking out on their own as a freelancer or running their own venture, they throw travel into the mix – moving where and when they choose while using the web to work and make money. For those whose biggest passion has always been travel, it’s an awesome combination! Like every lifestyle choice, being a digital nomad has its downsides too – and whether it will make a good fit for you is something only you can answer.
Understand the drawbacks:
Most digital nomads don’t have a long-term contract with a fulltime employer, and that means they usually don’t enjoy the protections that come with a salaried position at an office. There’s a great deal more uncertainty, as work can dry up at any moment, clients might fail to pay on time, and the location you’ve researched might turn out not to have all the facilities they promised. And while it might look like an endless vacation from the outside, you still have to meet all your deadlines, be available during your employer’s office hours, and basically get the job done.
You’re also bound to feel a little isolated with your friends, family, pets and familiar surroundings back home so far away. But if you’re willing to risk some stability, comfort and certainty for a life that lets you see the world, meet new people, expand your horizons and experience something new every day, then it might just be the change you’ve been craving.
How to get started
There are no rules when it comes to being a digital nomad, that’s one of the things that makes it so appealing. If you want to take on only the minimum amount of work to keep you solvent while spending most of your time enjoying the location you’re in at the time, that’s fine. If you want to stay in one place building up your business for several weeks, go for it. One thing you do absolutely need, of course, is a way to make money!
Make a list of the talents you have that translate well to remote work. Get inspiration from people who’ve made the transition successfully. From consulting to creative work, tutoring individual students or putting together your own online courses, blogging and creating YouTube videos, running an online store or becoming an affiliate, to offering marketing services or working as a virtual assistant – or combining several of these skills – the possibilities are there. Investigate the industries that appeal to you and find out how much scope there is.
Start a side gig, or speak to your employer about starting to work remotely
If you want to keep the job you already have, it’s a good idea to introduce your employer to the idea gradually. You could start working from home just a few days a week, so you can prove to them that your productivity will be improved, not hampered, and that you’ll still always be available and easily reachable when they need you. If you intend to strike out on your own, then you best get your side hustle on before you hand in that resignation letter!
Shortlist dream destinations
To start off with, you’ll need to limit your travel horizons to what you can afford, and where you can get reliable internet access or cell reception. Many digital nomads have a final destination in mind and spend several months moving gradually towards it before deciding on their next location. Sometimes they fall in love with a place so much, they end up staying! If you’d like to make hunting out the perfect spot to retire part of your journey, then throw in some destinations that would make good options for this. Mauritius immigration requirements, for example, are particularly attractive to successful digital nomads, and who wouldn’t want to retire in paradise?
Lose the baggage, get out of debt, start small and dream big!
Digital nomads travel light. Often this means shrinking your worldly belongings down to what fits in a camper van or even a backpack – leaving anything else in storage or letting it go altogether. It’s also very unwise to try and transition to this kind of lifestyle if you’re in debt, as a fluctuating income will make it very difficult to stay on top of payments. Saving up money for emergencies and unexpected costs like broken laptops is a great idea too. With all those boxes ticked, it’s time to take a deep breath, step outside your comfort zone, and turn life into an adventure!
