Sitting in your office chair clicking through weekly flight deals and drooling over Google images of amazing places, you just cannot stop daydreaming about that next epic holiday you have in mind – and you only just got home from your last a week ago.
Oh dear…
How are you simply going to cope for a whole year?
Well don’t get your knickers in a twist because there is a solution to your never-ending problem of wanting, craving, NEEDING to travel more… And that my friend is to become a location independent digital nomad.I’ll explain in simple terms.
What is a Digital Nomad?
A location independent digital nomad is basically someone who takes advantage of technology to create a lifestyle that allows them to live and work anywhere in the world with WiFi. Simply put, they choose to have location independent jobs that give them the freedom to choose where they work, when they work and how they work, without setting foot in another office ever again if so be it.
Sound like your kind of job? Read on. Maybe not? Read on anyway because I’m not sure you’re quite understanding how cool this is.
With social media and blogging becoming such prominent ways of communicating now (sometimes for all the wrong reasons), it makes it much easier for us to share our nifty ideas internationally and literally build successful businesses online from anywhere. Seriously, with free WiFi so accessible around the world these days, why not live it up in a new country whenever you feel like it?
People are digging this lifestyle left, right and centre, becoming the new age entrepreneurs – the nomadic digital entrepreneurs (and there are clubs).
How to Become a Location Independent Digital Nomad
If you’re into it, start doing your research. How can you take your passion, skills and experience travelling with you? Find out what types of location independent jobs people are creating online and mimic what they are doing to be successful – not copy, no-one likes a copycat.
Some of you might not have to go as far as being self-employed and some of you might not even have to leave the company you’re working for.
To give you a head start, I’ve come up with a list of 16 location independent jobs that digital nomads travel the world with so you can stop drooling over Google images and start working on your tan.
1. Run a blog or website
These days it’s easier than ever to create yourself a website on WordPress and start producing content on the internet. The more time you put into it, the more valuable content you create, which means more and more traffic coming your way. Once you have the traffic, you can make money in a few different ways. Some common ways include: displaying Google Adsense, selling private advertisement, writing sponsored posts and reviews, affiliate marketing and selling products. To get started with a nice little discount click here.
2. Freelance writing
A few ways to land writing gigs include: contacting websites directly via their “write for us” guidelines, signing up for platform like Freelancer.com, oDesk.com or Elance.com where you can search and apply for a number of online freelance jobs, checking up on job boards that offer remote opportunities such as Problogger and Nomad Jobs and also reaching out to a number of companies via email to offer your services. For this, it would be a good idea to have your own website to use as a reference.
3. Graphic or web design
Much like Freelance writing, you can find plenty of freelance graphic or web design opportunities all over the web, especially on platforms like Freelancer. For a more lucrative approach to this, you could also start your own business and advertise your services via Facebook or Google. Again, a website with an up to date blog and use of social media will help you to reach out to more people and attract new clients.
4. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is basically the act of promoting other peoples’ products that you trust and recommend. If someone clicks on the link that you provide them and then buys the product, you make a commission. There are a number of ways to go about this but the most effective way is to have a website where you are building an email list so that you can market offers to a more targeted audience. Make sure you only promote products relevant to your niche that you would use or have used and would highly recommend; otherwise you might end up with some unhappy readers. If you are interested in promoting a particular product, contact the company directly as they might have an affiliate program. Otherwise, you can sign up for affiliate platforms such as Amazon associates, Clickbank and Clicksure where you will instantly have access to all the links, banners and promotional material you need.
5. Run an online shop
Shopping isn’t limited to the mall anymore! If you’ve ever dreamt about having your very own shop up and running, don’t trap yourself. Do it online and you can take it around the world with you. These days there is also a system called drop-shipping that allows you to basically be the shop front while all the boxing and shipping is done for you elsewhere. How cool is that? Platforms like Shopify give you the shop template and all the tools so all you have to do is fill it in. They also give you the option to have a blog, which will help your site to rank higher in search engines (the more content, the better) and give people more reason to pay a visit. Again, use of social media and email marketing is key, as well as advertising if you want to reach a larger audience.
6. Create and sell digital products
If you do it right, creating and selling your own digital products is one of the best ways to make a sustainable income online. Some types of digital products include: e-Books, video training courses, webinars, content memberships, email newsletters, software, web graphics, photographs, audio content, reports, checklists, worksheets and blueprints. Whatever your niche may be, there will be people interested and looking for answers. A half-assed product isn’t going to work though if you’re looking to make an income from it. You need to know your stuff and prove it by creating a product that solves a problem and solves it well. In this case, knowing how to launch and promote your product is absolutely crucial. Check out Jeff Walkers Product Launch Formula for a load of free videos that give a detailed insight into creating a successful business online.
7. Teaching/tutoring
Ever thought you were quite the English speaker? Why not teach it while you travel the world? First I’d recommend getting yourself certified with a TEFL certificate (which doesn’t take long and you can do it all online) and then you’re pretty set to go. There are a few ways to teach while you travel, both online and offline. One way to go would be to offer one on one Skype lessons or group lessons via Facebook, focusing on conversational English. Set up a website, promote your services via social media, email marketing and advertising and start finding those clients. Another way would be to join a platform such as Tutor Bee or InstaEDU where you can get paid as an online tutor or you could go completely offline and apply to schools all over the world on sites like InterExchange.
8. Photography
If you know how to capture some amazing shots behind the camera, why not make some money out of it while you travel? You could start your own online shop, create an account and sell your images on stock photography sites such as iStockPhoto or you could even travel slow and set up some photo shoots along the way for hotels and tour companies.
9. Web development
I get really confused when I see professional programmers sitting at a desk, typing away in the same small office every day. Really, don’t get me wrong but why be there if all you need is your brain, some coffee, a lap-top and a good Wi-Fi connection? If communicating with other staff members or clients is the issue, Skype, email and a whole bunch of social media platforms are only a click away. If you want to travel more, you already have the perfect set of skills to do so. Either ask your existing employer about working remotely or sign up as a freelancer on Freelancer.com where a variety of opportunities arise every day.
10. Consulting
Along with selling digital products on your website, you could also offer a service such as consulting where you are paid by the hour, week, month or year to share your knowledge with others and provide a solution to their problem. Again, this could be in any niche, so long as you know your stuff. Many location independent digital nomads make a living from consulting in a number of different ways. Some offer one-on-one guidance via Skype, others utilise Facebook groups to help a number of people at one time and some may actually take on the tasks for their clients. Popular types of consulting include: Marketing, branding, advertising, management, information technology, financial, legal, environmental and real estate. However, there really are no boundaries.
11. Working Remotely
Like I said earlier, becoming a location independent digital nomad is much easier for some than others. You might not even need to leave your current employer if the work you do can be carried out remotely (or from home). There is no harm in asking at all. The worst you’re going to get is a no and in that case, take your pick from these 15 other things you can do to make money online while travelling. Perhaps on a day where you need to take the morning off for an appointment, see if you can work the rest of the day from home. If you can show that you are just as productive, if not more when you are working from your own space, it gives your employer something to think about when you pop the question.
If you are not ready to start your own business but you want to travel and work online, there are many companies who hire location independent staff. Check out Nomad Jobs or Escape the City for opportunities. Jobs may include: customer service, sales, marketing, PR, accounting and web developing.
12. Freelance translation
Another freelance job that you can find on Freelancer is translation. Know a few languages quite well? Why not help out those who have important documents in jibberish by translating them into something that makes sense? With the help of Google translate when you’re not quite certain, this could be a thoroughly enjoyable job that would sharpen up your language skills whilst taking you around the world. And hey, the more countries you get to know, the more languages you learn, the more clients you can help!
13. Virtual assistant
These days, many people who run online businesses outsource small bits of work to freelancers in order to free up more time to focus on bigger things. With the help of virtual assistants or content managers they can pretty much stop worrying about updating their websites or social media channels and rather work on upcoming products or services. The job of a virtual assistant varies a lot but if you were to land yourself a position like this via Freelancer, you may be responsible for: updating and managing content on websites, copywriting, customer relations, social media management, scheduling appointments and other administration related duties.
14. Videography
Much like photography, there are many things you can do with your awesome video work. If you are travelling and videoing the journey, get in contact with some tourist boards, hotels or tour companies and see if they would host you in return for a professional video. There are hundreds of travellers who get around by doing this. Otherwise, you can contact companies to sell your video services or upload short clips to websites such as IStockPhoto and Shutterstock. Don’t forget, you can also monetize your videos on Youtube, so share away! A good travel vlog to follow for inspiration is Melhores Momentos da Vida (Mixture of Portuguese and English videos).
15. Social media manager
Whilst some companies and website owners outsource their social media output to virtual assistants or content managers along with all the other stuff, some hire freelancers purely as social media managers. In most cases, working for one employer probably isn’t enough unless they are churning out content left, right and centre. If you are social media savvy and have a way about getting people to click on things, keep an eye out for opportunities that arise on Freelancer. You could also offer this as a service via your website.
16. Transcribing
Last but not least we have transcribing. This is another freelance job that entails writing out video or audio recordings word for word. Opportunities for this kind of work pop up on Freelancer all the time, however most of them are one offs. To keep work coming in and creating a more consistent income online, promote your services by advertising on sites such as Google or Facebook, maintain a stand-out social media presence and get yourself on sites like Fiverr.com.
Your turn! Got any more ideas to make money online while travelling? Or are you already a digital nomad? If so, what do you do? Please share your thoughts with us below!
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