If you yearn to break free of the traditional rat race and do work you love from any location, you are in great company. Research shows the number of digital nomads has tripled to 15.5 million workers over the last few years. Fueled by digital technology, those nomads choose to pursue a flexible work schedule and the freedom to travel. Often they discover they make more money than in the corporate job they left behind. Here are the steps to follow if you are ready to jump into this flexible work option.
1. Bulk Up Your Savings
Before leaving your traditional job, save up money as a financial cushion to cover your living expenses before you transition to remote work. First, take a hard look at your monthly spending and cut all unnecessary expenses. Then, do your best to sock away enough savings to provide for yourself for at least six months, preferably a year.
2. Find Work You Love
If you love your current job, talk to your employer to see if transitioning to fully remote is a possibility for you. If not, there are various options available to start your own online business. These include:
- Writer
- Graphic designer
- Marketing manager
- Online course creator
- Website developer
- Software developer
- Virtual assistant
If entrepreneurship isn’t for you, search remote work websites to find contract or full-time positions that are 100% virtual.
3. Get the Right Digital Tools
To become a location-independent worker, you need the digital tools to do your job.
- Buy the best laptop you can afford with the power required to do your line of work.
- Purchase a lap desk for a flat, stable surface that makes it easy to work on the deck of a beach bungalow or the front porch of a mountain cabin.
- Pick up a portable charger so you can recharge your battery at any time.
- Set up a hotspot with your cell phone provider to enable internet access from any location.
- Add an extra layer of security to your laptop by paying for internet access through a Virtual Private Network. This protection is essential if you ever have to use public wi-fi.
- Buy a headset with a microphone so you can communicate with customers and focus on the conversation, even in noisy environments.
- Get an external hard drive to save and back up your work securely.
4. Create a Business Website
If you are starting your own online business, a company website is essential. This site tells the public what your business does and how they can contact you. From there, market your company on social media to attract customers. Make sure to register your DBA name, if you choose to do business under a different trade name than what you’ve registered your company as.
5. Choose a Work Location
The top benefit of being a digital nomad is working from any location. You could choose the simplicity of the patio of your favorite coffee shop. Another popular option is buying or renting an RV to tour across the country in the hours you aren’t working. If a home on wheels isn’t your preference, look for an apartment or house you can rent for a few months in a location where you’ve always wanted to live. Coliving housing spaces are popping up in urban areas to provide housing and technical workspace in one place.
You can find freedom from the rat race. Follow these five steps to transition to life as a digital nomad.
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