Imagine that right after you read this article, you grab yourself a cup of coffee, nuzzle up into the coziest spot in the house, and make $50-500 in an hour’s time…
…or, as a digital nomad, you step out to your ocean-view hotel balcony, cocktail in hand, and “set up shop” on the lounger to do the same thing…
Then you close up your computer and go about the rest of your day, feeling fantastic because you did a bit of valuable work and your bank account now reflects that.
That’s run of the mill stuff for “digital nomads.” Those of us who harness the power of the internet to work remotely from our laptops, anywhere in the world.
But it’s not the specific where that’s the best part about this lifestyle…
…it’s the ability to CHOOSE and CHANGE the where on a whim… it’s the freedom it grants.
And today I want to introduce you to this lifestyle, and fill you in on ways to learn more and the easy path to dive right in! Let’s get started…
The first thing to understand is that there are two primary paths to remote work: you can get hired or start your own business.
Each has its own merits and tradeoffs, and the choice in which path you take depends greatly on your personality and your goals.
Get Hired
This path can take various forms but is most often considered “freelancing,” where you’ll work one-on-one with a client to do a specific job for them or their company.
Although it’s usually the quicker path to putting money in the bank, it’s money for time — you work an hour, you get paid for an hour.
That said, when you’re done your “shift” 😜 it’s easier to close the laptop and leave all work thoughts right there, inside your computer… which is worth quite a bit too, depending on your personality and where you’re at in life.
In case you missed it, there were a few freelancing gigs inside 58 Ways You Can Get Paid To Travel:
Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants (commonly referred to as VAs) are the modern-day secretaries because they handle a wide array of tasks, like proofreading, scheduling, email management, and lots more of somewhat easy to do work. The difference being you are solely remote and can do this stuff from your PJs at your home office.
So if you like the idea of becoming the “jack of all trades” for a growing business or busy executive, this is the best gig for you. Not only will you learn an absolute ton, but you’ll also get to rub shoulders and work with some incredible people and companies.
Want to go deeper? Take this course on becoming a successful VA. (Psst… a masterclass on this is included in our Remote Work Wealth Club.)
Manage Social Media
Create, curate, and manage all published social media content. Although this sounds a lot like the previous idea, it’s different in that – instead of focusing on cold outreach on social platforms like the SM marketer does – a social media manager focuses on creating and curating free content for followers, scheduling content, and staying in touch with friends and followers on different platforms. There is a bit of overlap but the jobs are inherently different in these ways. So if you would prefer this angle to the SM world, this one is for you.
Want to go deeper? Go through this social media management bootcamp to turn pro in this field quickly. (Psst… a masterclass on this is included in our Remote Work Wealth Club.)
Freelance Developer
As technology grows, so follows the number of jobs for coders. So this will take a bit of effort out the gate to become proficient in coding and, once you have some skills, you’ll have no problem landing jobs (at a higher starting rate because it’s such a sought-after market right now). You could code apps, blockchain technology, websites, or any number of interesting things.
At the risk of repeating myself too often, I want to again say that coding – like any other skill – can be learned and you, my friend, are capable of learning it. The question is whether you want to? If you do, there are plenty of free resources to get rolling.
Want to go deeper? Search Udemy for a highly-rated course on the code “language” you choose to focus on.
This is just the tip of the iceberg…
There is a LOT of need for bookkeepers, voice-over artists, tutors, etc. If you have a skill that can help someone, you can harness that and earn money. And if you become an expert in that skill, you can increase your hourly rate and make a lot of money serving clients online.
Once you have an idea of the type of service you can offer, it’s time to get gigs! Here are a few of our top picks for freelancing networks to hang out your shingle:
(If this is interesting you, then you don’t want to miss tomorrow’s email because it’s where this all turns to gold.)
Once you start getting hired, here’s a few tools that’ll streamline a few things for ya:
- Canva for easy designs (free)
- LastPass for remembering passwords (free)
- Skype and WhatsApp for international video and text chat (free)
- Grammarly for ongoing spelling and grammar checks (free)
- Get paid with PayPal or WaveApps (both free, track your expenses with Wave too)
- Track your time with Harvest (free)
- Our post on How To Find Free Wifi Anywhere You Travel
- Keep your connection secure with TunnelBear VPN (dirt cheap)
There you have it… a big helping of tips and info on how to get yourself into this wonderful digital nomad lifestyle as a freelancer.
Now let’s talk about starting your own biz…
Start Your Own Business
If you’re looking to create something more substantial — something that will grow over time and, perhaps, you can sell one day for a big payday…
… then starting your own online business is for you.
Naturally, there are also tradeoffs with this path (as in all things in life). Yes, your store will be open and you’ll be able to make money 24/7, but it takes more initial legwork than simply freelancing.
That said, you still decide your hours, you still remain in absolute full control of your schedule and the pace at which you take this on.
There were also a few ideas for this path inside the 58 Ways Guide:
Create a Podcast
Got a passion and gift for gab? Great, a podcast could the thing for you!
People all over the world are earning lots of money through podcasts. As you know, they’re usually free… so how do they make money? Advertising. Plain and simple. The more listeners you have, the more you can charge for an ad spot.
Another thing to remember is that the internet has made the world small (duh) so you need to be niche when you pick what you want to podcast about. Don’t worry about going too small!
Want to go deeper? Take a look at this in-depth course on starting a podcasting business.
Sell Your Expertise Through A Course
Most of us don’t think we’re an “expert” in anything but I’m happy to report that being an expert isn’t as grandiose as you may think. For example, if you have a passion for anything, the chances are good you know more about that thing than 95% of the population and, thus, are an “expert.” Or if not, read 3-5 books on the topic and you’ll be there, guaranteed.
This is essentially an information business, and you see it all over the internet in every niche imaginable (we do it at Journo too, of course). Whether it’s teaching people how to build and care for a chicken coop, or how to run faster, or how to shoot better photographs. The options are endless and there are more people than you can imagine that want to pay you for what you know. You just have to decide to teach them.
Want to go deeper? 1) Get a free copy of Expert Secrets by Russel Brunson and follow his guidance. In my opinion, although some of you might find his stuff a bit “salesy” he is the best place to learn how to sell your expertise through a course. 2) Optional – use Clickfunnels to build your membership area (it’s what we use and it’s awesome).
Create an eCommerce Empire
I know by now you’re familiar with how much shopping is done online. There are many ways to sell all sorts of stuff online today (which we’ll go through in the following ideas).
Chances are good you have an Amazon account by now and use it without a second thought? Well, this is doing exactly what Amazon does. BUT instead of having to fork out a lot of money to buy, store, and ship inventory, you sell stuff that goes directly from the manufacturer/supplier to your customer. This is called ‘dropshipping,’ and it’s a wonderful way to start an online business.
Want to go deeper? The best place to start is direct with the online store giant, Shopify. They make a tiny fraction when you sell something, so it’s in their best interest to help you sell stuff. Then, follow their dropshipping instructions here. (FYI, our Remote Work Wealth Club also covers dropshipping, as well as print on demand).
Of course, the ideas are endless as to the types of businesses you can start nowadays with all the incredibly online tools that make it easy to do so… there’s dropshipping, affiliate marketing, apps, etc.
Once you have narrowed down the business idea you want to roll with, it’s time to implement, and that’s where tomorrow’s email comes in.
Once you do get started, here’s a few business tools we use that I’m sure you’ll love:
- Store your files in Google Drive (free)
- Manage your projects with Trello (free)
- Build your site on Bluehost (paid, but great pricing) or build website funnels with Clickfunnels (paid, easy to use).
- LastPass for remembering passwords (free)
- Our post on How To Find Free Wifi Anywhere You Travel
- Keep your connection secure with TunnelBear VPN (dirt cheap)
Think that’s enough to get your feet wet? 😆 I thought so too.
Dive in deep and explore the world of remote work. You’ll NEVER regret it because this “laptop lifestyle” is truly the greatest travel hack of all.
