How to get the show on the road while you’re on the road…
Do you love the idea of the “digital nomad” lifestyle but you don’t know where to start?
Or maybe you are already starting your own business, and you would love to travel, but you feel like you can’t get up and go because you need to get established first?
Well the truth is – if you do your work on a computer – there is nothing to stop you.
Needless to say, setting yourself up as a traveling pre-school teacher may be a little difficult. But anyone who works primarily through the digital sphere can do it anywhere.
How To Travel And Start A Business…Simultaneously
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What do you need to travel and start a business?
Savvy
Your most important asset is your work ethic. Followed closely by a laptop and a business plan.
Your work ethic comes into play from day one. You must be able to work as hard you play if you want to succeed as a traveling Startup.
It’s all about balancing your travel experiences and your work, and it’s sometimes hard. This is not a life for someone looking to float around and get by.
If you want to get paid for doing the absolute minimum amount of work and minimum mental input, get a desk job.
Give yourself enough time in each location that you visit to be able to see and do the things that you traveled there for, and still get some work hours into the mix.
You have to seriously learn to prioritise (and hustle).
Be Flexible
You have to accept that things change unexpectedly and frequently while you’re traveling. That’s part of the whole adventure!
You can’t allow it to let you miss deadlines, though.
You will probably work some crazy hours… Watch the sun rise while you draw up reports and watch it set while you laze on a beach somewhere far from home.
WiFi
“You think I can’t live without you? What do you think you are? My WiFi connection?!”
You cannot operate a traveling business without WiFi.
Make sure you know exactly where you will be able to get WiFi on your travels and where you won’t.
That is not to say that you should never travel anywhere that doesn’t have WiFi. There are a lot of beautiful places that you should definitely visit that don’t have any kind of connection.
Visiting these places and being immersed in the experience is essential for those with the wandering spirit.
There are places in Asia and many developing countries that don’t have connectivity in entire regions. These are wonderful places to travel.
The important thing is to plan your business and traveling timetable (yes that’s right – you will need a diary with clear deadlines) so that you have everything you need to work offline when you can’t connect.
You also need to warn your team members and clients that they won’t be able to get a hold of you, giving them enough time to come back with any requests and feedback.
Work with Like-Minded People
Choosing clients who have a similar mindset to yours is easier than you think.
By nature your business will attract working relationships that support your way of life.
Even if your clients are not travelers themselves, they should be open-minded and willing to work with professionals who they can only contact digitally.
Unfortunately, there are those clients who think that the quality of work you produce will be diminished by your not being physically present in their lives…
What they fail to see is that your mind and work capacity is not only portable, but it actually benefits from your travels.
As people who sell intellectual property, we produce our best work when our intellects are stimulated.
The more we travel, the more we are exposed to and the more we have to bring to the table.
If you find yourself with those annoying clients who don’t see the value of your services, you should finish up the job at hand and start looking for new clients.
It’s that simple.
Network in Real Time
There are a lot of amazing, interesting people traveling the world all the time. Talk to them. Meet people, listen to their stories.
Not only will you experience more and get to meet great people, but many of them will be professionals just like you.
They are people who are more likely to share your outlook on life. You never know when they may help you out along the way (or when you will be able to help them with your services).
They may have skills to offer, or a couch to surf in a foreign city, or maybe a story to share that will inspire your soul.
We have made some pretty incredible connections in the most unlikely of places!
Conclusion
All in all, becoming a digital nomad is a challenge that, with the right mind-set and the right set of gear, anyone can do themselves.
It will not be easy, but it will be one hell of a ride.
I will tell you that from my own travels, there were high-points and low-points; each should be thought of as a learning experience.
For more information on combining travel with work, download our free eBook, 12 Steps To Full Time Travel.
Now we want to hear from you! Have you been thinking about how to travel and start a business at the same time? Dream of becoming a ‘digital nomad’? Leave your thoughts and questions below and let’s get a conversation started! Also, check out our travel jobs section for more tips and information.
