Have you ever wished you could work from anywhere? Moving from city to city? Working from your favourite beach? Sounds unbelievable but it is actually a ‘thing’. This lifestyle is part of the ‘digital nomad’ revolution.
What Is A Digital Nomad?
A digital nomad is someone that hops from city to city or country to country to live and work. Digital nomads are not tied to one location. They can work from anywhere there is a wifi connection.
When they move to the next city or country , they want to live AND work there. They are not tourists. They are experiencing what’s it’s like to live in this new city/country. A recent survey from AirBnB found that 11% of its bookers in 2021 were living a ‘nomadic lifestyle’. The shift to flexible working brought on by the pandemic means more and more people are thinking about giving up their houses and travelling ( and working) across the globe.
The digital nomad lifestyle isn’t limited to people of a certain age. In fact people from across the age spectrum. Most digital nomads are over 38 . While most nomads are single or travel as a couple, some travel/work as a family.
The benefits of this lifestyle are obvious:
Autonomy
You have the freedom to work when and where you want .Say good bye to office politics and clock watching.
Travel The World
One of the most attractive elements of this life is travel. Being a digital nomad means you can travel the world and stay for as little or as long as you want in each destination.
Cost Of Living
Another benefit is saving on the cost of living. Travelling to and living in places where the cost of living is relatively low, could save you money in the long run.
Before you take the plunge, there are obviously things that need to be in place before you make that move. Let’s take a look at the 5 steps to becoming a digital nomad.
Identify Your Skills
You will need to look at what kind of work you can do as a nomad. Typically nomads are self-employed and include bloggers, marketers, developers, entrepreneurs and social media stars. However the nomadic lifestyle can include any job as long as all it requires is a strong wifi connection.
You will need to identify the skills that you can monetise and identify any skills gaps you may have. There is no specific path or area that you need to focus on. It will depend on your skills , experience and knowledge of a particular area. Once you have identified the skills , look at the profiles of other freelancers in that area. Figure out which areas you should focus your search on.
Below is a list of the most in demand nomadic skills
- Accounting
- Digital marketing
- Tutoring
- Graphic design
- Content creation
- Videography
- Web development and coding
- Email marketing
- Copywriting
- Social media marketing
- SEO
Showcase Your Skills
Try creating a website to show off your work. It’s important that you use your website and social media to reach your potential clients. Make sure you have setup Instagram and Linkedin to generate interest and engagement with your potential client base.
Re-evaluate Your Finances
The last thing you want to be thinking about when travelling the world is your finances back ‘home’. Look at reducing your debts to a manageable level.
Decide on a budget for your trip. You should try to keep you costs as fixed as possible. Your costs will include the following:
- Rent for accommodation
- Transport
- Food
- Travel and health insurance
- Costs for gadgets and devices for work
- Internet data & mobile phone costs
- Clothing
You must ensure you will be able to cover all these costs before you set off.
Join The Community
It’s very important for you to join the Nomad community both before you leave and during your trip. Meet up with like minded people on forums . This is vital for support and advice on your journey.
So do you think the nomadic lifestyle is for you? Are you ready for the adventure? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop us a comment below.