From struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance to wishing you could see more of the world, there are many reasons why you may have considered becoming a digital nomad.
However, turning those dreams into reality can be difficult. After all, there’s so much to take care of ahead of time, from building a client base to finding a place to live.
Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you should take into account in order to become a digital nomad.
Start by dealing with the legalities. The first step to ensuring that you can achieve great success when working as a digital nomad is dealing with all of the necessary paperwork and legalities. For example, you may have to apply for a specific working visa ahead of time. You should also figure out how you’ll pay taxes moving forward, which can vary depending on the country you are from and where you intend to stay.
Find a place to call home. Finding a place to call home is important when working as a digital nomad. Otherwise, you’ll be constantly going over budget when staying in hotels without really having a space that you can call your own during this time. This often means that you feel as though you’re living out of a suitcase.
As such, you should keep an eye out for accommodations that are purpose-built to accommodate digital nomads such as yourself, like those run by Yon Living. Here, you can become part of a vibrant co-working and co-living community while also being able to properly unpack and settle in.
Make sure you have the right tools on hand. The majority of the work carried out by digital nomads can be completed with just a laptop and a reliable internet connection. However, you should make sure that you travel with everything you need to hand; this could include chargers/portable chargers, socket converters, a laptop stand, and a keyboard and mouse pad.
Build a strong client base. Generally speaking, you should not set out to become a digital nomad until you have enough savings to cover your first few months of adventure. This will allow you to find a comfortable rhythm and work/life balance wherever you end up without feeling too much stress or pressure as you settle in.
However, you can provide yourself with a greater sense of security when pursuing this career by building a strong, reliable customer base. This way, whether you’re working as a virtual assistant or a social media manager, you’ll know you’ll have a steady stream of projects to rely on moving forward.
This is often achieved by simply being great at what you do. When you provide your clients with a quality service, they will turn to you time and time again. However, you can also ensure that your client base grows by asking them to refer your services to others and providing them with some kind of incentive/discount in order to do so.
Factor time difference into client calls and meetings. If you’re going to be working abroad, then it’s important to take into account the time difference when arranging calls and meetings with clients. In some cases, this could mean starting (or ending) your work day slightly earlier or later than expected.
You should also let your clients know where you are working from, as this can sometimes account for any delays they may notice when you are responding to messages and emails. For the most part, this is something that many people are understanding about, provided they are given the information ahead of time.
Set yourself a daily schedule. It can be difficult to sit down and get work done when you know there’s a whole world of adventures on the other side of the door. For this reason, you need to be really good at holding yourself accountable to work as a digital nomad. Otherwise, you’ll find that you aren’t earning all that much money, as you’re doing next to no work!
As such, you should set yourself a daily or weekly schedule with strict working hours. This way, you can manage your workload accordingly while still setting aside time in your routine for activities and adventures.
Don’t forget to check in with your friends and family. While there are many things you’ll be happy to leave behind when working as a digital nomad, such as stressful commutes and long working hours, others you’ll miss right away – such as your friends and family. However, you can combat homesickness by checking in regularly, whether that’s through sending a few messages or calling them. While it can be hard to be apart, remember all of the fantastic memories that you are making and all of the stories you’ll be able to share with them when you are reunited.
On a similar note, you should also be sure to make as many friends as you can along the way. One way in which you could achieve this goal (aside from staying in co-living spaces) is by trying out new clubs and activities. This way, you can connect with people who share hobbies or interests similar to your own, even if they are from the other side of the world. Alternatively, you may want to join online groups for digital nomads, so that you can connect with others who follow a similar lifestyle to your own. This is particularly useful when first starting out, as they’ll be able to share a range of tips and tricks with you.
Final thoughts. In short, there are many steps that you can take to become a digital nomad. However, aside from the legalities and getting your finances in order, most of this is achieved by taking a risk and throwing yourself into the lifestyle. Doing so means that you can start to embrace the highs and lows of becoming a digital nomad, which means that you have a whole world of opportunities at your fingertips (provided you have an internet connection).
