Ever wanted to become a Digital Nomad but didn’t know where to start? Let me show you how!
Besides not having to deal with a boss breathing down your neck, the greatest perk of being a freelancer or working remotely is that you can literally work anywhere. Drinking margaritas in an exotic location as you code, write, design, transcribe, etc. is a dream that many of us dream about. Taking selfies while being kissed by the sun seems fun and exciting for those stuck in a 9-to-5 job. This lifestyle of having fun in the sun and traveling to exotic locations is known as “Digital Nomading”. Digital Nomads tend to be location independent and travel the world without having to be tethered to an office. For those just starting out and want to work up to that, I’ll be showing you 10 ways on how to become a digital nomad!
Learning how to become a Digital Nomad can open up opportunities you never even knew existed!
10 Ways on How To Become a Digital Nomad
Going all in and starting an online business is sometimes thought to be the best avenue to becoming a Digital Nomad. It gives you the most freedom but with 9 out of 10 businesses failing it’s very difficult to find success if you’re inexperienced. But there is a way! In fact, many digital nomads start out with remote work or freelancing. This avenue is great because you can get paid to gain more experience and soft skills to succeed in a quick and easy way. The time scale can be relatively quick or it can take weeks or months depending on your time, effort, and current skill sets.
“Besides not having to deal with a boss breathing down your neck, the greatest perk of being a freelancer or working remotely is that you can literally work anywhere.”
1. Find a job that teaches you relevant skills
For those that aren’t in a hurry to become a digital nomad, it’s possible to work at a company that will teach you skills that are transferable to online work. This is a great way to get paid to learn. For example, if you work at a Social Media Marketing company, you can hone your skills to someday venture out on your own and take on clients as a Digital Nomad. This method is probably one of the easiest ways to prepare yourself to become a Digital Nomad. If you lack skills and the skills that you want are in a different field, you can upgrade your skill set by taking online courses.
2. Set aside time to become a freelancer
If you’re not completely ready to work online for an established company yet, you can start a freelance business in your free time. I would recommend picking your strongest skill that can easily translate into an online service. Continuously learn additional skills to provide better value and more services to your clients.
3. Take on Online Gigs
Websites like Upwork have businesses that seek part-time freelancers to apply to online gigs. They post a job description, time allocation, and budget on Upwork’s job board. Freelancers apply for these jobs via cover letters and proposals that show off their portfolio and skill sets. If the business and freelancer come to an agreement, they begin to work together.
Online gigs can range from copywriting to web development. Jobs require beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels of competency so that you’ll know ahead of time the projects that you’ll be able to take on.
4. Study at an Online University
Studying online and traveling the world will give you the feel of being a Digital Nomad. An online university will give you the skills to work online and you may even get some job experience through internships while living abroad through their internship placement programs!
5. Buy an Online Business that already exists
If you have the resources, one of the easiest ways to become a Digital Nomad is to simply buy an online business that generates money. Sites like Empire Flippers or Flippa.com allow you to see how much money a site generates. But just because it’s easy doesn’t mean that it’s not risky. You’ll want to do plenty of research so that you don’t take up a business that’s destined to be one of the 9 out of 10 that fail.
6. Learn in a digital nomad hub
If you live in an expensive area like California where I live, you know how much of your hard-earned money goes to rent and living expenses. One way to save money is to reduce your living expenses and move to a digital nomad hub like Chiang Mai in Thailand. You’ll be surrounded by Digital Nomads who can help you on your journey on learning how to become a digital nomad. If you own a home, you can rent it out while you’re gone to make passive income to finance your life abroad!
7. Get a job abroad to test the waters
Before I started working remotely, I worked abroad in South Korea for 4 years teaching English. It was amazing to experience another culture and learn another language! There are many multinational corporatations in foreign countries that you can apply to. Some perks that you may get while working abroad are a housing and a cost of living allowance.
8. Move your business into the online sphere
If you have a brick and mortar business you can undergo a digital transformation and move it online! There are online solutions that allow you to monitor your business from anywhere in the world. Webcams can watch your brick and mortar business, online accounting services can handle paperwork, etc. If you sell physical products, maybe consider using Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) to ship your products via Amazon Prime. It’s a great marketplace with millions of customers just waiting to buy your product!
9. Ask your boss to let you work remotely
If your boss is understanding… you may be able to convince him or her to give you the freedom to do most of your work remotely. It’s worth a shot! So long as you can prove to them that there’s no reduced productivity they may be up for it!
10. Find a Remote Job Online
There are various websites to find remote work such as HubStaff and Remote | OK. As remote work becomes the norm with each passing year, you can expect more job posts in additional fields that you may qualify for.
11. Start an online business
This may be the toughest route to take. Becoming an entrepreneur, building an online business, and creating a passive income e-commerce business is no easy feat and the competition is high. Some of the most successful digital nomads do e-commerce but it is a long game that requires many skills. Even with perfect execution and preparation, you can still fail….but if you succeed just enough, you can live the dream life.
Did you learn how to become a Digital Nomad?
Hopefully this article provided value and gave you a clearer picture of how to become a Digital Nomad. You can start relatively quickly depending on your skill set. The most important thing is to start taking action today and have a set of clearly defined goals. If you put your heart into it, you can achieve anything! Good luck to you on your journey on how to become a Digital Nomad!
2 Comments