Becoming a Digital Nomad: Tips and Advice to Make it Happen

Guest Post by: Lance Cody-Valdez

The Courage to change your lifestyle and career is the first step toward becoming a digital nomad and living and working on your own terms. Thanks to modern-day telecommunications technologies, a nomadic lifestyle has never been more attainable. Kathy Condon’s Palm Springs Insider Guide is an example of a site where she can add a blog from any place she may be in the world.

Start by Changing Your Lifestyle

A nomadic lifestyle isn’t right for everyone, but it could work for you if you’re able to eliminate the possessions that bind you to a particular area. Depending on your situation, this could mean selling your home or subletting your apartment, quitting your nine-to-five job to pursue freelancing, and/or getting rid of your personal vehicle to eliminate car payments, automobile insurance premiums, and other car ownership costs.

Next, you’ll need to think about how you’re going to get around and where you’re going to live as a digital nomad. Depending on your length of stay, a hotel or motel may be the best choice. If you’re staying in Palm Springs for a few weeks, check out Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels to find the perfect place to hang your freelance shingle.

If you’re moving to another city, state, or country, you’ll also need to figure out what to do with your unwanted belongings — such as your old shoes, books, clothing, and furniture. For the belongings you’d like to keep but can’t take with you on your travels, you could rent a storage locker from facilities such as MakeSpace, Public Storage, or U-Haul. The best storage units will typically be climate-controlled, video monitored, and secure.

Find Remote Work Opportunities

If you’re ready to ditch your nine-to-five job for a nomadic lifestyle, you could start a business as a freelancer — as this will allow you to set your own schedule and work remotely from nearly anywhere in the world. Some examples of online businesses for digital nomads include:

● Writing, blogging, and copywriting.

● Photography.

● Video blogging (or vlogging).

● Graphic design.

● Web development and design.

● Social media management.

● Health coaching.

● Digital marketing.

When starting a business, Writing From Nowhere recommends using online job boards to create a profile and search for freelance opportunities in areas such as WordPress development, writing, and graphic design. Potential clients will look at your freelance rates, reviews, and expected delivery times before deciding whether to hire you for a project, but your actual salary will depend on your skills and experiences.

When you are ready to start a business in California, there are legal details too, like registering your business as an entity for tax purposes. Usually, this comes down to determining whether you want to be a sole proprietorship or an LLC. An LLC can be especially beneficial thanks to asset protection and several tax perks, which you won’t see as a sole proprietorship. If you’re in a time crunch, you can find forms to start an LLC through an online service to help you expedite this process.

Consider Your Tech Needs

When changing your lifestyle and becoming a digital nomad, it’s important to consider the different types of gear you’ll need to effectively work from co-working spaces, hotel rooms, cafes, or anywhere else in the world. As a few examples, Chris Schalkx of AFAR recommends purchasing noise-canceling earbuds, a laptop stand, a mobile mouse, and a Google FI SIM card for your smartphone. And last but not least, you’ll need a reliable laptop for working and traveling — and a tablet as a backup in the event that your computer breaks.

Embrace the Digital Lifestyle

There are so many benefits of becoming a digital nomad, but it’s crucial to think things through and come up with a good plan before quitting your day job to travel the world. In some cases, you may be better off taking a six-month sabbatical to travel before returning to your day job — or see if your employer will allow you to transition to remote work so you can pursue your dream of becoming a digital nomad. Starting a business is another great option, but you’ll need to have some money saved as you get your freelance business off the ground.

Becoming a digital nomad has never been easier, and these tips will help you to turn your dream of traveling the world into a reality. As long as you have the technology you need to get your work done each day, you can work from virtually anywhere in the world!

Lance Cody-Valdez

"A few years ago, burned out and miserable from his job in corporate marketing, Lance Cody-Valdez decided it was time to invest in himself. He quit his job the following day and used his meager savings to stay afloat as he built a career as a freelance writer and content marketer. He created free-lance-now.com to help others use freelancing to escape the 9 to 5 daily grind."

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