If you think that the best way to become a digital nomad is to start a successful online business and start billing thousands, the reality is that this is not so. Undoubtedly, this is the ideal situation as it is the one that would give you more freedom, but the truth is that it is not so simple and fast to succeed, especially if you are just starting and do not have enough experience. Most digital nomads do not start this way but start with a remote or freelance job.
While there are many ways to start a life as a digital nomad, all of them will require hard work, constant training, and proactivity when it comes to getting clients, contacts, and new opportunities.
What are the Steps to Become a Digital Nomad?
There is no single path but there are certain steps shared by the vast majority of nomads that we will tell you about below:
1- Identify your skills
A great way to start our path as a nomad is to identify what skills we have that could be useful to monetize them on the Internet.
Nowadays, with a little creativity, any skill can be monetized and used to generate money.
Common remote work skills include things like copywriting, marketing, and design or software development. In this article, we delve into this topic with some ideas on how to use the skills you probably already possess to become a nomad.
2- Become a freelancer
When you have detected which knowledge or skills can help you to get income on the Internet, it’s time to start looking for “gigs” or remote jobs to get the first income.
There are many websites and platforms on the internet to look for remote jobs. Some of them are “Working Nomads”, “RemoteOk” and “Remote.co”.
On these sites, you can find different types of jobs from a few hours to full-time remote jobs and it will give you the possibility to start earning money to support your travel.
3- Develop your business
If your dream is a life with more freedom in your schedule and financially, the next step on your way to becoming a digital nomad can be to start your own business.
A business of your own, if successful, will give you more freedom and allow you to earn more income than you can get from freelance work.
While doing freelance work you should set aside some time to slowly develop your own business. These are processes that take time, so the idea is to do it while you are earning income from other sources.
There are thousands of options that will vary according to your skills. If you are knowledgeable in a particular subject you could start a blog. If your thing is marketing you could start a small agency specializing in marketing, among other options that exist.
4- Start freeing yourself from your fixed expenses and assets.
The first step on the road to nomadic life is to start recognizing what things in your daily life are tying you to a specific location.
Your apartment rent, gym membership, and monthly utilities are expenses that you should start eliminating to begin a nomadic life.
Also, the car, your furniture, and other possessions are things that you should get rid of to start traveling light. These are processes that take time.
5- Choose one of the cities with good communities of digital nomads.
Contacts and relationships to find new business opportunities are key, so having a community of nomads to connect with is crucial.
If you are planning a destination, there are many factors to consider such as climate, and cost of living but one of the most important is to be able to find people in your same situation with whom you can connect.
The most popular destinations are Bali, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Lisbon, and Tallinn, among dozens of others.
6- Decide where to start your journey
When you already have a certain monthly income that allows you to finance your trip, whether or not your own business (remember it is important to start it!), it’s time to embark on your journey as a digital nomad.
Within the cities you have chosen, you should make a good preliminary analysis on whether it meets your needs and if your income is enough to support your life there.
With the freedom of time and dates, it is possible to get cheaper transportation (planes, buses, or trains) and accommodation at better prices if you rent outside the tourist seasons. It is always important to remember your financial limitations in order not to have problems with money on your trip.
7- Create a plan and stick to it
As a digital nomad, it is vital to be realistic with our possibilities. We must set goals and plans that will guide us on our journey.
Later we can change our plans, but having an initial plan to guide us will make it easier to stay within our budget.
The elements that will help us the most on a long trip are expense budgets, having a medium-term plan, and a daily routine to avoid distractions.
Of no less importance is to consider necessary aspects of daily life. For example, the need to have a bank account with a good exchange rate for foreign currencies to make expenses in any country. For these cases, we recommend opening an international bank account in Wise bank which is reliable and very simple.
In addition, it is important to have medical insurance that covers us in case of an emergency while we are abroad. A great option is to hire the services of Safety Wing.
If you want to be a digital nomad or dedicate yourself to remote work, the first thing to do is to start working hard to achieve that goal.
With dedication and perseverance, it is possible to achieve your goal. It’s up to you to start the process and after that, with hard work, you can go as fast as you want. With hard work, you will be able to start in a few weeks and have a business running, and generate income in a few months.