The ability to travel anytime, achieving financial freedom, time, and location freedom may seem like a fantasy, but thanks to technological advances, widespread high-speed internet, and online tools, the digital nomad lifestyle is now within reach.
For those brave adventurers who want to see the world, all it takes is a bit of creativity, hard work, and self-discipline to never stop learning.
#1. Freelancing Online
Freelancing in any niche is a great option for digital nomads. This style of work allows for the maximum amount of freedom and control over your own assignments. Freelancers, as opposed to remote workers, are self-employed and are responsible for their own schedules, accounting, and taxes.
Freelancing as a digital nomad can take many forms, depending on your skillsets:
- Content Writer
- Social Media Manager
- Graphic Designer
- Web Developer
- Virtual Assistant
- Academic Tutor
There are a number of ways you can start building up your client list and portfolio. First, you can attend digital nomad networking events in your country of residence to start building up clients or getting your name out there by word of mouth.
Second, sign-up to sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and Guru to post your skillset and start working on projects.
#2. Remote Work
If you prefer a more stable job and don’t want to get into the freelancing game, there are some great options out there for remote work like Flexjobs, Indeed, and We Work Remotely (WWR) just to name a few. These platforms all have the capability of finding remote, full-time work. All you have to do is go to the search and type in “remote” to see what’s available.
You may already have a great job that you’d like to take on the road. You can speak to your management and ask them if you could work remotely — the worst they can say is “no”. The best-case scenario means you can take your job (and benefits) with you to any country you choose.
Remote work can take the form of part or full-time work — instead of freelancing the occasional job, remote workers have a solid career that just allows them to utilize technology and be location-independent.
#3. Photography & Videography
Reach out to companies in your niche to start a conversation and see where you might be able to offer your services. Depending on your specialty, there are a number of ways to build a successful photography or videography business while living abroad as a digital nomad.
With the rise of blogs and e-commerce websites, there is an ever-present need for professional product photography, stock photos, travel shots, nature videos, explainer videos, brand awareness videos, etc. The list goes on and on. Bonus points if you gain some experience in video production and editing to increase your hire-ability from anywhere in the world.
#4. Blogging / Vlogging
If you like to write but want to be your own boss, blogging could be a great option. You can start either travel blogging with your own site or get hired by another website to write for them. For those more comfortable with video, start vlogging and work towards becoming a professional YouTuber.
#5. Create an Online Course
There are countless other ways to make money while traveling. The only limit is your creativity! So before setting off on your adventure, do some research within your own niche to help curate your own skillset. There are a number of great websites out there that can help you hone your talents.
- Coursera
- Skillshare
- Treehouse
- Udemy
Speaking of online courses… that is another great way to make money as a digital nomad! Take a desirable skill or talent you may have and make a step-by-step course to teach others how to do what you do best. All of the above sites are great places to host your video courses and earn a monthly paycheck too!
Prepare for Take-Off
A digital nomad lifestyle may look appealing as you sit in commuter traffic on the way to your boring 9-5. As glamorous as it may seem, however, living abroad as a digital nomad can be as demanding as it is rewarding. All of these money-making ideas take hard work and dedication but the good news is, if you’re up for the challenge, it’s totally worth it.
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