Do you want to travel the world? But your 9 to 5 job doesn’t allow you to fulfill your dream? Don’t worry – there is a perfect solution for you that can allow you to travel around the world without worrying about your finances. – It is called “Freelancing”.
As the access to technology becomes easier, internet gets faster, and tools like Skype, Slack, Dropbox, Google Docs, and cloud-based technology went mainstream, you no longer need an office to do your job, at least, some of them. This makes it possible for many to travel and work at the same time. There are millions of traveling freelancers in the world now, commonly known as digital nomads.
The idea to work from anywhere, at any time, from any part of the world is so catchy that millions of people are switching their 9 to 5 jobs every year for freelancing. According to one estimate, there will be around a billion digital nomads by 2035. If you want to become a traveling freelancer, and want to join the ever-expanding freelance workforce, here are a few tips that can help you achieve more as a digital nomad.
Choose the Right Freelancing Career
First, you have to choose the right freelancing career. Ask yourself, what do you want to do as a freelancer? The good thing is, there are a lot of options to choose from. You can become a virtual assistant, digital marketer, graphics designer, animator, web developer, travel writer, blogger, essay writer, etc.
Here are the 5 in demand and highest paying jobs for freelancers.
- Programming and Software Development
- Content Marketing or Writing
- Graphics Design
- Video Editors/Animation
- Social Media Managers
Choose one, learn and develop skills, and build a portfolio.
Take One Step at a Time
If you are switching your permanent job for the freelancing, you are taking a life-changing decision that will have a significant impact on your future life, your lifestyle, and your finances. This is why, you need to be patient.
Do not start traveling as soon as you resign from your job. It is better to start working from your home office first. Get used to freelance work, develop a portfolio, secure long-term contracts, build healthy work relationship with loyal clients, and only after that, plan your travel.
Planning Your Travel
Again, when you are starting as a traveling freelancer, take small steps at the beginning. What about visiting a neighboring city? Or a neighboring state? Or visit a family or a friend in another town. The point is, in the beginning, don’t move too far away from your comfort zone.
First, see how your little visits went. Were you able to work and travel at the same time? Have you managed the deadlines? Are your clients satisfied with your work during your travel? It is important to answer these questions, and to make necessary adjustments before you make a big move.
When Making a Big Move, Find an Affordable Place
One key to your successful travel adventures as a freelancer is to keep a balance between your earnings and your expenses. In the beginning, when you are still at the initial stage, start with a place that has a low cost of living, like Thailand, Mexico, or Malaysia.
You also need to look into travel expenses, cost of living, and availability of the internet.
Keep Finding New Contracts
To support your traveling adventures, you must have work available all the time. Sitting idle for just a week can disturb your future traveling plans for the next six months. This is why you must have multiple sources to find new work. The good thing is, there are a lot of good options available to find work. For example, if you are a writer, there are probably hundreds of freelance writing websites that can help you find work.
Similarly, there are dozens of job listing platforms like upwork, freelancer, guru, where you can find all types of work. For traveling freelancers, it is a good practice to find and secure long-term jobs, instead of smaller jobs. This way, you don’t have to worry about new contracts when you are traveling and have peace of mind.
Find and Work with Other Freelancers
Instead of working from your room, or a coffee shop, try to find a co-working space. It offers you a lot of benefits. First, it helps you network and find new work. Second, it allows you to meet the local freelancers, learn about the place, and plan outdoor activities with your new local friends.
There are plenty of online services that allow you to find co-working spaces in most of the world cities, like Desk Near Me.
Last but Not The Least, Keep Your Clients Happy
Your success depends on the quality you offer, and how satisfied and happy your clients are. If you are offering top-notch quality, and your clients are happy with you, you can keep increasing your rates. With the better earnings, you can plan more expensive travels as well.
You must learn how to sell your services for the right price. It is often the common confusion faced by the freelance workers, they don’t know if the price they offer is too high, appropriate, or too low. Here is a detailed article on how to calculate your rate.
All in all, by following the simple tips in this article, you can plan a great future ahead of you as a traveling freelancer. Happy traveling and freelancing!
