I’ve worked with many digital nomads – many of them are remote business owners, content creators, and bloggers who make a living while traveling the world. There are so many ways you can make money as a digital nomad, and building a remote business is one of the most popular ways as it gives huge upside potential and flexibility.
It’s an art to manage the nomadic lifestyle while running a business as both would keep you extremely busy (imagine catching a flight while your website is down..) There are common mistakes you need to be aware of, and here are some tips on how to avoid them.
#1 Spending too much time in the hotel
Time flies when you’re building your business. It’s easy to work for 8 hours straight and you don’t even know. Loneliness is the number one complaint from many who work from home, and it’s no exception for digital nomads working alone from an unfamiliar city. When you work long hours and experience pro-longed isolation from social interactions, you feel lonely, depressed, and exhausted.
Avoid trapping yourself in the hotel. Join a local co-working space or work in coffee shops to be surrounded by people. It’s also best to join a networking group to meet new people who could potentially be your business partners.
#2 Not delegating
At some point, you’ll need to delegate and outsource some parts of your work to others as your business expands. It’s not easy to let go, especially for new entrepreneurs. Many don’t feel comfortable outsourcing, unsure when it’s time to delegate, or simply don’t know how to do it.
You’ll need to outsource when you don’t have enough time to focus on what truly drives your business growth. For example, outsource customer service or website maintenance to focus on closing deals and making strategic plans for your business. You can hire a freelancer on marketplaces like Fiverr. I understand some are worried about the service quality and not sure about finding the right freelancer, so I’ve written a detailed Fiverr review on how to hire stellar quality service at an affordable cost.
There are also tons of tools that can save you money and time, like SEO Tools to improve search engine ranking and email marketing software to build and manage your email list.
#3 Not enjoying the city and culture
One of the top reasons people become digital nomads is to experience new cultures and travel to different places. However, when building and running a remote business, many become too stressed and can’t stop working on the business all day. You’re doing a scenic hike, but you keep staring at your phone replying to client messages, missing all the beautiful scenes the city can offer. What’s the point of building a remote business, afterall?
It’s essential to clearly define your work schedule and switch off completely when visiting the city or meeting new friends. The best practice is to have a separate phone for work and leave it in the hotel when not working. Learn to switch off from your work mode and embrace what the city can offer.
Final Thoughts
It’s exciting to start a business that you can run from anywhere. There are challenges to overcome, but the experiences would be so worth it that you won’t regret making such a decision!