If you’ve dreamed of traveling the world or waking up in a new, exotic location every few months, the YouEconomy could have your ticket to travel.
Related: Why You Should Join the YouEconomy
While finding a digital nomad used to be like finding an actual unicorn, today they’re everywhere you look. By 2020, an estimated 40 percent of Americans will be making their living independently, according to a recent study by Intuit. Why not be location independent too?
The variety of ways to make money while you’re traveling is growing steadily, thanks to advancing technologies and our increasing cultural ease with remote work. Here are a few categories of location independent gigs:
1. Creative Work.
If you can write, design, compose music, edit, or do other creative work online, you can operate anywhere with wifi. Gig sites are low paying but can be a great way to start. Once you’ve developed clientele, you can take your work around the world.
2. Consulting.
Your technical expertise doesn’t have to be delivered in person. A video consultation and a remote project management system can keep you up to speed and connected with even the largest corporate client.
3. Coaching.
From helping new entrepreneurs to guiding new parents, coaches make up a large portion of location-independent YouEconomy pros. Personal development, health and wellness, and business are the biggest coaching arenas.
4. E-Commerce.
Opening your own craft or resale shop online is a viable alternative to the traditional brick and mortar store. If retail or material sales is your strength, why not take your sales on the road?
Buy Low, Sell High on Amazon
For people ready to take their YouEconomy lifestyle on the road (or just work from home without taking any meetings), the latest trend in resale (or flipping, where you simply buy products at a budget price and sell them for a profit) might be the path to success.
Fulfilled by Amazon (also known as FBA) is a business model and platform in which a seller buys products to then resell on Amazon. The seller looks for deep discounts on whatever products they want to sell, from cosmetics to tools and everything in between. They buy them and then turn around to resell them for a profit on Amazon. Online storefronts like Etsy and eBay also offer potential for resellers who know how to find the right deals.
5. Direct Selling.
With more and more direct sales companies offering easy access to products and services without the need to store inventory, direct selling has the potential to help you make a living and create the lifestyle that suits you best.
6. Virtual Tasking.
From administrative assistants to database managers, online help is big these days. The plus side is that no matter where you are, you can also pick up in-person work via task apps that let you assist anyone in your vicinity.
7. Online Marketing.
If you’re tech minded or willing to learn, affiliate marketing and other online revenue streams are viable options. You could start small with a blog on a particular topic and grow it into a passive income stream. That would certainly fund a few round-trip tickets.
The opportunities are as endless as your imagination and capabilities. Consider these three things before you make the leap to location independent work:
• Financial responsibility is the key.
Travel can be stressful if money is tight. If you don’t have enough in savings to pay for the out-of-pocket medical care you need when you catch a stomach bug in another country, that’s not conducive to carefree living. Set yourself up financially by making a realistic budget before you go.
• Be prepared to simplify… everything.
You’ll need to travel light, which means selling a lot of what you own or paying to store it. Simplifying also means ratcheting down the complexity of your business. Bring on virtual assistants to help with the detailed day-to-day work, or seek out a business partner who has a craving for adventure too.
• Ask for help and take advice.
Find a digital nomad who has been where you want to travel, worked how you want to work, or knows people who have. You might be setting out into the great unknown, but it shouldn’t all be a surprise. Getting prepared for the pitfalls is smart business.
If a location independent lifestyle is calling you, the YouEconomy is waiting. Grab your ticket and go!
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
