If you remember anything about history class, you might remember the time you talked about nomads. Nomads are those that wander around the desert without a home. They move from place to place, often in large groups, in search of the next oasis or green pastures.
The modern definition of a nomad is “a member of a community of people without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from the same areas”.
While this term has traditionally been reserved for people who live in and around deserts, the name has been extended to those who travel around the world. Type “nomads” into Google and you’re likely to find plenty of Instagram travel pages, travel groups, and people advising on the “modern nomad lifestyle”.
One part of that modern nomad lifestyle encompasses the life as a digital nomad. Today we’re going to be going through how to work and succeed as a digital nomad.
So what is a digital nomad?
Instead of riding around on a camel looking for an oasis, you’ll be jet-setting (or staying in a few locations) around the globe with your laptop and suitcase.
With the rise of remote working and flexible scheduling, people are now finding that they can work from just about anywhere as long as they have the appropriate equipment and a solid internet connection.
What kind of jobs do digital nomads have?
Lots! While there are certainly unlimited job fields that digital nomads frequent, you’re likely to find a job in one of the following sectors:
- Writing and editing
- Customer service
- Virtual assistants
- Data entry
- Transcribing
- Translating and interpreting
- Almost any IT job
- Education
Many places won’t just take on any person and most workers have years of built-up experience before taking their career on the road.
Those don’t really apply to me, I’m an entrepreneur.
Wonderful, then you’re going to have plenty more options. Not just in where you travel, but what you get to do. Obviously, it’s not advisable to open up a storefront in London if you plan on spending your days in Bali, Indonesia.
One of the most popular job tracks for entrepreneurs is the world of ecommerce, and for good reason. Just look at the rapid growth of the industry and its projected growth.
Photo source: https://crazylister.com/blog/online-marketplaces-ecommerce/
It’s the best field to get into if you’re a digital entrepreneur nomad. Or digital nomad entrepreneur. Whatever, you get the point.
OK, so what exactly can I do with ecommerce?
You might be thinking that running an ecommerce business means you’ll have to have plenty of inventory. Images may pop into your mind of you hauling your inventory through security checkpoints and answering tons of questions from grim-faced customs agents.
Thankfully, ecommerce has a solution: dropshipping.
Dropshipping is where you act as a middle man between the actual inventory, retailer, manufacturer, etc. and shipment to the customer. You’ll be operating a business without any inventory.
If dropshipping isn’t for you, you can look to keep control on the inventory but that will require you to stay in one spot for long periods of time, since you’ll be in charge of the larger picture.
I don’t know much about ecommerce.
Even the ecommerce experts new as much as you do at one point or another. Of course a degree in supply chain management, business, or digital marketing is going to give you an upper hand but by no means is it 100% necessary to start.
Thankfully for you, there are tons of free resources online where you can go through week-long crash courses and even plenty of training programs.
You’ll find through your research plenty of free tools that can help you build up your business and eventual website. A lot of them can be found on Google, like Google Keyword Finder, Google My Business, and Google Analytics.
While you don’t have to become an expert, you’ll want to verse yourself on solid SEO practices and marketing techniques. You’ll want to learn how to write great titles, the importance of photos, and the priceless value of solid reviews.
That sounds interesting. What do I do now?
There’s a lot that goes into being successful. Just because the business is booming, doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed success. There are lots of other people who have noticed the growth of the business and are trying to get a piece of the pie.
For starters, you’re going to need a website. Think of a domain name for your business and make sure it’s available.
Once you have a name down, don’t worry about building up your website yet. You’re going to have to find a target audience. Not everyone is going to want your products, so think of who you’re going to be selling to and what need you’re going to be filling.
As with any business, it costs money to make money. You might already have a sizeable capital built up, but if not you might need to look for a partner to join you, a small business loan, or even a family member to help you get started.
The good thing about most ecommerce businesses is that there are low upfront costs, meaning you can limit the amount of cash you’ll need up front.
Depending on where you on in the world, you might need to apply for various business permits or licenses. That’s a country-by-country basis, so make sure you’re aware of what’s happening.
Once you start growing, you’ll be able to see which marketing tactics work (woohoo social media and influencers) and which aren’t as successful (email marketing).
Most of all, it requires lots and lots of planning, patience, and a little bit of good fortune. Good luck!
