Your morning starts with a relaxing swim in the ocean and a stroll down a sandy beach. You have a lazy breakfast that flows into brunch before heading over to your office: a hammock swinging between two palm trees. You open your laptop, take a sip of fresh coconut juice and look back on the times where you had to be at the office by 9 – without a single drop of nostalgia.
Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?
Ever since the book Eat, Pray, Love made it into the mass consciousness, many a high-level professional has closed his or her eyes in a fancy top-floor office and imagined what it might be like to drop the suit and briefcase for the adventure of a lifetime.
For some, it was more than a passing fancy, and many of those who used to contemplate traveling the world with a laptop have actually gone and done just that. Faster Internet speeds, compact gadgetry and a more widespread understanding of online capabilities have all played their part. Whether they call themselves digital nomads, telecommuters or freelancers (new terms are being coined as we speak), the number of people riding the wave of progressive technological advances is growing. In fact, three out of five North American workers recently surveyed stated that they can (and are willing to) work remotely.
But wait. Before you hand in that notice, there are quite a few things to think about.
How To Get Started:
Have a passport, a saleable skill and an itch to escape the office? Then you have the qualifications to be a digital nomad – a term, by the way, many remote workers dislike; but it’s the sign the press has hung on them, and it has stuck.
So, what exactly is a digital nomad? Put simply, someone who makes their living online, thus allowing them to enjoy an itinerant, gypsy lifestyle, working anywhere in the world. Estimates indicate that over 90 percent of those currently choosing this modus operandi are men.
Without a good Internet connection, digital nomads are dead in the water. One person we spoke to had to leave China because of its web restrictions – Google, Facebook and Twitter are blocked – and slow network speeds. He found it almost impossible to communicate with his clients around the world.
Perhaps you were planning to run off to a secluded beach to begin your new desk-free life? Think again. If the Wi-Fi is sub-par, you’re sunk.
All serious remote workers we spoke to said a great work area other than your home or neighborhood coffee shops was a must-have. Enter co-working spaces. A recent development, co-working spaces have emerged as places for great Wi-Fi, a comfortable, high-tech environment and socializing with the tribe. Pay a monthly fee and you never know who you may meet and what possibilities might emerge – either working for someone or collaborating with them.
The biggest problem is often how to finance the vagabond dream. Even if you have a very useful skill, such as a Ruby on Rails developer, you’ll need to hook up with a paying client who will recognize and reward your abilities.
The solution is marketing – SALES and marketing. Cringe, horror, you mean I have to sell? Afraid so. Unless you’ve negotiated a move from permanent employee to contractor with your present employer (that’s the perfect combination), you’ll need to match your skills with someone who needs them. You need the hunger of a starving man and the drive of a Nanshan District cabbie.
Although many nomads fear and abhor selling, the successful realize it’s essential. It’s also a talent that’s not difficult to learn, and you can find help. In fact, the digital nomad movement has gained such proportions that a sizeable support ecosystem has emerged to make this vital component easier.
Here are a few places that can help in finding your first contract:
AngelList – AL zeroes in on a great employment sector, the startup market, which is generally open to remote, contract positions. In fact, its tagline says 18,335 of the world’s best startups are hiring on AngelList. The site has great search capability and prides itself on complete transparency, with remuneration details revealed for each job. Angel.co
Problogger – Founder Darren Rouse is a respected, veteran blogger who offers great tips for promoting yourself and finding freelance jobs, not just as writers/bloggers, but in a variety of other marketing-type jobs as well. He has an active job board which is updated daily. Take a peek and you’ll find hiring employers ranging from startups to established, respected Internet companies. Jobs.problogger.net
Remoteok – Hundreds of jobs here, mostly in high-tech companies, many of them start-ups. With a very clean interface and easy-to-search database that allows users to filter results by type, you can find results by location, pay range and whether the job can be done remotely. Remoteok.io
Meetup – A great resource for networking and finding job opportunities. Meetups are available in most major cities throughout the world and bring together people who share common interests. Simply search for nomad, tech, marketing or job gatherings in your city. For instance, the site lists both a Guangzhou Remote Workers meetup and an Internet Startups meetup in Shenzhen. Meetup.com
Where To Go:
Wi-Fi and cost of living will be your guiding stars to nomadic bliss. Of course, there is no dismissing the emotional component – you may simply have strong feelings for this or that spot on the globe.
One first-rate resource to help you make an informed decision is Nomad List (nomadlist.com). Founded four years ago by a digital nomad who found necessary information on cities, visa, Wi-Fi speed, climate and other details scarce, he set out to gather it himself. Initially crowdsourcing facts and presenting them in an Excel spreadsheet, the demand and success morphed his basic site into a little pearl that’s now recognized as the de facto Wikipedia for parsing all a city’s variables, in order to decide whether to stake your digital claim to Sao Paulo, Shenzhen, Barcelona or any of the other 100-plus cities he showcases.
With that said, certain cities have become particularly popular in the digital nomad community. Quite unexpectedly, the very best one is just a three-hour flight away.
Chiang Mai, Thailand – The Number-One Destination for Digital Nomads
Where Bangkok offers buzz, nightlife and excitement, Chiang Mai gives you nature, a more relaxed lifestyle and great outdoor sports. Nestled in the mountains up north, 427 miles from Thailand’s capital, it’s the country’s second largest city and an outdoorsman’s Mecca. You can enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking and a variety of other invigorating pursuits. Those who live here have emigrated from fast-paced, high-octane metropolises for a quieter, more laid-back experience.
Nomad List named it the number-one destination for digital nomads. Why? Because it tops the charts for cost of living, climate, Internet speed, low crime and access to fellow remote workers. In addition to its 300-plus Buddhist temples, low-priced massages and over 400 restaurants, it has one of the world’s best co-working facilities, Punspace. The company hosts two well-furnished locations, restaurants on-site, 24/7 access and blazing-fast Wi-Fi for a mere 3,500 baht (RMB650) per month.
According to one of Punspace’s early members, Bibi Shand, a 51-year-old Lithuanian mobile app developer, Chiang Mai is beloved for good reason. “I’ve been here, off and on, for almost five years. Chiang Mai is the best price performer in Asia, offers the best restaurants and attracts an intriguing international crowd of tourists, professional gypsies and guest lecturers at Chiang Mai University. I love its unpretentious, New Age feel. It helps me balance my hectic work life. I hesitate to sing this city’s praises too loudly. I don’t want to see it get ruined.”
Shand also notes that Chiang Mai’s proximity to Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries makes travel easy and inexpensive.
Davao, Philippines – Beach Paradise
The Philippines is known for its large online freelance community – even back in 2013, local freelancers were reported to have made a whopping USD76 million on Elance (since rebranded as Upworks). As with Chiang Mai, the main attractions are fast Internet, low cost of living and a large English-speaking community.
Davao is the place to go for those seeking palm trees and sandy beaches. With the abundance of small islands and water activities, the Philippines is a paradise for sunbathers, surfers and adrenaline junkies.
“I have tried several places in Asia, but the Philippines is just the right vibe for me,” says Dan Kwatkowski, surfer, blogger and an aspiring startup founder. “Sure, Internet is not always great – you have to know places. But once you settle down, it all falls into place. I can’t imagine my life without a beach. And Davao is great for that.”
Shenzhen, China – A Good Place to Startup
When you think of a ‘slow’ life and relaxing atmosphere, Shenzhen probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. However, the city seduces with its international vibe, proximity to Hong Kong and the ever-growing startup culture. With an abundance of tech companies looking for talent, Shenzhen serves as a promising jump-off point for your new lifestyle.
Many of the city’s new tech companies are eager to hire professionals, but are often not able to offer an attractive full-time package. This makes for some good negotiating ground and may lead to a stable telecommuting position.
Bill Davis, an IT professional, first journeyed to China all the way back in 2001. He then found full-time employment with one of the local companies and worked 9-to-6 days for four years.
“I was eager to learn about China, study the language, meet the people, and was actually hoping to put it all into a book later on,” he recalls. “But I soon realized that I was being naive. Working full time left me with no ‘me’ time, and traveling during public holidays was a major hassle. It then dawned on me that I would be leaving China without knowing anything about it.”
The grim realization led Davis to quit his job. He spent over six months looking for a freelance position and settled in Shenzhen. Now, he has several stable clients and enough time to see the world. “Shenzhen just has all I need,” he says. “I can easily hop on a train to almost any town in China, plus there is Hong Kong Airport. I can be in Thailand or Bali within a few hours.”
The Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Permanent release from cubicle hell – Enough said; if you’ve been there, you understand how important this is.
Set your own hours – Are you most productive from 9pm to 4am? Have at it. If you can deliver on time and as committed, you can work any hours you choose. That’s freedom.
Geographic mobility – Live wherever you desire and move whenever your feet get itchy.
Pick and choose your projects – With in-demand skills and the resources to hear about new opportunities, you can work on a series of short-term, full-time contracts or take on multiple long-term, part-time ones. We talked to people who’d been in the field a couple of years and found most of their work comes from referrals. It pays to cultivate contacts and over-deliver.
Meet and work with interesting people – Follow the example of Chad, a Singaporean nomad who works with developers in Colombia, Belarus and Romania. “These bright techies are not only my project lifelines, but some become my friends. They’re interesting people with exciting lives, and we share a lot.”
Cons:
Eat what you kill – Some nomads love their work but cringe when selling and marketing themselves. That spells disaster and could boomerang you back to the corporate cubicle. Successful nomads use contacts and networking to develop relationships and a steady pipeline of work.
Visa challenges – Some countries are more lenient than others, and some passports have greater cachet. The nomad grapevine can be helpful in learning what’s what in the country you’re in, but you better get used to border runs; they’re an unavoidable part of the dance.
Miss out on family events – Weddings, births, funerals. Life on the road has many positives, but you will miss family events when they are taking place 10,000 miles away. That may be a blessing or not, depending on your point of view. Skype, Google Hangouts and other video chat apps can greatly reduce the distance.
No stable home – This may be an issue or not, depending on your priorities and life choices. Some nomads find one or two cities they fall in love with and migrate between them, proving ‘home’ bears different definitions for everyone.
Time zone differences – If you’re living in Hong Kong and your Chicago client schedules a 3pm conference call, it means you need to be up at 2am. Since many clients are in other parts of the world, time zone accommodation is part of the job.
Conclusion:
So, are you still planning to write that resignation letter? A nomadic lifestyle may not be for everyone, but there are useful lessons to be learned from the trend. The fact that technology is now letting us even consider exploring the world with a laptop is nothing short of amazing. It’s a tempting idea, one that’s catching on. According to certain forecasts, by 2035 there will be one billion remote workers. That’s a population larger than that of Europe, South America or North America. And they will all be wireless.
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