How To Create A Long-Term Sustainable Freelance Writing Business And Travel The World. Would you believe me today if I told you that it is indeed feasible to land your dream job and use the money you make from it to support an endless journey throughout the globe? The concept of the “digital nomad” lifestyle, which allows you to work from anywhere and travel the world as you choose, used to be the stuff of dreams for the majority of people.
How To Build A Sustainable Freelance Writing Business While Traveling The World
In this article, you can know about How To Build A Sustainable Freelance Writing Business While Traveling The World here are the details below;
But it’s much more prevalent than you might imagine now. In order to increase morale, loyalty, and productivity (indeed, people are most productive when they are happy, who knew! ), businesses and employees alike are moving toward flexible working. More and more individuals are realizing that a standard 9 to 5 office job is an antiquated structure.
I was one of those somebody who was utterly exhausted by the grind of the office a few years ago.
Every day I would feel unchallenged and unsatisfied when I got home, and I would wonder how I got into the habit of working to live.
I desired the freedom to determine my own working hours, clients, and revenue, as well as the time I needed to pursue my passions.
I therefore created a freelance writing business, left my job, and began traveling.
Being a digital nomad isn’t just a pipe dream any longer; I’m convinced that anyone with the correct mindset and desire can achieve it.
It wasn’t simple for me to go from an office job to a remote freelancer, and I’ll never be one of those clichéd people who promises to “make your dreams come true.”
It took months of long days and arduous labor for me to completely transform my life; it also took even longer for my business to go from struggling to thriving.
Having said that, there are concrete, doable actions you can take to eventually turn your dream of starting your own freelance business into a reality.
Here are some of my top suggestions for creating your own freelance business and making it financially viable enough to enable you to travel the world without needing to book a return flight.
1. Build your business foundation before you start traveling
The idea of abruptly quitting your job and taking a plane to another continent may sound romantic, but it’s not the greatest method to create a location independent business that will last.
It takes time to build your freelancing business to the point where it can support your desired lifestyle and replace your full-time income, so don’t hurry into it or take any risks (like quitting your job) before you can afford to. This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business.
It took me roughly four months of working on my freelance writing business before I was ready to give my office job my notice. At the time, I concentrated on:
Creating a business website in a professional manner
Blogging to build my portfolio (see the following item!)
Social media networking with other independent contractors
Wherever feasible, acquiring clients (and experience) and turning them into long-term contracts.
It wasn’t until I had a few steady clients who were paying me more than half of what I was making at my office job that I made the decision to quit and begin traveling. This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business. Also check Customer Service Companies
Check out this list of the top websites for finding freelance jobs if you’re stuck.
2. It’s all about your portfolio
Too many people concentrate on landing jobs and constructing a fantastic professional website, but in reality, you should devote the majority of your early efforts to building a solid portfolio.
Portfolio Showcase Yaz Purnell
In addition to sending potential clients a PDF of my private clients, I also have my own website where I showcase my portfolio.
The best writing samples from your portfolio should ideally have been posted online by respected blogs and businesses. The ultimate paradox, of course, is that you need employment to develop your portfolio, but you also need employment to develop your portfolio.
As a novice freelance writer, you can avoid developing a portfolio in a variety of ways (whether or not you travel!).
These consist of:
Start a blog; you might write about vacations or something completely else. I established my first blog at the same time as I started my freelance business. This not only provided me with a fantastic platform on which to display my writing, but it also brought clients right to me! This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business.
Do work for free – Offering free content to friends and relatives who ran their own businesses was my second-best strategy for expanding my portfolio. This included anything from producing a couple excellent blog entries for them to updating the copy on their website.
Guest blogging – If you don’t want to start your own blog, guest blogging for well-known blogs might be a good approach to expand your portfolio. It’s necessary to keep in mind, though, that the majority of blogs now only accept posts from other bloggers.
3. Manage your expectations
Almost everyone, I’m willing to wager, has this hazy image of being a digital nomad in their head:
You’re at the beach, maybe lying on a sun lounger or a hammock, holding a cocktail in one hand and a laptop in the other. You spend a few hours working in the sun before returning to your beach villa to get ready for a night out with your pals.
Okay, so perhaps the notion of a digital nomad is overblown, but blogs and social media have misrepresented it to all of us.
The lifestyle of a digital nomad is fantastic, but it’s not all glitz and glamour. Yes, occasionally you will hear opinions like that, but it’s crucial to control your expectations.
You might spend the entire day in your hotel room on certain days because there isn’t anywhere else with reliable WiFi. There are times when your WiFi connection will be the worst you’ve ever had, and you’ll be frantically running across town attempting to reach your deadline.
It can be terribly lonely when you go days without running into somebody with whom you click.
And the one time you do bring your laptop to the beach will be the last since pricey electronics and sand just don’t go together.
I don’t say any of this to discourage you; I’m happy with my life right now.
It’s crucial to keep your expectations in check and realize that for every wonderful day of freedom you have, there will be a similarly dreadful circumstance where you’ll wish you were sitting at a comfortable workstation with a safe internet connection. This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business.
4. Ethics and cost arbitrage
It’s actually a wise decision to adopt the digital nomad lifestyle when you’re just starting out as a freelance writer.
Why? In any case, if you choose to launch your freelancing career from home, it’s likely that you reside in a nation with a pretty high cost of living, with bills, a mortgage or rent, and other obligations that you must be able to cover.
This suggests that until you can comfortably replace your income, you may need to work long hours while juggling your full-time job and freelance business. Also check No Code Movement
However, traveling allows you the chance to reside in nations with reduced living expenses, relieving you of the burden of maintaining your standard of living.
For instance, when I first began traveling, I had a monthly income that was half that of my office work, but since I was traveling in South East Asia, it still more than covered my expenses.
Digital nomads love this type of cost arbitrage because it allows them to live comfortably on a smaller salary while concentrating on growing their business.
You should be aware of the moral implications that such behavior may have on the nation in which you are residing.
In order to create sure I was not just helping myself but also the nations I passed through, I performed things like:
Support your neighborhood by doing your shopping and dining there.
Stay in guesthouses and independent hostels rather than major chain hotels
Recognize your privilege; if you have the opportunity to travel to a foreign place at all, much less stay there for an extended period of time, you are really fortunate. Accept this privilege and the possibility of paying more as a foreigner in specific locations. This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business.
5. Know where you’re going
I can confidently affirm that there are significant distinctions between the two types of travel (not simply an age difference! ), having both been backpackers and remote workers.
When you’re backpacking, you may be as impulsive as you want without having to worry about where you’re going next. However, working while traveling need a little more forethought and preparation.
Every location you visit should ideally have at least:
A area or two for work (particularly if you’ll be living in noisy dorm rooms!)
Taking a Hike to Find WiFi
This is best illustrated by the image above, which was shot in Thakhek, Laos. Although it may seem idyllic to be surrounded by mountains and have cows grazing nearby, I actually had to hike out to this tiny hut each day to obtain any WiFi at all.
Search online to learn more before making a choice. When in doubt, I browse travel blogs about the place I’m considering visiting. I usually Google “destination + digital nomad reviews.”
Usually, they will provide you a clear picture of where you’re going and whether each probable location is suited for digital nomads.
Just keep in mind that not every location will offer great WiFi and a ton of cafés to work from. However, if you at least do some research beforehand, you can be ready for those locations that could be a bit more difficult to navigate. This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business.
6. Making use of the location independent lifestyle to grow your business
You will meet so many more people if you adopt a location-independent manner than if you stay secluded in your home office.
When I initially started traveling, I would frequently get into conversations with people who were genuinely curious about my job as a freelancer, my business model, and the kinds of projects I took on.
You’ll undoubtedly engage in similar chats as well. Utilize this curiosity to network and establish connections with others you meet along the way.
Has the welcoming hostel owner asked you to help them with their website? What about the independent contractor who is similarly mobile but is undoubtedly not a writer by nature?
Being a digital nomad gives you the exceptional chance to meet individuals from all over the world, and among these people, there is always the chance to find some fantastic long-term clients.
7. Keeping your clients happy
You’ve been on the road for some time now, and you’ve managed to land a few loyal customers. Since everything is looking good, maintaining that appearance should be your main priority.
The final thing you want is for a client-agreed contract to be in disagreement with your time zone or travel schedule. This is another aspect regarding Sustainable Freelance Writing Business.
I see it this way: since your client is paying you, you must accommodate their wants. That can entail staying up all night to attend a meeting by their deadline, but because you get to travel the world, it’s worth it!
Making use of virtual technologies in my daily routine has proven to be really helpful for maintaining client satisfaction when on the road. Here are a couple of my top suggestions:
An excellent project management application with both free and paid subscription options is Trello. If a customer needs an update on a project or wants to add a task for you to complete, they may simply add it to the board for when you log in the next time rather than contacting you directly.
Slack is a fantastic instant messaging platform that is especially helpful if you operate in a remote team. You have the possibility of sending a message, which will be saved in the chat till your team members log in.
Google Hangouts is a fantastic tool for having online meetings and screen-sharing with clients or coworkers when you need to get into greater detail about a project.
Google Drive is an invaluable resource for independent writers! You never have to worry that your laptop may suddenly die and take all your unsaved articles with it because Google Docs automatically save as you type! It is also wonderful because it features cloud-based storage, making it accessible from any device and allowing for simple client sharing.
Over to you
I’m hoping you answered “yes” to the query I posed at the outset of this post.
It may seem impossible to build your ideal company and make it financially viable enough to travel extensively, but with the right amount of time and effort, you can slowly advance your freelance career.
Two years ago, I would have laughed in your face if you had told me I would be self-employed, running a business I love with the opportunity to live anywhere in the world.
Now, I look forward to starting a new journey as soon as I get up. What are you waiting for if you long for the independence of traveling employment?