The term “digital nomad” has become increasingly popular in the past few months. But what does it mean? Who are these mysterious cyber travellers? Is this the future of the working world as we know it? Year upon year, people are bidding the traditional 9-5 desk job ‘adieu’. Burnt out, overwhelmed, and sick of the pressures of corporate, many are booking flights and working from paradise. We’re projecting 2020 to be the year of the digital nomad, so here’s all you need to know about them.
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In summary, digital nomads are people who work remotely by way of the internet and other telecommunications technologies. This work can be done from coffee shops, recreational vehicles, co-working spaces, or even from across the world.
Hence the ‘nomad’ bit – these professionals move around and are not tied to a specific office environment or set of working hours. Many have chosen to ring in the new year with flexible, adaptable, and importantly, in-demand digital work.
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How popular is the digital nomad movement?
Well, questions like these are always difficult. Some people may be living a digital nomad lifestyle without even knowing it. Professionals who hop from coffee shop to coffee shop, or make a living travelling basically fit the definition.
On Instagram the hashtag #digitalnomad boasts almost three million tags. It’s predicted that by 2035, the number of digital nomads in the workforce will reach one billion.
Working remotely becomes more of a reality for many as technology advances in leaps and bounds. Increased internet connectivity means that loads of jobs can be done without being office-bound.
How do digital nomads make money?
So we know it’s all digital, but that’s still pretty vague, right? Entrepreneur.com has made a list of eight ways you can make money as a remote worker, and here they are:
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Publish an eBook
This is a great way to make passive income. Put your thoughts, ideas, stories, to paper (or rather, to screen) and consider uploading and selling them on sites like Amazon.
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Start a blog
If you’ve got some marketing know-how, this is a good way to generate income. Pick a niche subject and get typing. You could sell advertising space or be compensated to feature certain products or destinations as your blog grows.
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Join the gig economy
Travelling can get super expensive, so doing easy odd jobs may keep you in motion. You could deliver parcels, tutor students, or drive for an international ride-sharing company like Uber.
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Provide professional services
If you have a skill, monetise it! Consider working digitally if you’re a graphic designer, editor, writer, programmer, accountant… There are loads of sites for this kind of freelance work, like Upwork and NoSweat.
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Create online courses
Use your skills to teach others. Everyone is always wanting to know how to do something. From handiwork to calligraphy, there’s a market for your skill. See platforms like Udemy for this income method.
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Teach English
There’s a market for your language. So if you’re in a bind, you can work at local schools after some TEFL or TESOL training. This work is usually on contract basis, and you can generally set the terms for how long you’d like to stay.
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Social media marketing
Help others with their online marketing for a fee. Nowadays almost every company needs help with their social media so finding clients shouldn’t be too tricky.
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Virtual teaching or consultancy
Teaching school-level subjects, languages, or even a musical instruments over Skype is a lucrative option. You can find students/clients on platforms like Indeed.
This list, although helpful, isn’t exhaustive. Furthermore, consider the fact that most jobs only require internet connectivity, a laptop, and a phone. These elements of the workplace can be made relatively nomadic if needs be, allowing people to see the world as they earn an income.
5 factors you need to consider before going remote ?? https://t.co/VtPykg6JCP#remote #digitalnomad #entrepreneur pic.twitter.com/M2nEUTNO54
— JustCall App (@justcall_io) January 30, 2020
How do digital nomads affect my work?
So if digital nomad-ery sounds totally unappealing to you, don’t stress. Companies are far from implementing remote, travel-based work far and wide. Therefore, you’re safe.
But if it sounds great but you can’t quite commit to this lifestyle just yet, there are solutions. Many industries are slowly moving towards digitisation and remote work. Some of the industries making the move include insurance, data management and collection, and even banking.
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Why should companies take notice?
Working remotely ultimately saves companies money on electricity, printing, and that ever-boiling office kettle. 2020 could very well be the year that commuting is replaced, in part, by telecommuting.
In short, the landscape of the working world is changing. That is to say that digitisation may change the way we do business across the board. But for some, this change happened ages ago and they’ve gotten a head start on seeing the world.
If you’re interested in reading further, here’s how a Daily Maverick sub-editor ended up working from an island paradise.
By Features Writer, Ashton Kirsten
