Digital nomads are taking over the world! At least, that’s what it may seem like. MBO Partners found that 4.8 million independent workers currently describe themselves as digital nomads, and many more (17 million) aspire to someday become nomadic. It's estimated that there will be around one billion digital nomads by 2035.
The research on digital nomadism dives into the many factors that contribute to independent workers' ability to work remotely. Some of those factors include:
- Rise in co-living and coworking spaces
- Growth of online talent marketplaces
- Digital nomad tour services
- Rise of helpful online information sites aimed both at nomads and travelers in general
Nomads are a diverse bunch, with people of different ages and professions, but MPO Partners found that the demographics tended to skew young and male, while creative professions dominate. Their research found that one in six digital nomads earn more than $75,000 annually, although they are split relatively evenly between full- and part-time workers.
In fact, the only requirement of being a digital nomad is the ability to work remotely from anywhere. That means developers, creatives, sellers, marketers, freelance writers, gig economy workers and more can all be digital nomads.
Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?
Becoming a Digital Nomad
Digital nomadism has big risks, but it could also have big rewards. Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting your own business and taking it on the road with you. Maybe you’ve been traveling for a bit and find yourself in need of an income. There are plenty of remote business ideas out there that may be the right fit to help you work while you’re traveling the world.
Here are some of the best business ideas for travelers:
- Drop shipping business: You provide a storefront for customers to purchase from you, and your supplier sends items to them directly. You can do this through marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon or Shopify.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) company: You provide an online application that your customers pay a monthly subscription to use.
- Affiliate Marketing Website: You provide expert advice and reviews of products. If people click your links to buy the products from a retailer, you get a percentage of the order as revenue.
- Information product: You offer an ebook, online course or other resource that customers pay for.
- Freelance service or consultant: This can include copywriting, social media management, SEO, marketing, accounting, IT, business development, project management, web design or graphic design.
- Creative professional: You can be an author, artist, photographer or musician.
- Blogger or influencer: You provide relevant content and work with brands to promote their products, brand and messaging.
- Customer support representative: A customer support representative is usually employed either by an agency or directly by a company. This is a great job for caring and calm individuals who can help problem solve quickly.
- Digital entrepreneur: You decide to form your own business and take on the roles of the owner, manager, creator and marketer. You are providing goods and services for a specific community.
- Language teacher: Have a love for languages? Teach English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Sign Language, etc. There are plenty of sites that match up students and teachers.
If any of those business ideas for travelers piqued your interest, then it’s time to do additional research. That’s where Incfile can help! We have your complete guide to starting a business as a digital nomad. We cover everything from information on taxes and finances for your digital nomad business to the various rules and regulations you will need to follow.
There are also plenty of places to find a job as a digital nomad, including websites such as:
As technology continues to evolve making it easier to work remotely, the number of digital nomads is expected to rise. You can join the digital nomad movement today! Incfile can assist you in forming your remote business quickly and easily. And after you hop on a plane, start exploring, and are earning an income, we offer plenty of services to help you manage your company while scaling a business in no time.
Lisa Crocco
Lisa Crocco is a marketer for an international food manufacturer by day and a freelance writer/marketer for startups and small businesses by night. She's written for outlets like USA Today College, Career Contessa, CloudPeeps and Fairygodboss.
