How to successfully run an online business while traveling – words Al Woods
We are living in the age of entrepreneurial spirit and wonderlust! The rise of the online world means that more and more people are making money out of our digital lives. From affiliate marketing, Blogs and dropshipping, to SEO and web design, it seems like just about every online avenue is becoming profitable.
Film makers, writers, web developers, social media marketers, and even recruiters now have the opportunity to work anywhere in the world, as long as they have internet connection! Sounds good right? Well, it doesn’t come easy. Setting up your own business, or growing a steady and regular client base can be really hard. But if you are well on your way to building your profitable online empire, then take a look at some our top remote working travel tips!
You still have to work
Contrary to what many worker travelers may imply on their social media feeds, you do still have to do a considerable amount of work while you are travelling. Be prepared to spend a lot of time staring at your laptop, answering emails, undertaking admin, providing products and generally keeping your business afloat. It is no easy job to build up a business online and a lot of the time, unless you have a very trustworthy group of employees, you will have to keep working to keep your business successful. Social media posts of other traveling online entrepreneurs may paint an unrealistic representation of what it is like to work and travel. Make sure you are prepared for that. Sightseeing isn’t at the top of your to-do list, your business is.
Hire some employees to help you
If you have decided to travel the world while working on your online business then that is great! But make sure that you will actually have the time to explore the wonders that the world has to offer. By employing some other freelancers or employees to continue working, you will be ensuring that your business is in good hands while you get the opportunity to go and visit the sights!
Keep the costs down
Just because you are traveling while running a business doesn’t mean that you and your business have the opportunity to be frivolous. So many people take their online business traveling with them and then get distracted and start over spending. This can be detrimental to your business. Make sure you keep the cost of your travels down in order to sustain and financial input that your business may need while you are traveling (employees, software updates etc…). Here are a couple of ways that you can keep the costs to a minimum:
- Get Cheap Airport Parking: Don’t pay over the load for any airport parking that you may require. Take a look at price comparison sites like the one above to save money on your parking.
- Good Wifi Deals: The most important thing that you need while taking your business traveling with you is internet connection. Make sure that you are staying somewhere with fast and cheap wifi to save those extra pennies.
- Get insurance: Make sure that you have travel and tech insurance. If your laptop breaks or is lost then your business will be in trouble. Make sure you take out the relevant insurance.
Stick to a routine
One of the hardest parts of going from stay at home working hours to traveling working hours is their different consistencies. Going from a 9-5 routine to a sporadic and random working pattern can mean that you have less time to work, and that you may be doing your work to a lower standard. Make sure that you establish a travelling work routine. This way you will know both consciously and subconsciously when to work and when to take a break.
Back everything up
Make sure that you are continually backing everything that you have up on to a hard drive, the cloud or a seperate memory stick. The last thing that you want to happen while running your business abroad is to lose any of your data. It is common while traveling for people to misplace or break things. If this happens to your laptop or device, then your business may suffer. By packing everything up, you are giving yourself the best possible chance of keeping your business going.
Plan when to travel
Make sure that you have a consistent traveling schedule. If you have not properly planned in your travels then you risk becoming stressed, confused of hurried. Take your travels slowly and plan them meticulously. This will help you to stay focussed while really enjoying your adventure! Take the time to really observe and enjoy your surroundings, while simultaneously giving yourself enough time to work.
Taking your business abroad is no easy process, and there is a lot of planning involved. Contrary to the pictures painted by influencers and online business owners, working and travelling is no simple process. But there are steps that you can take to ensure that you get the balance between work and sightseeing equal. Make sure that you discipline yourself to work, think about hiring in help, keep the costs to a minimum, stick to a routine, back everything up and plan your journey well. With these tips in mind, may your work and travel endeavour be your most productive and fun experience yet!
