There is a paradox of being a freelancer that says you have to strike out on your own to have more control of your time, only to discover that the demands of your job are taking up all of your time. How can freelancers become real digital nomads while enjoying the lifestyle that initially drew them to start their own business?
The first step towards creating this lifestyle is to define what real success and satisfaction mean for you. Success means a lot, and it can take numerous definitions. For me, as a freelancer and a successful nomad, success means working from home during my free time, having flexibility, and spending enough time with my friends. For some people, success means creating a profitable business that can bring in millions. Regardless of how you interpret success or your dream to create a lifestyle business, you can define success in a way that works for you.
Before we go further, we need to understand who a digital nomad is.
Digital nomads are people who leverage technology to work from anywhere in the world, provided they are connected to the Internet and a computer to work with. These individuals do generate income via the Internet in numerous ways from selling clothes, building websites, and writing articles or even creating content.
Different people have a different path towards becoming a nomad. For some people, it is a mere accident that they find themselves in a remote place working. For some people, it is an intentional process.
Becoming a digital nomad involves a lifestyle, which brings with it certain sacrifices that you may not be willing to make. The nomadic lifestyle, in most cases, is glamourized. But in this article, we will discuss some healthy points on how to become a successful nomad.
Before we discuss these tips, it must be mentioned that the nomadic lifestyle is not for everyone, but this is not to say that not just anyone cannot do it, but some people may find it overwhelming or time-consuming, and may end up ruining their lifestyle. This has to lead us to provide some questions that only you have to answer:
● Are you willing to forego a steady paying job to freelance?
● Are you willing to learn new skills and sell your service in a competitive marketplace?
Becoming a digital nomad is a tough decision for some people; it is just like starting any business. It is quite risky, and this might cost you to give up your current lifestyle to make money exclusively online.
However, if you are willing to become a successful nomad, a freelancer to be specific, here are some tips for you:
1. You have to build your skills
This is the first and most crucial step to becoming a successful nomad. Your goal is not for you to learn every digital skill, but instead to choose one major aspect and master it. Develop yourself until you find no one to match your standards.
If you plan to be a freelancer, you will need to build up yourself in some certain skills. Skill acquisition is significant for you to compete in the digital market. Such capabilities may vary from web design, content creation, and data analysis to publishing of books. You must stick to that skill and aim for mastery and perfection.
These days, people have free access to the Internet; there are many places to acquire such skills that are even more sufficient and less expensive than getting yourself a college degree. We can also be in control of our learning and educate ourselves at a fast pace.
2. Learn how to sell your services
The best way to succeed as a freelancer is to think of yourself as a business. It is one thing to possess skills and another thing to convince someone to buy your services or to hire you.
The secret is not just that you have to sell yourself once, you have to do your job well so that you do not get fired. As a freelancer, the salesperson in your business is you. This means you will be competing with so many people from different part of the world or sphere.
The truth is that, apart from acquiring skills from one aspect of freelancing, you will need to learn some skills in sales and marketing. This is very important for freelancers if they want to sell their services or products.
As freelancers, it is essential to build a network of clients. This is very important because people like to work with those that they already know and they trust them so much.
It is to be understood that the online marketplace is so powerful, they are capable of doing a lot of work for you. All you need to do is to play by their rules. You need an in-depth understanding in regards to how the platforms work.
3. You must be creative
For you to become a successful nomad, you have to be creative. Creativity is essential in freelancing. If you are unable to come up with something original or eye-catching, be assured no one would be willing to work with you. Your client may become bored if they keep getting the same result from you all the time. Hence, for you to become a successful entrepreneur, you must be willing to introduce creativity into your work.
4. Try to be productive
Productivity is a significant factor in freelancing. As a freelancer, you need to come with ideas that are different and distinctive from that of other people. You need to make your client consider you as the most important among many others.
5. You must acquire some time management skills
As a successful entrepreneur, time is a very crucial factor that must be managed. Every entrepreneur must learn how to manage multiple tasks in a limited period. You may sometimes be required to serve multiple clients in a small fraction of time; this where your time management skills play in. You may need to manage other things like advertisement, delivering work in due time, receiving payments on time, taking on new projects. These time management skills will help you break each task into chunks.
6. You must be good at managing your client database
A good freelancer will always take a record of all the clients’ information, such as contact numbers, email address, social network identity, and others. Managing a proper database will help you ease the stress locating a client, especially when you want to communicate a vital message to them.
7. You must learn to make your schedule very flexible
As a digital nomad and entrepreneur, you must be willing to choose the appropriate hours that are more productive for you. It must be understood that your job performance will not be measured by the number of hours you spend working or logged in a seat. You have to get the job done efficiently. As a freelancer, you need time for yourself, time to be with your family and friends, time to exercise, and time to attend to some personal issues. This is very important for every freelancer. You do not have to spend all your time on a job.
8. Expect to work relentlessly
If you are willing to make this freelancing job career, you will have to work very hard. A freelancing job may be time and energy-consuming. You must be willing to work for longer hours than expected sometimes, as you need to meet the demands of your clients without disappointments. This nomadic path requires a lot of commitment. The more time you spend doing business with a client, the higher your chances of creating a wide network of client base.
9. You must learn to balance work and play
As a freelancer, you need to balance your work and play life. You have to know when to work and when to play. Trying to strike a balance may be quite a difficult task if you do not consciously consider what is right for you. You must set yourself up correctly for success so that you can spend time to enjoy all the benefits of lifestyle that you long worked hard for.
10. Choose your working style
Your working style is unique to you and can only be recognized by your clients. Some people like the idea of working while roaming around the world, while others may choose to work from home. It is best to be very honest with yourself when considering which working style is best for you. Knowing your work style may determine how productive you can be. Some people believe they work best when they are in a remote location, and they claim it has a positive impact on their productivity.
11. Self-motivation is very important
When it comes to freelancing, self-motivation is a key. You must be motivated to show your skills in the digital market, and this is a vital ingredient to becoming a successful nomad. Sometimes, things may not go as expected. We may disappoint our clients, or we may get some hurtful comments from our clients, so self-motivation is the only thing that can keep us on the move at this point.
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