Want to start a business but don’t want to be tied to an office? It turns out you can create your own company even while sitting at home, or lying on some distant exotic beach, with just $1,000.
How is that possible? Of course, through technology. Maria Dikstra, co-founder of TreDigital, a digital growth agency in Washington, created her company through technology, allowing her employees to work remotely.
“We do most of our work online,” she says, “We use Google Docs, share documents, videos, use email, and consult.”
Knowing how to use technology correctly is very important to succeed in digital business, as is informing customers that you are traveling.
And, despite what many people think, traveling is not that expensive. According to Nomad List (a site that evaluates cities based on their friendliness and value for digital nomads), you can travel and live in the best cities for digital nomads at relatively low prices. For example, Bangkok will cost you $1,479, Prague $1,969, and Budapest $1,579.
Technology allows you to work even from a distance, so if you like the life of a digital nomad and don’t have that much money, here are 9 business ideas that you can start with relatively little investment.
Web designer
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To become a web designer, all you need is a laptop, a hard drive, and the internet. It’s no secret that a beautifully designed website is very important to have a successful organization. This means that web designer is a profession that you can learn anywhere.
“The website you create is the first impression you leave,” says Michael White, founder and director of White Media.
Don’t be afraid if you don’t know all the codes. White notes that creativity is more important. Coding and SEO skills can be learned through courses, self-study or training, so if you are skilled in the field of art and design, this business is for you. According to White, success lies in the creativity of this product.
Opening a web design company will not cost that much, according to Ken Brown, founder of the web development business Launch Lizard, who founded his company by investing only $50 a month, which he used to advertise his business on other sites.
With that $50, he was able to attract many customers and develop the business unprecedentedly.
Both organizations focus on unique design and service to make their organizations stand out. The main prerequisite for staying in this competitive market is to have an individual style, as well as to pay attention to any detail important to customers.
“Focus on the quality of the work. Everything depends on the service and the design,” White advises.
Accountant
Believe it or not, you are not the only one who does not want to spend a long time in the office or at meetings. If you like numbers, but avoid wearing a suit and tie every morning, you can choose the job of an online accountant. All you need is a computer, an accounting certificate and a phone.
Ian Crosby, co-founder and CEO of the accounting organization Bench, notes that for a successful online organization, service through communication is extremely important.
“We have found that entrepreneurs who prefer technology are not looking for detailed offline conversations, but prefer fast, convenient and pleasant communication. And none of them will be reached by being limited to one-hour meetings held within the walls of the office.”
Matching service
It’s not just about Tinder and eHarmony. The matching service can refer to any technology that allows you to make connections between businesses or individuals and their preferred services. You can do this business from anywhere, because it can be done online.
The important prerequisite for having a successful matching business is to make the information available to organizations when they urgently need it. For example, Zintro (a website that connects organizations with the specialists they need for projects) offers telephone consultations and job offers to its clients.
Zintro founder and board member Enrique Levin explains how the business works. “The client presents the project, then the specialists present a brief description of their skills, and why they are the best candidate for the job. This helps users a lot in finding a specialist.”
Zintro is completely managed online. Levin notes that communication with clients is maintained by phone and email.
Tech support
Not everyone is good at technology, which means that organizations that offer tech support are a great way to make money. This will sometimes take time, as you will have to visit organizations or homes to solve the problem, but you can still run this business from anywhere.
Daniel Gagnon, president of the New York IT support company TekHatton Holdings, used this idea three years ago. Gagnon and co-founder Alexander Hernandez worked as a senior manager and IT expert at CityMD, but were also additionally engaged in IT support.
Their business gradually grew thanks to customer praise, so they left their jobs at CityMD and created TekHattan.
“I had to make a decision to quit my job to fulfill my American dream,” Gagnon said.
He also noted that communication and service are the two most important things in running an online business.
“We are always available for our customers. If one of our customers needs support, we have to help him even at 2 o’clock in the morning. And we always do this with pride.”
Editorial services
Do you get annoyed by the mistakes in the letters? Do you think that allowing typos in newspapers is unprofessional? You are not the only one. If you have a good command of grammar and like to read and write, online editorial services can be a good option for you.
There are different approaches to this business. For example, you can create a program that automatically corrects errors, or you can check errors yourself, or work with Wordy. It is an online editorial service that creates a connection between those who want to edit the material, and those who want to work as an editor.
The price you offer should depend on the amount and complexity of the material, but as Anders Schepler, founder and CEO of Wordy, notes, “Don’t focus on offering a price.”
“Gaining trust is very important for proofreading and editing, so we strive to create long-term relationships,” he said.
Digital marketing and PR
If you have some knowledge of marketing and PR, then try to use these skills online.
Although the office of the digital marketing organization TreDigital is located in Seattle, CEO Maria Dikstra runs her organization from Russia, where she lives with her family. She also has many friends in the US and around the world.
“But we work as a team,” she says.
Dikstra notes that you can work more effectively while traveling, and in her opinion, the absence of meetings, which did not allow her to focus on business development, is more useful.
If you want to work in this field, you must be able to create strong relationships with your customers. Always communicate while traveling.
Travel specialist
If you are still going to travel, why not help others do the same and make a profit?
This idea belongs to Matthew Kepnes, who created the Nomadic Matt website, where he writes about his travels with useful information on topics such as cheap accommodation and tickets, information about traveling alone and as a couple, travel books and more.
Kepnes writes useful information on his travel website and makes money by selling books, running a blog and offering photography lessons, and cooperating with businesses related to tickets and rentals.
However, to create this business, you must be extremely organized. The best option is to have a tough schedule for traveling and doing business.
Kepnes has already traveled to about 80 countries and has been able to help about 16 million people with information, while working and earning money.
Life coach/consultant
If you like to help people and have valuable skills in business relations or communication, then the work of a consultant is just for you.
Life coach Erica McCurdy has combined her love of traveling and her desire to help people. It is not surprising that technology is an important prerequisite for being a digital nomad, but sometimes it can control your life and reduce your chances of creating your own brand.
“People turn to me not only for the technologies I offer. So I’m looking for ways to be creative so that technology doesn’t make me feel like I’m like everyone else,” she says.
“You have to spend the whole day doing research and forget about your responsibilities. Always find time to work.”
Content curator
You can also make money by creating content while being thousands of kilometers away from the office.
Vernon Foster, founder and CEO of the podcast production company Pod Parrott, thought he would be able to start a podcast business. But when his last show lasted about two months, he decided that it is better to use his skills as a freelancer.
Pod Parrott’s services include training, equipment setup, consulting and other things.
However, he admits that there are a number of challenges associated with this work. “For example, very good internet is becoming as necessary as food, and time zones also create great difficulties when communicating with customers.”
But Foster notes that the key to success is creating a business that fits your lifestyle.
“But only the desire to be a digital nomad cannot lead to success, digital nomads must be motivated, able to work independently and be ready to learn,” says Julie Ewald, CEO of Impressa
Souces: Entrepreneur, Getty Images