What is location-independent lifestyle?
Location-independent lifestyle means living your life on your own terms and working from wherever in the world you feel like. Have you always dreamed of heading out to a remote destination and never looking back? Technology has made it possible to work from anywhere in the world, and we can help you make your dream a reality.
Do I have to sell everything I own to ‘go global’?
The truth is, it depends on how long you want to be gone. There will be a pretty high dollar cost associated with keeping and maintaining payments on your belongings if you choose to hold onto high dollar items such as rent, mortgage, vehicles, and insurance payments. Factor how long your trip is going to be and what it is going to cost you to make your payments on top of travel expenses. If you are planning a long-term trip, you may be better off having liquid cash to make decisions and travel further on. This is the option that Cody and I chose. However, we know this does not work for everyone. If you have a home, consider doing a housing swap with someone that is in the location you would like to go www.homeexhange.com. If you are going to keep some belongings, look into storing your stuff. This gives you options and will be far less than paying rent. For selling your stuff, take photos and post on www.craigslist.com and www.ebay.com. Let people know you are leaving the country and your prices are negotiable. This will help move your loot faster J Also, for Craigslist, I recommend doing Cash Only transactions.
How do I take a service business online and on the road?
Many folks assume that you can only run a product based business online. This is not true!! We specialize in showing you the process of going global and setting up your business so that you can serve an extended audience. To be successful at this process, you must have a plan and be very organized. It helps to be technologically savvy and to get your business operations streamlined in order to make the transition smooth for your current clients. Click Here for our services.
What systems do I need to put into place to make all this happen?
There are quite a few things you will need to do personally to prepare yourself to Go Global. See our Going Global Countdown for a list. As far as your business goes, you will need to think of your outreach a bit differently. Now, your leads are probably coming in by in person meetings or by referrals. Building trust online is quite a bit different and building trust is paramount. One of the fastest and easiest ways of doing that is providing free information for your prospects. This builds trust and lets your potential clients know more about who you are and what you do. By providing information, you also position yourself as the expert in your niche, which further encourages your reader to do business with you. Related article: Running a Business That Lets You Travel Permanently
How do I prepare my clients for the transition?
First of all, you need to look at this as a way that you are expanding your business. Making the transition to a global market is appealing and you can explain to your current clients that you are “going international”. Has a nice ring to it, eh? Transitioning your clients is key to your success and if you have recurring monthly programs, you may consider discounting your rates slightly. Keep your regular pricing for new clients and take a subtle loss up front. Setting up online and recurring billing systems and make sure you demo your merchant account or PayPal account beforehand. QuickBooks online has recurring billing, which comes in very handy for packages and long-term contracts. It also makes things very easy to track your financials from any computer worldwide. Set up an account with Skype and train your clients on how it works. log in to your account on the Skype.com site you can purchase a “SkypeIn” phone number ($60/year) so that your clients can dial a local CA phone # and reach you if you’re on Skype. You’ll also want to load up with SkypeOut credit which allows you to make calls from your laptop to cell phones & hardlines around the globe for about $0.03 almost anywhere.
What are the best global gadgets for running a business abroad?
The essentials: laptop with a microphone and webcam, plug adaptor if necessary, camera with video function. Check out Kareem Mayan’s list.
If you are headed to somewhere that you can leverage the economy, consider bringing your old laptop and upgrading there. You will pay far more money in the states for technology abroad!
Related articles: Travel Gear Blog, How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less
How do I back up my data while traveling?
Check out the following resources for backing up while on the road:
Highly Portable Backup Solutions for on the Road
Mobile Computing: Backup Strategies for the Road
What about normal things like bills, mail, etc?
These all need to be handled before takeoff. Go ahead and set up auto-pay for any recurring bills. You should go through exactly what you are paying for and cancel any membership or subscriptions that you will not be using while away. If you can, set up the auto-pay through your Travel Rewards Card so you can earn more miles!! For mail, forward to a friend, check out www.earthclassmail.com, or reroute to your virtual assistant.
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