As the world becomes more connected through the internet, being in a specific physical location to do work has become less and less necessary. People from anywhere can do work everywhere and often do. No office. No store. This has given rise to the term digital nomad.

Digital nomads are a type of people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles.

This phenomenon is catching on by workers and businesses globally. Here are 5 ways to make money as a digital nomad.

5 Ways To Make Money as a Digital Nomad

Blogging

Not that long ago, blogging was considered journaling, but in an open digital format. People wrote about their cats, their problems and worries and nobody really read their posts except their mom and friends.

However blogging has evolved to the point where it is a seen as a professional digital platform, with influencers scooping traditional news media on stories, outperforming conventional entertainment sources and providing quality education resources.

Blogging has become much more than rants to your inner circle. Because of this, it has also become an industry, where people can make money through advertising and leveraging their site for search engine optimization clients.

Both methods provide the opportunity to create a work situation that can be fulfilled anywhere there is an internet connection. And the ease of establishing a blog site through user-friendly companies like Shopify, have made the process so easy, you barely need to know what technology is, let alone be highly technical.

Freelance Writing

Writing is becoming more and more of a gig and less and less of a job today. Instead of companies hiring writers on their payroll, writers are often paid per story or article.

This model allows the companies the efficiency of only paying for work completed and provides writers the freedom to work for multiple employers and produce at their personal pace. Freelance writing can be done anywhere you have an internet connection to submit your work and apply for assignments.

Freelance writers are also becoming a part of the growing need for search engine optimization via blogging. These industries work hand in glove and the potential of both spill onto the other.

Day/Swing Trader

The days of trading stocks merely on the floor of the exchange are long over. Through services like Etrade and Scottrade you can buy and sell stocks in real time, allowing you to leverage your skills as a trader from anywhere there is an internet connection.

Because of the significance of when you buy and sell, it is important your connection speed is adequate, otherwise you can find yourself upside down on some transactions. However, this is work that can not only be done anywhere, there is an romantic benefit to making stock exchanges in a hammock strung to two palm trees.

One disadvantage to this work comes from time zones. If you want to trade stocks on the American stock exchanges but live in Thailand, you might have some crazy hours. This could actually be an appeal for those who are nocturnal, however.

Teaching/Tutoring/Support

There is no reason for any discipline to require in person lessons anymore. Teaching can often be done via video, where the lessons are done ahead of time and subscribers can watch at their leisure or they can be done live via video conferencing.

This is particularly true if you have a skill that is in high demand and people everywhere want to gain from your expertise. The internet is increasingly creating a reality where the need to be local is disappearing. The tools to do work from anywhere are available, cost-effective, powerful and ubiquitous.

And employers are increasingly opening up to the idea that they can pay for production and not hover over the shoulders of their employees. As this reality develops, the line between a vacation get-away and a daily job will continue to blur.

Sharon Gourlay makes a living teaching Digital Nomad Wannabes how to make money using online platforms. Photo: Digital Nomad Wannabe.

Online Store Owner

Selling stuff online has become so simple. Site providers like Shopify allow you to find a domain and setup an internet storefront in minutes and begin selling your stuff around the world. Because your customers can live anywhere, why can’t you? It is the world wide web afterall.

This is not only a freeing way to do business, because you don’t have to be tethered to a physical location, it is cost-effective as well. Instead of paying for a brick and mortar store, you simply pay for your website and the cost of shipping your goods or providing your services.

And sites like Shopify also make it easy to take money, ship goods, and easily deliver services so you don’t have to sit at your computer waiting for transactions.

TOOLS EVERY DIGITAL NOMAD NEEDS. CLICK TO AMAZON ↓

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Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; a website dedicated to opening your eyes to the wild & natural world.

Committed to bringing you the best in adventure travel from all around the globe, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.

If you enjoy getting social, you can follow their journey on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.