8 Criteria for Choosing Where to Work Remotely as a Location Independent Entrepreneur
Yuli Azarch | February 23, 2018 | 1 Comment on 8 Criteria for Choosing Where to Work Remotely as a Location Independent Entrepreneur
In this post I’m going to address a topic that will be greatly relevant to you, if you are a:
- Person who works remotely
- Location independent entrepreneur
- Digital nomad
In the last four years, I’ve had the privilege to work remotely from over 30 different countries spanning several continents.
I’ve been to Asia, South America, North America and Europe.
So, I do have some form of experience of working remotely, because I have been working and building up my businesses while I have been to all of those countries.
Now, the question that used to go through my head when I started out, and I know is going through the minds of many people who are in the same situation is – How do you choose where to choose to work from? How to spend the next 3 or 6 months in a totally new place?
And I want to say that — this is literally a first quality world problem. Whoever has this problem has absolutely no means to complain, including myself. If all your basic needs, such as food, water, shelter, love and sex are met, then you start fulfilling other needs.
That is the whole beauty and the reason why many privileged people decide to be location independent entrepreneurs.
So, when you look to travel abroad, where will you travel? The thing to realize is that when you’re working as a location independent entrepreneur the whole world is open to you!
If you can be anywhere in the world — the question is…where to be?
It’s literally so easy today to just travel to any place. But the fact is that even though you can go anywhere does not mean that that is where you should be.
In my opinion, you need to have some strategy and criteria when it comes to choosing a place to stay.
But before we go ahead, here’s the clincher. I want to mention this right off the bat — There is no right place, actually.
There is a right place, for the right time!
You may think that there’s this one place where you go, and it at that time in your life it may seem like the perfect place. However, it may be good only for this moment in time.
This is something I realize again and again. And this realization will always affect my criteria.
In this post I would love to share with you my 8 criteria on how to choose where to work remotely worldwide as a location independent entrepreneur.
- You need good internet! (04:18)
- Make sure you have a community of foreigners around you (05:30)
- Cheap monthly expenses (06:48)
- What excites you? (07:20)
- Your visa situation (08:21)
- Air quality (09:06)
- Choose a place where you can grow as a person (10:17)
- Choose your schedule based on events (11:05)
1. You need good internet! (04:18)
It may sound obvious, but this is critical. Good internet is really the backbone for allowing you to travel and work remotely. Without it, you’re at a standstill. Bad internet is simply not an option. It hurts productivity. If you’re traveling for a couple of days, you can get away with it. But if you’re looking to settle down in a place to work, then this is non-negotiable.
My experience: I have lived and worked in places with bad internet and I realize that it really hurt my productivity. There were daily frustrations such as uploading a small video or uploading a picture and day after day that really gets to you. I found myself working slower, and getting fewer results. Don’t settle for bad internet. Period.
2. Make sure you have a community of foreigners around you (05:30)
When you’re traveling to certain countries, especially third-world countries, I feel it’s important to have a community of like-minded people around you, besides just the local population of that area. I always like to go to places that have a community of foreigners, similar to the kind of people you are used to and exposed to in other more developed countries.
My experience: I would not like to go to a place where I’m just surrounded by locals. A community of foreigners is important to me so I can build friendships and learn key tips about living locally in that place. For example, when traveling in Central America, South America and Asia I found that having foreigners around was very helpful in settling in a particular city and gelling in.
3. Cheap monthly expenses (06:48)
While this is not my number one criteria, this is certainly important to consider especially if you’re going to call a place home for 1 to 3 to 6 months.
My experience: If there’s a place that gives me many other benefits and allows me to save on monthly expenses, then I say — why not? The more I can save, the more I can invest and the more I can spend on other things rather than just on monthly expenses. So this is a criteria that I definitely do consider when deciding on a place, especially if it’s going to be for a few months.
4. What excites you? (07:20)
Which place excites you? This is something I ask myself, and I trust the feeling of what excites me. I want to be in a place that I can work in but also explore at the same time. Choosing a place that excites you is important as it adds to your personal happiness. There are countries that are good for working, but they’re just not exciting. If you have a choice, always choose a place that excites you.
Amazing views from Koh Pha-ngan in Thailand!
My experience: Around 2 years ago, Asia was really exciting for me. I spent almost 9 months there, with close to 5-6 months on an island called Ko Pha-ngan in Thailand. Then after a while it was not so exciting so I went to another place. Now, Central America is exciting for me, so I’m here for 9 months!
5. Your visa situation (08:21)
Visa is something you need to consider as one of the more practical aspects of being able to stay in a place for a longer period of time. Without a valid visa, no matter how much you love the place, you’ll have to go elsewhere. In some places you can’t really stay for longer than 3 months or 6 months, some even less.
My experience: In my case, I’m traveling with my wife and she and I both have different visas, so this is something you definitely need to consider when choosing a place, especially if it’s a longer stay.
6. Air quality (09:06)
You might not think about this, but this is very important to me to determine where I’m going to settle down for a few months. Many places around the world have really, really bad air. I’ve actually been to those places. Some include, Bangkok in Thailand, New Delhi in India and Mexico City in Mexico.
My experience: I do not feel good when I’m engulfed in polluted, grey air. Grey air literally means poison, toxins, heavy metals and pollutants. For both short-term and long-term stays I feel that this is really hazardous to health, and I simply don’t want to stay in places that have air pollution. Like me, if you care about your health, look for places with good air quality.
7. Choose a place where you can grow as a person (10:17)
Choose a place that perhaps has different workshops going on that you can enroll in, or perhaps it’s brimming with different entrepreneurs whom you can meet and network with. I actually feel that it’s dangerous to settle down in a place where you cannot grow.
My experience: When I’m looking at places to settle down for a while, I’m looking for options that will facilitate my personal growth. You either grow or you either die. When I’m looking at a place I don’t just consider my business growth, but also how that place will contribute to how I grow as a person.
8. Choose your schedule based on events (11:05)
As an entrepreneur I find it critically important to go to different events, around the world for both business and personal growth. You can learn so much in a short period of time and can return with the tools you need to literally skyrocket both your business and personal growth! So if you’re not sure where to go, and you have your calendar of events in front of you, list all the places you’ll be going to for events, and if it’s feasible, choose your schedule around it.
My experience: This is something that I have started doing. Let’s say I’m going to be attending an event in a particular city, and I’m going to be flying there anyway. I think to myself, Why not perhaps try to stay there, for about a month maybe, as long as it fits my schedule? So for example, I attended an event in Hawaii and stayed there for a month. Did the same in Miami and the same in London. Events can be a great way to plan your schedule and explore that place (as long as it meets all of the other criteria I mentioned above as well).
Back to you!
So those are my 8 criteria for choosing a place and points that you should consider as well as a location independent entrepreneur.
Are you a digital nomad? What are some of the things that you consider to be important when choosing a place? Please share in the comments below!
All the best!
Yuli
[…] What we are seeing more often is people choosing a lifestyle, where they can work by themselves and do what they want. Thanks to the development in technology they can choose to work remotely anywhere and use support from people overseas. Don’t know where to work remotely? Check out “8 Criteria for Choosing Where to Work Remotely as a Location Independent Entrepreneur”. […]