Becoming a digital nomad with a freelance business means you can travel while you work!

How to become a digital nomad

A digital nomad is a person whose daily life consists of carrying out a professional activity while traveling. Flexible work organization and the development of telecommuting are encouraging many people to adopt this lifestyle. Here's how it works.
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Updated November 17, 2023
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You've decided to set up on your own, you have a portfolio of customers and assignments to carry out remotely. You already meet all the criteria to become a digital nomad. In short, a digital nomad works while traveling.

Many freelancers need only a computer and an Internet connection to work, so they can indulge their passion for travel while working efficiently. A simple Wifi or 4G connection gives them total control over all their activities, which can be carried out in the four corners of the globe.

Translator, web editor, developer, graphic designer, remote coach, sales representative, web entrepreneur, etc. are just some of the professions that lend themselves to the life chosen by digital nomads.

Are you attracted to this new lifestyle? Let's find out together what it's all about, and how to get organized.

Becoming a digital nomad means you can work from anywhere.

Digital nomad, a seductive lifestyle

The life of a digital nomad is "digital". In other words, they are able to practice their profession remotely, using a laptop, an Internet connection and a cell phone. Working remotely is an essential part of their daily lives.

The life of a digital nomad is also "nomadic". You need to be able to constantly change your working environment, and adapt without difficulty. Digital nomads often invest in co-working spaces in the cities they visit.

Digital nomads have no fixed address, staying with friends or renting accommodation around the world.

Preparing for life as a digital nomad

Becoming a digital nomad can't be improvised. The first step is to set up your online business. Most often, digital nomads work in e-commerce, are influencers on Youtubeinfluencers, bloggers, e-learning creators, web developers or content creators.

Few digital nomads are salaried employees. The vast majority have freelance status. Becoming a microentrepreneur couldn't be easier: all you have to do is visit the official government platforms www.lautoentrepreneur.fr or guichet-entreprises.fr. All you need to do is fill in a single form online.

So it's imperative to have a fixed head office address. In France, the best solution for digital nomads is to use the services of a domiciliation company. These provide a prestigious address, lighten your daily routine and save on taxes. It's the ideal alternative to your own home (if you have one), a family member's home or rented business premises.

The next step is to find work online. Before you begin your first projects, take the time to think about your business proposition: what services are you going to sell to your customers? The best way to answer this question is to measure your strengths and weaknesses!

Don't neglect your presence on social networks, and take care of each and every one of your online profiles (Google MyBusiness, Yellow Pages, Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Also, new platforms specializing in connecting freelancers and companies are finding great success on the market, such as Upwork, Remote.co, Working nomads, Remote OK, Crème de la Crème, Workiz or Freelancer.com.

The pros and cons of life as a digital nomad

Among the advantages of the digital nomad lifestyle, the taste of freedom is undoubtedly the most striking. You're free to choose the next city in which you're going to work remotely, your office hours, your day-to-day organization, the choice of your assignments, the dates of your vacations, and so on.

It's a particularly flexible organization, adaptable to the constraints of your business and your travel desires. So you can manage your schedule in your own way. Freelancing enriches your experience thanks to the many roles you play on a daily basis (carrying out assignments, sales prospecting, accounting, etc.).

Among the notable drawbacks, digital nomads are often tempted not to follow a demanding work discipline. You have to be motivated, and set yourself a serious work rhythm. It also means having to put up with a certain amount of solitude. Last but not least, freelancing involves a degree ofuncertainty about the future of your assignments, the regularity of your income, and your future destinations.

The life of a digital nomad is atypical, and you need to ask yourself the right questions before embarking on this great adventure!

Using the services of a domiciliation company is a decisive advantage for digital nomads!

You'll benefit from a prestigious address for your head office, lighten your daily routine and save on taxes. With SeDomicilier, you can obtain your certificate of domiciliation in less than 5 minutes, in a 100% online process. What's more, all your services are then available in a personalized, secure virtual office!

Written by our expert Paul LASBARRERES-CANDAU
September 3, 2020
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