Location matters, or does it?

The digital age has made it easier than ever to work on your own terms. To work when and where you want. Of course, I’m not saying that going for location dependent businesses is bad but rather I’m just sharing alternative options.

Location will always be important especially for many businesses despite the rise of remote work, collaboration, telecommuting and the like trends. If your business is conveniently located at the best place to attract customers, you can be certain of growth, an increase in sales and brand visibility.

Why pursue location independence?

When choosing a job or career, most people never consider the kind of lifestyle they actually want. They just look at the income and hope the company and culture is good while making the most of the monthly income while also struggling from all the temptations to spend that hard earned money.

I started freelancing almost half a decade ago, but went back to the corporate world as both our family business as well as my start-up went bankrupt. I had to be practical, lick my wounds, rebuild my ego before maybe trying again. Now, I’m restarting my freelancing journey in pursuit of my passions.

Other reasons can be summarized as ‘I can work anywhere provided there is stable internet’. I’m not really a ‘digital nomad’ as I have never even left this country - yet. I just think that’s really a convenient way of working.

Another reason is, you can choose the clients you work with. Well this takes time of course, so don’t expect to immediately do this when starting out, but hey, you can be choosy. If you don’t like the client, you are actually allowed to fire them. Yes, that’s a normal thing.

A world of possibilities

Redefine the way you work. Most of us know work as an ‘obstacle’ and not as something ‘portable’. With the limitless potential of location independent businesses these days, I thought I’d share the many different ways OFW-2.0 make money online!

Most online jobs are service-based businesses that are tied to a particular skill or expertise. It’s important to note that some of these will fall into several categories and have some overlap.

Freelancing - This category is where most people start in order to get some money rolling in while they work on a long-term sustainable business.  You can usually find clients for this kind of work on Upwork.com, Fiverr.com, and similar Freelance sites.  You also have the option to market and find your own clients through your own site or on social media.

E-commerce - It’s an easy way to live a free and independent lifestyle once you gain experience.  It’s simply finding products to resell on your own website, platform or other third-party e-commerce sites that will charge a commission.

New media - This is where independent content creation fits. While freelancing is using your skills for other people, content creation is using your skills and/or interests for yourself. This can be done via blogging, vlogging, podcasting, online coach or trainer and being an online influencer.

Online Investing - There are several ways to do this whether through real estate, financial markets, or other areas.  There are also many opportunities out there!

The barriers to entry are so low and the potential benefits so great that it’s hard to find reasons not to do this in 2019!