Digital Nomad, Freelancing & Nomad Resources

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”8790″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Welcome to our 2017-2018 digital nomad & freelancer resources! We’ve tried to include a little of everything you might need, either as a newbie or as an experienced freelancer looking for something new. You’ll find:

Forums, groups and meeting sites to ask as many questions as you like and even meet people as you travel
Sites (with the skinny) for online work for digital nomads
Offline job possibilites for nomads
Listening, reading and practical issues for freelancers & digital nomads

No time to read through them all right now? Not a problem. You can download the free PDF: Digital Nomad & Freelancing Resources.

We hope you enjoy it and don’t hesitate to let us know if we’ve missed any.*

*We chose not to include paid job sites, paid courses or classes on ‘becoming a digital nomad’ or general travel blogs[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]FORUMS & GROUPS

Digital Nomads Abroad: A Google+ community with the tagline: “If you can work from home, you can work from Rome!” It’s more focused on American DNs, but posts on the hows and whys of being a digital nomad in general.

Digital Nomad Forum: Relatively new and growing steadily, the forum covers the basics plus places, jobs and travel, to name a few. People are pretty helpful and friendly here.

Digital Nomads and Location Independent People: A LinkedIn group that’s for people who are interested in becoming location independent with work and for those who already are embracing that freedom.

Digital Nomads on Quora: The good thing about this page is that you can find the most commonly asked questions about the digital nomad lifestyle with an array of perspectives and views.

Global Digital Nomad Network: A closed digital nomad Facebook group that boasts of 28,000+ members. It’s a good place to connect with others as you travel or get advice from DN ‘veterans.’

Reddit Digital Nomads Forum: This Subreddit has been around for ages. and you can find a lot of useful information from its wealth of archived posts.

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MEETING OTHER NOMADS

Meetup: The go-to place when you want to meet up (thus the name, grin) with other digital nomads where ever you are. With 34 countries listed, there’s a good chance you can organize a hello.

Nomadbase iO: They say “Connect with remote workers and nomads that are in the same city as you right now,” so you can find people to work with – or just people to meet – from your location.

Nomad Network: A social network for nomads (for free) that wants to make your traveling easier and more interactive. Discover DNs, locals and places without an agency middleman.

Solo Traveller App: A perfect app for people who don’t like to travel alone. You can meet like-minded people who happen to be in the same area as you.

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ONLINE JOB PLATFORMS

These are a few online job platforms, where they post job offers daily. Freelancers all over the world can find new jobs in different areas of expertise. Many are remote listings, but not all of them are just online. Carpentry, acting, sewing and wedding photography (on-site) have also been listed.

A Few Notes for Newbies:

For all of these sites, building a good reputation is extremely important for getting more work
You’ll need an online payment system, like Paypal
Always read the fine print in any agreement so you know the fees and how long payment processing takes (some are 3 working days, others might be up to 30)
Many job platforms offer upgraded accounts for a monthly fee; the listings below are for the basic (free) offerings

Digital Nomad Job Finder: There aren’t many new listings or even regular listings like you’ll find on some job platforms, but it is designed with digital nomads (and their requirements) in mind. It seems they also accept blog posts, too, about the lifestyle.

Genuine Jobs: At the moment of writing this, they had such varied jobs on offer as a comic book artist; a ‘Mandarin Hero’ (customer service); and a content writer for a large law firm.

They recommend 2 things: that you check back daily for fresh listings – and that you don’t pay to get a job. “If you come across a position that requires any fees, please let us know immediately to have that job removed.” Very cool of them, since it can be a problem.

Guru: An old standard online job platform, Guru’s been around since 1998. They charge freelancers 8.95% (no clue why this specific amount) for fees and you get 120 bids monthly. They’re strictly online work and the reviews are generally positive for freelancers.

Nomad Jobs: An overwhelming resource list of remote jobs/freelancer boards. It helps save time from Googling each independently, but it is a really long list. The ‘About’ is great:

“I believe that finding location independent sources of income is the no.1 barrier for people to become digital nomads. I made this resource to help others find remote work.” –Krystian Szastock, Nomad Jobs

People Per Hour: Based in the UK but payable in dollars, Euros and pounds (depending on the buyer), you set up a profile, read job listings and send a proposal to those you’re most qualified for. You get 15 free proposals monthly and can buy more if you run out.

The downside is the cost. 20% is deducted by PPH from the full amount of the job (forcing people to charge more for their work to cover costs). Also keep in mind that you pay for the transfer fee to Paypal and Paypal’s fee.

An upside is they now offer local jobs, not just remote and under their ‘Extraordinary’ job category you can find offline work sometimes.

Upwork: Freelancers pay 20% for the first $500 billed with a client, plus the usual fees for Paypal (or whichever online banking system you use). They call bids ‘connects,’ and you get 60 connects for free with the basic plan. It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind each job bid can be 2-5 connects deducted.

A downside to Upwork is the vast morass of poorly-paying jobs you have to sift through to just maybe find one reasonably priced job with a reasonable deadline. Maybe.

Workhoppers: It’s a different approach for freelancers. Instead of bidding on jobs, they ‘match’ qualified locals with clients in the area who need work done. It’s not just for freelancers; there are contract and part-time jobs, too. It could be great for digital nomads relocating in an area for a longer period of time.

Working Nomads: They want to connect professional DNs with companies that offer location independent jobs. The listings on the right show the amount of jobs available and the actual job board lists all jobs as they’re posted. It’s free for sellers to use.

Zeerk: Similar to Fiver, among others, you post a job you can do for the price. Their tagline is “Micro Jobs & Freelance Services from $3-200,” which means there’s a lot of leeway in offerings and prices. Buyers can also post requests that you can fill out. They take a 10% fee from sellers, but do guarantee instant payment once the job is finished. It could be useful if you’re in need of fresh cash ASAP.

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ANALOGUE WORK FOR NOMADS & FREELANCERS

Obviously, if you have a skill like repairing, plumbing, etc. you can find odd jobs as you travel. Or maybe you just want to take a break from the keyboard gigs. One thing that we find interesting is that you can find courses for free on just about anything you want to learn.

For example, if you like woodworking, why not try getting your Diploma in Carpentry Studies? Electricians are also in high demand, in most places. If you have a personal interest in something you want to try, see if you can find a course or maybe even certification. It’s just an extra skill you can add to your repertoire. Grin.

Here are some other ideas for offline work and travel:

Busking or Crafts*: Busking isn’t just playing your guitar in the street. Armando’s done chalk art of famous paintings in town squares to keep us in food when we were waiting for payments. We’ve also met people who draw caricatures, make their own jewelry, or print T-shirts or books to sell as they go.

*You can also put your offline crafts/creations for sale online, via Etsy, for example.

Housesitting: Housesitting can be an ideal way to save money on accommodation while having some down time. It’s up to you how much or how little you want to do (some are farms with animals and gardens you have to maintain; some are just homes with plants that need watering; and some are luxury villas that just need a watchful presence).

You should be aware, though, that most housesitting sites have a yearly registration fee (from $20-120 or so, depending) and not all listings are legit.

Instructor: We’ve known more than a few digital nomads that supplement their incomes with surf instruction in the summer and ski instruction in the winter. If you’re sporty, you might want to check into: (for Europe, you need the PADI IDC certification)

Scuba Diving (for Europe, you need the PADI IDC certification)

Surfing

Kite Surfing

Snowboarding

Skiing

Yoga

Teaching or Tutoring: Everyone knows something, and while you can translate that knowledge into lessons via webcam (also check out Skillshare), TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and face-to-face tutoring are two possibilities offline.

Tour Guide: If you’re planning on staying in a place long enough to get to know it (or already know it), this might be a good way to combine your interests. (Probably don’t pay for a ‘training fee,’ since many are sketchy agencies.) You could always take a short tour yourself and ask the guide for details on what you’d need to apply.

Trading (not Day Trading): Another way we’ve found of traveling cheaply is to trade. I’ve helped set up social media for free to help people who’ve let us stay on their property, for example. Armando’s traded short promotional videos for a week’s free stay at a B & B or ‘agriturismo’ for showers/toilet and WiFi (we had a room, we just prefer sleeping in our van).

Workaway: A year’s access to the host list costs 29, 00 Euro at the time of this writing. It isn’t just host families, though – it includes projects and even NGOs looking for volunteers. It’s more geared towards students. You volunteer a couple of hours in a ‘cultural exchange’ and receive room and board. You also take part in the local culture via the host family, for an authentic experience. Could be great to finesse language skills and travel.

WWOOF: The basics are: you work on a farm and in exchange you get free room and board, plus a cultural connection that’s genuine. You can also learn about different farming methods, which is perfect for people who prefer being outdoors.

The downside is that it isn’t free. You have to subscribe to the WWOOF organization of the country you want to visit (fees can be 0-$70+); any visa fees; all travel expenses to-from; insurance; and all of your own things (phones, medical, etc.).

The plus side is that you can go from one site to another (in the case of seasonal work) without having to relocate. And if you really like it, you could have the opportunity to stay longer.

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DIGITAL NOMAD PODCASTS

Nomad Together: A podcast with DN or location independent families in mind, to give support and relevant information. It’s not just exclusively for families; it’s also for entrepreneurs, couples and solo travelers.

Nomadtopia Radio: A weekly broadcast with Amy Scott interviewing diverse nomads and their lifestyles that includes daily bits, the realities and the joys of living and working location independently. For newbies, there are some great tips on how to get started. You can also check out Nomadtopia Community’s Facebook Page, which is another great source for info and connections.

Travel Freedom Network: Travel hacks and tips combined with how to make a steady online income as you travel, broadcast on Mondays.

DIGITAL NOMAD BLOGS

It’s always difficult to list blogs by digital nomads, because a.) there are so many great ones and b.) it’s highly subjective and depends on your personal interests. Here are just a couple:

Digital Nomad Jobs Newsletter: We recently came across this little gem, which is a combination of job places, websites to check out and even tips for music.

Global Goose: A genuine look at completely different experiences of long-term travel, remote work and cultures from DNs all over the world. It’s nice to read so many genuine and honest accounts.

Go Wonder: A site for traveling girls and women that provides tips, stories from the road and support with its female network. It’s a good place for solo travelers to make connections.

Nomadic Notes: James Clark focuses mostly on his experiences in Southeast Asia, which has become a really popular destination for digital nomads in recent years. He also gives tips on where to go, what to expect and what gear to bring with you, which is useful.

PRACTICAL STUFF FOR DIGITAL NOMADS

Lastly, a few practical things to help with a location independent lifestyle:

Anna Wickman’s Health Insurance for Digital Nomads Guide: (2015) It gives you the gist of what you need to know – and what to ask your insurance providers back home specifically.

Every Time Zone: Not every client is in the same time zone you are (in fact, most aren’t) so this is handy for keeping tabs on your deadlines.

Trail Wallet: Keep track of your expenses and spending while you’re traveling – and helps keep you on budget.

World Time Buddy: An easy-to-use time zone calculator and scheduling tool that can make sure you never miss a deadline.

Visa Central: Do you need a visa for a country or not? How long will it take? You can find out all you need to know about your prospective country here.

Windscribe VPN: Up to 10GB in the free version. It has fairly good encription, blocks ads and can unblock restricted websites which can be handy in some countries.

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That’s it for our updated digital nomad and freelancer resources page. Please be sure to let us know if we’ve missed something, if you’ve got a favorite to add or you’d like to be added to the list. Either comment below or PM us on our Facebook Page.

Thank you for your time and we hope it’s been useful for you!

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