Running a successful business while travelling can be challenging. You’ve got the basic issues such as planning a travel itinerary and finding an internet connection that works. Then you’ve got bigger problems including managing a team across different time zones and locations.
But, to many people’s surprise, with a little time management and careful planning, it is possible to successfully run a business while on the move. An experience that you’ll also find incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.
Learning how to strike a balance won’t necessarily come easy though – it takes hard work and effort. So, check out our tips below to find out how you do it.
Build your start-up first
The initial process, including developing a business, validating it and legally registering it as a start-up is best done at home when you’re physically present with your co-founding team. Once you have got the business off the ground it will be easier to work while on the move. It’s a sacrifice and you will need to put travel on hold but from a logistics point of view, this part will be far more difficult if you are already in another country.
Consistency is key
We’re not just referring to the sales process when we say consistency, everything has to be consistent from your environment to working hours and even your mindset. Moving constantly between cities wastes time, especially when you have to repack and transport everything. It could take you a few days to readjust and find your optimal working space and flow again.
Obviously, your lifestyle will determine the type of travel that you’re doing but try and plan to be in one place for a significant amount of time and book into your chosen accomodation for the duration. You should also consider the time difference between countries too, you don’t want your clients or employees getting confused about your schedule if you are constantly moving around.
Take advantage of technology
It is important that you take advantage of today’s technological resources. This includes your smartphone as well as cloud computing and storage, as you’ll have all of your files at the click of a button.
So, whether you’re on a bus travelling to the nearest waterfall or hiking through small villages, you’ll be able to constantly modify files on the go as well as send and read reports which will be a huge help and encourage productivity out of the office. Even if you don’t have Wi-Fi at this particular moment, you can still get all your work done and send it out once you’re reconnected.
Travelling doesn’t mean a holiday
Living a location independent lifestyle is not the same as taking a holiday. As an entrepreneur you have a diverse set of roles that need your full attention and for you to be ready to give your all. Experiencing the world while running your business is just more inspiring than sitting in one place.
When travelling you may already have lower monthly costs than if you lived in your home country. But, opting for low-cost destinations and bootstrapping (starting a business without external help or capital) for a company are two ways to keep it even cheaper. The majority of digital nomads are minimalists and don’t care for big wardrobes or fancy apartments, instead they opt for cheap hotels and travel light with just a carry-on bag.
Put together a schedule and stick to a routine
Maintaining a schedule is tough considering you’re always on the move, but by creating one you can adhere to it all the time and set your work to certain days, making your to-do list more manageable. A real entrepreneur will be able to manage their team, pitches and make sales from their laptop and smartphone no matter where they are, but it won’t work unless you put your schedule together, stick to it and give 100% to your business at all times.
A simple routine will help you to stay grounded in both your business and personal life so you can give yourself the self care and love you need, while making sure you stay on top of work.
Outsource what you don’t love
Start outsourcing certain areas of your business as soon as possible. Having some help is a great way to free up your schedule and give you the flexibility to continue travelling and have some much needed days off.
Let others do the tasks you don’t love so you can focus on your strengths and stay in the zone. Calculate how long it would take you to complete a task and how important it is. If its a low impact task that will take way too long for you to get through, hire someone else so you can use that time for other areas of the business or enjoying yourself.
Build your business around your lifestyle and not the other way around
Your business should be built to serve your lifestyle. Give yourself time to do what you love such as travelling, exploring, seeing loved ones and working on the projects you are most passionate about. Put the effort in early, set up operating systems, automate and keep outsourcing so that you’re not spending all of your daily hours trying to manage your entire business.
Travel, hobbies and diverse interests will make you more of an interesting person and enable you to have better conversations with clients and come up with more creative solutions and ideas. You will no doubt stumble across successful business ideas upon one of your many ventures around the world.
One of the most challenging parts of being a nomadic entrepreneur is the personal aspect. Trying to maintain friendships and dealing with being away from your family can be tough. Make sure you are making time to keep these relationships alive.
Find a stable workplace
Whether you’re travelling to a new destination every week or based in a specific city for a few months, it’s important to find a suitable workplace. When you set aside a specific location, which could be a desk at your hotel or a cafe down the road, it’s important to focus completely on your business while you’re there.
Try finding somewhere that has a reliable, free and stable Wi-Fi connection that you can work on properly. There is nothing worse for productivity than losing your internet connection.
Now that we’ve covered some of the best practices for running a business while on the road, it’s time to get started and enjoy your adventure. Use our tips and tricks and you’ll be ready to run you own successful business from anywhere in the world. Enjoy your experience but make sure you put the hard work in – it’ll pay off in the end.