Last Updated on March 17, 2021
Do you feel like your feet are glued to wheels?
Do you think that a 9 to 5 office routine is too strict for you?
Do you wish to free up, live your best life, and work simultaneously?
Do you want to work within the hours you feel like, whether in the morning or the evening?
Of course, you can’t disregard work. That is going to bring in the cash you need to live the life you want. If yes, answers all these questions, then you are an enthusiastic digital nomad without a doubt.
Definition of a digital nomad.
This is a modern term, which has become common in recent days, that is, the internet times.
This is due to the fact that digital nomads rely on the internet to make their daily earnings.
Therefore, Digital Nomads are people who leverage modern technology in order to work distantly and live a free and nomadic lifestyle.
This means that you are free to work wherever you like however you like. Well, I know it sounds too good to be true, right?
Bloggers, artists, writers, and entrepreneurs all across the globe have found a way to adopt this unique lifestyle. In summary, a digital nomad is someone who:
• Refuses to work on a 9 to 5 job routine or be limited to a forced work routine that they have not designed themselves.
• Whose goal in life is to be entirely self-sufficient all out of successful internet ventures?
• People who often do not prefer to be tied to any specific location. Most nomads like to travel and expand their knowledge base of adventure and culture.
• In simpler terms, digital nomads are immensely passionate individuals, and their passion goes above a singular career standard.
Becoming a digital nomad is not a hard task as a lot of people want to make appear. All it needs of you is a step by step strategy. Once you formulate a policy, you then have to take a step till you make it. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that it does need a lot of effort, mostly in the transformational phases.
It also requires you to practice a lot of discipline since you will no longer have a supervisor to push you to do your work. Some of the digital nomads work as freelancers engaging in various activities, as mentioned before, which include photography, blogging, and writing. Others consult for companies and individuals who need people to guide them on all they need to do.
Another regular gig is internet marketing. Internet marketing makes up for a large division of making money online, and there are good reasons to it. An individual can make money by promoting other people’s services and goods, without necessarily having to build anything themselves.
Additionally, a digital nomad can make money by creating their own products and then sell them via the internet. Also, bloggers can make money by selling advertising spaces to companies and organizations that wish to reach out to specified target audiences.
As can be seen, there are a variety of ways through which you can make money using the internet. By being a digital nomad, you only need internet connectivity and a laptop, and you can work from just anywhere-say in the coffee shop, public library, or anywhere else.
Digital nomadism and remote working is the newest trend in town.
A great deal of workers are abandoning the 9 to 5 office work routine, and they are trading it for the liberty and flexibility of working wherever they like.
And No, the traditional workplace has not disappeared, but it’s certainly starting to prove outdated. In the meantime, the mobile workplace is continuously setting in with more workers joining the force every other year.
Whether working from the comfort of their homes, a coffee shop, or a hotel room, digital nomads are changing the way workers and organizations go about business. Below are several digital nomad statistics that prove how vigorously digital nomads have transformed and continue to turn around the economy.
1. 70% of All Workers work from home through the internet.
This happens quite regularly. According to studies conducted by workspace provider IWG, 70 percent of all workers telecommute at least once per week, and 53 percent work from home (or elsewhere) at least three to four days per week.
2. 50% of the Workforce Will be digital nomads by the end of 2020
If you ever dreamt of working enjoying sea breeze by the beach or maybe just from the comfort of your couch, you’ve got company.
According to statistics released by Citrix, 50% of the workforce will not be working on a 9 to 5 office routine by the end of 2020.
Present-day digital nomads are without a doubt above the curve, and a number of people will be joining the existing digital nomads soon enough. Similarly, it is clear that once employees taste the freedom of working from home or wherever they like, it is tough to go back to the traditional workplaces.
3. Women Are Leading the Way for digital nomads.
The economy after World War 2 took women from the home to the offices, but it never landed them into the boardrooms.
Motherhood was-and still is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for women as far as developing their careers, keeping up with their male counterparts, and landing promotions are concerned.
To be frank, it’s quite effortless to identify why a wage disparity still exists.
A study conducted in 2018 analyzing data collected between 1980 and 2013 shows that the gender wage disparity extended with each child — even in countries with a quite colossal family leave packages.
After a lady’s first birth, earnings decreased by 30% and never rose again.
Digital nomads are changing this narrative. According to research conducted by Remote.co, almost 30 percent of remote work companies were either started by women or have a female chief executive officer.
This is in comparison to just 17 percent of normal businesses community that has been established by females. In this sector, the numbers for digital nomads reveal that remote work presents female entrepreneurs an advantage.
4. One in every three Workers Are Freelancers
Nearly as soon as the term “gig economy” got into the wordbook, people began trying measuring how significant the word is — and whether it will ever overshadow custom employment norms.
It’s secure to conclude that the days of working in an industry for four decades and then taking home a decent sendoff package are long gone, but just how prevailing is the gig economy? What percentage of the total world’s workforce is non-traditional?
There are quite a lot of perspectives about that, and equally as many disagreements.
Among the reasons why the statistics are scattered all over is that the relevant authorities have never conducted a detailed study on the matter.
Currently, however, surveys can give us a clear guide on the status of the gig economy.
According to a 2018 report filed by online investment company Betterment, one among every three workers is freelancers. With businesses like Uber and Fiverr experiencing constant growth, these numbers are projected to rise. By the end of 2020, companies like Intuit project that the gig economy will form well about 43 percent of the workforce.
5. The Remote Workforce has increased by 140 percent since the year 2005
Do you Need numbers that affirm remote work is the future of work? Then you can refer to the past. Analytics of the global workplace shows that the remote workforce has risen by 140 percent since 2005. Besides, an increasing number of employers are recognizing the benefits of remote work, with 40% more businesses and organizations giving flexible work routines than employers half a decade ago.
6. Digital Nomads Are 13 percent More Productive Than Their Office-bound Counterparts
When some people think of a digital nomad, they image a millennial in pajama pants on their couch, surfing through channels and gaming on the internet.
This image is not only erroneous, but it hinders employers from enjoying the advantages of the remote workforce.
Away from allowing employers to grasp a nearly unlimited talent pool, embracing a flexible work routine, makes workers way more productive.
A study conducted by Stanford University for more than nine months shows that digital nomads took lesser sick days and were 13 percent more productive than their office-bound counterparts.
Apart from being pajama pant-wearing lay about with feeble fingers, digital nomads are dedicated and trustworthy employees.
According to a survey conducted by virtual training and web conferencing company Coos Cloud, 23% of digital nomads admitted that they’re very willing to spend extra hours working in order to achieve their work-related tasks.
7. More Companies Are Going 100% Remote
For some companies, remote work isn’t just an improvement — it’s the whole deal.
According to Gallup’s comprehensive report on the State of the American Workplace, 170 among U.S. companies involved in a survey reported being entirely remote, without any physical office space. This is a rise from only 26 companies in the year 2014.
This trend is thriving through quite several industries, from software as a service (SaaS) providers to smartphone app-based businesses and technology companies.
And it is not only technology companies that are enjoying the benefits of going remote.
When FlexJobs surveyed the top fifty career sectors for remote work, it figured out opportunities in healthcare, hospitality, and accommodation, travel, and also education.
Having collaborative tools like Slack, Dropbox, and remote conferencing not forgetting a workforce that is ever enthusiastic about using them, businesses realize that they no longer require brick and mortar locations to do well.
There is a wide range of benefits for employers who choose to go remote, which include grasping a broader talent pool to select from.
8. 1 in, every 3 of Workers, Would be willing to Change Jobs to work as a digital nomad.
Remote work statistics reveal why companies that refuse to follow suit could end up messing up themselves in the long run.
Gallup’s analytics show that a third of workers would switch jobs if it promised them to get a chance to work within a more flexible and remote routine.
A study conducted by global research and advisory company Gartner reveals that companies that allow employees to work as digital nomads raise employee retention rates by 10 percent.
This is evident in quite a number of businesses. They experience incredibly low employee turnover rates.
Remote work options also are on top of the list of preferences for most job seekers. According to Employee Benefits statistics, 35 percent of people seeking new jobs want entirely flexible work locations, and 37 percent of the job seekers want something that gives them at least an occasional remote work flexibility.
9. Digital Nomads Save Up to $7,000 yearly or even more
Approximations vary all depending on a person’s location and lifestyle, but digital nomads are definitely saving more of their salaries than their office-bound counterparts.
Reason being that working from home cuts quite a wide range of costs that come with having to commute to an office. Below is a breakdown from the personal financial site DoughRoller.
How do Digital Nomads Save Money?
There’s a variety of ways Digital Nomads save money. Here’s a few broken
Transport
Commutes differ, but the average American worker, for instance, covers around 26 miles one way, and above five hundred thousand individuals spend up to three hours each day just getting to and coming from their workplaces.
Regardless of whether you drive or take the train, you’re paying money to get where you need to go.
For a thirty-mile round trip commute in a standard car, gasoline and maintenance costs will amount to an estimated US$2,628 per year.
Clothing
Despite numerous offices having adopted a casual dress custom over the years, the reality is unofficial wear generally doesn’t cut it in a professional surrounding.
When you’re working on your computer, however, it does not matter what kind of clothes you are in. Considering that the normal U.S. household spends around US$1,740 on clothing every year, you can save so much on clothes, hair, and other accessories by staying away from the office.
Food –
Regardless of how many times you promise yourself to plan your meals in time and pack healthy lunch, being in the office frequently means ruining your diet and spend a lot of unnecessary cash for snacks, vending machine breaks, and after-work parties. A 2012 survey found that a regular office worker spends around US$1,000 a year on coffee and US$2,000 on lunch.
Child Care
A study by the Federal government state reveals that child care costs range between US$4,600 and US$15,000 yearly for full-time care.
While working remotely does not necessarily eliminate the need for child care, it can often reduce the cost substantially, as digital nomads tend to have more flexible work routines.
For numerous digital nomads, working remotely offers other savings advantages and higher-earning possibilities.
For example, without the pressure to commute to an office or work on a rigid routine each day, some workers can take on side hustles that earn them an extra buck.
Because being a remote worker implies that your job search is unlimited by location, many digital nomads earn way more than they could have gained in their immediate geographical zone.
Several remote jobs offer digital nomads with earnings of $75,000 and above according to a Tech Republic article.
Of course, you cannot place a price tag on your time.
When your commuting is made up of walking between your bedroom and your kitchen table or home office desk, and you don’t have to take hours ironing work clothes and making your hair, you can’t help but just appreciate how relaxing a digital nomad lifestyle can be.
Popular destinations for digital nomads.
Popular locations for digital nomads include Chiang Mai, Thailand, Medellin, Colombia, Mexico, and Bali.
This is due to the low cost of living and a considerably high standard of life.
For instance, the town of Ubud in Bali became renowned among digital nomads after launching of fiber-optic for Internet connectivity.
Another distinguished option among the digital nomads is Cyprus, which is a European state with low taxes, speedy company registration procedures, and eye-catching sceneries.
Cause for the popularity of digital nomad lifestyles.
The digital nomad lifestyle has increasingly grown more renowned in recent years due to a number of reasons.
Among the reasons is that Internet connectivity is becoming more prevalent, even in the rural areas-this has helped people travel to much more areas (digitally or otherwise). Secondly, Jobs are becoming more location-independent (such as graphic designing and writing).
This is also a factor that has highly contributed to the popularity of the digital nomad lifestyle.
There are also negative factors that force individuals to adopt the digital nomad lifestyle.
These include political instability in home countries, increased cost of living, limited long-term employment, and many more.
Legal information for Digital Nomads.
Quite a number of digital nomads come from developed countries with passports offering a broader base of liberty to travel. Resultantly, many travel on a tourist visa. While it is against the law for a digital nomad to work in a foreign country on a tourist visa, numerous digital nomads settle in locations with a lower cost of living while working remotely on projects outside their home countries.
In most countries, as long as the nomad is cautious and is not taking away a job from locals, the relevant authorities will turn a blind eye to nomad and let them work.
Visa runs are also frequent with the digital nomad community. Some nomads have also tried to legalize their citizenship by taking up part-time jobs in tutoring English as well as pursuing university courses in these foreign countries.
Additionally, digital nomads frequently use their status as permanent travelers to evade tax liability in their countries of origin without adapting to the tax system of a foreign country. Nonetheless, this practice is disputed among digital nomads.
This has caused the creation of several strategies aimed at digital nomads, including the e-Residency in Estonia and a SMART visa program in Thailand.
Estonia has also declared an approach of a digital nomad visa, pursuant to its increasing e-Residency applications.
Some of the digital nomads have used Germany’s residence permit for purposes of freelancing or self-employment to legalize their stay.
However, genuine applicants ought to have tangible connections and supported reasons to stay in Germany.
