Jul
How to Run an Online Business While Traveling
Running an online business can be tricky, especially if your base of operations moves with you. Aside from dealing with varying time zones, you’d also have to plan your travel itinerary and look for places with viable Internet connections.
However, running your online business while traveling opens a wide range of opportunities that may not be as easily acquired otherwise. You’ll get to enjoy new places every time, and with that, their special cuisine. You’ll also find connection building to be easier as you meet other like-minded entrepreneurs or business leads.
Below are our tips to teach you how to run your online business while traveling.
1. Plan For Yourself and Your Business
Planning should be your foremost step when starting anything that costs time and money. This includes saving up for a portion of your travel and operation’s overhead costs before setting out.
After all, not only will you have to pay for transportation, but you’ll also have to budget for your internet, food, and lodging expenses.
Even if you continue earning from your online business, the beginning of new setups can be the most unstable part. Clients may cut on some orders and other travel emergencies may come up. You should also re-evaluate your spending habits to better suit that of a digital nomad.
You should also assess which services you offer will need some adjustments to suit your new lifestyle. For example, if your services include stock video and photo production, consider how you’ll manage your equipment be it through rentals or your carry-on luggage.
2. Stick To Your Schedule
You should try your best not to be distracted by the amazing scenery and other cultural delicacies by establishing a well-planned schedule. This includes planning ahead on what you should include on your itinerary, as well as keeping track of lodgings and restaurants with good Wi-Fi access.
You should also keep note of the different time zones between you and your clients. Keep yourself reachable during your business hours, which should be acceptable for them as well.
Of course, you should leave some time for yourself too. You can plan for a morning coffee in a nearby cafe or have a nice dinner at a local restaurant. This keeps you motivated by maintaining a healthy balance between work and play.
3. Maintain Transparency With Your Clients
Transparency is one of the important character traits of successful small business owners, and you’d do well to apply it to your online business too.
Let your clients know your travel plans, especially if you work with them directly. Differences in time zones can lead to confusion, such as incorrect estimates of delivery dates or deadlines.
You should also let your clients know when you’ll be available for online meetings and consultations. This builds up your accountability and availability as an entrepreneur, which is always a plus no matter the situation.
4. Stay Productive
Sticking to your schedule is a good step in being productive, but the question is how long you could maintain it. Moving to different places means adjusting some routines, and it could be especially distracting when maintaining an online business.
Fortunately, there are a variety of productive, management, and automation tools available for your convenience. Most of these tools come as apps or software that you can easily access on your phone or computer. For example, apps like Trello and StayFocused allow you to easily monitor your tasks and productivity for better performance strategizing.
On top of that, you can also use automation tools to automatically handle smaller tasks for you such as managing inventory, invoices, and records.
5. Build Your Network While Traveling
One of the pros of traveling while handling a business is that you get to meet other entrepreneurs or new business leads.
They could be looking to expand their own businesses by going online and want someone to consult with, or they’re looking for reliable service providers. Either way, you’d be wise to foster your business relationships.
This could come in the form of contact building such as getting their contact information, looking at services they offer, and exchanging them with yours.
Travel While Running Your Online Business
Traveling while running a business gives you the best of both worlds. You experience new things, witness new cultures, and taste delicious food while earning sustainably.
At the end of the day, however, you’ll still want to ensure that your clients are delivered with the best services you can offer regardless of your time and place. Using different tools, excellent time management and the network you gathered on your travels can help you with that.
Written by Mike Abelson. Mike is the Editorial Director at Lendza. He enjoys helping entrepreneurs and start-ups succeed through smart, innovative strategies. He’s partnered with CEOs and executives to grow businesses from the ground up. Before his work at Lendza, Mike was a stock market analyst. When he’s not traveling for work, he enjoys reading adventure and science fiction novels.
