Continuous advances in technology are enabling more and more folks to work outside of the confines of a traditional office. Remote working has taken off, and there are no signs that it will be slowing down in the future.
In 2009, Nicole Brewer was at her wits' end. She'd been laid off from her market research job and, after several months of unemployment in the U.S., there were no real prospects on the horizon. "I decided to try my hand at teaching English overseas after seeing an advertisement online,"
Gary Scott and his wife Merri have journeyed to the Dominican Republic, where they ran property tours. In Ecuador they owned a hotel for a spell in the cool-weather mountain town of Cotacachi.
Everyone loves the beach...the feel of warm sand between your toes...the sound of waves lapping on the shore...happy people laughing, playing, and relaxing all around you. Some folks love the beach so much they can't bear to leave. They want to head down there every morning and spend each day close to the ocean. All very well, you say, but you have to do something to pay the bills, right?
This week I want to talk about a hobby you can turn into an overseas, portable income that will take you to the most beautiful places in the world. And it doesn't even have to be your hobby now. You can start up—and start earning—before you embark on your travels. The hobby is photography. And while there was a time when there was a clear distinction between amateur and professional photographers, technology has blurred that distinction completely.
If you like the idea of effortless income, this is probably the simplest idea we've come across yet. In the time it takes you to have a cup of coffee, you can notch up $5 to $10 doing something that comes easily to you. (Or even more once you know a few tricks.) It's called the microgig.
If you like easy-going people...a chilled environment...a warm climate...and an income of up to $5,000 a month, then owning a beach bar might be just the lifestyle career for you. After all, if your customers are predominantly tourists, they are at their most relaxed and happy when they come into your place. And the profits from serving them can be considerable.
How can you make moving overseas easy? You really want to go. Everyone keeps talking about the lower cost of living...the warm, tropical climates...the lovely people...cocktails on the balcony overlooking the ocean.
Recently, I attended a conference in a college which was introduced by a seasoned media veteran. He acknowledged the advances in technology by describing the whiz-kid students in the audience as "natives of the digital world" while he described his own generation as "digital tourists."
Let me tell you about three young college graduates from Oregon who landed in Ecuador early in 2012. They were eager to go into business. They didn't have a lot of experience but they did come up with a terrific idea. Ryan, Nathan, and Daniel—all now aged 25—were used to the good craft beers of home. Could they make a microbrewery work in Ecuador?