5 non-material things a freelance digital nomad needs, no matter where.

I know the internet is stuffed with (very good) blog posts telling you about smart and useful objects you will certainly need during your digital nomad life and work experience. 

So, there’s no need for me to tell you about tools like portable and sim-less routers, lap desks and so on, both because there is a huge online literature about it and because I know most digital nomads tend to get rid of extra “objects” in order to make their traveling life easier. 

But digital nomading is mainly a matter of attitude and mindset, so there are other non-material things a Digital Nomad really needs no matter where he/she goes that can be very useful and sometimes crucial also when it comes to decide the next life and work destination.

Let’s go with 5 of the them.

Insurance… for digital nomads

Once upon a time people believed digital nomading was just a momentary attitude and ambition for younger people, for enthusiastic travelers-more-than-workers in their twenties, eager to enjoy as much freedom and trips as possible before starting to face seriously the hard job challenges.

Well, things have changed: today, Digital Nomads are people who carefully decide they want to work remotely and who are very polished professionals despite their always-changing geographical position. 
Thus, they are adults fully aware that they might need all the same guaranties as their settled-down peers, such as a  travel medical insurance for Digital Nomads, which is specifically designed for these kind of modern workers. 

SafetyWings is an option suitable for digital nomads for its low price and for the easy and flexible way it works. You can start an insurance contract even if your journey has already started and you don’t need to specify an end-date: it works as a subscription that renews monthly until you cancel it. It also offers limited coverage in your home country when you go back for a while, and eventually a child can be included on your insurance without added cost.

Nowadays Digital Nomads are a true critical mass, able to lead the market and that’s why their true needs can’t be ignored, even when it comes to security and health. 

Visa for digital nomads 

I already wrote a blog post about the countries and cities to take into consideration to live for a period as a digital nomad.

But now I want to add information to complement what I already wrote: there are countries that allow freelance digital nomads to live and work with a special visa, specifically created for this kind of professionals. Among them we find Estonia, Germany, Costa Rica, Thailand, Norway. 
These countries are setting a very important example for all the other countries. They allow Digital Nomads can bring new good business skills, new energy and business growth strategies.  

Practical sense

I know watching digital nomads’ Instagram stories makes us believe it’s all roses. But it’s not. Even if you are in Bali or in the Australian summer, even if you work every day from a Barbados sunny and golden shore, work is work and sometimes you’ll do it all alone and you will feel alone.
And no one is going to be immediately there when you need some computer assistance, when the wi-fi connection is down and you are close to a deadline. And, yes, you’ll have deadlines too, even if remotely. 

And you must be able stay as strong and calm as possible. 

Professionals who are able to partner with you remotely

All freelancers need other professionals who can partner with them and get some dirty business done. I’m talking about accountants, business consultants, sometimes even psychologists. 

They all support freelance professionals, but to assist Digital Nomads they must be able and willing to enter their world and work remotely too. Finding them can be everything but easy.

For instance, you must find an accountant able to:

1. Send you all the info and legal updates via email, be clear in written messages, even when it comes to complex regulations.
2. Be willing and able to attend one or more skype (or whatever) video meeting remotely.
3. Be there (at least virtually but consistently) when you need them.
4. Understand you’re in a different time zone and assist you also with 12-hours shift. 

A good (I’d say GREAT) online presence

I’ll never get tired of telling you how important it is to have a good blog and website for your business and a good online presence. Online presence doesn’t just mean a good website but also a good ability to manage your social channels and a good sense in deciding where it’s better for you to be. 
There’s no need to be on EVERY social medium but you must be able to understand where your niche and where all your potential clients are. 

Other than this, it can be very useful to use the social media as a community builder, where you can find other digital nomads, helpful for you and for your job. 

In this community, believe me, being kind and good with everybody is always a good solution both for your karma and for your contact list.

This post contains links born by collaborations 
with brands and/or web PR agencies; 
as usual, they are links in line with the topics and that 
I think can be truly useful for my readers