One of the largest draws to running your own business is the ability to have a flexible schedule and be able to spend more doing the things so many of us don’t want to miss out on. In working with online entrepreneurs and service-based entrepreneurs as a business and career coach for women of color and allies, I often hear from my clients that running a business while traveling the world would be a dream come true (or at least having the option to).
I help my clients to scale the business of their dreams not just through creating scalable income, but also by creating an aligned lifestyle that gives them the freedom to live the life and legacy they want to be living without having to sacrifice all their time to work.
That being said, being a digital nomad is usually not as glamorous and perfect as it seems. Between dealing with differing time zones, often struggling with bad internet connection, and needing to manage your business and social media constantly, the nomad lifestyle often leaves small business owners anxious.
I want to share a fun fact about me: in my 20s, I lived in 6 different states besides my home town California: New Mexico, Massachusetts, Indiana, and Iowa. And yes, I drove around with the truck above #realgirlsdrivetrucks
And this year (I’m writing this blog July 11, 2022), I already have trips planned. I’m heading to Mammoth, Scotland and Hawaii.
So how do I manage business while traveling and taking vacation?
Here are some tips and simple steps:
- Enjoy your trip! The internet has allowed us to work anywhere around the world, but it has also caused a lack of boundaries. And when you get to be present and enjoy, without even being intentional about it, you may find inspiration for the best business ideas. Think about it — don’t you have the best business ideas when you travel?
- Let your clients know when you are traveling and share expectations. For example, when I travel I share with them it may take 48 hours to reply back to a message. I use an automated email responder and send an email prior to traveling.
- Create a schedule. What days do you want to explore the city/country, what days can be dedicated to work?. And if you plan on not working at all — plan ahead of time and schedule calls before or after travel or see if a team member can do it for you. If you need help creating a schedule, check out this 26-minute podcast episode on Time and Energy Management to Get Your Life Back.
- Be prepared if your internet is unstable. Get an international plan so you can call just in case zoom doesn’t work, and make sure to share a reliable phone number with your clients in case they need to reach you in case of emergency.
- Schedule your blogs and social media content ahead of time. You can use Planoly to schedule out posts, and if you end up getting inspired while traveling and take pics or journal entries, go ahead and take the pictures, but you don’t need to post it right away. Scheduling ahead of time allows you to more fully step away and be present. A tip I do to ensure I enjoy the moment is to put my cell on airplane mode.
Remember, you deserve to create a business that revolves around your life.
If you would like further support in your career, business, or leadership, my team and I would love to support you in creating a sustainable life! You can schedule a 30-minute legacy business or career review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together, and you’ll receive 3 action-items from me.
