Have lots of paperwork? Want to be a digital nomad? You’ve got no chance until you read Phil’s tips.
Our very first guest post, from the wonderful Phil Byrne of Live Work Abroad:
If you’ve ever considered becoming location independent, you probably already know about the basic tools to help get you started – like Dropbox, Skype, Evernote and Google Docs.
But there are so many other tools that can really help you get the most out of your work. I’ve listed some of them below, and they’re all intended to make remote working much simpler and more productive.
Digital signatures
Digital signatures, or e-signatures as they’re often called, are a way for you to sign a contract without having to physically sign it or send it by post. If you’re working remotely from the other side of the world to your client, it can be tricky to sign a legally-binding contract. Digital signatures provide a solution.
There are loads of ways to complete digital signatures. For example, you could simply scan your document and email it to your client, then ask them to print it, sign it, scan it and send it back.
However, some specific services make the whole process a lot easier for you and your clients/providers. One of the best is Echosign. It’s a breeze to use, as well as quick, secure and legally binding. It allows you to create templates and keep track of multiple contracts – and it’s easy to send and sign because you and your clients can add your signatures with a single click.
Most of the time e-signatures are as legal as any other signature on a contract, although it does depend on where you’re based. Check out the laws of your current country.
Online payments
PayPal is the biggest and most-used online payment tool available, and for that reason it’s a good idea to have an account. Transactions are instant and secure, and it enables you to work across borders even if you don’t have a bank account in a particular location.
PayPal charges fees on the payments you receive, as well as for certain withdrawals and currency conversions. Although these fees can add up significantly, it’s often a small price to pay for securing more business and providing extra payment options.
No one LIKES PayPal, but we kinda have to grin and bear ‘em
There are alternatives to PayPal though, and one of the best options for larger transfers is Transferwise – which allows you to wire money to a bank account in another country while paying a lower fee than most banks would charge. Transferwise is one of a growing number of foreign exchange (FX) websites that offers what are known as “mid-market rates” to the everyday consumer. Transferwise is only available in Eurozone countries at the moment. To compare currency options and charges for any currency transaction across the world, check out MyCurrencyTransfer.com.
VPNs
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is extremely useful: it allows you to connect to a secure network from anywhere in the world. It also conceals your IP address (which can have a number of uses). You can use a VPN for many purposes, including:
- Working securely with your clients or team without worrying about where you’re connecting from
- Viewing search engine results in a different location, which can be very useful if you are involved in SEO or PPC
- Watching online TV from your home country
Wifi tricks
When you’re working remotely, access to a broadband/wifi connection is essential. Sometimes we find ourselves in locations without any free or open networks (and airports and cafes aren’t helping: they seem to be reducing free public access to their networks). Here are a couple of things to try when faced with this problem:
The first is to use your smartphone as a wifi hub. Many modern smartphones come with this ability, and it will enable you to convert your 3G signal into a wifi signal so that you can then connect your laptop to the internet wherever you can get access to mobile internet.
There are more dignified ways of searching for wifi these days…
Another good trick is to use Skype’s wifi service: you can use your Skype account to connect to paid-for wifi networks and only pay for the amount of time that you use the service (rather than having to pay for a whole hour of internet access).
Set up your own location-independent office
I hope the above offers you some ideas on how you can make remote working even easier and more productive. All the tools have helped me – regardless of where I am or what I’m doing. Being location independent is no longer just a dream, and there are usually ways to overcome almost any obstacle. Good luck!
Phil Byrne is a web marketeer originally from the UK. He left his home country in 2010 and has now lived in six different countries to date. Thanks to the wonders of remote working, he’s been able to do this while thoroughly maintaining, and even enhancing, his professional life. Phil authors a blog dedicated to helping everyone achieve a location independent work life. His first ebook, “Head In The Clouds: The Location Independent Office” is available on Amazon Kindle.
For more ideas on location independent tools and apps, check out our page on nomadic business resources, as well as this PDF we created for an Escape the City event.