Working on the Road – a portable office!
Some of you may know that my husband Steve and I often go away for both short and longer breaks in our caravan and we’ve done that for over 12 years now. It started out as a way of making holidays more affordable with four children between us.
Also when you run your own business it’s very hard to switch off so going away forces that to happen. This year alone we’ve been to Henley on Thames, St Neots, Huntingdonshire and Devon. We also travel abroad with the caravan and if you’re interested in hearing more about our travels, you can follow us on our You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthatbluedoor
Sometimes I work and sometimes I don’t – it depends on where we are however mostly at sites in the UK we’re both working. But the point is, that it is now very easy to work while travelling. And being a ‘digital nomad’ is now a thing.
The definition of a digital nomad is a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choice, rather than having a fixed business location.
This obviously isn’t me, but like all of us, due to the digital age we now live in, the opportunities to work away from home are greater than ever. And since the pandemic, this type of work has taken off and all that is required is decent connectivity.
Of course for some professions this doesn’t work, the job does not allow for that kind of flexibility at all. Yet for many it does.
One report says that digital nomads have ‘moved from eccentrics to mainstream in less than a decade.’
Some stats about digital nomads.
1. As of 2022, the average age of DNs is 40 years old. Individuals in their 30s make up almost half of all DNs in the world, around 47%. The oldest DN to be actively pursuing this lifestyle is said to be 72 (I’d guess that’s not correct)
2. The split between male and female DNs is almost equal – males: 50.19%. females: 49.81%
3. The main occupations for males is marketing, IT/Development and digital design; for females – creative or marketing fields, including digital design, writing and animation.
4. Many DNs travel as couples, doing everything together.
5. Few couples travel with children. A small percentage travel with younger children under the age of 18. Home schooling becomes part of the learning.
6. It is illegal to work in foreign countries (even using your laptop in the hotel or on the beach), but many countries are now offering Digital Nomad visas, and there are also other types such as Remote Work Visas and Freelancer Visas. Over 66 countries have launched digital nomad visas, including Anguilla, the Bahamas, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Norway, Japan and Taiwan. The purpose of these visas is to boost the local economy by encouraging individuals to reside, work and spend there for a certain period.
7. Currently there are 35,000,000 known DNs in existence in the world, the majority being from the USA. Other people come from Portugal, Germany and Brazil, who together with the US cover 51% of all known digital nomads with the remaining 49% coming from a further 35 countries.
8. Digital Nomads mostly live in Airbnbs, hotels, hostels, short-term rentals, couch surfing or with friends and family.
9. When it comes to earning potential, DNs are able to earn well in comparison to the average working class salaries.
10. It’s estimated 165,000 British citizens live and work abroad as digital nomads, spending an average of seven months a year overseas, and collectively earn £5.2 billion whilst away. This means the UK economy loses £3.1 billion in consumer spending.
I don’t spend enough time away in any one period for this to be relevant to me however soon I’m off on a two-month road trip to mark my 60th birthday and for that period of time I will have to work. We’re now researching what that is going to look like and I’ll share those stories in due course.