The Digital Nomad’s Guide to Working from The Road

Working from home is no longer a special perk that only highly paid executives get! After the pandemic, working remotely is becoming the norm. There are several benefits of working remotely besides the obvious one of staying away from the risk of infections. That is why employers all around the world are encouraging employees to work from home which presents a unique opportunity for people to work while travelling!  

If you love travelling and exploring the world all the while maintaining a steady income, here are a few practical tips to work from the road and keep your day job.

Segregate a spot for work

The first and foremost tip that we have for you is to segregate a special place either at home, or wherever you find yourself during travels, to work in. This does not have to have all the modern amenities and facilities that you find in your office. The most important thing is peace and quiet that will help you focus on the work. On top of that, you will also need a good wi-fi connection. People who work from the road work in small chunks of time during the day, so you might find yourself working from different places especially if you are travelling continuously. Do not be too hung on the fact that you might not get all the facilities to work in, but as long as you keep the basics simple, there are ample spaces where you can work peacefully, all you have to do is just find them!

Plan for regular virtual meetings

Staying in contact with your team is key to doing good work. When you are in office, meeting people becomes really easy, all you have to do is walk up to them and start speaking! But with the physical distances between workers these days, meeting and collaborating has become limited to virtual meetings only. If you have not got around to the fact that using virtual meeting tools is becoming essential going forward, it's time that you started learning the ropes. A good tip to meet and discuss projects with your team members is to fix a particular time of the day when you can park your motorcycle at a cafe or a restaurant, (or at any quiet place) and join the meeting. Having a fixed time will also free up your itinerary so that you can continue to travel the world without worrying that somebody might call you suddenly at the middle of the road and ask to have a meeting! Always insist on a particular time of the day for such meetings so that you can prepare yourself and find a good spot to park the motorcycle.

Leverage the power of collaborative tools

Unless you are a ‘solo-preneur’ who likes to work alone, you will have to work with others, and for that you need to collaborate with them continuously. Thankfully, there are a lot of tools these days which makes it possible. Instead of emailing your work and waiting for approval, or feedback, you can use these collaborative tools which makes it possible for reviewers to check the work and give feedback on a single platform. Later, you can come back and make the changes without running down rabbit holes chasing emails.

The right tools matter  

There is saying that only a bad workman blames his tools, but when it comes to working remotely, having the right tools is very important. You will not be able to connect with anybody or share your work if you do not have a good Wi-Fi connection. Everything becomes a lot more challenging if your laptop does not work properly. And meeting with people during virtual meets will be a headache if you do not have the right video and audio equipment. Make sure to have the at least basic minimum that lets you do your work without any unnecessary hassle.

Take care of your safety

When you're on the road, it is always crucial to be safe, not just regarding your personal safety but also the safety of your work equipment. Do not make the mistake of parking your motorcycle in a place that does not have guarded security or where you cannot see it at all. When you are settling down for the night, make sure to park the motorcycle in a safe place and use a padlock and a pair of chains to tie the wheels just to be extra sure. Always carry the luggage and your equipment with you inside the hotel room. When you are riding, always use a good quality branded motorcycle helmet, and other riding gears.