On Wednesday 10th June, the Community Outreach Team Leaders and I held the very first Twitter Q&A Day, inviting any questions from the Twitterverse about being or becoming location independent.

We had plenty of great questions – and fantastic answers, not just from the team but from others who chimed in to help – a big thanks to all who took part.

Here’s a summary of most of the questions asked and a selection of the best answers for each…

Q: What are your best tips for finding the *right customer* i.e. very niche and willing to work with #LIP? (from @blogjunkie)

A: I find the people who *want* to be more tech-savvy or who appreciate “web 2.0″ are often customers who have no problem with #LIP (from @zoewesthof).

A: #1 Make “willing to work with #LIP” a non-issue. #2 “Very niche” = identify broader market then sub-segment it. E.g. web designer for attorneys = broad > web dev for attorneys specialising in divorce = niche. To make #LIP a non-issue, as @zoewesthof said target the more web savvy. Also design your processes so face-to-face isn’t needed & then explain your process upfront. Be clear on communication channels that are available and be flexible on time zone issues for support/service. If a customer sees you’re organised, efficient and communicative then it eases their concern. We’ve never had any issues for graphic & web design/coaching/consulting services (from @leawoodward).

A: While many things are important, for me, it comes down to 1 thing: reputation is everything…when you have a solid rep to stand on, where you live doesn’t matter one iota. People gravitate toward good service, period (from @reese).

A: Reality is that some people won’t be cool with the #LIP lifestyle. I did lose some SA clients (life coaching) when I moved over…but I gained other subscribers and clients who are cool with the #LIP way of doing things, so I agree to target web savvy peeps (from @cathduncan).

Q: How do you deal with currency fluctuations? I look in my Paypal account and it varies each day (from @wpdude)

A: Consistently do projects in stronger currencies & spend/live in lower cost-of-living countries i.e. geoarbitrage (from @codymckibb).

A: It helps to have off shore banks & ways to switch to diff currencies easily. Important to be aware of currency trends (from @soultravelers3).

Q: What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you became #LIP? (from @mkfeeney)

A: The importance of multiple streams of income from our business…coupled with importance of guaranteed monthly income whilst being location independent & nomadic (from @leawoodward).

A: Wish I had been well-versed in freelancing from the start…luckily, Thailand has low cost of living so I had time to learn! (from @zoewesthof ).

A: Find like-minded others with the same life mission & team with them to do something BIG. Don’t think small (from @codymckibb).

Q: How long did it take you to feel comfortable enough to embark on your #LIP journey? Or did you just jump in there? (from @mkfeeney)

A: I jumped right out there 3 months after graduating university:). Saved up enough to get me started in Thailand, then took off (from @zoewesthof ).

A: From conceiving of the idea to leaving the UK the 1st time round, it took us about 6 months to get the business ready/sell flat etc. (from @leawoodward).

A: Work out what your income needs to be & set up way to cover that (plus 6 months savings if you want a safety net), then jump! (from @cathduncan).

Q: How do I get centered on my goals? Feels like I’ve got too many ideas smashed into one…(from @Eh_Hull)

A: Think in terms of a “focus funnel” – start with the big picture (what’s big picture of what I want to use my life for?). Then brainstorm each area of your life: What would you like to change/ achieve in each area? Write it ALL down. Then pick a portfolio of goals/ changes to focus on for next 6 months. Write it down, review weekly…Once you have your portfolio of goals, create your plan to get there, with daily tasks – the tip of the focus funnel (from @cathduncan).

A: From a #LIP business perspective, define your 1 overriding objective/mission for your business…and then focus only on those ideas and projects which take you closer to achieving that…and drop those which take you further away from it (from @leawoodward).

Q: How common is it for people to become #LIP with children in tow? Any bloggers you know of that I can talk to? (from @zaidhisham)

A: Plenty who do but not all blog it. Some who do include @NuNomads & @soultravelers3. We’ll be doing it soon w/ new baby too! (from @leawoodward).

A: More LIPs with kids would be http://www.tumblewagon.com (from Technomadia).

A: For being LIP w/ children, follow @GotPassport — family of 3 being nomads (from @zoewesthof ).

Q: How do you convince your employer to let you do it? (from @joanna_haugen)

A: Christine wrote a post on the #LIP blog about that here. Also ensure you’ve pre-empted any questions/challenges/problems employers might bring up & have a proposed solution for them (from @leawoodward).

A: 1.) Demonstrate value in your job – make yourself indispensable with awesome results! 2.) Ask for “trial period” 3.) Demonstrate that you can get even better results when u in your favored environment 4.) Discuss & agree terms for working as #LIP on ongoing basis – show your boss that you will prioritise communication (from @cathduncan).

A: David Walsh (@dvdwlsh) has a great article on how to negotiate a remote work agreement (from @codymckibb).

Q: Any helpful tools or strategies for working with people in different timezones while traveling? (from @SterlingOkura)

A: Foxclocks plugin is useful, as is timezonecheck.com. Also we’ve used individual Google Calendars for clients across multiple timezones…Also in all communications, always include both time zones (yours & theirs) – for your & their benefit! (from @leawoodward).

A: Best resource is @leawoodward’s Google Calendars tutorial for online scheduling with multiple clients (from @codymckibb).

A: Use timezone to your advantage to out-deliver. Be adjustable with your time when needed to be available (from Technomadia).

Q: How do you deal with temporary drops in your income whilst on the road? (from @DanielMcclure)

A: I try to keep a good spread of clients. Working with people in different currencies and locations keeps income stable. However, I also have a couple of people I can outsource to and that helps keep things going (from @SHurleyHall)

A: Try to manage risk by having multiple streams of income but also have good to have contingency funds to cover any slumps. Also, if you know you’re going through a ‘travel’ phase, manage projects & finances around these (from @leawoodward).

Q: What’s a reliable method of securing housing abroad before you arrive? (from @zaidhisham)

A: Don’t! In our experience there’s a more sensible process to follow to avoid problems: 1) Identify shortlist before you arrive. 2) Book to view places on arrival but book hotel or short term apartment for 1st week 3) View shortlist on arrival & then pick. It’s very difficult to pick a place online – pictures can be misleading, if you don’t know areas, it’s useful to see/feel an area before deciding. You can be stung booking online/in advance even if you negotiate good deals. Sensible to view first = big lesson we’ve learned! (from @leawoodward).

A big thank you to everyone who took part – especially the Community Team Leaders who were all on-hand throughout the day and generously shared their experience and knowledge with the rest of the community. We hope you enjoyed it and found it useful…

Share This...

Hide Sites