Image by The U.S. Army
In my last post, I made some comments about finding security as a location independent professional that seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks pondering this, off and on, wondering why security and stability are so important and how we can go about specifically fostering them in our lives, even if we’re living a location independent lifestyle.
Security and stability are among the basic needs of every human being. Think about it: we not only want to survive, but we have a built-in need to do so. And we have a much better chance of achieving survival if we’re in an environment that isn’t changing drastically and doesn’t contain inherent dangers.
However, it’s also true that different people will meet their need for security & stability differently…
Like many of you, I’ve chosen to pursue them as a location independent professional – not something that immediately brings to mind feelng of security & stability for most people!
And yet I think it’s entirely possible to live a safe, secure, stable life while also having the location independent lifestyle. Here are some suggestions on cultivating and achieving the feelings of stability and security while being location independent…
Security & Stability In Your Business . . .
Establish A Solid Client Base
Creating established sources of income before you take the location independent leap is a highly-touted piece of advice because it just makes sense. If you can count on a certain amount of work and income from certain clients/customers, you’ll know what you have to spend, when you’ve spent too much, and you’ll be able to save for emergencies. This should reassure the part of you that always wonders what will happen if the worst occurs.
Maintain Communication Access
Whether your business only requires you to have phone access or you need the whole gamut of phone/web/fax communication available 24/7, doing all that you can to ensure you will have that before you take off across the world will go far towards maintaining a stable business as you travel. This, in turn, gives you the security of knowing that you can meet your deadlines and keep your clients happy, which will help them stay around long-term.
Set Business Hours
For your own personal sanity, try to set business hours for yourself. This not only makes your daily life stable, but it means your clients know when they can get hold of you. Keep in mind that you might need to tweak your hours if you live in a different time zone from most of your clients. Even though you might need to get up in the middle of the night, keeping them regularly happy will cultivate stability and security.
Security & Stability In Your Personal Life . . .
Consider Insurance
It can be hard to figure out what sorts of insurance will work best, given the countries you’re traveling in, how many people are in your family and their ages, and a myriad of other factors. However, purchasing medical, life, and even travel insurance can provide the reassurance you might need in an emergency.
Buy Tickets Home
If maintaining relationships with people back home is an important part of your own sense of stability and security, make sure you take time to schedule the next visit to see them. If you’re going to be home over the holidays, make sure all the people you want to see will be there and will be available to get together with you. While you don’t actually have to purchase your tickets right this minute, it can be a good way of guaranteeing & reassuring friends & family that you will visit soon.
Do Your Research
Before you go anywhere, before you quit your steady job, before you even decide exactly which type of location independent business to pursue, do some research:
- Make sure you choose a place to stay that’s in an area of town that doesn’t feel threatening to you.
- Determine what internet access looks like and what it will take to make sure you can maintain yours.
- You can even research restaurants and shopping centers in advance, so your new locale will feel more like home when you get there.
All of this will contribute to your sense of security and stability, as you enjoy your location independent lifestyle.
How do you cultivate security and stability in your location independent life?
I think your first point about establishing a solid client base is a good one. All you need is a few people who make you the first point of call for the services you offer, or who will pay a retainer to have you available when they need you. For me, that’s been the difference between my first year as a freelance LIP and now. Of course, there is a potential down side – it’s much less easy to drop everything when you have people relying on you to produce work at specific times. However, on balance, that extra stability is worth any occasional clipping of wings.