Inspiration, Ideas, and Resources to Help You Build a Location Independent Income

Last updated on July 23rd, 2018 at 10:31 pm

Would you like to earn a living from home or create a little extra income on the side? Do you wish you had more money to travel, or do anything else you love? Maybe you have a job you hate or you’re bored with your work and want to make a career change?

We know not everyone wants to quit his or her job to travel the world as we did, and we would never say that you should. The process that goes along with that kind of lifestyle decision is a deeply personal one. We love the freedom that comes with location independent work. But, you don’t need to travel full time to reap the benefits of working from a laptop.

If you’d like to learn ways to build location independent income or need ideas to start a side business from home this list can help you begin your journey, so to speak.

This article is meant to be a starting point. It highlights different online jobs people can do to earn a living while traveling and tools to make learning skills to start a new online career easier. The list includes ways to create income if you wish to remain at your 9 to 5, or the information contained here can serve as a launch pad to jettison you into an entirely new digital career. That is the beauty of online work, it can totally change how you live.

Disclosure: This article contains some links to products that we use and love. If you’d like to purchase any of them, we are affiliated with Unconventional Guides and Location Rebel. A small commission would be paid to us if you buy but the products won’t cost you any extra.

Ways to build location independent income- Job possibilities

There are so many different ways to make a living from your computer. You may already have a lot of job skills that could translate well to online work, the key to success is choosing a job you truly enjoy doing. You might know what you love to do already or maybe you need a little inspiration to figure out what your ideal job may be.

Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning.

Freelance writing based jobs (Content creation, editing, proofreading, translation, web copywriting).

Media jobs (podcasters, videographers, photographers, journalists, bloggers, social media marketers).

SEO Services (consulting services, website auditing, SEO writing).

Affiliate marketing (Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income blog is a great example of affiliate marketing success).

Legal or medical transcription (“you can become a medical transcriptionist without taking a course“)

Tutoring (language learning, high school, college, business).

Teaching English as a second language (here’s a look at 10 Steps to Beginner ESL Lesson Plans).

Travel Agent (be an agent or build a travel agency business). Certain types of bricks and mortar businesses can be run solely online. Travel related services are a perfect example of that. You just need to open your mind to the possibility.

Here are a few posts that list a multitude of ideas. There is some repetition but each article shares something unique.

64 Ways Location Independent People Earn a Living

101 Best Side Business Ideas to Start While Working Full-Time

100 Websites that Help You Make Money in Your Spare Time

If you need some ideas on where to market skills you may already have that are akin to freelancing or working remotely check out these articles:

5 Awesome Websites That Can Help You Earn Money From Home

Top 5 Reasons I think Fiverr is The Best Freelancing Website

Both highlight reputable freelancing platforms that can help you make your debut as a remote worker.

Inspiration- Articles to enlighten and get you in right the mindset to pursue location independent careers

Below is a list of articles that we think outline requirements to tackle learning certain online careers.

Assess your suitability for the freelance economy- This article Are You Suited For the Freelance Economy? This Assesment is somewhat simple but a great place to start.

If you’re considering a travel blog- This thread by Mark Manson on Quora, What tips & suggestions would experienced bloggers give to young bloggers? is in depth and honest about blogging. Not just his point of view but, the opinions of the seasoned bloggers in the thread.

If you’re considering freelance writing- This article by Ryan Robinson, How to Earn More Money Freelancing (Even if You’re a Total Beginner), offers a basic outline for what it takes to be paid well for freelance writing.

If you’re considering a remote working agreement with your job (or a new organization)- This post, How to Make the Case to Your Boss to Work Remotely, and this one 7 Best Practice Tips For Successfully Working Remotely both offer a peek into what it looks like to work for an employer from home (or the road).

Resources we’ve used- Books and programs designed to help you develop the skills you need to build a location independent business

Keep in mind, it is possible to learn skills and build an income online with little money. Alternatively, if you have money, there are programs that can make your foray into the digital workplace a lot easier. The books and courses listed below are what we believe to be the most effective. And, the biggest bang for your buck.

Practical low-cost Resouces for World Domination- Chris Guillebeau (from The Art of Nonconformity) is the creator of Unconventional Guides. Originally rolled out as a small business to help people achieve their “big” goals. The suite of guides has grown and so has their list of raving fans! They publish a variety of affordable, high impact resources to help people increase independence through self-employment and travel.

The guides offer help to publish a book, start a business in a year, create a sustainable writing career, and more.

The Live and Work Anywhere guide is one of our personal favorites. We’d read many stories about people setting out to travel full time but this guide is more, it’s an action plan. And it costs as little as $49! They even offer a first-year rock solid money back guarantee on all of their guides.

Blueprints for a new online career ready made for you- The course I found the most helpful for building location independent income was Sean Ogles Location Rebel. Both Rob and I had been reading Sean’s blog, Location 180 for year’s before we set out to travel. The tagline for Location 180 is Build a Business, Live Anywhere, Achieve Freedom. All of the content you’ll find there supports that tag line. Inspiring, supportive, actionable tips and advice to build an online income.

Location Rebel is a course Sean created that offers members step by step blueprints to learn specific online skills. What sets Location Rebel apart from other programs is the long list of testimonials that speak to the support and effectiveness of the program. It is truly step by step and I can honestly say, if you heed Sean’s advice on how to use the program, participate in the forums, and follow the blueprints anyone can succeed.

We hope this introduction to online work has given you some ideas for ways to build location independent income. There is a lot more information about starting a career from a laptop out there. But, we think these ideas and resources are a great place to start if you’re considering working online.

Do you work from home or have a location independent career? What sound advice or effective resources do you have to offer? Please share your ideas in the comments below.