The fact of being a knowmad is already no longer just a lifestyle but is being positioned more and more forcefully around the world as a profession of the present, with a great future.
Before entering into an exact definition about a knowmad or digital nomad is, we have to first focus ourselves on the context in which this profession is developing. A first element is that it has produced a change in the working culture. The transformations driven by Informatica and Communications Technologies in the XXI century have altered the way in which we communicate, see the world and work.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many of these transformations, especially linked to the physical presence of people in the workplace. Tens of thousands of businesses around the world, had to break with their traditional manner of tackling the job. Faced with the risk of being infected with a potentially deadly virus, workers had to remain at home and had to undertake the jobs from there that they carried out before in their office.
Many think that this will be a disaster because people will lose too much time and will be, therefore, inefficient; however, the opposite will actually take place. Without the need to go to the office and therefore lose hours in chaotic traffic, people will show that they are more efficient, because they could focus exclusively on completing , more than hours, work objectives. The possibilities of Internet connection were decisive in this exchange and teleconferences substituted, perhaps forever, in-person meetings.
Abandoning this paternalistic model is one of the biggest winnings after the coronavirus pandemic. Goodbye to a formula that focused on a person needing to be on a stable site to continue working. Goodbye also to many jobs, because businesses have had to increase task and procedure automation, so that traditional jobs have ceased to exist; however, others have arisen in their place.
What is a digital nomads?
A digital nomad is the professional who uses Internet to carry out his job or sell his knowledge to other businesses or people. Therefore, since he can complete his work from any part of the planet with a connection to the network of networks, this enormous freedom of movement will allow him to live the life of a nomad.
The creation of the term digital nomad is attributed to the job market expert, John Moravec who, in 2011, referred to this new professional profile, where the person must be creative, innovative, and capable of working online from any place and at any moment. Plus, this knowmad must be able to learn in a self-taught manner.
Whereas the millennial generation tis composed of those born between 1981 and 1995, the knowmads don’t belong to any specific age group, so any person in the world is capable of becoming a knowmad. Actually, considering oneself as being a knowmad goes way beyond a profession, but is combined with a lifestyle, where the person decides to take control of his life and enjoy it to the fullest, without being strictly ruled by what society dictates.
There are various business models for knowmads: they can be businessmen, freelancers, or employees.
Types of digital nomads
digital nomad businessmen try to generate the greatest amount possible of passive income, that is, to obtain money automatically, without having to invest time.
One of the most usual ways used by these businessmen is online ads. The reason is simple: if the person puts ads on their website, he doesn’t have to do anything else to begin receiving income.
However, the businessman doesn’t just turn to online ads, but he is able to generate more passive income through, for example, infoproducts. These are highly welcomed these days, because they are e-books, audiobooks, online courses, mobile apps where their creators show their experience with a particular subject.
It’s important to underline here that the businessman must show, at all times, authority on the subject being addressed. It’s difficult to sell an e-book on how to be a successful blogger if the person hasn’t achieved strong metrics with his website. When the history is well done, and is documented and written with a familiar language, within reach for all audiences, these infoproducts will have more options for commercialization.
These infoproducts can be easily sold on various sites on the network, so that it is an important way for income for businessmen.
The freelance knowmad is the one who, as the nomenclature indicates, works for himself. In other words: he sells his services, in this case, always online. Further ahead, we’ll deal with which are the most in-demand jobs in the freelance world.
The third variation of digital nomad is those who are self-employed, These days and more in times of the “new normality”, post coronavirus pandemic there are various offers of remote work for knowmads.
More and more businesses understand that their management model must be focused on workers who complete set objectives and not on work schedules. Then, they decide to not pay in-person times, but that their employees will complete goals; and it’s here where knowmads have found an interesting niche. The ample possibilities existing at present for remote work influence how businesses hire the services of professionals without worrying about where they live. It’s a great time to be a knowmad.
In this manner, for the self-employed, the main advantage is that the person has the security that they will receive a paycheck every month.
Where the digital nomad lives and where he pays taxes
Many knowmads travel constantly, others have found their paradise on Earth, but the majority are professionals who go from one place to another without establishing a fixed residence. At this point, a question comes to mind: where should I settle down for the purpose of taxes, banks, contracts, etc.?
We advise Panama for various reasons. Panama is one of the most attractive countries in Latin America. It’s political stability, sustained economic growth, and low taxes or zero taxes for those who work abroad, have converted it into an ideal spot for all those who want to open an offshore company or a zero taxes bank account, without having to declare their income. You won’t lose your permanent residence, even if you don’t reside in the country: it’s only necessary to return to the national territory within 24 months after being granted residence. Obtaining a residence Visa in Panama isn’t terribly because there are at least eight residence programs that allow it; however, it’s always necessary to keep in mind the advice of lawyers specialized in this subject who can help ease the processes.
Most frequent jobs for digital nomad
The list of most frequent jobs for digital nomads has continued to grow, in the same measure in which, as we analyzed earlier, in an environment of greater penetration of the TICs, more tasks can be completed remotely.
One of the most demanded specialties these days is the web developer. These professionals find work quickly because businesses have growing needs for updates and improvements on their digital platforms. Creation of websites, remote administration of a network, development of apps for mobile devices are some of the most required functions. Therefore, a good programmer can earn very well in the life as a digital nomad, completing the assigned tasks in the moment that he considers most convenient for him.
Platforms for finding work as a web developer:
Another of the specialties is as a consultant – online consultant. Thanks to the development of tools for videoconferences, like Zoom, the consultants have found new forms of earning a life, from any part of the world, sharing experiences and advice with those who hire them. Financial, sports, business strategy consultants are within reach of a click.
Designers have always been very much in demand; however, it’s no exaggeration to write that , at present, these professionals can’t keep up with the great number of requests that they receive. Everything has to with the design, from a website up to the conception of the interior of a house. So then, graphic designers and web designers are essential. Keeping them full-time would be extremely expensive for the businesses, so they would prefer to hire these knowmads.
Digital platforms that offer work to graphic designers:
- Coroflot
- Behance
- Authentic Jobs:
- Peopleperhour
- Upwork
- AIGA Design Jobs:
- Twago
- Freelance
- Dribbble
- Design Observer
Photographers and multimedia creators are also much in-demand. In times when audiovisual consumption on websites has increased, these professionals are in high demand.
More than a few photographers sell their portfolios to several image banks that are commissioned to commercialize them. Therefore, the professional can continue to receive income without worrying anymore about these photographs that he has taken.
Platforms where the knowmad can sell his photos:
Web editors and copywriters can’t keep up with the number of requests, either. Any online business needs content, differentiated for the different channels of socialization (social networks, podcasts, newsletters, YouTube, websites, etc.), so that good editors and copywriters have their work guaranteed.
It’s opportune to clarify here that editors are commissioned to do more than editing; meanwhile, copywriters are focused more on creating texts with strategic projection (who we are, etc.).
Platforms for web editors:
Translations are also essential at present because sites are rarely in a single language. Businesses have become globalized, so in order to reach out to potential customers, they need to do it in their native language. The Google translator helps, but nothing can compare with job of interpreting texts done by good translators.
Platforms for finding translation jobs:
All online businesses need a search engine optimizer (SEO) who, from any site in the world, can evaluate what is working on a website and what is not and who, moreover, offers suggestions for improving the position of the website’s contents for searchers.
These professions that we have analyzed are undoubtedly on the rise, however digital nomads can also develop another series of businesses, like the online sales of crafts or creating marketplaces where other sellers commercialize their products and the knowmad receives a commission for each completed sale.
The future of the digital nomads
Work habits have been definitively modified, and not just for the newer generations. Today, the cities are competing to attract the talents of the knowmads in their direction. They offer free wireless Internet, lodging with accessible prices, and “co” spaces (among them coworking) are proliferating .In this scenario, the total number of knowmads will continue to increase and, in the near future, we could reach a time when being a knowmad will be the normal way to work.
