5 Exciting Locations to Work From for E-commerce Digital Nomads
02/04/2020 | Share:
Depending on the nature of your business, working in the e-commerce industry sometimes allows you to work from anywhere in the world. And when times are tough, we can always look to plan our future business structure for when the international markets and travel opens up again.
When it does, all you’ll really need is a laptop, an internet connection and a destination! In this blog post, we provide our top 5 recommendations for places to work on your e-commerce business. We hope you’ve kept your passport in date!
1. Lisbon – Portugal
Our first destination is Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon. Whilst not your typical choice, working from Lisbon provides you with a city experience with good weather and that southern European vibe. It’s the second-oldest city in Europe (after Athens) and is full of historical buildings and monuments for those wishing to soak up some history or culture.
In Lisbon, the winters are mild and summers are warm, with the Atlantic ocean breeze keeping things a bit cooler and a lot more bearable than some other southern European cities – we’re looking at you Athens!
The cost of living in Lisbon, and Portugal in general, is reportedly lower than the UK. If you’re relying on your UK or international e-commerce business to pay the bills, then you’re likely to be unaffected by the lower salaries and lower cost of living.
Lisbon is large enough to have all the requirements of a European capital but is not the sprawling metropolis that the likes of London or Paris offer, which helps maintain a community vibe. It is also very easy to get around the city, with most places being a short walk away. It’s worth noting that Lisbon is an extremely hilly city. So, when you’re not sitting down working on your laptop, you’re likely giving your calves a good workout!
2 . The Maldives
What’s the point in being a digital nomad if you can’t find a little isolation in paradise? The Maldives is an archipelago of 1,192 islands, most of which are uninhabited or used as tourist resorts. It’s highly likely that you’ll have seen images of these tourist resorts in the Maldives with or without realising it. The typical image associated with the paradise of the Maldives is a pier leading out into the Indian Ocean with a series of huts. A perfect paradise if you’re looking for sun, ocean and beaches all year round.
The population of this ocean paradise is just less than 400,000 people. To give you an idea, the population of Lisbon alone is higher than this. This means plenty of time to relax, focus on work or both!
As an e-commerce business owner from the UK, it may be difficult to obtain a residence permit, as you need to have a work permit to stay longer than 30 days. Nonetheless, 30 days in the Maldives with your laptop is better than none, right?
3. Salt Lake City, Utah – The United States
Salt Lake City, or SLC as it’s commonly known, is aptly named after the Great Salt Lake it’s next to. Whilst this lake is a beautiful sight to behold, it’s surprisingly not the only attractive feature to the city.
Surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Great Basin, Salt Lake City is extremely popular with winter sports enthusiasts. If you like skiing in between managing your e-commerce business, then SLC is the place to be. The Wasatch Mountains are one of the best places to ski in the United States and are known for their “good snow”. And did you know that SLC was the host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games? It was chosen for a good reason!
If you prefer to climb mountains rather than slide down them at fast speeds, there are many national parks to enjoy in the state of Utah. Within a few hours, you can find yourself in the heart of Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Canyons National Park or Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s an extremely outdoor focussed place to live and exercise is important if you’re on a laptop working hard all day!
Salt Lake City itself is in fact built around a central temple, with elements resembling Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. It’s a refreshing and surprising arrangement for the United States as cities are not usually built around buildings such as temples, but it’s a great sight if you also appreciate good architecture.
4. Helsinki – Finland
Helsinki is the capital city of Finland. It may be one of the coldest capital cities in Europe during the winter, but it’s other features more than make up for this. Besides being the home of the sauna, it is a country known for its calm and quiet nature with close knit communities. The majority of people within the city of Helsinki know how to speak English, so you should have very few problems communicating with the Finns.
Whilst in the south, Helsinki has many uncrowded routes to the North. It’s here where you can experience and appreciate how sparsely populated the countryside is. Finland has many lakes and many more trees, and they’re accessible to everyone for them to enjoy. It’s the perfect woodland getaway for focussing on work or relaxing, whether that’s during the dark winters or the long summer days.
Finland can be an expensive country to live in, but it has several benefits as a result of this. Schools are well funded with no waiting lists, universities are free and all students receive grants. The country is on a mission to eradicate homelessness, become carbon neutral, and reduce over consumption. Finland appears to be a country that cares for its people and its environment and is a truly positive place to live.
5. Seoul – South Korea
Seoul is an ideal destination if you’re running an e-commerce business. Seoul, much like Tokyo in Japan, is immersed in technology and modernity. So much so, their internet speeds are like no other. It’s perfect for performing all those big jobs that require a lot of bandwidth and high speeds.
But we’re not recommending moving to Seoul just for the internet speeds! It’s a sprawling metropolis for those that want to live the crowded city life for a relatively low price compared to other large cities. Just like with Lisbon, if you’re acquiring your income from outside the country, you should have no problem with the cost of living in Seoul.
Aside from its technology, Seoul is a great destination for trying new things, new food and meeting new people. The Korean people are very welcoming so provided you can overcome the language barrier, you’ll certainly make new friends, who can help you adjust to the culture. The culture and way of life in Seoul may be a shock to the system and is perhaps something you’ll never fully understand, but putting yourself out into the unknown and taking risks is likely something you’re used to by now!
