Category: Expat

Expat, Remote work 0 comments on How To Write An Effective Proposal for Your Freelance Business

How To Write An Effective Proposal for Your Freelance Business

You’ve made it this far.

You’ve decided to give your freelance business a try, and started offering your services to prospective clients.

And it worked! You’ve got potential customers who are interested in hiring your services.

It’s now time to create a proposal specifying a few things: What are you set to achieve, how are you going to achieve it and, most importantly, how much are you going to charge for it.

A well-written proposal can be very powerful. It can turn hesitant prospects into enthusiastic customers who can’t wait to start working with you.

A proposal is also a way to show customers how you work. If you write a messy, complicated and unclear proposal, it will give your customers a bad feeling. Is this how you are going to deliver your work? It can cause you to lose a contract. Continue Reading “How To Write An Effective Proposal for Your Freelance Business”

Europe, Expat, Travel 0 comments on 5 Ways To Take Advantage Of Your Erasmus Scholarship

5 Ways To Take Advantage Of Your Erasmus Scholarship

This article was originally published in Spanish on my own personal blog back on August 10th, 2013, as a way to tell my Erasmus experience studying and working abroad in Poland, and share some tips and recommendations for those college students who are interested in going abroad.

It has been over four years since I first published this article and I still get emails from time to time from students who are considering doing an Erasmus, asking for advice and recommendations.

Since I have been able to help these students over the past few years, I thought it would be a good idea to translate the information into English, for those of you who are considering studying abroad. Continue Reading “5 Ways To Take Advantage Of Your Erasmus Scholarship”

Europe, Expat 0 comments on Running a Freelance Business From an Island In Greece: Interview with Digital Nomad Thomas Holmes

Running a Freelance Business From an Island In Greece: Interview with Digital Nomad Thomas Holmes

Back in April, during a visit to San Francisco, I met up with Thomas Holmes, who works on his freelance business creating online stores for clients on the Shopify platform. We enjoyed some great Mexican food together and talked about ecommerce and working remotely.

Apart from working on client projects, Thomas is also the author of Shopify & You, an easy-to-use, step-by-step ebook that covers everything from designing, to setting up and running an online store with Shopify.

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, these days he spends most of his time on a small island in Greece, while running his freelance business that allows him to work with clients all over the world. Continue Reading “Running a Freelance Business From an Island In Greece: Interview with Digital Nomad Thomas Holmes”

Expat, Off topic 0 comments on 6 Money Tools For New Remote Workers

6 Money Tools For New Remote Workers

Let’s talk about money.

If you are new to remote work or freelancing, just like with everything in life, you are bound to make mistakes. These mistakes, if related to money, can be a real headache. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Expensive international money transfers, hidden bank fees, currency exchange losses… these are all real threats to expats and remote workers that can make a serious dent in your bank account at the end of the month. Although the banking industry is slowly improving and getting up to speed to what customers nowadays need, they’re still far behind. Continue Reading “6 Money Tools For New Remote Workers”

Expat, Remote work 0 comments on How To Build A Remote Company

How To Build A Remote Company

The following is a guest article from Jan Schulz-Hofen, Managing Director at Planio for Toptal.

If you ask me, working remotely rocks. I’m currently writing from a small beach bar located on a remote island in southern Thailand. Looking up from my laptop, I see nothing but the endless ocean and its crystal clear blue waters. I’ll be enjoying this morning undisturbed and focused on my work because the rest of the team hasn’t even gotten up yet. Time zones work out really well for distributed teams. Continue Reading “How To Build A Remote Company”

Expat 0 comments on Beat the System as a Freelance Digital Nomad

Beat the System as a Freelance Digital Nomad

With the global economy still struggling, the jobs market is as tough a place as it has ever been. Yet the 21st century digital economy offers more scope and variety for a flexible working lifestyle than ever before. So surely there is an easier way for those who have been struggling day in and day out to find work. Continue Reading “Beat the System as a Freelance Digital Nomad”

Expat, Remote work 0 comments on Things To Watch Out For While Working Remotely

Things To Watch Out For While Working Remotely

The following post is a guest article from Toptal.

Over the past several months, we’ve published a number of lifestyle posts encouraging people to try working remotely, or even to embrace a nomadic lifestyle. We are a distributed team, and our day-to-day operations involve a lot of online communication between people in different time zones, working from home offices, co-working spaces, or holiday spots. We’re living proof that remote work, for lack of a better word, works. Continue Reading “Things To Watch Out For While Working Remotely”

Europe, Expat, Remote work 5 comments on Why Spain Is The Perfect Country For Remote Workers

Why Spain Is The Perfect Country For Remote Workers

Spain is a world famous destination for tourists seeking sun, good food and culture. But there’s room for more than sunburned tourists wearing flipflops and socks. Are you a remote worker considering your next move? If so, then I strongly recommend putting Spain at the top of your list. Why? Here are five reasons: Continue Reading “Why Spain Is The Perfect Country For Remote Workers”

Expat 0 comments on How To Immerse Yourself In A New Culture

How To Immerse Yourself In A New Culture

One of the main reasons people travel or move abroad is to experience a new culture and way of life. This usually comes with big dreams of really immersing yourself in everything a place has to offer. However, it’s not quite so simple. It’s often all too easy to surround yourself with familiar things and never leave your comfort zone. This is not the goal.

Continue Reading “How To Immerse Yourself In A New Culture”