9 Quick Wins To Start Working Online While Traveling Australia – Start Your Side Hustle!

Do you want to travel full-time… without needing to worry about money? Then working online is your best bet!

But how do you go from the 9-to-5 grind, to traveling worry-free around Australia or the world?

Many people ask, HOW do you even start?

Well, it might seem confusing – working remotely and earning money from a laptop.

But starting your side hustle is as simple as that, you are just starting. You are making a decision to begin and commit.

So without wasting your time let’s get straight to business. Below we list the 9 quick wins to get you started.

We have been doing this full-time for 5 years now and have learned a lot along the way. Including some easily avoidable mistakes. More on that below…

“Yes it will feel overwhelming at times, it’s the people that can push through that… who get the reward which is their freedom”

So, today is all about getting you the quick wins to get that engine going. Let’s go!

Key takeaways

We fund our travels by earning semi-passive income from websites. We were absolute beginners when we started, with zero tech knowledge and this course taught us exactly what to do: The Digital Investors Program.

1) Start earning online through Airtasker or Upwork

The ultimate quick win is earning cash online! There is an abundance of tasks listed on these platforms.

Airtasker is a place where you do tasks for people who need them. This is the easiest, low risk way to find out how it feels to work online. (We go deeper into Upwork further down the article.)

To begin, go to Airtasker.com and:

1. Sign up
2. Go to “Browse tasks” 
3. Filter the location for “Remote tasks only”
4. Click “Apply”

You’ll have a list of dozens of remote tasks available. Check them out and pick one you think you can do!

The most common tasks on Airtasker are cleaning, cooking, handyman work, graphic design, admin work and photography.

Another great site to start a profile and get a name for yourself is Upwork. Common job roles here are freelance graphic design, data entry, virtual assistant work, software developer work, digital marketing and so on.

It doesn’t have to be anything huge. Remember that the goal is to give yourself evidence that you can earn cash online. 

2) Get clear on your side hustle with a mindmap

Have you been putting off starting your online business?

Your second quick win is to take the first step and get planning. You may have an idea of what side hustle you are creating, or maybe you are unclear right now.

A good way to start is by getting a large piece of paper and doing a mind map. In the centre write something meaningful to you like, “Map to freedom” and from this bubble you will create a mind map.

This is simply a brain dump, don’t overthink it, there’s no right or wrong way.

Some topics you might want to mind map:

1. Your current skills
2. Skills you need to learn to make it happen
3. Your product/service idea
4. What you are passionate about
5. Monetisation opportunities
6. Networking opportunities
7. Branding names and ideas
8. Unique ideas you have
9. Things you feel drawn to
10. Ideas on how to run this business online
11. Stuff you need to make it happen

Good luck, just let it all flow out. Let us know how you go!

Would also highly recommend goal setting and creating a vision board. How are you supposed to reach your goals, if you don’t know what they are!

3) Check online work opportunities within your industry

Building you side hustle takes time. But you can get online now by moving your current job to an online role.

To do this, start by visiting Seek, or Indeed:

• In “What”, type in your career
• Leave “any classification” blank
• In “Where”, choose “work from home” or “work online”
• Click “Seek”

Check the results to get an idea of what’s going on within your industry regarding online and remote jobs. Read the job descriptions to know what responsibilities you’d have, the skills needed, etc.

Some industries may not translate to being online. But don’t let this stop you!

This can be the case for healthcare workers, tradies, massage therapists etc. If that happens, do not give up! It’s time to get creative and open your scope up a bit more…

The easiest way to do this is by going to Upwork.com and:

1. Filter the search bar for “Jobs”
2. Type in your industry and choose the option that suits you from the dropdown menu

You’ll get dozens (if not thousands) of results with a variety of job offers related to your industry. This will give you ideas on how to use your pre-existing skills online.

If it’s time to start finding another more inspiring job, don’t hold back. Just starting applying. It’s up to you to create change in your life. It’s important you have a supportive workplace when you are building your side hustle.

4) Plan for success by budgeting

A lot of people get into a side hustle or want to be an entrepreneur but get a shock when their business isn’t viable financially. Your business needs to be feasible, with a profitable product/service to make you money in the long run.

So now is a good time to plan this out and do a budget to start.

How to do a budget:

1. Start with Google sheets, write out your current expenses and income. This will give you an idea of what you need to earn to be able to quit your 9-5 and sustain yourself.
2. To gauge the cost of starting your business, write out all of the expenses you know of to begin. This will give you your set up costs.
3. Determine your income stream/s and make a forecast on how many sales you will need to cover your ongoing expenses AND to earn a profit. This is a good target for you.

Remember: it’s ok and normal, not to make any money in the beginning. It takes time while you are getting a name for yourself. But it’s important that you have a plan to monetise your business when you can.

Monetising your business – How you will earn income?

What is your product/service? How will your business earn money in future?

Some examples of online income streams include:

• Digital Products – eBooks, courses, downloadables, lightroom presets
• Services – Social Media Management, Virtual Assistance, Video/Photo Editing, Content Writing, Language/Music Teaching, Consulting with your skill
• Physical Products – Homewares, Drop Shipping, Stationary
• Affiliate Income – Advertising income, Affiliate commissions selling other people’s products etc
• Rental Income – Perhaps you are going to earn remote income by renting out your home or workspace
• Lead Generation – You can earn money by generating “leads” or customers for other businesses and taking a cut. Ask us about this in the comments.
• Subscriptions – Community subscriptions, software subscriptions

Determine your products/services and approximately how much you can earn for them. This will help you set up an estimated budget before you start.

Once you know your income verses expenses you will have a rough idea of your path forward.

5) Start setting up your online business!

A side hustle, is essentially your own brand. Whether you are offering services, selling at markets, creating an app or online community – no matter what you are doing the first steps are pretty similar.

Here’s the first 3 steps to kick start your brand:

Start ticking things off your list to BEGIN your business

Here’s a list of things you may need to create or decide on:

• A brand name – People act like a brand name makes or breaks a business, it’s not a huge deal, just decide.
• A logo – Build your logo easily on Canva for free – don’t overthink it!
• Register your business number – Australia calls this an ABN (and organise insurances/accountant/bookkeeping/bank accounts etc)
• Get some professional looking photos of yourself (if you are offering services for example)
• Order your uniform, flyers, business cards or branding stickers etc
• Physical products – Laptop, New phone perhaps, Headphones, External Hard drive if you need more space, Camera if you are getting into travel blogging.
• Advice – Talk to other entrepreneurs about how they set up their businesses. Join some online groups and get networking.
• Socials – Get the word out when you’re ready!

Set up your accounts

• Email accounts – We use Gmail, make the name of everything the same as your brand name.
• Socials accounts – We have Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. You can just start with one if you prefer.
• Subscriptions – We are subscribed to many programs. Some free, some paid. They make our lives easier. (Adobe, Capcut, Google storage, Slack for communicating with our team, Emailing software, Payment software, accounting etc)
• Courses – A great way to start, is learning from an expert. We took this course to learn how to build, buy and renovate websites for semi-passive income. But you could start any course that is leading you in the right direction for your online career.
• Payment setup – How are you taking payment? Which account and what software. We use Wise software and Stripe for taking payments.

Plan your marketing strategy

The biggest problems entrepreneurs come up with isn’t their ideas, it’s marketing. So think about this next, what is your plan to attract an audience to your product or service?

If you have the money, you can pay businesses to do your marketing for you, but if you’re like us you are starting out without much money and you will need to do it yourself.

Here are our marketing strategies to give you some ideas:

1. Paid ads – We don’t spend a heap on this, but it is a great way to get in front of people. Social media such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube all have ad platforms where you can pay for advertising. Google also has paid ads.
2. Social Media organic reach – you can reach an audience for free by sharing regular content on your page and engaging with similar accounts. We do this across all social platforms.
3. Google organic reach – you can also reach a large audience by providing high quality written articles on Google. This is one of our main strategies for our travel blog.

Other great ways to reach an audience:

1. Sales marketing – Cold calling, emailing, reaching out on Facebook groups
2. Collecting reviews on your business on Google Maps for example
3. Paying content creators to create content on your product/service and share it with their audience

Chris’ first sale was from posting on a physical noticeboard at his local shop – no joke! So just go for it, but its important you remember you will not reach people unless you try something.

Now, that’s going to take a while! So don’t stress, tick your job list off one at a time and come back to this article anytime.

6) If you want to travel more… travel more!

Travel doesn’t have to be something you do every 1-2 years. It can be an integral part of your life, but you have to start somewhere.

It doesn’t have to be a 2-week-long holiday. A quick day trip somewhere close to where you live can count as travelling if you want it to.

Back when we started our work-and-travelling journey, money was tight. Chris and I started out by camping on the weekends. Once we started our lap of Australia we shared our experiences on social media. This grew fast!

For a long time we just slept in the back of our car (a Holden Viva). Our setup slowly upgraded but it’s always been fun.

Otherwise, reserve a holiday to get you motivated!

To do this, take advantage of the websites that have “reserve now & pay” later modalities, like:

• Booking and Expedia for accommodation
• Viator and GetYourGuide for tours and activities

There are many ways to start living your dream life now. Learn more: How to start working remotely to travel (7 steps)

Plan to visit digital nomad destinations and work online there!

When it comes to travel while working online, you have to take a few considerations. Apart from the places and things you want to do, your budget, and so on, you also have to plan for:

• Reliable internet connection: Research the speed and stability of internet services in your potential destinations to ensure a smooth workflow. We use starlink.
• Time zone compatibility: This is key if you need to coordinate with clients or your remote team. Reschedule video calls and/or phone calls if necessary.
• Where will you work, physically?: Plan your remote work trip to schedule where you’ll set up your “portable office” – a co-working space? A coffee shop? The beach?

7) Embrace time management

Having a remote job with your own schedule is a blessing… and a curse (sometimes). It can be challenging to balance work and play on your own, mostly at the beginning.

Here are some ways to start:

• Set clear work hours. Try to align with your most productive times of the day. This helps create a structure and ensures that you dedicate focussed time to your tasks.
• Establish a routine. Designate specific blocks for work, breaks, and exploration. This will allow you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. We usually work Monday – Thursday.
• Embrace productivity tools. Some apps block certain websites (or other apps) during your work hours and minimize distractions. There are thousands of good free tools online.
• Write a to do list. It’s old school but it works!
• Learn to prioritize. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadlines. By focusing on essential tasks first, you can ensure progress without sacrificing the joy of exploration.
• Zone in on maximum return activities. These are the tasks which will maximise your income and business progression.
• OUTSOURCE. Grow your team and outsource tasks you don’t need to do.

Managing your time effectively is the key to finding harmony. But finding that balance takes practice, so be patient and listen to your needs. Over time, you’ll find your limits of work and play and get better at time management.

8) Read (or listen to) the “4-hour work week”

If you are still on the fence about whether it’s worth running online business and travelling, read this book.

Tim Ferriss shows you a step-by-step on how to live life the way you want to, doing more of the things that are really important to YOU.

He shares how he left the 9-to-5 grind to chase his passions – learning and travel – by creating a business to fund this lifestyle. 

We read it a few years ago and it completely changed our perspective on how we wanted to live our lives.

After that, we were dead set on living life the way WE wanted to – travelling the world – instead of waiting for retirement to do it. 

Even if you don’t want to work 4 hours a week, or even if you don’t want to own a remote business, check this book out. It’ll change your perspective in the best possible way.

Note: If you don’t have much time to read or want to multitask, you can always listen to the audiobook version!

9) Go to a meet-up with like-minded people

Go to Eventbrite or Meetup and find free events on topics such as business, remote working, and mindset. You can find these meet-ups in co-working spaces, too. 

The goal is to start surrounding yourself with like-minded people and other online business owners. You have no idea how powerful this can be. 

Chris is a great example here (and a big introvert)!

If it wasn’t for a mindset seminar he went to back in 2016, he wouldn’t have met Matt and Liz from the eBusiness Institute.

Through their courses, Matt and Liz taught him the things he needed to create the business we have today. He always says that, if it wasn’t for that, he’d still be working on the mines.

Note: Here’s an unfiltered review of our experience with the eBusiness Institute. Check it out if you want to know whether it could be something for you!

Actively seeking out these events will help you meet people who are where you want to be.

You’ll learn how they got to where they are and the strategies they used. You can also make friends and keep each other accountable.

If you feel a bit intimidated by it, start by seeking out online events or chat groups.

Other things to consider when working online and travelling

Get those quick wins going and kick start your online business and remember to also:

Make sure you have a reliable mobile office

The whole point of being a digital nomad is that, as long as you have a laptop and internet, you can work wherever and whenever.

At the very least, your laptop should cater to your specific work requirements.

That said, there are a few other tools that can make sure you can meet your deadlines or build your business wherever you are:

• An external hard drive, to have a backup of the documents you need. This is key if you travel to a place with little or no internet connection.
• A reliable portable charger, more so if you’ll do long journeys or travel to areas with limited electricity.
• Noise-cancelling headphones. Sounds like a luxury but they are a lifesaver if you need to focus while working in noisy environments.
• Secure Wi-Fi hotspot devices, starlink or portable routers. Invaluable when dealing with unstable or unsafe internet connections.
• Cloud or Google storage to access your files from any device.

These items are not necessary for every online worker. Consider where you’re travelling, your type of job, and other factors before purchasing anything.

Don’t forget about taking care of your overall health

Self-care is the most overlooked thing when running a business (and travelling too!).

It’s essential you find balance so that you cna show up as your best self when you need to. Running business online and eventually travelling full time can be exhausting – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Self-care practices such as exercise, meditation, journaling, healthy eating, and enough sleep make sure that you have the energy and focus necessary to perform at your best.

This helps you stay productive at work while enjoying the adventures that await you.

Remember – taking care of yourself is not selfish. It’s essential for long-term success and enjoyment in your remote work and travel journey. It should be a non-negotiable part of your routine.

FAQs

The bottom line

The only way to start working remote while travelling is by doing. Your actions will give you the evidence you need to get started. These quick wins are low-hanging fruit to do exactly that.

The goal here is to show YOURSELF that, in fact, you can absolutely, undoubtedly, work remotely while travelling.

But remember – it’s not just about the destinations you explore, but also the transformation you undergo along the way.

This lifestyle offers a unique opportunity to find balance, discover hidden treasures, and create a life that is truly your own. Let the world become your office – adventure awaits!