Start a business while traveling or stay home and save

[pablo_aka_god]

Hi everyone, I work remotely full time as an AI software engineer for a startup that is not doing well financially right now but I'm still getting paid and have savings to live without working for 6 months. On the side I am starting my first online business while taking Leo's LP course.

Since I work from Home and my country is going through Winter right now all days are cold and cloudy and I'm getting depressed, it's affecting my mood and my happiness.

So I have 2 options one is to stay, grind through the winter and save money which I could need if things go too bad and the other one is to go to Brazil for a month and work there so I get some sun and have a little fun while still working hard, would cost money but may improve creativity and mood. 

Have any of you started a business while traveling? that lifestyle really resonates with me

Edited June 2 by pablo_aka_god

[Butters]

10 hours ago, pablo_aka_god said:

Have any of you started a business while traveling? that lifestyle really resonates with me

Do it then, stop overthinking. I was on Bali with no money left and no business and started building and selling websites on Flippa and I turned out fine. You seem to be smarter with actual work / some cash saved up so go for it. 

[Lyubov]

1 hour ago, Butters said:

Do it then, stop overthinking. I was on Bali with no money left and no business and started building and selling websites on Flippa and I turned out fine. You seem to be smarter with actual work / some cash saved up so go for it. 

Wow , can you share more how you started earning money online while traveling ?

[universe]

Well while starting an online business you want to bunker down and focus the majority of your energy on the business.

So winter seems ideal for that - no distractions.

Of course, if winter is having such an impact on your psyche so that you can't focus, you'd be better off in brazil.

[Michael569]

There is couple ways to look at this and a few things to keep at mind when considering that sort of move, whether short term or long-term. This reply might not resonate with you, maybe you are different to me, I tend to be very cautious when making strategic decisions in life. Works for me but not for everyone. 

1. Does your company allow cross border working? Does it include South America? How long is the maximum duration before your tax coding has to change? Employee Mobility is a hot topic right now in the corporate world so best be clear on the policy before moving. You don't want to just move without telling anyone as you might get sacked over breaching your contract. Alternatively maybe you could transition to a contractor agreement, that might be able to fix the issue although you would lose company benefits which are usually for FTEs only.  If your company does allow moving to Brazil and would continue paying you then that's probably a no brainer, just be sure to speak to HR or your boss to be on the safe site. 

2. Second thing is that there are plenty of things you might be able to do for your mood to feel better in the winter. Have a look into the health section, I think this has been discussed many times before. Or chat to AI about some strategies to keep your serotonin high when days are darker and shorter. Things such as good morning routine, plenty of exercise, diet, supplementing vitamin D and making sure your eyes get daylight exposure are just top of the iceberg of all the things you can do. 

3. Do you have a plan B if your company says "no, sorry you can't work from Brazil"? Maybe they would allow you to take a sabatical? Unpaid holiday for a month if you could prove that you experience mental health difficulties? Ofcourse ideally you want to do this ethically as a genuine reason being mental health rather than wanting to escape and travel because they would be holding your space when they could offer it to someone who would be generating a value while  you're gone since the company is already struggling. 

4. Also, I'd say before you approach that topic, prepare a case. Think about this from a prospective of your boss or the CEO of the startup who is probably under tons of pressure to deliver, to pay you and not to have his company sink like Titanic. Why should he/she allow this? Could you present a solid case? Would you be able to demonstrate that working remotely could lead to better productivity? Is there any research you could present to them about employee mobility and the impact on productivity? Could you maybe help the company obtain business over there? (although that probably does not align with your job). Or is there other way the company could benefit from you working from there? 

5. And finally, if you have six months savings that's a solid insurance but no enough to be able to go crazy and travel the world for 3-4 months without an income. Think about how long it took you to earn that money and how long it would take you to earn it back if you, say spent 70% of it. Travelling usually burns more money than one anticipates and the last thing you want is to come back to no job and having a 1000 euros on your account. I know people who have done that and they really really struggle now. I am all for exploring but best do it wisely. I love that you are taking the LP course and starting a business and that's definitely and alley you should continue pursuing, I don't know if that biz is somehow tied to your country or if you could do it anywhere and how do you see the potential revenue from it over the next 5 years. If you would like to transition, that's an important factor. Maybe waiting one more year till it is profitable would be worth it? 

There is also the factor of would moving really benefit your productivity or would it be a distraction? I lived in Greece for 6 months and it was the best time of my life but if I was building a business during that time, I wouldn't have been able to because it was exciting and I was enjoying life where building a biz is anything but enjoyable, sometimes shitty weather and dark days actually help with that in some weird form. The hustle and bustle of tropical Brazil could damage your progress , or maybe it wouldn't. Only you can know, just be brutally  honest with yourself. A lot of those Bali digital nomads from US and Auzie have a golden safety net of their parents wealth that they can fall into anytime or they have a massive hedge fund from their parents since birth that generates them 30  grand a year. Building a business and living in Tropics is easier for those people and different to someone who has 15-20 grand on their bank account that took them 5 years to generate. Be adventurous and brave but also be realistic and strategic. 

Hope you'll make it work one way or another, sounds like a great plan and I wish you success ! 

Edited June 10 by Michael569