For many future expats, the decision to move abroad is fueled by a desire for flexibility and freedom. This theme was a recurring highlight at our Expat Side Hustle Summit, where speakers shared how they’ve built lives on their own terms in locations that truly make sense for them.
However, unless you’re independently wealthy, these dreams need funding—and that often means finding work that aligns with a mobile lifestyle. As showcased at the event, location-independent professionals come from diverse backgrounds. Some are young adults eager to explore the world after college, while others are retired grandparents seizing the opportunity to travel now that their children are grown.
With this growing interest in location-independent living, many aspiring expats are exploring career paths that allow them to work from anywhere. But with so many terms—remote worker, entrepreneur, freelancer—being used interchangeably, it’s natural to wonder: what sets each of these categories apart?
Remote work is simply being employed by a company without being required to come into an office five days a week. Your schedule could require anywhere from zero days in office up and as many as four. Only if a role is classified fully remote should you expect to not have to show up in person.
Your working station could be a home office, café, co-working space, or similar location. For some roles, you may be required to work during predesignated working hours, such as a 9-5 hour shift. For others, your work hours may not matter as long as you complete your required duties.
As a remote employee, you could work for this employer on a full-time, part-time or contract basis. If you’re working on a contract basis, you could also be a freelancer. Freelancers are often brought in to work on specific projects for a duration of time. Depending on your contract, you might work with one company at a time or choose to work with multiple clients. As a freelancer, you are not a permanent employee of the companies you are working for.
If you provide services under your own business, you are a solopreneur or entrepreneur. As a solopreneur, you perform all the duties to keep the business running and the sole employee of the company. That could be everything from marketing to customer service.
As the business grows, you might hire other people to manage certain aspects of your company. At that point, you become an entrepreneur as you delegate the operational tasks to others.
If you are thinking about the ability to work from anywhere, then you’re probably considering being location independent. Location independence is the ability to live your life anywhere of your choosing.
A common term that is often used to describe this type of worker is a digital nomad. Digital nomad can describe someone who might be location independent and makes a living by working online. Often these individuals are in location for short periods of time ranging from a few weeks to a few months. Their intention is not to stay in a place permanently but have the flexibility to work while travelling. Where available, digital nomads can get permission to work in the country through a digital nomad visa.
There is not a lot of stability in a nomadic lifestyle, which some workers thoroughly enjoy. As you travel the world, you’ll be living in short-term stays such as apartments, Airbnbs and hostels.
That said, not everyone who is location flexible is a digital nomad in the truest sense of the term. Some individuals in work remotely do so but remain in one location for a long period of time or indefinitely.
These workers are location flexible. In this category, you may have a certain amount of freedom to be able to work away from an office but you may have specific commitments that you keep in a location. Location flexible individuals tend to have a home base and do not always have the intention of constantly being on the move.
Full-time/Part-time Employed Remotely. This can be ideal if you don’t want the burden of building your own businesses. There are a number of factors that can impact being a remote worker. Generally, you’re still an employee of a company, and you are subject to the conditions of your employment. While you may have flexibility as to where you work, you still may have to work within working hours that may or may not be favorable to your lifestyle.
You may be working in what is considered off hours in your host location because you are working for a company that is located in the West. However, you may have more stability with your income and enjoy company benefits. As mentioned earlier, you may be limited to the locations you can work from, but if you are not highly nomadic then this shouldn’t be an issue.
The ease of working abroad as a remote worker depends on your company and its rules. Some companies do not mind workers traveling abroad during the year, as long as they’re available at specified hours.
Other companies may prefer remote workers to remain nearby as it can make it easier to coordinate phone calls and video meetings while everyone is in the same time zone.
Running Your Own Business . Having your own business can be exciting. It offers maximum flexibility and full ownership, without the need to answer to an employer. If you already have a business or experience in your chosen field, this could be a great opportunity. But make no mistake—running a business, whether at home or abroad, requires hard work. Your livelihood depends on its success, which means having a solid foundation is essential for long-term sustainability. Your top priority is building a strong customer base to make the business profitable enough to sustain your lifestyle.
Additionally, you must ensure that you can operate legally in the country you’re in or planning to move to, meeting all necessary legal requirements. If you haven’t done so, you need to carefully consider the type of business you want to start and establish a foundation to ensure its profitability.
This will absolutely depend on your lifestyle and what you can handle. There is no right or wrong answer. Whether you choose to work for a company or work for yourself will depend on your needs and goals. The good thing is that you can ease into running your own business if you’re not ready to make the full transition, as many of our presenters did. You can also make the decision to work for an employer that gives you the stability of a paycheck and takes out the stress of trying to generate income while figuring out a new location.