The average daily commute is long enough to travel 2.5 times around the world in a lifetime. That is a lot of hours, when you could be doing something interesting! Instead of sitting in a traffic jam, or standing in a packed commuter train feeling stressed that you are going to be late for work, you may wish to consider a change of lifestyle and have something a little more exciting?
Relocating to the Caribbean could take you away from commuting and cold weather and allow you to work from home in a land where the sun shines almost every day of the year. But what would you do for income? Here are a few basic ideas just to whet your appetite:
Running an Online Business
It is always nice if you can come up with a new idea and start a small online business; however it takes many hours and a lot of hard work, to build a business to the point where it can support you - even if your new Caribbean lifestyle does not require you to earn the income that you previously needed for living in the "real world".
The alternative is to consider buying one of the many small online businesses for sale, that have already gone through their initial growing pains and are returning a steady profits. Search terms such as “sites for sale” or " online business for sale" will quickly give you and idea of the large number of businesses available.
Being a Freelance Writer
Writing a book, articles, technical manuals, or even your own blog can earn you a steady income. If you are a creative writer, writing a blog based on the additional traffic it brings to the website can be lucrative. Articles can also provide a living, with the average 1,500 word article paying anywhere from US$200 and upwards. Books of course are a much longer term venture, and cannot be counted upon to support you, unless you have already established yourself with a publisher as an author.
Buying and Selling
Many people can turn their
interests and hobbies to their advantage, by buying and selling
products in their area of expertise. EBay has made it much easier now
for you to buy and sell products, or even simply act as the middle man
where you don’t even see the goods that you are selling.
Web Design and Programming
It
is very easy to work from home as a web designer, programmer, project
manager or graphic designer, as all you need are the skills, a computer
and a high speed internet connection. Websites are constantly on the
look-out for suitable staff, and whilst many jobs in these fields may
over recent years have been exported to foreign countries, your ability
to work from home with lower overheads, makes you economically
attractive, with the added advantage that you also speak the same
language as the companies that are likely to be employing you.
Virtual Assistant
There
are many freelancing job sites that offer positions as virtual
assistants. This could be similar to a secretarial position, or could
be creative, technically based or in sales and marketing. The majority
of these jobs allow you to work the hours that suit you, with many jobs
paying by results, rather than the hours worked.
Escape
to a new life in the Caribbean is clearly possible, and for many
already a reality, all you need to do is invest a little time into
considering the possibilities. For those who feel they do not have the
talents required to work online, or prefer the security of a steady
wage, then there is always the possibility of working in a "real job"
in one of the many tourist related businesses based in the Caribbean.
These jobs range from resort managers and catering professionals; to
construction specialists and professionals for building and maintaining
the many hotels and vacation villas; to yachtmasters and related trades
for the many charter yacht fleets; to all manner of other trades and
services. Provided you are skilled in your own industry or profession,
then there are likely to be jobs available in the Caribbean.
These
"real jobs" may not totally liberate you from the commute to work, but
will still allow you to swap a long commute through cold weather and
grey northern skies, to a short drive in the sunshine.
