10 lessons learned boostrapping my business living abroad

How to Make Friends and Money Around the World:

Bootstrapping A Business While Living Abroad

I QUIT!

“People don’t want to BE millionaires. They want to experience what they THINK only millions can

buy.”—Tim Ferriss

$1 = 32 THBThailand

$1 = 44 PHPPhilippines

$1 = 1,901 COPColombia

$1 = 21,180 VDNVietnam

2006 - started writing online, began doing web dev freelancing

2007 - read 4HWW, quit my job

2008 - one-way ticket to Thailand

2009 - BKK Tweetup, ISOS, SEA Backpacker Mag

2010 - productized services - Sovereign Man, Chris Ducker

2011 - coaching and membership training course

2012 - the “year of suffering”

2013/14 - hosting events - seminar in SF, retreat in Costa Rica

1. A Blog is NOT a Business…

BUT...it is your modern-day business card

can connect you to just about anyone these days

nobody is out of reach - authors, millionaires, CEOs

get involved in the conversation online

2. Find a Stepping Stone

take skills from your current career & start freelancing

find what’s at the center of your abilities, interest, & demand

start a side-gig - it’s never too early - or too late- to start

OR negotiate a remote work agreement

the “Sweet Spot”

3. Free Work (yes, free)

Charlie HoehnRecessionProofGraduate .com

8 Silicon Valley companies

Author of Beyond Code, Upbeat and 7 others

13,000+ followers, writes for HuffPo, etc.

Rajesh Setty

4. Find a Mentor / internship

internship opportunitiesEmpireFlippers.com

Linchpin.nettropicalmba.com

5. Use Geo-arbitrage

Live & travel where the cost-of-living is LOW

Sell services to high-value markets like US, UK, AUS

Practice minimalism. Produce more than you consume.

Bootstrap Abroad

Auckland, New Zealand = $1,120 USD

Bali, Indonesia = $1,750

Bangkok, Thailand = $945

Buenos Aires, Argentina = $1,425

Cape Town, South Africa = $1,480

Chiang Mai, Thailand = $665

Monthly Living Expenses

Costa Rica = $1,060 USD

Cusco, Peru = $1,110

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia = $630

Krabi, Thailand = $1,360

La Paz, Bolivia = $810

Medellin, Colombia = $1,290

Monthly Living Expenses

Melbourne, Australia = $950 USD

Panama = $1,795

Playa del Carmen, Mexico = $820

Puerto Gallera, Philippines = $1,000

Seoul, South Korea = $980

MORE: Expatistan.com cost of living index

“Fun things happen when you earn dollars, live on

pesos, and compensate in rupees.”

—Tim Ferriss

6. Do Not Build in a Vacuum

What are the questions people ask you all the time?

Actively seek out and ask questions of your target market

Incorporate your audience/customers in your story, and let them be part of the process building your products

7. Ship (then iterate)

8. MasterMind!

“You are the averageof the five people you

spendthe most time with.”

—Jim Rohn

**It Really Is Who You Know

Who do you want to be? Find people to “model”

Find like-minded people and mentors (nobody is out of reach!)

Build a support group

Don’t be limited by geography

Technology empowers you to easily build a global business

Sovereign ManNetwork Infiltration reportthrl.in/networkinfiltration

Napoleon Hill’sThink and Grow Rich

thrl.in/tagr

9. $$ is for Solving Problems

(Use it wisely)

Biz School Crash Course

The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

10. Have a Reason

What’s most important

Vision = fuel, your “why” your vision drives your goals

Tim Ferriss’ dreamlining exercise is a good *starting* point thrl.in/dreamline

Don’t limit your vision for yourself, your business & specific areas of your life

Your vision must be fresh & you know it intrinsically

“Twenty years from now you will be more

disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the

ones you did.”—Mark Twain

ThrillingHeroics.com@codymckibb

3 Types of Location-Independent Business

Sell a physical product that can be delivered remotely (dropshipping) or a digital product which is delivered entirely virtually (software, info products, web apps, ebooks, etc.)

Sell a service that you can provide from anywhere (writing, translation, tutoring, consulting, web design, freelancing)

A website-based business (developing sites for resale, generating income through affiliate marketing, advertising, sponsored reviews, referrals, etc.)

Real-World Examples

Physical products - LifestyleBusinessPodcast.com

Dropshipping products - thrl.in/muses + DropshipDomination.com

Software development - Technomadia.com + Leadbrite.com

Information products / Kindle / ebooks - ExileLifestyle.com + Karol.Gajda.com + NomadicMatt.com

Subscription / continuity - SovereignMan.com + DynamiteCircle.com

Real-World Examples

Courses / membership sites - IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com + ManVsDebt.com + DigitalNomadAcademy.com

Writing - TheProfessionalHobo.com

Language/translation - FluentIn3Months.com

Design/development - WhereIsJenny.com

Consulting & coaching - BrandSuperpower.com + LovePlayWork.com

Real-World Examples

Teaching/tutoring - CraigGonzalesTutoring.com

Fitness Training - EpicSelf.com

Niche sites/blogs - GoBackpacking.com

Affiliate marketing/review sites - ThinkTraffic.com

Web Advertising - Untemplater.com + EliteDaily.com

Adsense/flipping websites - EmpireFlippers.com