7 Gadgets & Tools For Digital Nomad Entrepreneurs

gadgets every digital nomad entrepreneur needs

As the name suggests, becoming an entrepreneur of the digital nomad variety requires a heavy reliance on technology. The plan is to be able to go anywhere in the world, while still being able to complete your work and manage your business.

For the average freelancer, this doesn’t take an enormous effort just the lust to travel, but for the more advanced entrepreneur, there are a few extra gadgets and tools that can keep things running smoothly.

Let’s take a closer look at 7 of them.

The Basics

Out of the gate, you are almost certainly going to need a decent laptop or tablet, with a comfortable keyboard and all the regular accessories.

Headphones are a must to drown out your surroundings and keep any audio you’re listening to private, and a portable power-bank will come in handy if you’re prone to hiking off into the wilderness. You might also consider a secure lockable laptop bag if you’re going to be in unfamiliar surroundings.

If you’re feeling particularly efficient, you can combine the two with a solar-powered laptop bag!

Mobile Hotspot

You’re going to be relying a lot on public Wi-Fi, but it’s also wise to have some kind of data plan for backup. Another great option is to use a mobile hotspot, such as the Skyroam. This will give you access to Wi-Fi in more than 100 countries and you don’t need a SIM card.

It’s the perfect solution if the Wi-Fi at your accommodation is unreliable or you need the internet in a more remote location.

Privacy

Privacy is important for the digital nomad, especially if relying on public Wi-Fi.

The Telegram cloud-based messaging and voice app uses end-to-end encryption to ensure you never get eavesdropped, and you can even set messages to auto-delete so there’s no data to be mined.

Next, you need a secure password manager to make logging into all your sites easy, but also secure. LastPass and 1Password fit the bill, and they also support the encryption of digital records like your insurance card.

1Password has a particularly impressive feature called “Travel Mode” that temporarily removes all passwords, credit cards, and other stored data from your devices.

Of course, common sense is still important. Often when we are ‘hacked’ all it took was human eyes. You can prevent people looking over your shoulder with a simple privacy filter.

Digital Finances

As a digital nomad, you need easy access to your money no matter where you are, with minimum fees. Paypal is an obvious option, but you may still find it difficult to get the physical cash in your hand. Services like TransferWise allow you to hold money in different currencies and send and accept payments in multiple currencies as well.

Team Management With Slack

If you’re an entrepreneur with a team, then communication and team management are important. One of the leading apps for keeping everybody remotely connected is Slack. It allows you to message people directly, start group chats and threads, easily start new projects, share files, and keep up with everyone’s progress.

What’s more, it is cloud-based and can be accessed from any device with a browser.

Fitness Trackers

Even though traveling often requires activity, let’s be honest, sitting on the beach with your laptop and a cold one takes up a lot of a digital nomad’s time.

One way to ensure you’re getting enough exercise is to use a fitness tracker like the Jawbone UP3 or a Fitbit.

They will track your steps and activity, monitor your heart rate, sleep patterns, and encourage you to take part in challenges. They are especially useful when there isn’t a gym nearby.

E-Reader & Blinkist

For many entrepreneurs reading is important and as a digital nomad, there’s no way you can lug physical books around. Of course, you can always read e-books on your laptop, but a good e-reader makes for a more calming traditional book-like experience than staring at the same screen you work from.

If you’re reading to learn for the betterment of your business, you might also consider a service like Blinkist. They have taken over 2,500 of the most popular non-fiction books and stripped them down to their core principles, taking on average just 15 minutes to read each.

Ultimately being a digital nomad entrepreneur is about freeing yourself with technology. The above gadgets and tools allow you to do just that while remaining safe and fulfilled.

I Write Things.