Page 68 - The $100 Startup_ Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love

an indefinite basis. Bernard is from Croatia, which has nice beaches of its own,
but he wanted to see more of the world.

Bernard helps companies that use Microsoft Office applications to process
large amounts of data, creating or modifying extensions that make the data easier
to manage. Bernard started by pricing at a decent wage by Croatian standards but
much lower than what North American companies were used to paying. This
strategy worked well in helping him establish a client base and a good
reputation, but the best business decision came when he tripled his rates for new
clients.

One day, Bernard made $720 on a big project. Reflecting on the amount’s
significance, he wrote: “Many people on a minimum salary in Croatia are getting
this amount in one month. People who get double that amount are considered
well paid. To have it all come in on a single day is unheard of.” Bernard might
return to his country of origin at some point, but it was hard to imagine him ever
returning to another way of life.

A Brief Primer for Location Independence
It’s usually easier to operate a business while roaming the world than it is

to start one. Be sure to spend plenty of time getting set up before you hit
the road.
With a U.S. or Canadian passport, you can stay for up to ninety days in
many different countries around the world. In some of them, you can do a
“visa run” across the border after the time is up and then return for
another extended stay.
You can learn about the visas required for different countries by visiting
VisaHQ.com or VisaHQ.ca, a commercial service I use for my own visa
applications. Other companies offer the same assistance, and you don’t
need to use a service to apply for visas if you’re not traveling that
frequently.
As much as possible, keep your work “in the cloud” by using online
services such as Google Docs and Dropbox. This way, you can access it
from anywhere and don’t have to worry as much about keeping your data
with you.
Change your password frequently, and don’t use the name of your cat as
the password (not that I learned this through experience or anything …).
Stay for free with helpful hosts through CouchSurfing.org, or at low cost
from individual landlords at AirBnB.com.
You can start from anywhere, but as a general recommendation, Latin