🧑‍💻 Albania is Europe's new digital nomad darling

Hey, remote work fam! This is Remote Insider your favorite spot to get up to speed on what's going on in the world of remote work and digital nomadism. In this email, we talk about...

• why Albania is the hottest new digital nomad location

• what we can learn about remote work taxation from pro athletes

• and why subscription living may be the future for all

Before we jump into that, have you ever wondered if you can handle full-time travel AND building a new business at the same time? Here are a few tips if you’re ready to build your empire from the road 👇️ 

💡Tips & Tricks

How to balance travel while starting a new business

Freelancing and entrepreneurship continue to be on the rise, but what if you want to embrace your new boss-less freedom and hit the road while continuing to build your business?

It can be a daunting task, but luckily we have some experience in this and have some tips:

1. Embrace slow travel - moving around every week and trying to build a business is not sustainable. Instead, opt to stay in places for 3 months or more allowing you time to explore and focus.

2. Learn to say NO - sometimes you will need to skip out on fun experiences because you have to work, so developing a NO muscle is important so you don’t fold like a cheap lawn chair every time someone wants to go on a fun excursion.

3. Geo-arbitrage is your best friend - traveling can create an additional struggle when building a new business, but if you pick locations where the cost of living is lower it can actually help you keep costs low while you grow your business.

4. Experiment with a non-linear workday - who says you have to work 9-5 every day? If there is something fun going on in the middle of the day try working in the early morning and in the evening opening up the middle of the day for fun activities (important to balance with saying NO)

Speaking of low-cost locations that would be perfect for a budding new entrepreneur, what do you know about Albania?

🇦🇱 Why Albania is Europe’s New Digital Nomad Darling

Until the 1990’s Albania was off-limits to tourists due to a communist regime, but today it’s one of the best European countries for digital nomads. Although not as advanced as neighboring Croatia or Greece, Albania is on a remarkable path!

While having much of the same natural beauty found in Croatia and Greece, Albania is MUCH cheaper. Tirana, Albania’s capital is…

• 21.7% cheaper than Zagreb, Croatia

• 32.6% cheaper than Athens, Greece

• and 11.7% cheaper than Sofia, Bulgaria

In addition, Albania has one of the most favorable visa programs, especially for US citizens. As a US citizen, you can stay in Albania for up to 1 year with a simple tourist visa. This is a stark opposite to the EU’s “3 months in, 3 months out” setup which can be a hassle. Also, as I recently covered on LinkedIn, Albania statistically is the safest country in Europe! What’s not to love?

🏀 Is The Pro Athlete’s “Jock Tax” a Sign of What to Expect as a Remote Worker?

Did you know that pro athletes have to pay taxes in every state they play a game? It’s true, it’s commonly referred to as a “jock tax” and it could be used as inspiration for how states will tax remote workers in the future.

Currently, of the 41 states that charge income tax, around half require visitors to pay income tax if they work a single day in the state, others have grace periods of a few days or weeks.

Historically, states haven’t bothered to track or enforce this for anyone outside of high-income earners with public schedules (like athletes) but as the popularity of remote work continues to grow, states may realize they’re sitting on an unrealized pile of cash and start taxing visiting remote workers.

🏡 Is Subscription Living The Lifestyle of The Future?

Since Netflix was launched in 2017, we have seen businesses in the sharing economy including Uber, Airbnb, and WeWork reshape the way we live, travel, and work and it will progressively evolve into a new lifestyle model, powered by subscriptions, not ownership.

Homeownership for Millenials and Gen Z is becoming more and more unattainable, while these generations’ desire for freedom and flexibility is magnitudes greater than that of their parents & grandparents. Combined these could power a new subscription lifestyle where your home and car are as easy to cancel or upgrade as your Netflix subscription.

🚨Word on The Web is…

🙀 Office landlords are getting nervous; roll out entertainment to entice tenants

🏝️ Snorkeling breaks & bikini lunches: Here’s what it’s like to work remotely from the Maldives

⛄️ Is remote learning the school snow day killer?

🌵 US population center trends south for the first time in a century. Is remote work the cause?

⏱️ Remote work saved workers 72 minutes per day, study finds.

🏔️ Is Pokhara, Nepal the perfect spot for adventurous digital nomads?

😷 Would You Wear a “Voice-Absorbing” Mask During Work Calls?

Tech company Skyted has developed a new type of mask that will not only filter the air you breathe removing contaminants but also serves as a “solo-call-booth” of sorts.

The mask has embedded resonators (originally created to silence jet engines) to absorb the sound of your voice and ensure that even someone sitting right next to you can’t overhear your conversation.

While it sounds wacky, Skyted is backed by AIRBUS and the European Space Agency and premiered the mask at this year’s CES… so this is very much legit.

Just imagine the coffee shop vibes if we’re all rocking these while working…

📆 Upcoming Events:

Convite: Digital Nomads Conference

Startup Madeira is organizing a conference from February 13th - 15th and bringing together top leaders from the remote work and digital nomad fields to explore the opportunity for Macaronesia. The event is completely FREE but registration is mandatory!

In addition, the team is organizing more than 15 side events that include jeep tours, hiking, DJ parties, and much more stretching from the 10th to the 18th so get there early and stay a few extra days.

🚨This Week’s WFA Jobs:

I've teamed up with THE remote job coach Jordan Carroll to provide you with handpicked work-from-anywhere jobs right here in this newsletter:

⭐️ QA Engineer @ Close

⭐️ Accounts Payable Specialist @ Deel

⭐️ Unity Developer @ Remote Game Jobs

Want help finding the right remote job for you? Join the Remote Collective and get introductions to dozens of remote companies looking to hire people like you!

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That's it from us today, hope you have an amazing day!