How to Make Money Online and Work on the Beach in Spain (2022)
How can you make money online, work on the beach, and enjoy an amazing lifestyle in sunny Spain?
I’m writing this from the beach in Barcelona, with a beer and my laptop in front of me…
The sun is shining, beautiful girls are splashing in the water, and there’s a volleyball game under way. I might go and join the game soon, while my online business continues to generate income.
This is Barceloneta beach, where locals come on weekends, and travellers come to enjoy their holiday. Yet here I am, on a Tuesday, “working” and soaking up the relaxed Summer vibes.
Yeah, I am bragging a bit- I’m proud of the lifestyle I’ve created. But I created it, it didn’t just fall in my lap. And it amazes me that more people don’t do this too, because anyone can if they actually want to. (I also kick myself that I didn’t do this sooner).
It’s true- if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.
Is it really that easy to work online?
No, it’s not that easy. But it’s also not that hard!
But life isn’t easy and work isn’t easy.
I used to be stuck in a building from 9 to 6, spending the best hours of the day without fresh air or sunshine. Sure, I had a regular pay check but I didn’t have the flexibility to meet a friend or go on a date in the middle of the day, and I couldn’t take my time to enjoy a slow relaxing lunch- maybe even with a beer.
Most of all, I wasn’t in control of my own day. I was a slave, grinding away- sometimes quite unproductively, just clocking in and out. The job wasn’t actually bad- there are a lot worse for sure, but at the end of the day, I just didn’t feel free, and I wasn’t in charge of my own day, or future.
After meeting some digital nomads who make money online in different fields, I was inspired, and made the jump to working independently from my laptop. While I’ve been loving life here in Barcelona and it’s my base, I’ve also been able to visit some 50 countries. Sometimes as pure holidays, and sometimes while working.
To me, this is living the dream. And I actually don’t mind working, even working hard- I just want to work on my own terms!
We have an amazing opportunity!
We live in a unique time! Before the internet and ecommerce came along, there were very few ways to earn an income while being on the road. Professions that come to mind are: busker/juggler/entertainer, prostitute (not recommended), and writer (kind of).
Options were limited, and most of us had to be ‘at work’, whether it was the farm, the factory, or the office.
Today we have the opportunity to work online and disconnect our time from our income. I ain’t a millionaire. Sure, I still need to work- but I work when I want and where I want and I kick myself for not doing it sooner.
Now it’s a mystery to me why more people don’t make the leap, because honestly- remote working is not rocket science.
You too can make money online in Spain, or wherever else you like. Usually, it’s a mix of fear of failure, and not knowing how. Both of these have antidotes though, so if you’re interested in generating a location independent income, listen up!
The modern office
Fear of failure
Yup, it’s scary to give up the comfortable safety of a steady income. It’s not for everyone. But for anyone who wants to make a change, take charge of their life, and become master of their own destiny, it is possible, and it is totally worthwhile. The secret is that you’ve got to want it bad enough. Sometimes, that even means giving up a bit of comfort.
But there’s no ned to make the change any harder than it has to be. Unless you’ve got a solid stash of savings tucked away so you can just quit your job and start from scratch, you’re gonna need to start a side hustle. This means that you keep your job, but you also start to generate an online income as a side gig. This helps develop confidence that you can make it happen- if you just had more time, you’d be able to scale up your hustle to make a decent income, and you wouldn’t need to work your day job.
Not only does this lower the fear of failure, it means you can afford to fail- several times. It might take you a few tries to figure out your own little niche of generating online income. And fair enough, it’s not like they teach it in school.
It’s not so easy that everyone is doing it,
but it’s easy enough that anyone can do it- if they really want to.
Office views- sometimes it’s hard to concentrate
How can you make money online?
There are so many ways! Here is a quick introduction to five ways: Niche Websites, Dropshipping, Hot-desking, Online Tutoring, and Writing Online/Freelancing.
Personally, I run niche websites (like this one) and a dropshipping store. I have tried a little online tutoring and writing for cash – they can be a great way to start out and make your first few dollars online.
Niche websites
One great way to start working online, is to follow your interest and share your passion in a blog or niche website. This site, Spain Secrets is a niche website – it takes very little time each month add a couple of articles and let it grow slowly and generate a modest passive income that trickles in each month. It’s the slow and steady game.
Fortunately these days, there’s no need to know how to code- anyone can blog using the intuitive interface of WordPress. While this has a bit of a learning curve, the best way is to just start and figure it our as you go. I started and abandoned many blogs before finding my voice, getting comfortable with the tools, and gaining some momentum. And I was inspired by other bloggers, especially Kyle from Pro Niche Site. He’s shared a lot of his process in leaving his job, moving abroad, and making a living online. Highly recommended!
The WordPress editor
As I said, blogging isn’t rocket science, but there are some tools you must have to get started:
1) A great domain name
2) A web host
3) A sexy theme
1) A great domain name
Okay, so pets.com is no longer available.
But no one wants to visit canineandfelinecompanionsthatlivewithhumansandpeeonthecarpet.com either.
So, the trick is to find something short and sweet, that is memorable. leandomainsearch.com is a good tool to help find your perfect domain name.
Once you’ve found your dream domain, you can register it on Namecheap for just a few dollars.
2) A web host
This is the company with powerful, fast servers that actually hosts your site.
There are lots of options- I recommend Bluehost for intuitive ease of use, and great customer support.
3) A sexy theme
A well designed theme really makes your content stand out. There are thousands of themes out there, including lots of free ones. As anyone who gets serious about publishing online though, quickly realises that the free themes just lack a little something, and to make your site really look and act professionally, a professional theme is essential.
After trying a few options, I have found Marketer’s Delight to be, well, a delight. As well as being a highly flexible theme that looks sexy right out of the box, the integration with tools like email forms and page leads makes it an all-in-one package. Also, the support offered by Alex who develops Marketer’s Delight is outstanding.
Writing online & Freelancing
If you’re drawn towards writing, there’s plenty of demand for freelance online writing jobs. This is a real option to work where, when, and how much you want. Usually these start as one off gigs- like just writing one article on Fiverr. But if the employer likes your work, they may offer you more regular writing projects, and that’s when the process becomes smooth- no more looking for the next job.
Upwork is the more professional freelance site but it can be very challenging to get your profile approved.
I know how difficult it is to get approved and know of a reliable service to Get Approved for Upwork.
The biggest challenge with this is that you often need to write about topics that really don’t interest you. But hey, it’s money. So, if you can suck it up and write about vacuum cleaners to pay your way from Madrid to Málaga, who’s the sucker? And again, if you find an employer with a topic that interests you, and who likes your writing, you’re really in business.
Actually, you can offer all kinds of services on Fiverr beyond simply writing. As a freelancer, you can offer any skill you have, from voice-overs to coding, from social media management to graphic design. Maybe you can offer a service that isn’t yet out there.
Dropshipping
Drop what? Dropshipping is a magical business – selling physical products without ever owning them or handling them. Magic! How does that work?
Well, you open an online store for say, fidgetspinners. Now, when someone buys a fidgetspinner from your store, you go and order it from AliExpress and have it sent directly to them. Of course you charge a healthy premium to the customer over what you had to pay for it.
Sounds easy, right? Well, yes and no. It can be – but the trick is to get people to buy in your store. How do they find you, why do they trust you… therefore, most stores spend a lot on marketing with facebook ads etc. So it can go both ways- if you find the right products and market them well, you can scale up and make a killing. But if not, you’ll be bleeding money on ads.
Practically, the best platform to host your dropshipping store on is Shopify. This takes care of the payment side, integrates with powerful marketing apps, and supports a range of elegant themes to make your store standout. If you can afford to lose some time and money in learning & refining the process, dropshipping can be highly lucrative. I run a store and I can tell you honestly, the first 3 months I was losing money on ads. But, as I tested and figured out what worked, this turned around, and the store now runs at a nice healthy profit each month.
Online tutoring
Another option is online tutoring– can you teach online guitar lessons or English lessons? These programs typically pay up $15 – $30 per hour. While this may not sounds like much if you live in the States, it goes a long way in Spain, where you can buy a beer for as little as $1 in some bars. And if you’re heading to Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia, a good lifestyle is even more affordable.
Hot-desking
There’s all kinds of ways to make money online and create a free lifestyle. Some people keep the same job but agree with their employer that they can work ‘from home’. Sometimes this is called ‘hot-desking’.
To me that seems better, but still weak sauce- it’s still trading time for money, building someone else’s business, and committing to a regular 40 hours a week. That said, if you already have a job that let’s you do this, it’s a good start. At least you become location independent.
Looking out along Barcelona’s exquisite coastline
Why base yourself in Spain if you’re working online?
Spain is the perfect place for building an online business. Compared with the United States, you can live twice the lifestyle, for half the income. This makes it an amazing base for digital nomads. With a great cafe culture as well as dynamic co-working spaces, there are awesome connections to make with others on this journey.
The entrepreneurial scene is growing fast, with regular networking and socializing events organised through Meetup groups. Many of these groups speak in English, but still it’s worthwhile learning Spanish to make the most of life here.
That said, everyone likes something different. Some prefer the mountains of India, others the jungles of Thailand, or the beaches of Bali. By having location independent work, you can choose and change and enjoy it all.
For me right now, Barcelona is the place to be. I’ve made great friends here, the food is amazing, and the weather makes this a paradise. Also, it’s an incredible city for dating, with both stunning locals and a vibrant international scene. That said, by building my business online, I am free to move at any moment or just take a holiday elsewhere.
A real freedom lifestyle is having money trickle in (or flood in) while you sleep (or play volleyball), building your own sovereign business, so you can work online where and when you want to.
That’s it, I’ve finished my beer. Time to join the volley ball game. Maybe see you on the beach…
If you want to get started with building a niche site that generates passive income, I recommend Kyle’s Pro Niche Site course.
Also, you may be interested to read my Guide to Getting Started with Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency
Office views…
