Top 40 (secret) Business Ideas for Digital Nomads

I have seen people going crazy over countries issuing digital nomad visas as every next person who can work online without having to go to a physical office is on the hunt to get a visa and go for a trip or a workation.

Yes, it is the ultimate digital nomad era and we are living globally. This is why more and more people are looking for ideas to become digital nomads. I did my best to bring you a great list of the top 40 business ideas for digital nomads as well as those who want to be digital nomads.

These are actually not some commonly preferred business ideas that you can see everywhere on the internet on every blog post and article.

This is a unique list of unique and hidden business ideas for digital nomads that you can start today with a small investment and some can be started without investment,

Let's start (there's a twist, we have 10 categories and each category has at least 4 business ideas for digital nomads counting to 40 ideas for you):

1. For Tech-Savvy Digital Nomads

I am one of those who love tech and also want to be a digital nomad, I know what it takes to be one as I have been traveling to various locations around the globe without taking a day off from my work and acting like I am on a vacation, so here's what a tech-savvy digital nomad should start as a business to have financial freedom and enough time to enjoy the earnings:

1.1 Micro SaaS Development:

Build small-scale SaaS products targeting niche business needs just like a digital menu builder for coffee shops or a pregnancy meter app for Arabic people in America.

Your idea should be unique, you can use ChatGPT, Gemini or Reddit, and Quora to generate ideas and to get suggestions from real people respectively.

1.2 Data Labeling Services for AI:

Offer services to annotate data for machine learning models and this is something a data scientist or a freelancer who knows data labeling and AI can understand. This is going to be the best business for the coming years. If you can step into this, you can truly become a digital nomad with a great business in his hands.

1.3 Cybersecurity Consultancy:

Provide remote security assessments and advice to small businesses. The cybersecurity consultancy is a lucrative business model that can be managed on the go without making you work independently from wherever you want.

1.4 Remote IT Support and Managed Services:

Offer ongoing tech support, server management, and troubleshooting services remotely or you can work with a web hosting company as a support assistant, launch your own managed services, give IT support to 2/3 of large startups or international companies, and work on your own terms, own schedule, and on your own selected wages.

Cool right?

Read this now:

2. For Adventure-Seeking Digital Nomads

You may be the type of person who doesn't want to touch his/her laptop very often when on a vacation in another country. This category of best businesses for digital nomads would help you do that:

2.1 Adventure Travel Blogging or Vlogging:

Go to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other great platforms, document and share extreme sports, outdoor activities, and adventure travel experiences, monetizing through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. That's simply how you can enjoy your adventure, take memories back home, and earn with those memories even after you are not working, sleeping, or enjoying another adventure.

This is something almost 90% of all digital nomads do to sponsor their out of country stays and to make their personal brand even larger.

2.2 Remote Adventure Tour Guide:

Offer virtual or hybrid guided adventure tours, providing real-time guidance or advice on outdoor activities that other digital nomads would love to take. You can make paid groups for this.

2.3 Extreme Sports Equipment E-commerce:

Not everyone is doing this, so you can create an online store specializing in gear for niche adventure sports like rock climbing, paragliding, or deep-sea diving and have yourself as a brand ambassador.

You can be more successful in this business if you endorse your products using social media and running "Performance Marketing" campaigns.

2.4 Outdoor Photography Workshops:

Host online workshops or tutorials focused on outdoor and adventure photography techniques or just take some photos and sell them on Shutterstock then make a course or a workshop about that thing and charge your attendees.

A lot of people are already doing this same thing, you can check them by exploring a few profiles on Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay websites.

I know it is not enough, here's more to read:

3. For Finance-Savvy Digital Nomads

Love to play with money or let others know how to manage their money? if yes, then you are finance-savvy, and if you also love to travel the world, you are a finance-savvy digital nomad these are some business ideas for you:

• 3.1 Cryptocurrency Trading and Consulting: You can start selling remote consulting services on cryptocurrency investment, trading strategies, and portfolio management or guides on how to understand the crypto world to make huge profits. Just don't scam people.
• 3.2 Remote Accounting and Bookkeeping Services: You can provide virtual accounting services for small businesses or freelancers, specializing in managing finances for remote workers would help you get regular payments and easy jobs.
• 3.3 Financial Coaching for Digital Nomads: You can start selling tailored financial planning and coaching services for other nomads, focusing on managing taxes, investments, and savings while on the move, and by this you can also build a community.
• 3.4 Online Investment Courses and Seminars: This is something every successful person is doing and has done. You can start by creating and selling online courses or hosting webinars on investment strategies, personal finance, or stock market trading.

Basically, you can sell your financial understanding and your own experiences to make a living while on the go.

4. For Creative Digital Nomads

Are you an art lover and also a freelancer? or somehow able to sell your art online?

If yes, then you will love these business ideas:

• 4.1 NFT Art and Digital Collectibles: You might be surprised but this is still working. Just design and sell unique digital art pieces or virtual goods in niche markets.
• 4.2 Online Custom Illustration and Design Studio: Start providing bespoke illustrations and designs for personal and commercial use to brands and businesses around the world using freelancing websites or by creating your own agency website.
• 4.3 Content Creation for Niche Markets: You can also develop specialized content (e.g., for subcultures, and specific industries) in formats like blogs, videos, or podcasts and reach out to relevant businesses for selling your services.
• 4.5 Virtual Reality (VR) Art Exhibitions: You can curate and host virtual art shows or galleries, bringing art to global audiences and cashing in on the trends.

This might sound hard for you but these ideas are actually worth millions of dollars for creative people.

5. For Eco-Conscious Digital Nomads

Love your planet, so nature will love you!

What else should I say?

• 5.1 Eco-Friendly Travel Planning: Design sustainable travel itineraries focused on low-impact travel and sell them on Amazon or AliExpress.
• 5.2 Digital Detox Retreats Organizer: Organize retreats that encourage disconnecting from technology in natural settings but invites should be paid.
• 5.3 Sustainable Product Dropshipping: Create an online store specializing in eco-friendly, zero-waste products like paper bags, paper cups, and more.
• 5.4 Green Business Consultancy: Advise small businesses on how to reduce their environmental impact and implement sustainable practices but don't stop there, you can also reach out to big startups and help them go eco-friendly with your help (you can charge much higher per hour prices to startups and established companies).

Not enough?

Keep on reading:

6. Health and Wellness Digital Nomads

There are millions of doctors and wellness gurus out there but not all of them use Instagram, have a personal website, or a virtual training class.

Here's more you can do in this space as a digital nomad:

• 6.1 Remote Wellness Coaching for Nomads: Offer wellness programs tailored to the unique challenges faced by other digital nomads, job holders, CEOs, moms, and other individuals.
• 6.2 Online Yoga and Meditation Classes: Provide virtual sessions for individuals or groups, focusing on relaxation and mindfulness, and charge a few dollars for accessing these sessions.
• 6.3 Nutrition Planning and Consulting: You can also offer personalized diet and nutrition plans for people who are looking for a proper diet for weight loss, weight gain, and more.
• 6.4 Digital Detox Programs: Develop and sell digital detox programs, helping clients reduce screen time and improve mental health or tell people how they can take a break from the digital world without breaking their businesses.

Interesting right?

There's more:

7. For Culturally Curious Digital Nomads

Spreading good things about your culture or exploring other cultures is an interesting and a truly rewarding thing.

Here's what you can do to make money in this niche:

• 7.1 Language and Cultural Immersion Programs: Create and offer immersive language-learning experiences online or through hybrid models and sell tickets to these programs.
• 7.2 Virtual Reality (VR) Tourism: Develop VR tours and experiences of global destinations using graphic software, and real visuals, or by hiring a video editor (you can also start a user-generated content platform for this) and start selling these tours on a subscription model.
• 7.3 Global Food Blogging or Vlogging: Share unique culinary experiences and recipes from around the world through a blog or video channel on Youtube and Tiktok and join thousands of other influencers who are earning more than the CEOs of these platforms.
• 7.4 Cultural Artifact E-commerce: Curate and sell unique cultural artifacts and crafts from different regions, supporting local artisans and you can make this a huge business by focusing more on finding the right things to sell.

These were some business ideas for digital nomads who want to explore the world and make money too. So for one of these unique ideas.

8. For Business-Minded Digital Nomads

This might not be an interesting category for you, but if it is interesting to you, then you are here to make some serious money.

• 8.1 Remote Notary Services: You can become an online notary offering legal document notarization remotely and charge for every minute of your work.
• 8.2 Online Course Development: Create and sell courses on platforms like Udemy, teaching business or professional skills to people all around the globe.
• 8.3 Affiliate Marketing in Specialized Niches: Build affiliate marketing websites around less competitive, highly specialized niches by reviewing products that otherwise nobody is talking about.
• 8.4 Virtual Business Incubator: Create a virtual incubator offering mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities for startups in developing regions, and don't make it your personal brand, make it a platform for gurus to meet with their students and for brands to meet with their thought leaders.

This one was my favorite category, now the 9th category here:

9. For Education-Focused Digital Nomads

EdTech could make you a billionaire, here's how to take a start in this industry:

• 9.1 Online Tutoring for Niche Subjects: Offer specialized tutoring in subjects like advanced mathematics, coding, or exam preparation, and you can do this on various dedicated platforms too.
• 9.2 EdTech App Development: Create educational apps or tools aimed at students, teachers, or lifelong learners, focusing on innovative learning methods and enabling more people to upgrade their knowledge.
• 9.3 Language Tutoring and Conversation Practice: Provide language lessons or conversation practice sessions online, focusing on less commonly taught languages so you can leverage the low-competition phenomena.
• 9.4 Homeschooling Support Services: You can also offer resources, lesson plans, or coaching for parents homeschooling their children, catering to a growing global audience.

Unique ideas, right?

I know and that's why I wrote "secret" in the title.

Here's more:

10. For Social Impact Digital Nomads

So, you don't want to just make money and enjoy your own life, you want to help others too?

Well, this is how you can do the same without starting your own organization:

• 10.1 Crowdfunding Consultancy for Nonprofits: Help NGOs and social enterprises design and run successful crowdfunding campaigns, offering strategic advice, digital marketing services, and content creation to project idealization.
• 10.2 Virtual Volunteering Coordination: Develop platforms or services that connect volunteers with remote opportunities in nonprofits and social causes around the world and monetize them with ads, sponsorships, and patrons.
• 10.3 Sustainable Fashion E-commerce: Curate and sell eco-friendly, ethically produced fashion items, focusing on fair trade and sustainability and increasing demand.
• 10.4 Remote Impact Investing Advisory: Provide consulting services on how to invest in social enterprises or green startups, focusing on measurable impact and letting others know how they can create an impact while making a business.

Now enough.

If you are still with me and reading this line, you are going to be the next billionaire CEO who is actually a digital nomad and has nothing to worry about.

Stay blessed, I will keep this list updated for you.