For freelancers, Sweden is one of the best countries in the world
Being in a digitally connected economy is vital to being someone who works from home as an entrepreneur, a freelancer, or even as a remote worker. As the home of Spotify and Minecraft, Stockholm is one of the world’s top tech cities and proving that person for person, Scandinavia as a whole is one of the best regions for start-ups globally.
If there’s one thing holding them back however, it’s modesty. For the individual person working from home, its mindset. Get the mindset right, get the self-promotion right, and big things can happen. Indeed, here’s a few tips on making it happen.
More online job opportunities
Like any advanced economy, Sweden offers all kinds of online opportunities. These range from freelance jobs such as writing, editing, being a PA, and designing, to working remotely for established companies or starting your own ones up. While being one of the most digitally connected economies in the world, it’s insulated to a certain extent from the Anglosphere where many jobs face stiff competition from lower wage economies due to a mutual language. For Swedish language only work, there’s less competition. That being said, being multilingual is always an advantage especially if one of those languages is English.
In terms of niche, defining what you do is the biggest step after actually deciding to make the move over to working from home. These are both psychological shifts but tend to bring a big boost to how you view the world. Indeed, those working from home tend to be more engaged than their office-based peers. What you know is not always the right path to take. What you are passionate about might be, but it might not be either. Be realistic about your skills and what interests you. What do you have the patience to build up bit by bit, over time?
Working from home in sub-zero temperatures
When it comes to the good parts of working from home. The biggest of all is avoiding that mid-winter commute. The one where your choices include smog clogged city streets, walking in sub-zero temperatures, getting wet or frozen to the bone, or wedging yourself on public transport as people cough and splutter. There are many reasons to work from home and one of the best reasons is avoiding the morning commute. It gives you an interest, gives you passion, and gives you something to wake up for in the morning.
However, it is sensible to consider all of your options as well as the pros and cons before making this decision. Being in Sweden carries with it many opportunities – a huge number of start-ups shows innovation is possible. It means you can become part of an ecosystem whether you are an innovator or someone who aids startups by providing freelance services from web design to writing. To make it work you need to have the self-drive and determination to overcome setbacks, the discipline to sit down at home and not watch TV or surf the net or raid the fridge. You also have to be good with working alone, but also good with the fact you can do so in your pajamas without any boss complaining.
