Working Remotely
The meaning of working remotely has many variations and different meanings. But in its basic form, it means to work outside of your place of employment or your own business away from the public office.
I consider myself an expert in working remotely. I always worked for someone until I was 40 years old. For 10 years I worked for Capsugel div of Phizer in what would be considered remote work. Right after joining the company, I was offered a position to supervise and organize the installation of control systems at their plant in Mexico. This position developed into 10 years of remote employment installing computers, process control systems, and setup of same around the world. I worked in Brazil, China, Japan, Thailand, Belgium, and Indonesia.
In 1998 I met a woman in Indonesia and we got married. Eventually, I decided I wanted to stop working remotely and return home with my new wife. In 2001 we had a problem with immigration and my wife was banned from returning to the USA for 10 years. She and our infant daughter were stuck in Indonesia. I tried for 2 years making appeals to get them back to the USA, with no success.
Working Remotely While Traveling
Since the Internet began I was always working and learning about website design. I started early on setting up websites to sell products online I collected in my travels. This was fortunate in 2003 when I realized I could not bring my wife back to the USA. I took leave from Capsugel and went to Indonesia where I had already been sourcing products. I continued to develop my online business and was able to sell my web design services from Glenn Website Design to various clients. I also started selling furniture produced in Indonesia online with a business, Glenn Furniture. I also found that I could resell merchandise from dropship suppliers. I presently only have one operation for that, Tiffany Lamps For Sale.
I have been thriving working remotely from home in Indonesia now for 20 years.
Work Remotely Definition – the practice of an employee working at their home, or in some other place that is not an organization’s usual place of business.
Can I Work Remotely in Another Country
Yes, you definitely can work remotely in another country. Based on who and what work you are doing the requirements vary. For instance, when I was working remotely for Capsugel they were responsible for all my visa requirements and legal needs while traveling. I paid taxes just like a normal American would by reduction of my paycheck.
That wasn’t the case when I went out on my own in 2003. I lived in Indonesia on a tourist visa for many years. I had to leave the country every 6 months by going to Singapore to renew my visa. But my business was running 24 hours a day on the Internet no matter what country I was in at the time. I only had to check emails and handle online sales on my laptop. Being an American citizen I am still responsible for paying USA taxes. But I have never been that successful yet. My living income after expenses to buy, produce and sell online rarely exceeds $12,000 per year. So I have not paid taxes now for 20 years. Please do not tell the IRS because I am not sure I have the records to prove that. I did file tax forms in 2020 and 2021 in order to receive my American stimulus check which I spent in Indonesia.
Work Remotely Pros and Cons
The Pros of Working Remotely
- freedom
- travel
- flexible schedule
- no boss looking over your shoulder
The Cons of Working Remotely
- self motivation
- income
- location
- time
The cons of working remotely will vary based on whether you are working for a corporate entity or yourself. Working for a company that arranges everything the only con would be you have to motivate yourself to work.
If you are working for yourself but in the country of residence then you just have to find the business that pays. If you work outside of your country of residence then it gets complicated and sometimes you wonder if you will have money for living and supporting your family.
Internet Access
One of the most important tools required to work remotely is Internet access. Nowadays that is not a problem. You can access the Internet almost anywhere fast and very cheaply. In 2003 when I started my remote business that wasn’t the case. The website ran 24 hours a day. But responding to the emails and calling clients was complicated before WhatsApp and Facebook messenger came along.
If you want to ask questions about how I have done it just email me at glenn@glennwebsitedesign.com
I enjoy telling my working remote story which I am still living until now. If you want to talk by phone or WhatsApp +62 85 865 670 655