Natalie Sisson - The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Create Freedom in Business and Adventure in Life

NATALIE SISSON

The

Suitcase

ENTREPRENEUR

CREATE FREEDOM IN BUSINESS
AND ADVENTURE IN LIFE

Copyright 2013 Natalie Sisson

Copyeditor: Matthew Kimberley

Cover Design: Alexander von Ness

Interior Design and Back Cover: Cheryl Wood

First published in 2013.

This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given to other people. If youre reading this book and you didnt purchase it then please go ahead and buy a copy yourself, to respect the hard work of the author, Natalie Sisson. Also no part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without the express permission of the author. That said Natalie is more than happy for you to credit and use excerpts from this book if you ask for her permission first at http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/book/contact

Published by Tonawhai Press.

ISBN 978-0-473-25126-0

To my wonderful parents

Peter and Gina and

my sister Debbie.

Im truly the luckiest

daughter and sister

on this planet. Heres to

many more adventures

together.

Introduction

Choosing your own adventure

The Universe rewards bravery
stop making excuses and get to it.
~NATALIE SISSON

M y friends thought I was mad buying a one-way ticket to Canada, to chase my dreams of working for myself, especially since Id just got a raise at work and had bought an apartment in London, England.

But quitting that lucrative 9-5 job and jumping on a plane seemed like a completely logical thing to do in order to discover a new way of living.

That was in 2008 and the journey to achieving freedom in my business and adventure in my life since then has been one big unconventional roller-coaster and I wouldnt change a minute of it.

Sure, there were plenty of moments of doubt, of fear, of questioning my sanity. But they only showed me that I was living life to the full and pushing my boundaries.

In this book Ive set out to prove to you that you can live life exactly how you want to and to show you whats possible.

I believe that theres no better time than right now to live life on your own terms and Im on a mission to inspire you to build a business and a life that you love, using just a laptop, smartphone and an Internet connection.

Its never been easier and more affordable to build a business from anywhere using online tools, social media, outsourcing and a lot of hustle. Whats more, you can choose to do this while living wherever you want in the world, whether thats your hometown, another country or even from your suitcase.

I should know. After 9 years in the corporate world Ive built a six-figure global business from nothing with just a blog and close to zero investment. Now I travel the world, living out of my suitcase and teach others how to do the same.

So sit back, return your seatback to the upright position, switch off your mobile phone and prepare for take off.

Why I wrote this book and
who I wrote it for

Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail
~ RALPH WALDO EMERSON

E verybody has the right to create freedom in business and live life on their own terms and thats what this book will teach you to do. Im not expecting you to do exactly what I do and live out of a suitcase, but I am expecting you to want to live life on your own terms.

Thats why I wrote this book; to ensure you have the tools and know-how to live the life you dream of, whether thats drinking Mai Tais on a tropical island while creating digital products, or running a horse-training business via Skype and YouTube from your local caf.

I built my business and community out of nothing but a blog and a desire and determination to fit my work around my dream lifestyle. Not the other way around.

A novel idea

As you can probably tell, I like to buck convention. I was never good with people telling me I couldnt do something; that just made me more determined to prove them wrong.

So, at first, when I was asked to write a book by a big name traditional publisher, I couldnt believe it! I jumped up and down like an excited kid! Id always wanted to write a book and this felt like my permission slip.

I wrote the book proposal using their template, but then they turned it down, saying people arent ready for completely virtual businesses, Natalie. I remember laughing out loud, incredulous, and wondering if theyd read the 4-Hour Workweek, which had come out 5 years earlier.

People all around me were catching on to this virtual business revolution and location-independence was becoming a common phrase. If I waited another year to write this book, it would already be too late.

Then it struck me. Why on earth was I considering going the traditional route, giving away all my control, content rights and the majority of my profits, to a publisher stuck in dying industry model? Especially one that didnt understand me, or likely, where I was coming from.

This was just the same scenario as working in a 9-5 job, for people that gave me no freedom to make an impact on the world, and bring my art to those who needed it most.

So I used the very online tools that helped me build my business in the first place to self-publish this book.

Thats right: this book was paid for and supported through a Kickstarter campaign. Close to 200 people pledged their support, essentially saying, Natalie we want to see this book written.

Its been read and lovingly improved by those who pledged to be on the editorial team, and the three sections that make up the backbone of this book were from generous sponsor level pledges through Kickstarter too.

I think this is the perfect example of how we can do things on our own terms; of how the world is changing, and it proves you can do just about anything you put your mind to, even if you dont have much money.

You can choose your own adventure and make it a reality by harnessing the power of people, online tools, technology and social media to change the way in which we do business.

Why you should read this book

I want this book to challenge your current way of thinking and show you that becoming a digital nomad is within your grasp, if you truly want it.

You dont need:

• An office to run your business
• A permanent residential address to live at
• To work traditional business hours ever
• Your team to be present or even in the same country or time zone
• To meet your clients or customers face to face
• More than $100 or 24 hours to start your online business
• An excuse to travel or to live in just one place.
• Permission to do what you want when you want and live a full life.

Who is this book for?

Its for you if you want to quit your job and create your own path to freedom, whether from your own home, or some exotic location on the other side of the world.

Its for you, the business owner, whos working hard to build a profitable company that makes an impact, but you want the freedom and flexibility on when and where to run it from.

Its also for you if youre an employee who wants to go traveling, and then come back to sell your services to the very company you left behind.

How should you read it?

If youre just starting out on the road of entrepreneurship or you need the motivation to quit your job, then I suggest you start at the very beginning, and read how others have achieved their ideal lifestyle, including my journey.

If youre already in business, or on the verge of it, and wanting to free up more time and not be bound to one location, then skip to Act 2 to tap into the different business models to make this possible, and the key tools and technology available to you, to make it happen.