Communication: The Non-Negotiable Foundation
When you're not in the same room as your team or clients, your communication tools become your office. Get these wrong and everything else falls apart.
Slack remains the standard for async team communication. It's not perfect -- the notification model can be distracting, threads get buried, and the free tier is now nearly useless -- but the ecosystem of integrations and the fact that most tech companies already use it makes it the pragmatic choice. Budget EUR 7-12/user/month for a paid plan. Alternative: Discord is surprisingly capable for small teams and free, but it signals "gaming" to corporate clients.
Zoom still wins for client-facing video calls. Google Meet is fine for internal calls, and many teams use it to avoid another subscription, but Zoom's recording quality, virtual background handling, and reliability on poor connections are noticeably better. At EUR 13/month for Pro, it's worth it if you're on client calls regularly. The AI meeting summary features (built-in since late 2025) are genuinely useful.
Loom is the underrated tool in this category. When you're working across time zones, a 3-minute screen recording replaces a 30-minute meeting. I use it for client updates, code walkthroughs, and internal context-sharing. The async nature fits location-independent work perfectly. Free tier is generous; paid is EUR 12.50/month.
Email: Google Workspace (EUR 6/month) gives you a professional email domain, Drive storage, and Calendar. It's table stakes. If you're still using a @gmail.com address for client communication, fix that today.
Project Management and Productivity
You need a system for tracking work -- your own and your team's. The specific tool matters less than having one and actually using it consistently.
ClickUp is what we use at Adasight. It handles task management, time tracking, docs, and basic project views well enough that we don't need five separate tools. The learning curve is real -- it tries to do everything, and the UI can feel overwhelming at first. But once configured, it's powerful. EUR 7/user/month. The free tier is usable for solo work.
Notion is better for knowledge management, documentation, and lightweight project tracking. If your work is more about writing, research, and organizing information than managing complex multi-person projects, Notion might be the better primary tool. It's also where I keep personal systems -- travel planning, content calendars, reference notes. EUR 8/month for the Plus plan.
Linear deserves a mention if you're in software development. It's fast, opinionated, and designed for engineering teams. Not as flexible as ClickUp, but the speed and focused design make it a joy to use if it fits your workflow.
Calendar management: Google Calendar is fine. The real tip is to be religious about blocking focus time and accounting for time zones. I use the World Clock feature and Clocker (free Mac menu bar app) to keep track of the 3-4 time zones I'm usually juggling.
Note-taking for calls: Fireflies.ai (EUR 10/month) transcribes and summarizes meetings automatically. It's been reliable for me across Zoom and Google Meet. The searchable transcript archive is invaluable when you need to recall what a client said three months ago.
Security: VPN, 2FA, and Protecting Client Data
Working from coffee shops, coworking spaces, and Airbnb WiFi means you're constantly on networks you don't control. Security isn't optional -- especially if you handle client data.
VPN: Use one. Always. On every public network. I've used Mullvad (EUR 5/month, no account needed, privacy-focused) and NordVPN (broader server network, better for geo-restricted content). For work purposes, Mullvad is cleaner. For occasional Netflix-in-another-country, NordVPN. Either way, enable the kill switch so your traffic doesn't leak if the VPN drops.
Password manager: 1Password (EUR 3/month) is the standard for a reason. It handles shared vaults for teams, travel mode (hides sensitive vaults when crossing borders), and integrates with basically everything. If you're still reusing passwords or storing them in a browser, this is the highest-ROI security improvement you can make.
Two-factor authentication: Enable 2FA on everything -- email, banking, cloud storage, domain registrar, hosting. Use an authenticator app (I use 1Password's built-in TOTP), not SMS. SMS-based 2FA is vulnerable to SIM-swapping attacks, and when you're changing SIM cards across countries, it's also just unreliable.
Device encryption: FileVault on Mac, BitLocker on Windows. Enable it. If your laptop gets stolen in a hostel or coworking space (it happens), encryption is the difference between losing a device and losing your clients' data.
Backup: Time Machine to an external drive (when you have one) plus a cloud backup service like Backblaze (EUR 7/month). Losing your laptop is recoverable. Losing your laptop and your data is a business-ending event.
Banking, Invoicing, and Getting Paid Across Borders
Traditional banks are not built for people who earn in multiple currencies and spend in different countries every month. You need a modern stack.
Wise (formerly TransferWise) is essential. The multi-currency account lets you hold and receive money in USD, EUR, GBP, and 40+ other currencies with real exchange rates and low fees. You get local bank details in major currencies, so clients can pay you as if you're local. The debit card works worldwide with no foreign transaction fees. I use Wise as my primary business banking for international payments. It's not a full bank -- you'll still want a traditional bank account in your home country for things like mortgage applications and tax compliance.
Revolut Business is a good alternative or complement. Better app experience than Wise in some areas, and the business plans include invoicing features. EUR 25/month for the basic business plan. The personal account is useful for travel spending.
Invoicing: We use PandaDoc for proposals and contracts, but for pure invoicing, Xero (EUR 15/month) or FreshBooks are solid. They handle multi-currency invoicing, expense tracking, and integrate with Wise. If you're a solo freelancer, even Wise's built-in invoicing might be enough to start.
Expense tracking: Photograph every receipt the moment you get it. I use a dedicated Google Drive folder organized by month. Some people prefer dedicated apps like Expensify or Dext. The tool matters less than the habit. If you're claiming business travel expenses, the documentation needs to be bulletproof (see the business travel documentation guide).
Connectivity: Staying Online Everywhere
Your entire livelihood depends on internet access. Treat connectivity as infrastructure, not an afterthought.
eSIM: This is the single biggest quality-of-life improvement for location-independent workers in the last few years. Airalo and Holafly offer data eSIMs for most countries, activated instantly from your phone. I typically buy a local eSIM when I arrive somewhere for more than a week, keeping my home number active on the physical SIM. Most modern phones support multiple eSIMs now. Budget EUR 10-20 per country for a reasonable data allowance.
Mobile hotspot: Your phone's hotspot is your backup internet -- always. When the coworking WiFi dies or the Airbnb router fails, you tether and keep working. Make sure your data plan supports hotspot use (some throttle it). For extended stays, consider a dedicated hotspot device like a Netgear Nighthawk for better battery life and signal.
Speed testing before committing: When choosing accommodation, I always check the WiFi speed before booking if possible (ask the host for a Speedtest screenshot) and within the first hour of arrival. You need at minimum 10 Mbps down for comfortable video calls. 25+ Mbps if you're regularly transferring large files or screen-sharing. Nomadlist and coworking space reviews often include speed data -- use them.
Redundancy mindset: Always have two ways to get online. Hotel WiFi + phone hotspot. Coworking space + coffee shop next door. This isn't paranoia -- I've had critical client calls saved by switching to a phone hotspot when the primary connection dropped. In Latin America especially, power outages can kill WiFi, but cellular often stays up.
Hardware: A good pair of noise-canceling headphones (Sony WH-1000XM5 or AirPods Pro) is a genuine productivity investment, not a luxury. When your "office" is noisy, they're the difference between focused work and frustration. A portable USB-C monitor (ASUS ZenScreen or similar) is worth the weight if you do any work that benefits from dual screens.