Relocating To The Countryside – What The Internet Makes Possible 

Relocating to the countryside has always been a tricky proposition. It can mean long commutes to work. Difficulties with schooling, childcare and a host of other things that make it seem an impossible dream. On the other hand for those same reasons rural properties are often cheap. The quality of life is also better. I’d argue that the internet makes relocating to the countryside a more realistic possibility. It also has the potential to reinvigorate rural economies.

To put my money where my mouth is myself and my partner have just relocated to the countryside ourselves. We’ve really been able to do this thanks to the internet. A because I run an online business myself and B. because it allows us to market her traditional but flexible driving instruction business cheaply and effectively.

The Kids

I need to make 2 things clear. First we have no kids. I know there are good schools here but I appreciate there are issues around uprooting kids from one place to another. That’s just not an issue for us. Secondly; We are doing this on a 6 month trial basis.

We decided to rent a property rather than investing in one until we are sure it’s the place for us. One thing to consider when relocating to the countryside is that whilst property is cheaper it can take a very long to sell. It makes sense to be sure that won’t be an issue for you if you do decide to buy. Many of the properties for sale in the part of Argyll we are in are also available to rent.

The other traditional snag about relocating to the countryside is making a living. Usually it’s either a case of sticking with the old job and commuting, finding something local or starting a small business. Most rural communities are based around small businesses after all but there is a limit to how many they can support.

Relocating To The Countryside – Catch 22 

Not so with an online business that doesn’t have to rely on local custom. There’s a catch 22 here though. The internet itself. Depending on exactly where in the countryside you are looking at, broadband strength can be limited or non-existent. There are other options such as satellite of mobile access of course but they can be pricey.

I know there are moves afoot in Scotland where I’m based, to bring fast broadband to as many rural areas as is humanly possible. That’ll take time though and in truth running an online business doesn’t actually require ultra fast internet speeds.

When we started looking at relocating to the countryside the internet was obviously at the top of the list. I was able to find out what was going to be possible in terms of upload and download speeds and that it would be fine for my needs.

It’s a little over half what I had in Glasgow and I hardly notice any difference. I can browse, email and log into everything I need to. I can use Skype and the various webinar and virtual office platforms I need with no loss of functionality. The main difference is that I can do it all from the garden with a beautiful sea view in front of me if I want to.

Don’t All Start Doing It! 

I wouldn’t want millions of people to suddenly start relocating to the countryside. It would be nice to see less young people being forced to leave to find work or affordable accommodation. It would be nice to see some rural areas getting an economic boost.

The internet can do all that easily. Traditional businesses – particularly tourism based ones can be grown online and online businesses can be easily set up to sell anything and everything to a global marketplace.

All it takes is education. Sadly it’s not the kind of education your local college or Uni is providing. Happily it is available via the new breed of digital educators and entrepreneurs.

Relocating to the countryside is just one of the possibilities the internet has opened up to many more of us than ever before. If you’d like to learn more about the skills you need and even where to find products to sell online from scratch click on the link below.

From there you can sign up for a series of 7 free videos telling you more about what’s possible with internet these days. They also introduce the training, mentorship and resources that have allowed to me generate income from anywhere.

By Dave Menzies