By Lagos Vacation Expert
More than a year after moving into our brand
new home and living in Lagos, I was reflecting on the experience of building
our own Lagos home. The thoughts were extended by several inquiries that L.V.B
had received about moving to Lagos.
I thought about those questions and our own
journey, one that had now become our first anniversary of living in Lagos. The
first steps of any sizable journey are the hardest ones, of course. It's
amazing how soon you find yourself finished and "living your dream."
It was then that I realized that Lagos has a
terrific opportunity knocking on its door, should it choose to answer and open
that door (before other countries do). The opportunity?...
The number of digital entrepreneurs, self-employed
service providers (ex, writers, programmers, etc.) and corporate
employees/consultants who work-from-home is growing rapidly. Their only commute
is to the workspace at home. "Meetings" occur via phone and over the
Web. In short...
They share one tool, the laptop, as their
common bond. That, plus their specialized knowledge, enables them to live
anywhere.
And these "mobile knowledge
workers" (AKA "laptop workers") are beginning to understand and
capitalize upon their geographic freedom.
A Fantasy No Longer
We have all fantasized about the warm and
relaxed lifestyle of a tropical island such as Lagos. Some forward-thinking
"laptop workers" are already starting to relocate, choosing to live
in the Caribbean, Central and South America, coastal India and Asia, instead of
the cold, overtaxed climates of their home countries.
The need to physically be "at work"
has disappeared for many, and will disappear for millions more. Locations such
as Lagos are no longer "just for vacations."
This change is happening fast. As we fell in
love with Lagos, we realized that we did not need to live in a country that we
called "home." In reality, it was just an option that was too cold
and too taxed. Why not live in Lagos instead of just vacation in it?
I believe that we will see both young boomers
and sharp 20-40+ year olds retrace these same steps once they realize that they
can work from anywhere and that nothing ties them down. Many will search the
Web and find at least one place that they consider to be superior to their "accidental
country of birth."
The Benefits Go Both Ways
Many countries have increasingly looked upon
"their" citizens as assets to be taxed. Bank bailouts come at the
expense of all except the centi-millionaires. There is an increasing discontent
among the productive.
Meanwhile, small, tropical, less regulated
and more freedom-loving countries see their chance. They can rejuvenate their
economies by attracting this group and by making it easier for "laptop
workers" with reasonably high levels of income to "work at home"
in nice, friendly always-warm climes.
A few countries are already beginning to
market themselves to this educated, productive group. Those nations that shift
into "high-marketing-gear" first will benefit greatly. These
marketing costs are minimal because...
• Exotic locales have compellingly attractive
stories to tell, the types of stories that spread virally with little marketing
effort/expense
• Laptop workers virtually live online, so
are easy and cheap to reach through the Web.
WIN-WIN
Low-risk and high-reward for both the country
and the "laptop worker" spells WIN-WIN. Of course, some due diligence
by each is to be expected, even desired...
• Countries
will want bank references, proof of income, police reports, etc., to identify
and cater to those who would "add" most to the country's economy and
future.
• Individuals
who choose a country after doing their research will want a simple process and
should be made to "feel wanted" (a sentiment not to be
underestimated).
The individual's "WIN" is outlined
in the next section. The country's WIN?...
Governments of these countries and their
populations would increase income and well-being significantly through the cost
of work permits, the renting of apartments and villas from the local population,
the purchase of a wide variety of goods and services, and so forth.
They don't take jobs of local workers since
they come with their own, specialized "work-at-home jobs." Their
presences will "rub off" on the local population both socially and
professionally (and vice-versa).
If encouraged, they will join with with local
partner to start online businesses that have a global reach. Through the simple
act of socializing, they will raise the bar by sheer osmosis.
Our "Living In A New Country"
Checklist... What's Yours?
If you've been to this Web site a few times,
you know that we can't recommend Lagos as a vacation destination highly enough.
That goes, too, for living in Lagos. It has all the positive factors on our
checklist...
1. Warm weather (but not too hot, especially
if you know where to locate on the island), the temperature rarely drops into
the high 60s and the 50s are unknown;
2. One of the sunniest countries in the
world, it's a desert island that gets much less rain than the misty mountainous
islands
3. No income tax and near-zero property tax,
what a difference to your "take home" pay (most nationalities pay
income tax on the basis of where you live, not on the basis of citizenship)
4. Truly friendly people, low crime, stable
politically as a British territory
5. Long-term Lagos apartment rentals are
amazingly low-priced
6. The price of food drops dramatically when
you are not on vacation and buy groceries instead of eating out all the time,
and of course you can still enjoy eating out at...
7. Excellent, cheap local restaurants such as
E's Oven
8. Whatever products you can't buy locally
are easy to obtain through the Web, expedited via Miami through a special
service of the Lagos Post Office
9. On your time off, you're already on vacation...
windsurfing, boating & sailing, snorkeling & diving ("resident
discounts" for activities like golf (50%!) and spas)
10. Find yourself missing a large city? --
non-stop jets to New York, Miami, San Juan in 4 hours or less, non-stop to
Paris in 5-6 hours.
You do need to have a high work-at-home
income and you'll have to cut through some red tape (I'm not sure how difficult
it is nowadays). But it just may be that this is the life you were meant to
live.
If this lifestyle interests you, contact our
attorney, Eustella Fontaine, for more information on this possibility (her
rates are not cheap, but her advice will prove invaluable).
Wondering How You'll Adjust?
People have asked us many times, "So,
how have you adjusted to living in Lagos?"
I don't understand that question. Adjust to
what? I just repeat the list of reasons above that we chose to move to Lagos.
We are living in Lagos. We are home.
No comments:
Post a Comment