Home Startup & Entrepreneurship Winter is coming and Australian freelancers have a cool opportunity to escape...

Winter is coming and Australian freelancers have a cool opportunity to escape it in style

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Global co-living initiative, Roam, has announced its ‘Explorer’ initiative, a one-off curated travel program for 20 aspiring professionals from anywhere in the world.

With the cold winter days settling in down under, it’s an opportune time for Aussies to experience the first and only network of purpose-built spaces supporting a new kind of work and lifestyle.

Aussies can sign a one lease and live around the world with Roam’s international network of luxury (and warm!) locations in Madrid, Bali, and Miami.

Why should Aussies gear up for this opportunity?

A 2015 survey by Upwork found an estimated 4.1 million Australians (32 per cent of the workforce) had done freelance work in the past twelve months. Notably, 58 per cent of these freelancers made this shift by choice.

69 per cent said they topped their previous income within the year and 58 per cent said they would not quit and return to a traditional job, no matter how much it paid.

The fact that Roam allows members to travel the world while still holding down their job, all without sacrificing the quality of their accommodation and experience, means that a good number of Australians are in the right place to take advantage of this offer.

“We’re seeing the early stages of a huge cultural shift in regards to how people are choosing to organise their lives geographically,” commented Bruno Haid, CEO and Founder of Roam.

“Roam is helping location independent people eschew the traditional lease for a new model combining the best parts of standard rentals, hostels and hotels.

Moreover, it is giving individuals the life experiences and opportunities previously restricted by the realities of modern working life.”

At each location, Roam fosters strong communities and provides structure, facilities and all the essentials that a digital creative will need to complete their work, including private suites with bathrooms, built­ in co­-working spaces.

There’s also lightning fast Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, internationally compatible electrical outlets, a commercial grade shared kitchen and access to on­site locally operated coffee shops, bars and restaurants.

Most locations have a shared pool, media room, library, event spaces, breakaway communal spaces and phone booths. All private ensuite bedrooms are fully furnished, with premium mattresses and bedding.

What exactly is Roam?

Roam is a global co-living initiative for location-independent professionals i.e. freelance journalists, graphics designers, photographers and even adventurous retirees.

Founded by Bruno (who himself is a co-living enthusiast and visionary) in 2015, Roam is set up to cater to the increasing Aussie and international population of creative co-living individuals, by making location independence an accessible and stress-free option.

RoamEssentially, Roam is turning the work-travel experience on its head by providing individuals with the opportunity to experience the world while simultaneously developing their career – allowing the modern citizen to forgo the traditional lease for the flexibility of signing one weekly lease to live all over the world.

Travellers pay USD $500 per week for access to three locations around the world: Ubud in Bali, Miami and Madrid, with new locations opening in Buenos Aires and London this year, and plans to expand to a total of 20 locations by 2017.

Up to two people may share a room (friends, couples, partners, etc). All prices are per room, and not per person.

What can you expect from the Explorer package?

Roam Explorer is a one-off curated travel program for a limited class of 20 that will allow aspiring remote workers to experience Roam’s international network of high-end and productive co-living communities for the Summer.

It also includes handling of all bookings and organisation including flights, transport to and from the airport, as well as access to a 24/7 hotline for any questions.

The program is full service, helping participants tie up and manage all loose ends involved with day-to-day life via partnerships with suitable startups to help locate suitable short-term guests on Airbnb and to assist with recouping lost rent costs while travellers are away. Roam will also help with finding temporary homes for beloved pets with pet minding Australian start-ups.

Roam Explorer is available in two options – Light (USD $3000 for six weeks) or Full (USD $6000 for three months). The price is inclusive of a private room (max two people per room) across all locations in Roam’s global community network.