INTRO Hello from Bali ;)

[Lesly Garreau]

Hi everyone, my name is Lesly, I'm a "location independent" freelance graphic designer. I'm French and at the moment, I'm living in Bali (Indonesia).

I discovered this forum trough a friend in Chiang Mai (Thailand) few month ago and I decided that it is time for me to introduce myself .

I'm first interested by this community because I think I can give some advice related to my domain expertise and experience. I've been a freelance for more than 10 years now. During this time I created my own agency in 2009 (53mondays.com), the first coworking space in my city Hubrocket (Bordeaux, France) in 2012.

Now I continue my freelancing work plus few new business idea/test:

A social network for martial artists
A landing page service for eBook writer
An unlimited on-demand design service​

Ok, I hope this is a correct introduction, and I apologize if my English is not on the level of a copywriter ><. If you have any questions related to UI & UX design, feel free to ask! I'll be glad to help.

Oh, for more about me you can find me on Google, Dribbble, Behance and Linkedin by my name .

 

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[Supa]

Forum Rules

• No MLM links and/or discussion.
• No affiliate links and/or promotion.
• If you're new, no self-promotion.
• No sigs until 100 posts. (INSIDERS exempt).
• No trolling or disruptive behavior.
• No solicitation for investors and/or money.
• Respect: Leave the barstool language at home.
• No politics or religion.

 

[JapieGijs]

Welcome Lesly! Websites and portfolio are looking nice! Do you do all graphic design for rapidbeardesign on your own?

I'm pretty curious how it is to live and work in Bali. Is internet connection a problem there? Do you mostly connect through Skype or just e-mail? What is the biggest difference (work wise) from France? (i'm from Holland, so i guess i somewhat can relate to France)

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Forum Rules

• No MLM links and/or discussion.
• No affiliate links and/or promotion.
• If you're new, no self-promotion.
• No sigs until 100 posts. (INSIDERS exempt).
• No trolling or disruptive behavior.
• No solicitation for investors and/or money.
• Respect: Leave the barstool language at home.
• No politics or religion.

Thanks for this. I removed all the links, sorry ><.

 

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[Lesly Garreau]

Welcome Lesly! Websites and portfolio are looking nice! Do you do all graphic design for rapidbeardesign on your own?

I'm pretty curious how it is to live and work in Bali. Is internet connection a problem there? Do you mostly connect through Skype or just e-mail? What is the biggest difference (work wise) from France? (i'm from Holland, so i guess i somewhat can relate to France)

Thanks . Yes I do until it grow. Live in Bali in perfect if you like surfing. Internet is bad, you have to work from coworking space if you want a good connection. Otherwise it's ok just for mail and slow navigation. Usualy coworking space pay for fiber line so it's ok. I use both Skype & Mail but I'm a big fan of Appear.in which I recomand for free video meeting and sharing screen without account. The biggest difference from France is of course the quality of the internet and the general price of leaving. Less, less expensive here.

 

[J. van Driessen]

Hi Lesly,

I was in Bali for a month in November and visited a friend of mine who is a digital nomad currently living there, so I got to see a little bit of the digital nomad lifestyle there as well. I actually didn't experience the internet outside of coworking spaces as being that bad by the way.

Don't tell my girlfriend, but I'm actually living there that for a while as well.
Therefore, I got 3 questions for you:
- What would you say (expressed in euro) would be your monthly total cost of living? If you don't mind, could you split it up? (transport, food, housing,...)
- How long have you been there? Are you still registered in France personally / with your company?
- How do you find living there from a social perspective? I would think you meet mainly other freelancers there? Do you meet a lot of people? And don't many people you meet only stay for a short while?

Thanks!

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Hi Lesly,

I was in Bali for a month in November and visited a friend of mine who is a digital nomad currently living there, so I got to see a little bit of the digital nomad lifestyle there as well. I actually didn't experience the internet outside of coworking spaces as being that bad by the way.

Don't tell my girlfriend, but I'm actually living there that for a while as well.
Therefore, I got 3 questions for you:
- What would you say (expressed in euro) would be your monthly total cost of living? If you don't mind, could you split it up? (transport, food, housing,...)
- How long have you been there? Are you still registered in France personally / with your company?
- How do you find living there from a social perspective? I would think you meet mainly other freelancers there? Do you meet a lot of people? And don't many people you meet only stay for a short while?

Thanks!

Cost of living?

130€ - Monthly for renting a room in a "Big" shared house with pool
130€ - Monthly for a coworking space slot
40€ - Monthly for a scooter
15€ - Per day for eating (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
X€ - For your visa, depend what you want.

How long have you been there?

A month, for now. We just get our 6 months "Social visa". So we plan to stay at list 6 more month ^^. I'm registered in Delaware, I'm left France years ago. Taxes are to crazy stupid.

How do you find living there from a social perspective?

Ok so, in Bali you have to place for meeting "Freelance". Ubud at the coworking space Hubud and Canggu at the coworking space Dojo (where I am). I have to confess that for now I don't try to connect too much, but the coworking space organize differents events every months, professional but also BBQ etc.. Dojo is big. A the moment you get maybe more than 30 persons here ^^.

You don't get only freelancer then. Many entrepreneurs too. I pretty much see the same face here since I'm arrived, so I'll say people stay for months at list. Those one staying shorter are tourists, not DN .

Hope it's can help you. Feel free to ask me if you have further questions.

 

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[prof]

Hey Lesly. Welcome!

I just got back from a month in Bali at the end of 2015. I love being by the beach.

I'm starting to explore options at the moment with a move away from Chiang Mai where I've been based for far too long.

Sorry to derail the thread but any chance you could break down the process on getting a social visa? I see a lot of talk about it, and know that you need some kind of sponsorship to get it, but haven't seen any specifics on who can offer that and how to get it.

 

[J. van Driessen]

Cool.
It's Canggu I visited, I even went inside the coworking space. I like that it even has a pool.
What kind of entrepreneurs are there? What type of businesses do they run?

Did you move both your business and your personal residence to Delaware?

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Hey Lesly. Welcome!

I just got back from a month in Bali at the end of 2015. I love being by the beach.

I'm starting to explore options at the moment with a move away from Chiang Mai where I've been based for far too long.

Sorry to derail the thread but any chance you could break down the process on getting a social visa? I see a lot of talk about it, and know that you need some kind of sponsorship to get it, but haven't seen any specifics on who can offer that and how to get it.

Hey! Well, I spend 9 months in Chiang Mai before Bali . Too much longer for me ah, ah. I need ocean and CM Canyon is okay, but not for 9 months.

For the social visa yes you need a sponsor. But don't worry about it, an agency can take care of all the process. This is what I do. I used Bali Expat Service.

 

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[Lesly Garreau]

Cool.
It's Canggu I visited, I even went inside the coworking space. I like that it even has a pool.
What kind of entrepreneurs are there? What type of businesses do they run?

Did you move both your business and your personal residence to Delaware?

Well, like I say I've not really make contact too much, for now, ^^. I know that one guys here, manage a "customized notebook" company and, that it ah, ah. Lot of freelancer "dev" I can tell by their screen and "Wordpress" t-shirt. Sorry, I know this is not helpful, but I'm very focused on launching my new business and it take me all my time.

And for the Deleware, you don't need to leave there for open a Business .

 

[JasonR]

Welcome. I was living in Bali for 6-7 months and absolutely loved it. Surfed 3-5 times a week.

Currently traveling through Vietnam.

Great to see another traveler here. Bali is an awesome place to establish an Entrepreneur hub. You can also live like a King there on a very small budget - if that's your thing.

Definitely read the book if you haven't yet.

Cheers! I'm sure we'll cross paths at some point.

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Welcome. I was living in Bali for 6-7 months and absolutely loved it. Surfed 3-5 times a week.

Currently traveling through Vietnam.

Great to see another traveler here. Bali is an awesome place to establish an Entrepreneur hub. You can also live like a King there on a very small budget - if that's your thing.

Definitely read the book if you haven't yet.

Cheers! I'm sure we'll cross paths at some point.

Awesome, Vietnam is actually our next move ^^. Lot of DC over there.

 

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[J. van Driessen]

And for the Deleware, you don't need to leave there for open a Business .

Thanks for your reply.
So, I understand you have your business in Delaware but are still personally registered in France? Isn't that defeating a bit your purpose of moving the business abroad? Now your business is taxed low but your personal income still is?

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Thanks for your reply.
So, I understand you have your business in Delaware but are still personally registered in France? Isn't that defeating a bit your purpose of moving the business abroad? Now your business is taxed low but your personal income still is?

Oh no, I have nothing more in France except my citizenship & passport. I'm just traveling .

 

[J. van Driessen]

Oh no, I have nothing more in France except my citizenship & passport. I'm just traveling .

But where is your official domicile then? You must be registered somewhere, right?

 

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[Lesly Garreau]

But where is your official domicile then? You must be registered somewhere, right?

Nop. I use my parent mailbox if I have to receive some letter but that it. I'm homeless .

 

[J. van Driessen]

Nop. I use my parent mailbox if I have to receive some letter but that it. I'm homeless .

Does that mean that you are not taxed anywhere for personal income taxes?

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Does that mean that you are not taxed anywhere for personal income taxes?

That exactly what it's mean yes

 

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[J. van Driessen]

That exactly what it's mean yes

Wow. So you don't pay personal income tax. How much taxes (%) do you pay with your company?

Cheers

 

[Eldi4n]

Welcome aboard Lesly!

if you have not read the book then you have to absolutely do it! i did it twice and is never enough!

 

[MattR82]

Welcome I also spend a lot of time in Bali, and am considering moving there to something a bit more permanent (I usually go every month or 2 for a week and a half). Have to start looking at rooms to rent. Was there a particular site you found useful to look for rooms?

I see Dojo are looking at setting up in Seminyak soon as well, which interests me!

 

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[eekern]

I lived a year in Seminyak for a year, I went on school for 3months and I just stayed after, haha. Actually, Bali is the single reason I started pursuing this laptop lifestyle ! Earning your euros down there is just amazing... once you have experienced that is is hard to get back.

Welcome to the forum, start a progress thread for your ideas and get into the fastlane

 

[Lesly Garreau]

Welcome I also spend a lot of time in Bali, and am considering moving there to something a bit more permanent (I usually go every month or 2 for a week and a half). Have to start looking at rooms to rent. Was there a particular site you found useful to look for rooms?

I see Dojo are looking at setting up in Seminyak soon as well, which interests me!

Hey, yeah, Michael the owner plan to open a new one in Seminyak indeed. A big one, 1000 square meter . For room ranting I recommend you Facebook. Check the group dedicated to the area where you want to go. Like Canggu community, Seminyak community etc..

 

[Lesly Garreau]

I lived a year in Seminyak for a year, I went on school for 3months and I just stayed after, haha. Actually, Bali is the single reason I started pursuing this laptop lifestyle ! Earning your euros down there is just amazing... once you have experienced that is is hard to get back.

Welcome to the forum, start a progress thread for your ideas and get into the fastlane

Thanks, yeah Bali is very good, especially if you love surfing . And yeah, I'm on the way to write my 1st progress thread .

 

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[MattR82]

Hey, yeah, Michael the owner plan to open a new one in Seminyak indeed. A big one, 1000 square meter . For room ranting I recommend you Facebook. Check the group dedicated to the area where you want to go. Like Canggu community, Seminyak community etc..

Excellent, thanks man.