From pro golf to classic cars: Drivers’ side hustles and other lives
What do you do when you’re not driving? For some people, private hire work is a full-time business in its own right. Yet for others, working for Uber and other platforms allows them to pursue side hustles alongside their driving work, or to make time for their passion projects.
Here we take a look at some of the interests and projects private hire and delivery drivers are spending their time on when they’re not on the road.
Sports and business
Some people found their way to driving work last year as a result of the pandemic. Perhaps one of the more unlikely stories was that of professional golfer Nick Poppleton.
Only the ‘top tier’ golfers were able to earn money from their sport during the past year, and so Nick turned to other jobs to bring in money, including shift work in a glass factory and working as a delivery driver for supermarket chain Iceland.
Last month he took a break from deliveries to make his debut in The Open, the major golfing tournament in Kent. He was due to be back on the road and working once he’d competed, but got called up to play on the European golfing tour in Wales. The delivery work has had to wait.
Elsewhere, there have been initiatives set up to recognise the growing trend of drivers and couriers looking to set up and build new businesses.
Uber recently partnered with business community Enterprise Nation on three initiatives, including one to support 100 drivers and couriers to turn their ideas into start-up businesses. The programme involved nine weekly training sessions and start-up grants of between £2,000 and £10,000.
Among the drivers they helped was Kasey Clarke, an Uber driver for over four years who also runs a ‘free-from’ cake pot business using natural ingredients. She says driving work has helped her take forward her cake business while being able to balance her schedule. Kasey’s ultimate aim is to take her cake business global.
Rob St Clair works as a courier for Uber Eats, and is also the owner of St Clair Cars, which has been set up to turn classic cars into electric vehicles. He accessed talks and expert help through the Uber and Enterprise Nation Business Builder programme, and hopes to build customised electric sports cars, combining his passion for racing and the environment.
Driving and studying
The flexibility of driving work has meant it’s become attractive for both young and mature students looking to earn extra cash.
Drivers can study in their own time while waiting for pick-ups, though sometimes it can be a bit of a juggling act – we’ve even heard from one driver who manages to work on his university dissertation in between trips.
Learning a language might also be something you can do while waiting for rides, with the advantage of lessons being easy to stop and start while in your car.
For those studying, doing driving on the side can offer several benefits, such as the option to get paid quickly through Flex Pay, working when you want and the social aspect of chatting to passengers.
Food delivery is another option that’s accessible to more students due to the lower age requirements.
If you’re looking for other ways to earn and make the most of your time, you don’t have to look that far afield if setting up a new business or further study aren’t for you. We’ve shared some ideas on changing how you earn from driving here. It includes advice on moving from rideshare to delivery, going from picking up parcels to people, or what to think about when becoming a self-employed private hire driver for the first time.
At INSHUR, we want to help you keep earning, whatever that looks like. Whether you’re a private hire driver, courier or food delivery driver, make sure you’ve got the right cover today.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-57840485.amp
https://www.enterprisenation.com/uber/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQL7ASaI2rH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQd_mp8H0as/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.savethestudent.org/make-money/how-to-become-an-uber-driver.html
