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I am becoming an Uber driver this week. My town, Portland, is one of the last major cities in the US to get Uber and Lyft, thanks to stringent cab laws here. I run a small business with my husband, part time, and am also a part time stay home mom. My daughter is now a teen and my business is pretty stable, so I need something to keep me occupied during my free time.
I have tried affiliate marketing, house flipping and selling on eBay. Those home businesses all were OK but each had problems that left me wanting to try something else. Uber offers the flexibility I want; I can work when I want and as often as I want, as long as I complete one trip per month.
I started blogging about Uber to find out what it was all about first. To do so I read articles and forums to see what was up. There were a lot of people complaining about low pay, especially in cities where the per mile average has gradually declined. Our per mile average is $1.55 as of Sept. 2015, which is about in the middle. We are about in the middle for cost of living here too, so that may be why.
Signing up was easy. I used a code from a friend so we both got a signing bonus. I took a photo of my driver’s license, insurance card, my city business license from my other business and my car registration and I was done with the first part. I just had to enter my checking numbers and tax ID to get paid. Next I have to go down to the mall for a short, free inspection of my car. For $5 they will give me the equipment I require:
Phone holder
First Aid Kit
Fire Extinguisher
That is a very low hump to get over to get my business going, especially since I had a late model 4 door car already, that is all paid for. It is a Prius to boot, and they are said to be the cheapest new car out there by Consumer Report.
I am a little worried I won’t be good at customer service. I haven’t done any since highschool. I also am worried someone will throw up in my car. I bought barf bags on Amazon.com with some credit card points from my other business, but that does not guarantee anything. Luckily I can charge a detailing to anyone who does through Uber, although I am guessing my car will never smell the same after that.
All in all, I am excited to get out there and start making money meeting nice people with Uber.
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