Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies can turn anyone with a driver’s license into an entrepreneur. Driving for money is a great side hustle for college students and anyone else who needs extra money.

Of the rideshare companies, Uber is the largest. As of 2018, Uber is a $70 billion company that employs 2 million drivers! According to money.cnn.com, 750,000 of those drivers are making money in the USA. The chance to choose working hours and shake off “the boss” make this is a dream career for many people.

Even if you work for a rideshare company, you are still responsible for your own profits. Not all Uber drivers are created equally, and while Uber has some guidelines, you will need to go the extra mile for your customers if you’re going to make real money.

1. Dress Appropriately

While no one at Uber is going to tell you what to wear, no one is going to get in a car with you if you look like a bum. This is not the time to wear leggings as pants or cut off shorts with a tank top. It’s not about fashion—it’s about sending the right image to your customers, and the image you want to portray is that you’re serious about your Uber gig.

Gentlemen, try wearing khakis and a polo shirt. You can also wear a button-up shirt. You don’t need to dress in a suit and tie, but do wear a shirt with a collar. Make sure you’re well-groomed, too. Save and comb your hair at the very least.

Ladies, business-casual is always trickier for us. You can sport the khakis with a polo or button-up shirt like the guys, but you can also throw on a skirt or casual dress. The idea is to look professional, and not in the “escort” sort of way.

2. Clean Your Car

If you are going to make money driving people around, you have to have a clean car. This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at the reports we’ve read online about dirty Uber cars. Ick.

The outside of your car should be clean, and the inside should be cleaner. Vacuum out your car after each job. You can find nice portable vacuums that plug into your car’s cigarette lighter, or you can use your home stick vac. I clean out my cars with the Dyson stick vac, and while it’s the best thing ever, it’s also pricey.

Make sure your car smells good, but avoid perfume air fresheners of any sort. A lot of people have allergies. Instead, work on making your car smell clean. Wipe down the inside of doors and your dashboard with interior detailing wipes. Wash your floor mats once a week or so. Become an expert at car detailing.

3. Offer Extras

The Uber drivers who make the most money offer their customers something that other drivers don’t. Sometimes it’s as simple as candy. Other times, it’s a full-scale party van.

Ridester suggests offering your passengers complimentary bottles of water. You can buy big packages of bottled water at bulk stores or have Amazon deliver them.

4. Be Friendly and Helpful Your Customers

If you’re helpful, people will leave you good tips and good reviews. Think about your customers’ needs and how you might help them. If you drive in a high-tourist area, print out a list of “can’t miss” attractions or local restaurants that deliver to hotel rooms. Keep a stack of the free coupon books in your car, too.

If you pick someone up at the airport, offer to help them with their luggage. Make sure your trunk is always clean and ready.

If you pick up a group of ladies, always get out of the car and open the car doors for them. Don’t flirt, gentlemen. This is about being courteous, not picking up a date.

Make polite conversation, unless your customer seems like he/she doesn’t want to talk. Always verify where they want to go, too—just in case. For example, we took an Uber to the Orlando airport awhile back to pick up a rental car. If our driver didn’t know we were going to the rental car pick up, she could have dropped us anywhere at the airport and we might have walked miles before finding the rental car office. Communication is important!

5. Set Reasonable Hours and Take Breaks

Any freelancer knows the importance of set work hours. But, this is even more important for Uber drivers. As you earn based on fares, there’s a temptation to work ridiculous hours. The trouble is, when you’re on the road, working too long can lead to fatigue. And, if that happens, you’re a risk to yourself  and others.

You’re even at risk of coming under fire from attorneys like those found at www.ubercaraccidentlaw.com if you cause an accident. That would spell the end of your side-hustle, as well as big legal trouble for you. Even if no accident occurs, overworking could lead to burnout, and issues such as stress and anxiety. So, it’s crucial you draw lines. Anything over 9-hours per day is probably pushing the limit.

It may even be that your issues with time fall the other way. While some overwork, other freelancers struggle to motivate themselves at all. While money should be enough to get you out of bed, it isn’t always the case. Having set hours that you’re committed to working should help motivate you to reach your financial goals.

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5 Uber smart things to do to Supercharge your Rideshare Side Hustle - #uber #sidehustle #money #career

Side hustles are becoming a way of life for many of us. We consult in our industries, write blogs, teach part time—you name it. Your side hustle is giving you valuable experience and building your skill set. With any luck, you’re also building your network. You should list your side hustle on your resume in most cases. It’s too valuable not to!

List Your Side Hustle on Your Resume Just Like any other Job

In your list of work experience, list your side hustle just like you should any other job. Give yourself a title and list your duties.

The job duties you list for your side hustle are entirely your choice. For example, if you are trying to show a potential employer that you are a strong managerial candidate, you can list your small business owner duties, like expense tracking, employee scheduling (even if the only employee you schedule is you), and project management.

If you are trying to change industries, look at the duties the employer lists for the job you want and figure out how what you’re doing in your side hustle that fits the ad, and write that for your job duties. The closer you can get to the job advertisement’s language, the better your chances at scoring an interview.

If your side hustle is more in line to the job for which you applying than your full-time job, list it first on your resume. Since you are doing both jobs presently, this is completely your choice.

Choose Your Side Hustle Job Title Wisely

You can play with your title. If you do business under your own name as a consultant and haven’t incorporated, stick with “consultant.” If you write a blog, but see yourself becoming a freelance writer, call yourself a “writer.” Your side hustle gives you the opportunity to craft your story in whatever way you need to for the job you want.

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Add Your Side Hustle Skills to Your Professional Profile

Certainly by now you’ve ditched your resume’s objective in favor of a professional profile, so now is the perfect time to add the skills you’ve been cultivating in your side hustle to your professional profile. All the experience you’ve been gaining on the side should shine at the top of your resume.

Be sure to list the soft skills you gain as your own employer, like marketing and branding. If you are running your own blog, you are probably learning SEO skills. If you hire independent contractors to help you, you are adept at contract negotiations and payroll processing. These are all perfectly transferrable skills.

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When Not to List Your Side Hustle on Your Resume

If your side hustle could get you fired from your current job, and you want to keep your current job, don’t list it on your resume. The world is too small to take this risk. Your new potential employer may know your previous employer, and this could spell disaster.

If your side hustle is completely unrelated to the job for which you are applying, leave it off of your resume. If you work as an accountant by day but mow yards on the weekends, the gap between the two jobs is too wide to help you in your job search.

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