SLOW MARKET VS WEAK STRATEGY: WHICH IS IT

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Right now many drivers and delivers are at their wits ends because of the market. In many markets their only saving grace is inclement weather which helps drive demand, while running some drivers off the road (pun intended) in fear of damaging their vehicle. When the market appears to slow down particularly like times like this after major holidays whereas patrons pull back on their spending; I believe it serves as a true testament to your know-how and inner hustler ability. Do you have what it takes to still earn decent or even big without exhausting ungodly amounts on time on the platform, forced to take anything all to earn a buck? In this quick read I want you to take some things into consideration, truly evaluate your market, see your strengths as well as your weaknesses in the gig economy. Observe and learn from others. I want you to identify if you’re just casting your net into shallow waters hoping for a large almost beached whale, or all you willing to sharpen your skills to pocket strategies that allows you to maximize your earnings regardless if slow or peak season.

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How to measure whether your market is slow and your strategy is weak. For one talk to other pro-drivers or observe them via online, see what they’re earning, check the hours they’re putting in. Don’t compare yourself to them entirely, simply calculate from seeing on average how many rides they’re clearing a day, how many days they’re committed too, are they part-time or full-time, etc. I’ve come to learn that high, consistent earners tend to be disciplined, they do not vere off the disciplined path to often. They have a knack for riding the waves of the gig economy not allowing low-demand to deter them nor allow high-demand to make them to comfortable. See how and what drivers/delivers are complaining about, don’t chime in just listen to them via in person or social media, get a balance perspective. Be realistic, understand you signed up in a market that is highly volatile and unstable, you must have a realistic baseline for earning in each change of demands in accordance to the season. Take for instance in my Atlanta gig market for me to average $100 bucks a day between 4 – 7 hours is phenomenal, especially if I chose to use a strategy that minimize fuel. The market is sorta-slow in essence demand is still present, but at very specific times, the demand is locked in split shifts as well as more drivers feel heart-up to make an earning. The scales are tipped a bit, but to the skilled driver it’s not pressed to earn nicely on a daily basis. Skilled drivers, strategic drivers see the market for what it is and act accordingly.

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How to strengthen your driver and delivery game I must admit is a variable matter due to the fact each market differs, but I believe some of these generic tips to consider will help you stay fairly or become profitable. It is simple so don’t overthink it. Again see the market for what it is and accept it, don’t over exert yourself. What may look like to be more in earnings if you spend more time on the platform may in fact cause you more in fuel, time, and wear and tear on your vehicle; not to mention the wear and tear on your body. I’d rather spare $50 bucks than work another 10 for $50 bucks, just isn’t worth it. Know your worth. If you’ve ever have a bag of tricks in that money bag of yours I must stress that now is the time to use it. The so call don’ts may be proper do’s at this juncture. Here are so things to strengthen your driver/delivery game:

  • Stop shutting off the app. Now outside of my bulking strategy I am all for powering down regularly and strategizing. Being demand can be far and few leave the app on.
  • Moving cars make money, but I suggest extending your wait times in certain areas 3-5 minutes. Don’t be so quick to drive off after a drop-off or delivery. I’ve gotten pings in what seemed to be the most unlikely of places.
  • Work the city when brought into the city. Some people if they stay in the outer perimeter of a metro area will B-line themselves to highly populated areas and thought that makes sense, I want you to consider that E V E R Y O N E else has had that brilliant idea. This causes saturation of some sort and you most likely expended a great deal of fuel and time making your way into the city. Make every mile count!
  • Piggy backing on bullet point prior I have a strategy called BUCKS IN THE BURBS. This one is highly underestimated, but does require you to be knowledgeable of the community and those surrounding it. This is like a treasure chest of money when worked right. Here in Atlanta and the metro suburban areas are set up like little mini sub-cities. Community developments weigh in heavy in accommodating their residence and creating an environment and social life that will keep tax dollars and monies spent circulating within their city instead of the money going elsewhere. Take for instance Cumming, GA, Woodstock, GA, Roswell, GA these cities are 30-50 miles outside of Atlanta with a thriving nightlife, full of pubs, and family oriented spaces. These areas often have mini surges and high demands that’ll leave you running back and forth from bar to burbs.
  • Develop strategies if you have not this is the time. If you can learn to be profitable this is good training ground. It is easy to get money when it is plentiful, but your skill serves as a true testament when the market is tough. This is a great time to learn the market, drive in communities you never have and to explore.
  • Be patient with riders, some people a trigger happy always quick to cancel a ride for that cancellation fee, but that ride may be worth $50 bucks and you traded it out for $4 bucks, not a smart move and pretty amature move. Sit your ego aside.
  • Lastly, don’t work no more than 8 hours straight and incorporate working one or both of the rush hours committing 3 hours to the high peak hours no matter what. I make the bulk of my money doing this doing the week. I drive in what I deemed for myself the most undesirable time of the day but my start time is anywhere from 2-4pm ending from 7-9pm. I clear a nice chunk of earnings and ironically not using much fuel. I do strategize in how I move direction wise, but nonetheless I work these hours diligently 3-4 days out of the weak.

So there you have it in a nutshell! I hope you this blog has encouraged you and granted you some awesome reminders and takeaways so that you can remain less stressed and pressed to earning a dollar. Work smart not hard, persistence and observation is key in the gig economy. If at all you’re needing any assistance in developing your own strategies or need an outside perspective to earning, may I suggest heading over to my website http://www.ceodriveher.shop and setting up a consultation for $35. It’ll be the best investment towards mastering the gig economy.

12-HOUR SHIFTS WITH RIDESHARE || YAY OR NAY

So I decided two weeks ago to do a small experiment on implementing shift work in the gig economy seeking to figure out the following. 1. Will it increase earnings. 2. Is it a better method in regards to granting an individual more time on the back end. 3. Can you be just as strategic. At the end of it all my conclusion actually surprised me in the oddest way.

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So I began this experiment on a Thursday and it was in my opinion an utter fail from the start. Did I make a lot of money over the course of those 4 days, well yes of course, but I made the same amount just a little more than usual. In short my findings proved that working 12-hour shifts doing one solid platform be-it Uber, Lyft, of Door Dash is pointless unless in odd situations whereas the demand is an all time high, but that is rare. I will maintain my firm belief that strategy out weighs work hours in exchange for higher earned income.

First issue with working 12-hour shift, if there is dead time you’re stuck and left to just wait it out when in fact if you stay to strategic split shifts you in turn can make more of a profit, have more time to expend on what you want, and incorporate a nice mix of other gigs. Second issue with working 12-hour shifts, SLEEP deprived! This by far was exhausting and for someone like me that likes to be mobile and fluid in my day-to-day activity this limited me severely. Sitting in a vehicle just isn’t sustainable and extremely unhealthy. As a holistic wellness coach I notice I got more lazy, I started to swell up, and my eating was off big time. A big factor to consider with rideshare or any gig for that matter, for the most part the demands come in waves. Staying logged on in down-time is literally a waste of time, as a business owner you’re best investing that time in other endeavors and contributing more time to resting up. Third with 12-hour shifts, irritability and lack of mental clarity and sharpness. It seemed as if my days were running in to one big lump. I literally felt like a slave to the road, which defeats the point of doing this gig. I refuse to be an employee to it. I work on my rules, terms, and when I wanna.

The surprising overall effect! So after a day or two of recouping I noticed after a few days I was able to work longer hours effortlessly. Working the 12-hour shifts caused me to become adapted in a new way in regards to how I went about doing rideshare. I use to space out my time hoping off and on and not following through on time when logged in. I seen myself declining fewer rides and trusting the process. When logged in I was committed for the long haul. My work time went from averaging 4-5 hours a day to 7-8 hours a day. I was more targeted and strategic in my earnings. I made more money is less than the time I had when working those 12-hour shifts. In all the greatest thing taken from those twelves is I was able to push myself more seeing what I was capable of doing. Me being uncomfortable those few days was enough to quickly condition me to work more efficiently.

So in my humble opinion if your only option is rideshare and you don’t seek to do anything else and don’t mind long dead time then it just may work out for you, but I can guarantee it is not suitable for the long time. If you’re an entrepreneur like myself this is like dying a slow and painful death completely tormenting to the entrepreneurial soul because we seek to be profitable every waking moment. Wasted time is dollars, taking away from us committing time in other avenues.