December 2018 – Page 3 – Rideshare Central

Lyft & Uber Holiday Rider Tips

December 10, 2018/in Blog, Riders & Customers/by Jonathon C

Winter is a hectic time to be on the road. Dangerous weather and increased holiday traffic can make an ordinary commute seem like the seventh level of hell at times.

It’s no wonder so many people choose to take a Lyft or Uber during this time of year.

Unfortunately, the increased rider demand around the holidays often leads to more frequent and costly surge pricing.

Don’t worry though — we’ve got the inside scoop on how to ride like a pro and keep a little dough in your pocket for those holiday gifts.

Lyft passenger traveling home for the holidays.

Avoiding Surge Pricing on Uber and Lyft

Mention surge pricing in conversations among rideshare passengers and you’ll likely be met with a stream of expletives, or at least a roll of the eyes. Unfortunately, the concept isn’t going away and may show up at your favorite restaurant next year.

Lyft and Uber don’t necessarily impose surge pricing to be evil – they’re just responding to the reality that ride requests often outnumber the number of drivers available and must offer some incentives to keep drivers driving.

That said, we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves for avoiding surge pricing with Uber and Lyft during the holidays.

1. Sign up for both Lyft and Uber

In many cases, one platform may have surge pricing, while the other is charging the standard fare for rides. Comparing fares can help you avoid paying a premium for your rides.

Walk a couple blocks — It’s hard to know when or where surge pricing might begin, but if you’re in a particularly congested shopping area, consider walking a couple of blocks to a less busy place to avoid surge pricing.

2. Wait About Ten Minutes

Sometimes, avoiding surge pricing is just a matter of being patient. If you can wait 15-30 minutes, you may find that rates return to normal for your next ride. Go have a drink or a meal and see how things play out.

3. Know The Regular Surge Pricing Times

Again this isn’t always foolproof, but if you can plan your rides outside of normal commute times, you can save time, headaches, and money. Additionally, if you keep up to date on special events like concerts or sporting events, you can avoid those times likely to be subject to surge pricing.

4. Give UberPool Or Lyft Line A Try

If you’re down to meet new people, consider sharing your ride with others. You never know — you could meet the next Mr. or Mrs. Right!

Avoiding surge pricing is just one way to make your holiday rideshare experience a 5-star affair. Keep reading for additional tips.

Consider A Lyft Or Uber Subscription Plan

Both Uber and Lyft offer subscription plans in certain cities, designed to reduce rates and encourage rider loyalty.

If you think you may be taking a few more Lyft or Uber rides this December, this might be a good option.

Lyft Subscription Plans

There are currently two Lyft All-Access Plans. The first one costs $169 per month for 30 rides (up to $8 per ride). The more expensive Lyft plan costs $299 per month for 30 rides (up to $15 per ride).

Overall, Lyft’s subscription plan works out to around a 30% discount on rides, if you take 30 rides in a month, and they’re under the $8 or $15 limit.

For rides over $8 or $15, the rider pays the additional amount.

Uber Cash & Ride Pass

If $299 or $169 are a bit steep, the Uber Ride Pass might be a better option.

Purchasing a pass ($14.99 – $24.99 per month) locks in reduced Uber rates for one month. It’s only available in certain cities, and even in those cities, in limited quantities.

You can sign up through the app. The option will appear in your Uber rider app when passes are available. When the passes for that month are sold out, the option disappears.

Uber Ride Pass Sign Up

Uber Ride Pass

Monthly fee to lock in reduced rates in the service area
$14.99 to $24.99 (varies by city), plus the flat rate of each trip
Automatically renews

Uber Cash allows you to purchase Uber ride credits at a discount. You can add Uber Cash to your account from the Uber rider app.

5% discount when you add $100
3% discount when you add $50
2% discount when you add $25

Also, be sure to check out Uber’s Holiday Tips that outline various app features that may come in handy this holiday season.

Be Realistic About Your Car Size Requirements

Everyone wants to save money during the holidays, so it may seem like a good idea to order the smallest, least expensive Uber or Lyft vehicle you can.

However, if you’ve got a Santa-worthy stash of gifts or six roller-bags for your family of four, don’t expect your driver to fit everything in their Prius. Instead, opt for the XL, Plus, or Lux options and enjoy some space.

Communicate With Your Driver

Your Uber or Lyft driver will have enough to contend with during the holidays, so do everyone a favor by:

Communicating your location to your driver in advance — try to use recognizable landmarks that a driver is likely to see from the road.
Let your driver know what you’re wearing so they can easily identify you.
Avoid the most crowded pick-up/drop-off areas for faster, easier access.

Not only will this keep everyone in a better mood, but it can also save you money by avoiding extra fees and cancellations if your driver can’t find you.

Schedule Your Ride in Advance

Both Uber and Lyft offer ride scheduling, so if you know when you’ll need to be picked up, like 20 minutes after your plane lands, schedule that ride in advance. This will ensure a driver is available for you and help you avoid the long holiday rideshare lines at the airport.

Lyft Scheduled Rides

One caveat — if you do schedule a ride in advance, be sure to be at your agreed pick-up location at the agreed time. If something changes, communicate with your driver.

Be Kind, Ride Safe & Tip

Remember, drivers can rate their passengers, so try to be on your best behavior during the holiday rush. Drivers are people too, and can make mistakes just like the rest of us.

Plus, holidays are more prone to drunk driving incidents (though hopefully not on the part of your driver), so be sure to wear your seatbelt.

Also, be sure to tip your driver. Tips on Uber or Lyft are not included, but always appreciated.

If your driver made you feel particularly safe and welcome, don’t be afraid to spread the holiday cheer and give them a 15 to 20 percent tip and 5-star review at the end of your ride.

If you haven’t sign up with either Lyft or Uber, and want to receive ride credits up to $20 (in most cities, you get $5), click one of the buttons below.

Lyft Ride Credits

Uber Ride Credits

Lyft Files For IPO, Lime Undefines, & Uber Looking For A Bird (Or Lime)?

December 7, 2018/in Blog/by Jane T

This Week In On Demand — Dec. 7, 2018

From Uber to Instacart, the big players in the on demand industries refuse to rest this holiday season.

Luckily, we’re bringing all the top headlines to one convenient spot. Grab a seat — here’s what has been happening this week in on demand.

Lyft Files To Go Public

Yesterday, Lyft announced that it had filed a draft S-1 Form with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to its proposed initial public offering. While the number of shares and offering price has not been determined, the IPO is expected to take place in Q1 of 2019.

Lyft was valued at $15.1 Billion in its latest funding round, and will likely go public at a valuation between $18 and $30 billion. Uber is expected to go public next year as well, but Lyft will likely beat them to market by several months.

NYC Passes Minimum Wage Law For Rideshare Drivers

On Wednesday, The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission set a minimum wage of $17.22 per hour (after expenses) for rideshare drivers in the city. The new wage will go into effect in mid-January of next year.

Over 90% of rideshare drivers are expected to benefit from the increase. Uber & Lyft were opposed to the move, arguing it will increase fares for consumers, and increase traffic congestion.

Lime Faces Struggles Over PR Firm Connection

While Lime isn’t discussing a potential Uber buyout, they are struggling to keep the story straight on their connection with Definers Public Affairs.

Last month, it came to light that the scooter company had hired Definers Public Affairs for a three-month contract. The PR firm specializes in opposition research, but their tactics have caused controversy across multiple industries.

Since the news of their contract hit, Lime has repeatedly changed their stance.

First, the VP of Global expansion Caen Contee stated the scooter company cut ties with the firm after learning about the use of smear tactics. That claim was followed the next day with two separate official company statements — both of which served to counteract Contee’s statement. No further information was provided, leaving the true relationship between the two businesses unclear.

Instacart Faces Boycott After Cutting Customer Fees

While it’s smooth sailing for Amazon, their biggest competitor in the grocery delivery sector has hit rough waters. Instacart is facing a boycott from their independent contractors following a slash in customer pricing.

The on demand grocery service announced earlier this month that it is cutting their annual Express membership fee down to $99 and eliminating the per-delivery service fee.

The move was made in an effort to become more affordable than Amazon Prime’s Whole Foods delivery. However, Instacart shoppers claim the new pay structure, which will affect all U.S. markets by the end of December, has resulted in substantial earning losses.

Considering Instacart relies on its shoppers for operation, the contractor backlash has the potential to cause serious problems if the company doesn’t rectify the issue.

Amazon Go Is Ready for Bigger Stores

Amazon is bringing their cashierless shopping experience to a bigger venue. Reportedly, the company is testing their grab-and-go grocery method in Seattle. The city, along with a handful of others, has already been a testing site for their cashierless system. However, all previous instances of Amazon Go were in small settings.

Amazon is at the forefront of the quickly evolving grocery industry. It’s well known the company hopes to expand its on demand grocery delivery offerings, which inspired its purchase of Whole Foods.

With the addition of check-out-free in-store shopping offerings, Amazon is in prime position to give both delivery services, like Instacart, and retailers, like Walmart and Target, a run for their money.

Uber Teams Up With Starbucks, Hires NHTSA Veteran, and Considers Big-Name Scooter Acquisition

It’s been a busy week for Uber. Last week the rideshare company announced a seasonal collaboration with Starbucks. Known as the “Week of Cheers,” riders receive a buy one, get one drink coupon for every trip taken between December 3rd and December 9th.

Uber drivers are also included in the holiday promotion by earning Starbucks gift cards — the amounts of which are based on the number of tips received. Such a big name collaboration would normally turn heads, but the headline was only the beginning for Uber announcements this week.

On Monday, news broke that the company hired Nat Beuse to join their autonomous vehicle sector. The newest team member previously worked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focusing on on-the-road safety and research.

The move serves as a powerful effort to reinvigorate Uber’s self-driving program, which suffered a major setback after a pedestrian in Arizona was killed during on-the-road testing in March.

The week also opened with news of a potential scooter acquisition. Reportedly, Uber is looking to expand their e-scooter offerings with a purchase of either Bird or Lime. While they already own JUMP, an on demand scooter and bike rental company, the service is only available in two cities. Information regarding the potential purchase is currently limited with all three parties remaining tight-lipped.

Well, you’re caught up for this week. Check back next week for the latest news affecting your favorite side hustles.

Poshmark Starter Tips: Image Quality Is Everything

December 6, 2018/in Blog/by Cassandra

Thinking of launching your next side hustle by selling clothes online? Then you’ve most likely heard of Poshmark, which has taken the ecommerce world by storm.

What Is Poshmark And How Do I Use It?

Poshmark is a digital marketplace where people can buy and sell new or used clothing, shoes and accessories online.

To sell on Poshmark, simply download their app, available for IOS (Apple) and Android, and sign up for an account.

Once you activate your account, you take a picture of an item, upload it to your Poshmark closet, and list it for sale.

Uploading & Listing On Poshmark

While some use Poshmark as their entire means of income (dedicating 40+ hours per week), others have found the app good for a lucrative side hustle. The beauty of Poshmark is that users have total freedom to leverage its possibilities for as little or as much as they would like.

The application has 4 million daily sellers, and according to Manish Chandra, founder and CEO of Poshmark, is “the largest social commerce marketplace in the U.S. that continues to innovate in both resale and retail fashion markets.”

There are many tips and tricks to boost sales, but the most important thing about getting started is understanding the importance of presentation and image quality.

Poshmark Image Tips – A Lazy, Blurry Photo Could Cost You Everything

OK, that was hyperbole. But see that girl over there selling the same shoes as you? The one who took the time to take well-lit photos and curate a cute #ootd to go along with them? Yeah. She’s gonna get the sale.

Before you run out and purchase pricey photography equipment, know that your images don’t have to be professional quality, so there’s no need to spend a fortune.

However, do take some time to experiment with natural lighting, different backdrops, and various surface textures within your home.

A free element to utilize is natural sunlight (but filtered with gauze or sheer curtains) to showcase your items. This works especially well when you are modeling your clothing or shoes (more on self-modeling later).

If you have warm wood floors—even better! Your look will pop as the natural light creates a warm halo effect, softening your entire look. When shooting flat lays (more on this later as well), try placing on white marble counters or against interesting tile if available.

These may seem like trivial decisions, but we live in a world where aesthetics matter.

When binge shopping on Poshmark, you’re much more likely to click on images that are clearer, higher quality, clearly lit, and present the item for sale in a way that looks visually appealing. No one likes their time wasted with misleading images.

For instance, you may find a heavily discounted pair of Adidas Stan Smith Sneakers, and upon clicking through you don’t realize until the fifth image why they’re so cheap. The pictures were so dark and poorly lit you couldn’t see how stained and damaged they were at first.

(Side note: it’s 100% okay to sell soiled or damaged products as long as you state upfront their quality. Many have the resources to repair shoes or clothing so they actively look for damaged and therefore discounted products).

Using Stock Images From Online Retailers

This is totally fine and even recommended, but do expect to mix in photos of the actual product you own.

Interested buyers will request these to ensure product quality. If you are selling designer items, they may also request serial numbers and even proof of receipt.

Don’t feel attacked if someone requests proof. This means you have serious buyers that want your product! There are many people hocking fake designer goods on Poshmark, and while the community is great about calling out scammer accounts, people just need reassurance.

If you do use stock images, the best practice is to place an image credit in the listing.

A Note on Designer Goods

Poshmark verifies all luxury items priced at $500 and above. Once purchased, the seller will ship the piece directly to Poshmark Headquarters for authentication.

Upon arrival, the Poshmark Luxury Team will check the item for proper logos, tags, materials used, hardware, quality, and serial numbers. Once all of this information is confirmed, the item will be shipped out to the buyer. If things don’t check out, the buyer’s money will be refunded immediately.

Poshmark has wonderful policies in place that protect each and every buyer, not just those buying luxury materials.

If you purchase an item under $500, it won’t be subject to the verification process—but you will still be protected under “Posh Protect,” which means if your item doesn’t match the listed description, you will also receive a full refund.

Poshmark Caveats With Designer Goods

If something seems too good to be true (for instance, Balenciaga sneakers that retail at $800 selling for $300) this should signal someone trying to find a loophole around the $500 authentication mark. On top of this, if they are selling the item in several sizes, many will assume the items are fake. This isn’t an across the board stereotype—just a word to the wise.

Styling and Branding

This may strike you as gratuitous, but take a moment to browse sellers on Poshmark (and even eBay) whose sales are in the hundreds and even thousands. These girls have a persona.

They have clientele that check their inventory on a daily basis, knowing they often have their favorite designer items—just discounted! Embrace your own personal taste when styling your photos while also keeping abreast of what’s currently relevant.

Try modeling your clothes on a professional dressmakers’ mannequin (which has an artisan, hip look) or photograph your dresses on a beautiful clothing rack with nice hangers (satin, suede etc.). This will always look better than using a cheap plastic hanger you found at the back of your closet.

For more basic items (simple tanks) try a flat lay.

This is when you lay an item against an appealing surface (read: not your unwashed bed sheets) and photograph them from directly above. Curate an entire suggested outfit next to the item laying flat.

Think a fun necklace, shoes, a cute jacket, or a cross body bag. The more you help the potential buyer contextualize how he or she can use your item, the more you increase the likelihood of a sale. You’ve essentially created a story for your shopper on how she or he could have fun wearing your piece.

Don’t Overlook Your Profile Image

People are naturally drawn to a fun, inspiring online presence. If your profile image speaks to that demographic, you’ll have a larger reach.

Call it superficial, call it a marketing ploy, but the truth is online shoppers are seeking out a lifestyle, and your first impression is your profile pic. It also helps them feel closer to you. After all, Poshmark is meant to be a social network where sellers often interact with commenters and likers.

There is also a feature called “Meet Your Posher.” This shows up as a listing on your Poshmark page and allows for up to eight images.

You can show images of yourself living your best life; you can list out your height, weight, and body type, which is helpful for buyers when you model clothes; and you can also make permanent deals or important sales details available to your buyers (bundle discounts, how often you post new products, if part of your sales go to a charity, and so on).

The more you share about yourself, the more people feel a connection with you and you can bridge that ever important buyer-seller trust.

If you take anything away from this article, the message is to spend a little extra time planning out what your brand is, curate each sale listing, put your best face forward, have fun, and photograph accordingly!

Doordash Dasher Tips: How to Maximize Your Income

December 4, 2018/in Blog, Doordash Drivers, Driver Advice/by Avery Baxter

Being a Doordash dasher and making food deliveries on DoorDash is a great way to make some extra cash in your spare time.

Earning potential depends on your location as well as how much you work and when you work.

If you want to maximize your earning potential, you’ll need to work efficiently and be smart about which deliveries you take on and how you complete your trips.

(Disclosure – We independently research our content to provide free advice for you. We may get compensation if you sign up with services, or purchase products through our affiliate links.)

Doordash Driver Tips For New Dashers

You’ve probably already seen the How To Dash page on Doordash (if not, go check it out). Below, we’ve put together some helpful pro tips for maximizing your Dasher income with DoorDash.

Work as efficiently as possible to maximize your delivery numbers.

At the end of the day, your earning potential rests in the number of food deliveries you take on. That’s why it’s important for you to work as efficiently as possible to maximize your order numbers and improve your potential pay.

As a Doordash dasher, the more that you can compress your delivery times, the more orders you will be able to squeeze into your shift.

One way to work more efficiently is to cut down on your drive time. Here are a few insider tips for getting to the restaurant and delivery destination as quickly as possible:

Know where you’re going. Driving in the wrong direction is a big waste of time. Make sure that you take an extra few seconds to review your route before getting in the car.
If you can’t find the restaurant, call them. If you have a hard time locating the restaurant, don’t un-claim the order. Call the restaurant and ask for cross streets.
Check traffic before you leave. Making sure that you take the fastest possible route to your destination helps you save time so you can take on more orders. Always check the traffic, and choose the less busy route.
Read customer instructions before delivery. Customers will often leave additional instructions on their order to help you locate their home faster, such as the location of their building or a gate code. Check these out before you head their way.

Another way to improve efficiency is to keep things like extra napkins, straws, and utensils in your vehicle. That way, if the restaurant does not include these items when you pick up the delivery, you can slip them in before you drop the order off at the customer’s house.

Letting the customer know that you’ve added these items is a great way to earn extra tips.

Be strategic about the orders you pick up

Another way to boost your earning potential on DoorDash is to be more strategic about the orders that you pick up.

Each time you get a DoorDash order request, the app lets you know where the restaurant is (including the distance from your current location) and what the order value is. You then have 60 seconds to accept or decline the order.

You do not have to accept every order that comes your way.

If you are more strategic about the orders you pick up, then you are able to increase your chances of maximizing earning potential during your shift. Typically, larger orders come with bigger tips and are more likely to be worth driving a further distance for.

Additionally, picking up orders that are closer to one another allows you to take on more deliveries in the same shift.

For example, you may decide that any orders under a certain order-total threshold are not worth your time unless they are in the immediate vicinity. Taking on smaller orders that are further away uses up time that you could be using to focus on larger orders that are likely to pay more.

Similarly, you may decide to only pick up orders that are in a certain mile radius from your current location. That means you won’t have to drive too far to complete the order, which takes time away from the rest of your shift.

That said, it’s important to note that, if you don’t accept an order, there is no guarantee that the next order that comes your way will be bigger or closer. Similarly, not every large order will lead to a big tip. You could end up spending a significant amount of time picking up and delivering a large and difficult food order only to walk away with no tip at all.

Join Doordash

Dash during the busiest hours for higher earning potential

Another way to maximize your earning potential is by dashing during the heaviest order times of the day and the most busy delivery days of the week. Though the busiest order days and times will depend on your particular location, there are patterns in nearly every area:

Weekend nights tend to be the busiest and most lucrative delivery times.
The sweet spot for lunch deliveries is between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays.
The dinner rush takes place during anywhere from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the week.
Breakfast time is less busy for DoorDash deliveries and may not be worth your time.

The only way to know for sure when the busy hours and days are for your location is to experiment a little. Try picking deliveries during different times of the day and days of the week to see when the greatest demand is in your area.

Not only will there be the potential for more orders (and tips), but you will be able to make more money per hour as you won’t have to wait and waste time between order requests.

In addition to the standard Doordash dasher busy times when people are likely to order, you should also take into account the weather when choosing your DoorDash shifts. People are more likely to order food to be delivered when it’s raining or snowing out.

Picking up deliveries during poor weather periods is a great way to earn big tips since most customers will be happy to have a convenient way to get their food.

Another thing to mention is that DoorDash provides incentives for dashers who make deliveries during the busiest times of the day, typically during the lunch and dinner rushes. Known as “Busy Pay,” this incentive will vary depending on demand in your area. However, you will be able to see the amount before you accept the delivery.

Check to make sure the order is right before you leave the restaurant

The amount of earning potential for DoorDash dashers is not just a matter of how many deliveries they can take on.

Tips also play an important part in how much DoorDash drivers can earn in a typical shift.

For this reason, it’s important to make sure that the order is correct and complete before you make the delivery to the customer. Even though it may technically be the fault of a restaurant that an order is incorrect, the customer may take it out on you by not giving you a tip.

Checking to ensure that the order is correct does take some extra time. However, it’s worth it in the end when you are able to provide a satisfying experience for the customer, especially if they decide to reward you with a larger tip.

To save time in making sure the order is right, you can review the order on the app before you enter the restaurant. That way, you can quickly scan the order in the restaurant to ensure that everything is there.

If you find that something is missing in the order, you can then request it from the restaurant before heading to the delivery location. Veteran dashers know that restaurants often forget to include drinks with the order.

Always check the app to see if any drinks were ordered so that you can ensure that the drinks make it to the customer.

Bonus Tip: Refer other Doordash dashers to earn extra cash

As a bonus tip, another easy way to make money through DoorDash is by referring new drivers. DoorDash makes it easy for drivers to refer others to the company, allowing both the referring Dasher and the referred Dasher to benefit from special bonuses. The DoorDash referral bonus amounts vary by location and tend to change depending on the market in the area. To see the referral rates for your area, check out your local DoorDash city page.

You can refer new Dashers through text message, email, Facebook (and Facebook Messenger), and Twitter. In order to get credit for a referral, you’ll need to make sure that the new Dasher has included your phone number on the sign up page under the “Referrer Phone #” field. These referral bonuses are then added to your weekly pay once the referred Dasher completes a certain number of deliveries within their first 30 days.

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Care.com – Sign Up Guide And Profile Tips

December 3, 2018/in Blog/by Hannah

In the age of the side hustle, working professionals are turning to remote and flexible jobs to meet their needs.

Dog walking, nannying, housekeeping, and tutoring are just a small sample of the work available to those looking to expand their resumes.

Looking for a source of many of these jobs and a simple guide to signing up? Look no further. Care.com provides a one-stop shop for a variety of part and fulltime gigs.

You can sign up to work for care.com on their site, or by downloading and applying through the Care.com Caregiver app, available for IOS and Android.

Signing Up To Be A Care.Com Caregiver

Here’s the steps to follow if you want to sign up, along with a few helpful resources.

1. Choose Your Service

Looking to become a nanny? Tutor? Daycare employee? There are many profile options available that you can adjust if your interests or availability changes later.

Start by choosing the option that fits your personality best and fill out the sign-up form with your name, address, birthday, phone, and email.

2. Verify Your Phone Number To Use CareChat

Care.com uses CareChat to keep your number private during discussion with potential clients, so you’ll be asked to verify your phone number.

3. Enter Your Address

Next, enter your address.

After entering your address, you’ll be able to see nearby jobs, but you’ll want to finish setting up your profile.

4. Add Salary and Experience

This step will also let you choose to accept credit card payments.

You’ll also be asked about your years of experience and your education level.

For work like nannying and babysitting, this step will ask you how many children you feel comfortable watching at a time, which age groups you have experience working with, and how many miles you are willing to travel for a job. Take into consideration the line of work you have chosen and if you are willing to commute to that job often.

5. Dazzle with a Great Bio And Add A Profile Picture (Or Video)

To make your profile stand out and get you the most gigs, spend some extra time on building your biography in this section. Focus on skills and experience that showcase you in the specific field of work you’ve chosen.

No need to write a novel, but do include past jobs that match your field to showcase your talents and personality.

After that, you’ll be asked to add a profile picture (highly recommended).

You can also add a video introduction if you like.

6. Proceed to Security Screenings

To comply with federal laws, you will be required to be screened via a background check to move forward.

This is standard with caregiving jobs and an essential step to ensure you meet safety requirements.

Once you acknowledge this step, you can move forward to finalize your profile while you wait for the results of your background checks.

After Signing Up For Care.Com

The first thing you should do is check out a few listings. This is a great place to get insight into what families are looking for in their caregivers.

For example, if the listings include items like “light cooking and cleaning” for a nanny job, it could be a good idea to go back and add that to your profile to better appeal to those jobs (if you are willing to do these tasks).

Set Your Availability

Take an honest inventory of the time you have available. This will make the process easier when the time comes to get jobs, as families can easily see when you are available to work.

Update this section frequently to ensure accurate bookings and to remain transparent for the families looking into hiring you as a service provider.

You will be able to notify families if your are available on short term notice.

Check Out Care.com Resources

Care.com has a dedicated community site that has a lot of great for caregivers.

You’ll definitely want to check out their post on how to target your application to a job posting. They also have a few helpful videos for caregivers.

Personalize Your Profile

As you await your security screening results, proceed to finalize your profile. A profile picture of yourself from the waist up, smiling, is best.

Revise and add more information about your background and interests, and why you are excited to work with families in your line of work.

Don’t be afraid to add something unique about yourself, such as “on weekends you will find me with a good book at the dog park with my corgi Steve.” This adds warmth to your profile and lets families know that you are not just a profile, but a person they would want to welcome into their family.

Reviews are also a key to getting your profile noticed by potential employers. Reach out to a few trusted friends or colleagues in your line of work and ask for a quick written review of how you helped them in the past.

Care.com generally has more experienced and well-reviewed workers at the top of listings, so this can help you get noticed by families in your area.

After You’re Approved, Connect with Families

After getting confirmation that you have passed the security screening, open the listings page to search for open jobs near you. You can use search terms or simply scroll through using the area code you provided in your profile.

Families will list how many children or pets they need care for, scheduling preferences, and any must-haves, such as willingness to drive the family vehicle or cook and clean in addition to childcare.

Once you have fine-tuned your profile, it will go live on the Care.com site and allow you to reach out directly to families and vice versa.

Work Your Side Hustle!

As you begin your Care.com journey, keep your availability up to date, as families will appreciate this, especially during hectic holiday seasons.

Checking the site frequently will ensure that you never miss a message for a job and always respond within 24 hours of getting an offer to boost your profile on the site.

Don’t be afraid to turn down a job, especially if it requires more travel to the home than you are willing or a renegotiation of your set rates. As a caregiving professional, you are in control of your schedule and rates and deserve to be paid and respected accordingly.

Last but certainly not least, you will get out of Care.com what you put into it, so work hard and bring your personality and passion for caregiving to work with you each day!

Archive for month: December, 2018