Is Being a Freelance Courier Right for You?

Being self-employed is a career path that many people dream of, but not everyone achieves. There are certainly a lot of perks to working freelance, or even setting up a company, but it does require someone who is driven and can keep themselves motivated. If you have recently worked as a delivery driver or courier but think that you would like to explore a freelance approach to this work, read on to see if you can make it happen for yourself.

Accessing Jobs

There are a lot of companies that hire freelance couriers, and registering your service with them could be helpful to get you started. You can also use other platforms to find jobs and boost your income, such as this one that helps couriers find work via load board systems. When starting, you should look at as many options as possible to give you the best chance of accessing jobs quickly and efficiently.

Getting the Right Insurance

As a courier, you’ll already be aware that you will need the correct insurance for your vehicle and handling clients’ packages safely. If you have previously worked as a driver for a company, you might not have had to worry about the ins and outs of policies. Before you start operating as a freelancer, make sure that you have the right insurance in place. You can speak to an insurance provider if you’re not sure about which exact cover you will need to have included in your policy. 

Registering as Self-Employed

You’ll also need to remember to register yourself as self-employed with the IRS to make sure that your taxes are all correct. As a self-employed individual, you could be entitled to exemptions on certain expenses if they are for your business. If you are planning to start a courier company, you’ll need to incorporate your business with the relevant government bodies as well before you can begin trading.

Do You Have Savings?

Your freelance courier career can be very lucrative for you, but choosing to follow the path of self-employment can also be risky and tumultuous at first. This is why before you leap, you need to make sure that you have enough savings to see you through for six months to a year—just in case you experience a slow start before you gain more clients and jobs. This will give you peace of mind and give you more flexibility when it comes to making your freelance career work.

Promoting Yourself as a Courier

Finally, while working for more established companies as a freelancer and using websites to find jobs is great, you do need to make sure you’re promoting yourself via other platforms as well. Setting up a professional website for your services is a good way to do this, as is using social media as a tool to promote your work. Set up separate accounts so that you don’t have to use your social media accounts for business, as this will help you look more professional, too. 

If you think you’re ready to take the next steps and become a freelance courier, consider the points above to help you get started and prepare to become self-employed.

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