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Is a Self-Employed Courier Job Right For You?

Written by Gertie | 28-Mar-2013 17:09:00

Hello, dears!

As you may have noticed, I like to keep this blog varied (and hopefully, interesting) so after that bit of fun we had last time, I thought we ought to go for something more serious on this post. I've decided to address a topic that I get frequent questions about; specifically, how to find out if a self-employed courier job is right for you or not.

Now, don't take this as a definitive guide or anything; this is just the opinion of a slightly batty old restaurant waitress. But as you know, I do get a lot of couriers that pop into my cafe, not to mention my nephew. So I do know what I'm on about (well, more or less).

In any case, when trying to find out if a self-employed courier job would fit you, the first thing you have to ask yourself is why you're choosing this type of profession. Usually, if you have limited time on your hands or can't, for one reason or another, work a full-time job, this type of position is great as an alternate source of income. That is why we see many mothers and students embark on this type of activity.

Before you choose to take up a job like this, however, you must also think of the money. The concept of a 'self-employed courier job' implies that there are no steady hours, and no steady paycheque – you earn what you work for, purely and simply. What this means is, of course, that this can't be treated as a steady source of income, at the risk of you making no money certain months because there were no packages to deliver. Make sure you either have a decent enough base to live off, or you have another source of income – like a working spouse or a second, full-time job.

"0-day courier" © 2008 goosmurf, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Another thing you should think of has to do with mobility. You're going to be moving around a lot, so if you have injuries or physical problems, a self-employed courier job is not at all recommended.

Finally, you have

to ask yourself – are you a people person? You're going to be dealing with people every single day, and they're going to want to see your best smiley face. So if you're better off in your corner with nobody pestering you, look elsewhere, because you are going to hate being a courier. If, however, you think some or all of the above describe you, then why not? Get a self-employed

courier job and make a bit of extra money to buy something nice at the end of the month!

Again, please don't think of this as anything more than an opinion. Still, I hope I've helped at least a little...

See you next time, dears!

Gertie
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