Uber is a magnet for micro-entrepreneurs
58% of drivers using the Uber app have a knack for business
Uber attracts micro-entrepreneurs like a magnet, and the drivers themselves have a knack for business. These are the two key conclusions from the #ProwadzęBiznes study, conducted by the Pollster Research Institute and Julia Izmałkowa, commissioned by the Polish branch of Uber.
A machine for creating micro-entrepreneurs
#ProwadzęBiznes is the first study of entrepreneurship among drivers using Uber, commissioned by the Polish branch of the company and carried out by the independent Pollster Research Institute and Julia Izmałkowa. 3,328 drivers using the app in Warsaw responded to the questions.
58% of drivers were classified as "born entrepreneurs," displaying developed business skills and a sense of enterprise.
As many as 7 in 10 drivers (70% of respondents) say they "could make a business out of anything if they recognized the potential in it." According to the analyses by the Pollster Research Institute and Julia Izmałkowa, this is a group of drivers who are "resourceful, enterprising, and love challenges," the kind of people friends call when they need to get something done.
Born entrepreneurs behind the wheel
Meanwhile, 41% of drivers using the Uber app are "unawakened entrepreneurs," who "have a vision, knowledge, and clients who will follow them anywhere." They have a business plan mapped out in their heads, but at the same time feel that something is still missing, so they often collaborate with other partners.
Only 1% of the surveyed drivers show no interest in business at all and prefer to stay in their comfort zone.
"Drivers using the Uber app are active people who eagerly engage in new activities," says Paweł Piekarski, board member of the Pollster Research Institute – "This is shown both by the analysis and by the willingness to participate in our study; the positive response from drivers exceeded our wildest expectations."
47% of drivers declare that thanks to working with Uber they have funds allowing them to develop their own business:
"For a year and a half I drove on my own, as a sole proprietor. The money I earned quickly stopped being a supplement to my salary as a personal trainer and became my main source of income. That's why I decided to expand my business and focus on working with Uber. Today, after more than two years, my fleet has over 40 cars, and the rapidly growing business has somewhat forced further investments on me: in a tire shop, a car wash, a car rental service, and a body and paint shop. The next step will be developing benefits for drivers, without whom this business wouldn't exist" - lists Patryk Huszcza from Personalnie24, who works with Uber as a partner.
The app as a money-making machine
It may come as a surprise that partners using the Uber app often treat the app primarily as a money-making machine. They emphasize that they work mainly "for themselves," "on their own account," genuinely feeling like owners of one-person companies on four wheels. On the other hand, the Uber app has significantly contributed to the increase in the number of people running sole proprietorships in Poland. According to the #ProwadzęBiznes study, one in three drivers (32%) decided to open a new business and diversify their sources of income. It can therefore confidently be said that Uber is driving the micro-enterprise sector in Poland.
"I started working with Uber at the end of 2015. Previously I ran an event agency, but I wanted to try something new. The company's financial capabilities picked up pace, so I took a risk and bought my first car; very quickly I found demand for more. After about two years I noticed that the revenue from the Uber-related business was equivalent to the agency revenue, and even began to surpass it, so I changed my priorities. Uber became the foundation of my work. Since practically all my employees and associates were foreigners, I had to find a hostel and handle their residence legalization. Together with a friend, we opened a 40-room hostel for 120 people. The number of drivers grew, as did the number of cars, so the next step was opening a car workshop. Each of these decisions confirms that the foundation of this work is relationships with other people. Thanks to Uber, I not only developed my business but, above all, made acquaintances that I continue to this day, both on a business and private level" - says Marta Karaaga from Pink Cat - So Berry, who works with Uber as a partner.
Code of the Uber driver: freedom, flexibility, independence
Driver-entrepreneurs using Uber most often listed the following as advantages of this work: flexible working hours, no hourly limits (97%), the ability to control one's daily earnings and timely payment of wages (95%), a sense of freedom and deciding for oneself (94%), the ability to start work quickly with minimal formalities (92%), the opportunity to develop one's own passions and interests while working, and staying up to date with technological innovations (in both cases, 90% of responses).
Summary
The #ProwadzęBiznes study, conducted by the Pollster Research Institute and Julia Izmałkowa on behalf of the Polish branch of Uber, shows that the app attracts people with developed business skills. As many as 58% of drivers are "born entrepreneurs," and 32% have opened a new business thanks to working with the platform.
Drivers value flexible working hours and a sense of freedom and deciding for themselves. An example is Patryk Huszcza, who built a fleet of over 40 cars in two years, or Marta Karaaga, who moved from an event agency to running a hostel and a workshop. Uber thus appears not only as a source of income but as a real engine of micro-entrepreneurship in Poland.
