12 Dec 2024
As part of our ongoing series highlighting inspiring driver partner stories, we’re focusing on ride-hailing as a pathway to entrepreneurship.
With an increasing number of people turning to ride-hailing to supplement their income or pursue business ambitions, it’s clear that driving offers more than just earnings—it’s an entrepreneurial opportunity.
In a recent survey of 700 Bolt driver partners, 80% enjoy being able to drive whenever they wish and 55% enjoy driving so they can spend time on things that are important to them.
Based on a survey conducted in September 2024.
Meet Claudiu, a private-hire driver and entrepreneur who chose a driving career 30 years ago. “I needed to be available and flexible for my family,” he explains. With a busy family life and a dream of running his own business, Claudiu prioritised flexibility from the start of his career.
“The flexibility was priceless, especially when my children were younger. Now, I can focus on my businesses with that same flexibility.”
In 2019 Claudiu decided to start a new business and launched a removal company. “The demand spiked during the COVID period.”
Claudiu is looking to expand the company and develop a new system to better identify and automate how much space is required for each move. “One of the biggest challenges in my business is defining how much space to allocate. Customers don’t always know precisely the volume they need. I have been working with my IT team for the past 8 months to develop better tools to solve this problem”.
Claudiu’s journey hasn’t stopped. He continues to drive to support his entrepreneurial ventures. “I’m an entrepreneur, and Bolt helped me finance my business. It’s straightforward: open the app, drive, make money.”
When asked about the benefits of private-hire driving, Claudiu highlights the flexibility and the ability to earn quickly. But that’s not all—“driving also gives you the chance to meet people.”
“If you’re in it only for the money, you’ll do fine. But think of the people you meet along the way. You never know who your next passenger will be; you can gain a lot from those conversations. I learn every day.”
I start whenever I want. I choose my hours and prefer driving between 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. or from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. These times happen to be the most lucrative for me.”
Reflecting on his journey, he adds, “I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, but it comes with the responsibility of building everything yourself. The excitement of seeing your ideas take shape and grow keeps me going.”
Considering private-hire driving? Put your licence to good use and start driving with Bolt.
