Sherpa Takes the Headaches out of 1099 Reporting

So you drive for Uber, Sidecar, or maybe Lyft?  Got a big bunch of receipts and income data and don’t quite know what to do with it?  Or maybe you just want to enjoy the driving part of your business and spend less time doing the bookkeeping and busy work.  That my friend is where Sherpa comes in!

As any business owner, freelancer, or contractor will tell you, the proper and accurate accounting of your financial transactions is one of the most important functions that you have.  Fail to keep up with your reporting or submit inaccurate or under reported income and the IRS will be having a field day with you and your profits.  Sherpa allows seamless integration of your Lyft and Uber data into an easy to use bookkeeping platform.

Check them out at http://rideshareapps.com/sherpashare-referral-code/ and you will see how easy it is to work them into your accounting system.  The website is user friendly and graphically inviting and the good people at Sherpa are always there to support you and your rideshare business.

They work with and are compatible with most all rideshare companies such as Uber, Sidecar, and Lyft so you know they have a solution for you.

In addition to collecting your financial data and mileage reports, Sherpa allows communication with other drivers through their app as well.

This is a powerful little program with some big capabilities.  Try it today and see if it doesn’t make your business a bit more enjoyable.

Lyft Makes Strategic Move to Maximize it Profits

The ever popular ridesharing firm Lyft had put their toe in the pool, testing the water in regards to offering a delivery service but found the temperature a bit too cool.  Being quoted as having stated that they felt it would be irresponsible not to consider it, in the end, it doesn’t look like it will be coming anytime soon.  Test deliveries aside, there will be no Lyft deliveries in the near future.  The service’s biggest competitor, Uber however, is striking deals with retailers from small operations to the big box retail chains.  The results of this move have yet to be analyzed.

As they will not be changing their service lineup, the ridesharing firm has decided on strengthening their core services and expanding their carpooling product, Lyft Line.  Although there has been much speculation in regards to potential international expansion, the company firmly denies these statements, preferring to say that they are not willing to over expand themselves at this current time.

Instead, it is focusing on expanding and improving its original service and its carpooling product, Lyft Line. Earlier this year, Lyft confirmed to the San Jose Mercury News that it also was not planning an international expansion. The company has raised one-fifth the venture capital funding that Uber has — Lyft has $1 billion compared to Uber’s more than $5 billion — and plans to focus on a few key objectives to avoid overextending itself.

It is being stated that by not throwing their hat into the delivery services ring, Lyft is missing out on a market which is already clamoring for attention.  While speaking with retailers, many of them expressed interest in the service and in particular, utilizing Lyft over the mega competitor Uber.  Some say Lyft is simply leaving money on the table.

The matter of rideshare delivery services is still out for deliberation.  Until then, we will wait and see.  And of course, rideshare!

Travel Safe!

Rideshare Firm Lyft and Coffee Giant Starbucks Announce New Strategic Alliance

Starbucks + Lyft: A Match Made In Heaven

When you think about it, this new move by Starbucks just makes sense.  Already an established success, the company’s My Starbucks Rewards (MSR) customer loyalty program will now partner with Lyft to deliver a new array of benefits for both Lyft customers and drivers.  With the new program, Lyft customers as well as drivers will have the ability to join and participate in the MSR program as gold level members, earning MSR loyalty Stars which they then in turn can redeem for food and beverages.

So obvious it’s brilliant.  What do most people do religiously every morning?  Drink coffee and commute to work.  This new initiative marries the two together wonderfully, and adds even more to the company's current marketing promotions.  Lyft, now having a presence in over sixty-five cities across the United States, brings a big presence to the table and a lot of coffee drinking riders and drivers.  This just makes good business sense for Starbucks.

In addition to this, Lyft drivers will now be able to receive Starbucks eGifts cards from the customers that they are serving.  This element of the program makes it convenient for the customer to show their appreciation to their driver in a more personal manner than cash and it is all executed through the Lyft app, making this a seamless integration and safer than paper currency.

Never one to simply rest on their past successes, Starbucks will also be exploring transportation options with Lyft for their Starbucks partners (this is how the company refers to its employees) who are in need of a reliable way to get back and forth to work.  For many, reliable public transportation options are not available in the markets they work in.  This new program, if successful, could deliver an affordable way for employees to get back and forth to work.  The program is currently being tried in a single test market to determine if the idea has long-term viability.

If you are wondering whether or not Starbucks will stop here, wonder no more.  The new loyalty program has been so well received that the company has made announcements regarding partnerships with the online music service Spotify and the iconic print newspaper giant The New York Times.

What is the My Starbucks Rewards Program About?

Starbucks Coffee was established in 1971 and the My Starbucks Rewards program in 2009.  It allows customers the chance to earn loyalty Stars which can then in turn be used for the purchase of Starbucks food and beverage items.  Starbucks has also begun to deliver this service outside of their locations to selected organizations like Lyft, Spotify and The New York Times.  Starbucks states that they are attempting to create a consumer loyalty ecosystem which can strategically enhance sales and add benefits to its users.

Available Uber Codes For Existing Users

There is some bad news and some GREAT news when it comes to promo codes for existing

Uber users. To learn more, read further…

The Bad News

The worst part of what you need to know is that currently there are absolutely no Uber codes to

be redeemed by existing users. They are occasionally given out at special events but that is it and

they are not obtainable by the general public.

But, in order to garner interest for their ridesharing services, new users can take advantage of all

the promo codes. It is part of their marketing strategy to assist in bringing on new users.

The Great News

However you may feel at the moment, there is definitely good news. Not just good news, but

great news! There are many ways an existing user can obtain credit. By using ALL of the

following methods, you can earn unlimited credit. So begin now and next thing you know, you’ll

have racked up plenty of free ride credit. Keep reading.

First, Try an Uber Competitor

The Lyft App

One of Uber’s competitors is Lyft. As of May 2015, Lyft has raised more than $1 billion from

investors. Lyft offers a similar smartphone app which operates much the same way as Uber.

Although they offer similar services, their company culture is quite different. Uber brands

themselves as “professional”, while Lyft portrays themselves as being “your friend with a car”.

What is great about Lyft is that they have an exciting referral program. This means that you can

earn credits by referring people to their service. In return, new users get a free ride worth $20.

It’s that simple!

The Sidecar App

Another great alternative is the Sidecar app. Sidecar was founded in 2012 and has been heavily

funded. They operate in 10 U.S. cities, and actually allow users to choose how much they are

willing to pay. How cool is that? Riders can broker a deal with the driver. Once they agree on a

price, the driver will come pick you up.

Sidecar is unique because they are the only app among their competition who have taken

advantage of price negotiations. So, are you ready to try it out yet?

But you don’t have to use Uber’s competitors to receive free rides. You can earn credit by

referring friends.

Get Your Friends Involved and Earn Some Free Credit

One of the more fun ways to earn credit is to invite all your friends to Uber. By using this

method you are not just rewarding yourself but you are helping your friends out. For instance,

your friend will be awarded a free ride when they download the app and use it. Once their ride

has successfully ended you will instantly receive credit which will be deposited automatically

into your account. Nifty!

One super cool feature is that the app can communicate with your phone’s contact list which, in

turn, let’s you easily email and text your referral code to everyone. What’s even cooler is that

you can post your referral code to any of your personal social media pages, such as Facebook,

Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Push your referral code to everyone on

these lists and you’ll be living it up with all the free rides.

Be careful that your posts are not being perceived by others as advertisement. People are

programmed to avoid ads and they may miss the great opportunity Uber has to offer. Make sure

it is personal and you could even leave a short post about your first free ride and how it benefited

you.

There are so many great ways to get your referral code out to everyone. Just use your

imagination. The sky is the limit. Have you considered handing people your referral code when

the opportunity arises? One idea would be to print your code on your business cards and then

hand them out to everyone you come across in your busy day. Give it a try and see how well it

works!

There is even another way to get a free ride. You ready for it?

Hitch a Ride with Uber

What does this mean exactly?

It’s easy. When you are with a friend, have them download the Uber app for the first time. This

is a good opportunity to help your friend get their account set up. Once this is done, have the

person punch in the promotional code 4YOU. Not only will they obtain free credit, but when

they ask for a ride, you will be right there with them. You can now hitch a ride with your friend!

Next time you are with a group of friends and need a lift, get one of them to install the app. The

more people in your group, the better the chance that someone hasn’t used Uber yet. It’s fast and

easy. But more importantly, you’re saving money.

When each of your friends have installed the Uber app, there is no need to worry. There are still

other ways to get free rides, so check out the outline below to see.

Have Your Friend Download the Lyft App

Follow the same steps as you did with getting a friend to download Uber. If you have previously

downloaded Lyft and entered the promo code to receive your first free ride, then you still have

options. Have your friend download the Lyft app for the first time. Then use the promo code

FREEFIRST. Not only will they earn a free credit, you will be there to hitch a free ride with

them. Sound fun?

Give it a try!

Would you like to become a driver?

Become interactive in your own community, get out on the town, meet new people, and earn

some extra cash. Plus, if you enjoy driving, this could be the right job for you. As a driver you

can earn up to $75k per year, or $800 per weekend. In addition, you can choose when you want

to work. Decide for yourself what kind of hours you would like to keep! There are many other

great perks that come along with the job. Apply Now!

Uber Promo Codes For Existing Users

There are quite a few Uber codes for new users scattered throughout the web, but what about Uber promo codes for existing users? Worry not, you can still get free rides. While its not the way you may expect, I have found a bunch of ways to still get free credit. Hold on, because I'm bringing the heat.

Invite your friends

The first and best way for existing Uber customers to get free rides is by using Uber's referral program. This program awards riders free ride credit for every new rider that the existing customer refers. This amount changes from time to time, but currently it is $20.

How to refer friends to Uber

1. 

2.

3.

Download Lyft

Another way to get free rides is to skip Uber completely and take a ride with its biggest competitor, Lyft. There are a ton of Lyft promo codes for new users, so be sure to pick one up to get a free ride.

Download Sidecar

Like Lyft, Sidecar also offers promo codes for free ride credit to new users.

DRIVE FOR UBER

Sign Up To Drive

If you are looking to drive for Uber, you have come to the right place. Read through the information below about how to drive for Uber before you continue, as it will answer many of the questions you may have.

WHAT IS UBER

If you found this page, you probably already know what Uber is, so I will keep this short. Uber is a smarphone app that connect riders with drivers in the cities that Uber operates in. Riders request a ride, and an Uber driver will come pick them up. Fee amounts are charged based on a variety of factors such as time, distance, and demand. If you want to know more about what Uber is, seethis post. If you want to drive, keep reading.

Sign Up To Drive

DRIVE FOR UBER

Step 1. Check if Uber is in your city or town

Check our list of Uber cities to see if Uber is operating in your city. If they are, great. Continue to step 2. If not, bookmark the page and check back at a later time when Uber expands to that city.

click image to go to find Uber cities

Step 2. Submit an application

Visit this link to apply. If you apply directly on the Uber site without using a driver referral code, you will not receive a sign up bonus. This bonus can be up to $500, so sign up though here before going anywhere else.

click image to apply

Step 3.  Upload Documents

Once you apply to drive for Uber, (which you should have done here), you will have to wait up to 10 days while your background check and information clears. While you wait, log intopartners.uber.com  and upload the required documents and link your bank account for direct deposits

click image to upload documents

Step 4. Drive!

Once your background check has cleared and you have uploaded the necessary documents, you can drive for Uber! Get on the road

Sign Up To Drive

FAQ

From Uber

Can I drive my own car?

“Absolutely. In many cities where Uber is available, drivers have the option of using their personal car to provide rides and earn income.”

Can I drive whenever I want?

“Uber gives you the power to manage your own schedule. When you’re available to offer free rides, simply get on the road and start accepting requests. When you have other things to do, go offline until you’re ready to drive again.”

Do I need a smartphone?

“Not at all, we’ve got you covered! When you’re ready to start driving, Uber will have a smartphone ready for you, pre-loaded with the Uber pap for drivers. You’ll be earning income in no time.”

From an Uber driver

No questions have been asked so far

If you have questions, leave them in the comments. They will be answered by an Uber driver and posted on this page. 

SIGN UP TO BE A LYFT DRIVER

Click the picture to sign up now!

SIGN UP TO BE A LYFT DRIVER

If you are looking to make extra money and work your own hours, then sign up to be a Lyft driver! Driving for Lyft offers a fun and easy way to make extra money in your spare time. You will meet fun people and grow your network, kill time, and make a ton of extra money that you didn’t have before. I have personally made thousands of dollars just driving for Lyft, so I assure you it is well worth your time.

Drivers get paid weekly via direct deposit, and get to keep 80% of payment from passengers. On top of this, many passengers tip drivers, which usually adds another additional $20 or $30 of extra income per week. If you are curious, the average ride is usually about $10, but I have given rides that earned me more than $50 at a time. The rides are very consistent on the weekends. You would be surprised how fast the totals add up… you can make a TON of money on the weekends.

Signing up to be a Lyft driver is easy, and only takes a few minutes. Just follow the steps and you will be well on your way to turning your car into a cash machine!

WHAT ARE LYFT’S REQUIREMENTS?

Straight from the Lyft website: “You must be at least 21 and own an iPhone or Android phone. As part of our approval process, you’ll undergo a DMV check, plus a national and county background check. This will require a Social Security number, in addition to an in-state driver’s license that is at least a year old. Learn more about our background check standards on ourSafety page, and our comprehensive driver requirements in the Help Center.

Your car needs to have four external door handles and at least five total seat belts. You must be a covered party on your car’s in-state insurance, and have in-state license plates. We’ll confirm all of this during your 19-point vehicle inspection. Cars have Lyft age requirements too, which can vary by state. See your state-specific requirements.”

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1 – Click this link to begin the application process.

Step 2 – Enter your information in the box, then click the “become a driver” button

Step 3 – Enter the verification code that Lyft will send to your phone

Step 4 – Once that is completed, just sit back and wait for Lyft to contact you. They will usually contact you one business day after applying.

Click the picture to sign up now!