Chauffeur - Self employed - New business
Discussion
First time posting in here, but often read the forums. I'm currently a police officer. It was my dream job since I was a kid. I swore that I would leave when I become one of those cops who moans all the time. I can feel myself becoming one. I don't enjoy going into work anymore.
I've spent a few weeks looking on Indeed and the like, but there isn't anything that suits me. I hate the idea of an office job.
I was scrolling on Facebook last night and saw a couple of people looking for a driver to Heathrow. All the local places that they tried were booked up. It got me thinking. I enjoy driving, why not look into becoming an airport chauffeur. The idea of Friday/Saturday night taxi driving in town is hell, but airport runs can't be too bad can they?
Obviously I'd need a car, insurance, public liability insurance. There will be more that I'm missing I'm sure.
Prices for a trip to Heathrow are around £140 here. Fuel for the 200 miles (return) is £25ish (50mpg). Five hours there and back would work out at £23 an hour. Of course that would need to cover tax/NI etc. It's just an idea at the moment and writing things out as I think.
Is anyone doing similar at the moment? Pros and cons? Is it viable? A colleague retired not long ago and started doing it and now has a number of drivers working for him...clearly something is going right!
I've spent a few weeks looking on Indeed and the like, but there isn't anything that suits me. I hate the idea of an office job.
I was scrolling on Facebook last night and saw a couple of people looking for a driver to Heathrow. All the local places that they tried were booked up. It got me thinking. I enjoy driving, why not look into becoming an airport chauffeur. The idea of Friday/Saturday night taxi driving in town is hell, but airport runs can't be too bad can they?
Obviously I'd need a car, insurance, public liability insurance. There will be more that I'm missing I'm sure.
Prices for a trip to Heathrow are around £140 here. Fuel for the 200 miles (return) is £25ish (50mpg). Five hours there and back would work out at £23 an hour. Of course that would need to cover tax/NI etc. It's just an idea at the moment and writing things out as I think.
Is anyone doing similar at the moment? Pros and cons? Is it viable? A colleague retired not long ago and started doing it and now has a number of drivers working for him...clearly something is going right!
. I'll have a proper read once I'm back from work. Defcon5 said:
You have been in the police for what, 4/5 years?
Approaching top scale salary, good pension, virtually no risk of being sacked, can’t be made redundant, hundreds of different roles you can sidestep into without any major barriers,
There are roles in your current force that you have never heard of that do things you didn't know existed - think about why you joined and think about exploring opportunities closer to home than jacking it all in on a whim.
14 years. Five as a PC. Top whack next year. Now is kinda of the time to make my mind up before I get used to the salary. Approaching top scale salary, good pension, virtually no risk of being sacked, can’t be made redundant, hundreds of different roles you can sidestep into without any major barriers,
There are roles in your current force that you have never heard of that do things you didn't know existed - think about why you joined and think about exploring opportunities closer to home than jacking it all in on a whim.
I'm looking weekly on the job page, including in other forces. There isn't anything other than surveillance that interests me at the moment. And I'm unlikely to go to that role as its not that family friendly.
It won't be on a whim though. I'm not a big risk taker! B
fridaypassion said:
What do you take home though? I know there have been a lot of revisions to the terms of the pensions but it's still going to be one of the best available. Thats the thing you are walking away from really not the actual salary which I truly believe when you are up and running you would be earning far more.
Funnily enough our old driver we used for years was a chap that was advertised internally within the Police. My Mrs is ex plod so although she was civvie staff she still had a gold plated pension and loads of holidays she walked away from. I think once you are up and running with your own business and a scaleable one at that you'll be amazed what the possibilities are. Just looking through the pay scales its only the big cheese that gets a salary that would get my attention after over a decade of being self employed. In fact I think our Bathroom fitter would be earning more than Chief Superintendent such is the way of the modern world. Bear in mind also you can earn £55-60k driving HGVs on normal 35 hour weeks these days.
My take home is about £2,300 with normally two eight hour overtime shifts. Sometimes i do four/five a month. This is after the normal pension, tax, NI plus fed fees, group insurance policy, and a sports club membership/firearms thingy for Taser. Funnily enough our old driver we used for years was a chap that was advertised internally within the Police. My Mrs is ex plod so although she was civvie staff she still had a gold plated pension and loads of holidays she walked away from. I think once you are up and running with your own business and a scaleable one at that you'll be amazed what the possibilities are. Just looking through the pay scales its only the big cheese that gets a salary that would get my attention after over a decade of being self employed. In fact I think our Bathroom fitter would be earning more than Chief Superintendent such is the way of the modern world. Bear in mind also you can earn £55-60k driving HGVs on normal 35 hour weeks these days.
The pension is good but I'm not bothered by it yet. I've still got another 25 years until I can retire. But that will change before then I'm sure.
Money isn't everything for me. I want to be comfortable. My other half was out of work for three months and we managed with some cut backs with no real issues.
I've got no desire to get promoted. Not only do you only get a bit more a year, the risk you carry isn't worth it.
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