Careem, the region’s leading ride-booking app, introduced a new initiative to further support and encourage their Captains towards the path of micro-prenuership. In partnership with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Careem Captains were given the opportunity to take part in dedicated one-on-one sessions with BCG staff. As part of Careem’s on-going commitment to its Captains, the consulting sessions tackled the topics of entrepreneurship, financial goals, budgeting and expenses.
Commenting on BCG’s knowledge session, Adeeb Warsi, VP of Strategy and Growth at Careem commented:
“Beyond the ability to do more trips and maximize their income, we want to open up all possible opportunities for our Captains to fulfil their career potential. Access to knowledge, tools and new skills on finance management is something we can help them with. Through companies like BCG who actively give back to their local communities, we can bring new skills and open doors for the people who have helped make Careem what it is today. We very much look forward to working with other businesses and individuals who can inspire and teach our Captains new skills.”
The session commenced with the Captains and BCG staff establishing goals and filling out the SMART goals worksheet provided by BCG. The sheet helps to improve financial circumstances by setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. Majority of the goals set by the Captains was to establish businesses’ back home and to purchase cars to add to the Careem fleet, essentially providing more opportunities for family and friends. In addition, Captains were consulted on the amount of money to save and the time it would take to achieve their goals. One Captain shared his story of how he had to strictly save for two years to achieve his goal of getting a driver’s license to be able to work with Careem.
The session concluded with the topic of stress management and well-being. The consultants presented a nutrition plan that is cost efficient and aims to improve the health of Captains to keep safe on the roads. With time constraints, Captains are faced with the issue of not having enough time to eat and invest in healthy foods. To address the issue, the consultants presented tips and tricks on what foods to invest in and how to prepare these foods, with respect to time and budget constraints.
Upon completing the sessions, BCG awarded the Captains with a certificate of appreciation and attendance, in recognition of remarkable services and attendance of a personal coaching session. One Captain stated, “Thanks to the one-on-one sessions, I will be now be able to better plan for my future and manage my finances to better support my family back home.” Another Captain commented, “The event was amazing, we never knew what was budget. Before I can save only AED 3,000 a month but today I learned how to save AED 6,000.”
