RISING FUEL COSTS

Oh how I dread pulling into the gas station these days!! About 2 hours ago I fueled up for a trip to Lebec, CA and it cost me close to $40.00!! Being a process server means a lot of driving, and paying over $3.50 a gallon is upsetting. It's not uncommon for me to drive 300-500 miles in one day and having to fill up daily can get very expensive, very fast!! I try to combat the rising fuel costs by routing my stops as closely as possible, and keep my fingers crossed that I can knock out the majority of the serves on the first try. Getting a high volume of serves is key in this profession. With a stack of work to hit North, East, South, or West, you can justify these crazy high gas prices. When you're able to bill out upwards of $1,000.00 for a days worth of serving with that tank of gas it isn't so bad....that'll be a day I'm smiling. If you're just starting out, look for a client or clients who may only be looking for a server to handle one certain part of town, possibly a landlord with multiple complexes throughout town that require three day notices or Unlawful Detainer action. This will keep you in town and your mileage down until you are to the point where you have a little volume to justify your travel to farther locations. On a totally different note, keeping a detailed mileage log as a process server is very important as you can write off any business related miles that you travel. I'm very anal when it comes to my mileage log as it is VERY IMPORTANT if ever audited by the IRS, and so I encourage you to be also. Also, be sure to save your gas receipts (I scan mine into my computer at the end of every month to stay organized). Another way to combat fuel costs in this profession, is to cut back on any unnecessary spending. If you are marketing your business, spend some time researching which strategies are producing the most work for you, and cut the ones that aren't. If you are a new business, advertising is key, so don't cut out too much!! New work and new clients mean more volume, and more volume helps fight those rising fuel costs!!