DoorDash, the tech company linking consumers with local businesses, has recently shared findings indicating that a significant portion of their app-based workers, referred to as Dashers, are entrepreneurs themselves. The data reveals that approximately 6% of Dashers run another business alongside their DoorDash work. Moreover, 17% of self-employed Dashers utilize their earnings from DoorDash to fund new business ventures, while 20% plan to continue working as Dashers until their own business or idea achieves success.

According to the findings, 61% of self-employed Dashers appreciate the freedom DoorDash offers in allowing them to transition away from unsatisfactory jobs. Additionally, 60% prefer DoorDash over alternative income sources due to its flexibility in supplementing their earnings as needed. Recent research supports these preferences and indicates that platform workers, including those involved in services, transportation, leasing and sales sectors, are significantly more likely to initiate new business ventures compared to non-platform workers. This trend emphasizes the broader impact of platforms like DoorDash in fostering entrepreneurial opportunities.

DoorDash's press release also highlighted studies using individual-level tax data which suggest that businesses launched by platform workers tend to be larger and more profitable than those initiated by individuals outside the platform economy. Specifically, these businesses are between 5.6% and 12.5% more likely to employ any staff and exhibit a 7.1% to 15.8% higher probability of having at least five employees. Furthermore, firms started by platform workers enjoy a profitability rate between 37% and 45.4% higher than those founded by non-platform workers.

Founded in 2013, DoorDash operates across more than 25 nations globally and provides solutions aimed at bolstering business expansion and customer engagement. With a primary focus on local commerce infrastructure, DoorDash assists merchants in adapting to the convenience-driven market while also serving as an employment source for job seekers and expanding consumers' access to community amenities, according to the Overview webpage provided by DoorDash.