Ben Evans, 26, from Stockport, signed up to Airtasker, an online marketplace which allows users to outsource everyday tasks, to boost his income and fund a few holidays
A savvy handyman has spilled the beans on his lucrative side gig that’s raking in nearly £3,000 a month – cash he’s putting towards dream holidays and a house deposit. Ben Evans, who hails from a ‘very handy family’, boasts skills that span from tinkering with small gadgets to mending fences.
The 26 year old was on the path to becoming an engineer when a family friend’s kitchen makeover, courtesy of Airtasker, caught his eye. Tempted by the prospect of extra dough, Ben jumped on the bandwagon and joined the online marketplace, which lets folks farm out everyday chores.
The site operates by letting users post a task and suggest a price, while community members throw their hats in the ring to get the job done. You’ll find all sorts of gigs up for grabs, from sprucing up gardens to fixing up homes and even specialised stuff like carpentry and moving services.
With a toolkit of trade skills at his disposal, Ben, from Stockport, started off with waste removal gigs and other bits and bobs. However, after bagging £300 from just one task, he saw the potential for a serious side hustle and widened his offerings to include car fixes and trickier tasks.
“I was training as an engineer and now have a full-time job,” he shared. “I signed up to boost my income on Airtasker and do a variety of jobs including car repair work and waste removals.”, he told the Manchester Evening News. “I’ve made £300 off just one task and already using it weekly which has helped give me financially stability.”
The platform works by having ‘Taskers’, those offering skills for jobs, rated and reviewed by ‘Posters’, who are looking for someone to complete their tasks. Through this process, Taskers can start from scratch building a strong portfolio.
The more experience and positive feedback they receive, the higher the chance of becoming top-rated and securing additional work. Conversely, Posters benefit by selecting Taskers on criteria such as skillset, reviews, location, and budget considerations.
According to Airtasker’s Side Hustle Calculator, if someone takes on just one task per week, they could gauge potential earnings from different types of work. Carpentry experts might pocket £381, car washing may rake in about £229, while furniture assembly stands to make roughly £208.
Gardening services could earn around £277, handyperson duties may bring in £312, and house cleaning up to £204. If you’re into pet care, that could yield approximately £260, with removals and moving services at about £239. Disposing of rubbish? That could garner someone £173, whilst those who offer sewing and clothing repairs could get around £121. And not to forget, washing and ironing could churn out £142.
Ben shared his personal journey: “My dad practically built his house, we’re a very handy family, so I have managed to develop a range of skills working alongside them,” adding, “When I started my engineer training, I looked into Airtasker and was able to use skills from my training practically and earn some income.”
“The great benefit of this app is the flexibility, you can work to your own schedule as and when you need it. Airtasker has given stability and allows me to supplement my income, if there was a particularly hard month it can give me boost when I need it.”
Now working full-time as an engineer, Ben still uses the app and completes up to six tasks a month – meaning he can earn up to £700 a week. This means that during a busy month, Ben can rake in a whopping £2,800 from his side gig.
The money Ben earns has enabled him to take his girlfriend on a holiday to Milan and also contribute towards their new house. Since its initial launch in London, Airtasker has allowed users to earn anything from a few hundred extra pounds a week to more than £40,000 annually.
The platform is now officially expanding into Manchester following a recent successful launch in Birmingham. Douglas Toy, Airtasker’s UK general manager, said: “Manchester is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurial hubs, making it a key focus.”
“Our mission is to empower Mancunians to maximise their skills, enable people to work independently and help create jobs for the future. By providing truly flexible earning opportunities, we’ve already seen Taskers make over £1,000 in just one week across different tasks.”
