I started a side hustle after losing my teaching gig – now I don’t need a day job & can cash in by working 1 hour a week
A WOMAN has revealed how she turned her side hustle into a successful business that she only has to work on one hour a month.
Antoinette Marie Davis decided that she wanted to start a side hustle after she lost her job as a teacher, and realised that she needed something to fall back on, if this was to happen again.
As her parents were former landlords, they taught her about “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of renting out properties, and she decided to give short time rentals through Airbnb a go.
Antoinette took a course and realised that renting out properties via Airbnb was something so could do after she had finished work.
She started out by renting out four properties and set about furnishing them and getting them ready whilst working full time.
To do this, she took her work laptop to the properties, and juggled painting and decorating with her normal 9-5.
Speaking on her podcast, AirBnB As A Side Hustle, she said: “With working full time, it was a lot of work during the first few months.”
When she first started her side hustle she was at her rental properties all of the time, but she soon decided to delegate tasks to cleaners and maintenance staff to stop her from getting burnt out.
“The best way to be able to take a break is to establish a strong team”, she said.
Antoinette has now set up her business so that it can run itself without her being there, for example, by setting up automated booking confirmation emails.
Because of this Antoinette now only has to work one to two hours a month on her business.
She has some customers that just stay for the weekend and others that stay long term.
The AirBnb host said she loves having long term customers, as it means that she doesn’t really have to do much whilst they are living in the property.
Antoinette said that the area she lives in is known for horse racing, so she has decorated her Airbnb with a horse theme, to make it stand out and have a unique selling point.
Sharing advice to anyone thinking of starting their own AirBnb side hustle, she said: “Think of what will make it stand out, so that people feel like they’re coming from their home, to your home.”
Antoinette said that she has had some set backs in her side hustle journey, for example when a pipe burst and flooded two of her properties, but has always come back stronger.
Side hustles in numbers
Based on new research from Finder, an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income.
Among those aged 18-23, 68 percent have a side hustle in 2024.
Those aged 24-42 aren’t far behind, with 65 per cent having an additional source of income.
Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40 percent of those aged 43-54 having one.
Whereas 23 percent of people aged 55-73 and just 7 per cent of those aged 74 and over are earning extra cash this way.
“When you’re trying to build a business it can be difficult, but whatever you want to do in life you have to be committed to it and know it’s not going to be easy.
“But if you set the right systems in place, you will be able to be successful.
She added: “I think it’s important to have a side hustle so that you can stay afloat”.
The side-hustler now runs her own masterclasses, where she teaches others everything she knows about being successful on Airbnb.
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