Side Hustle Series – Airtasker

Have you ever thought about joining Airtasker? Or do want to know what it’s all about? Then this is the article for you. This article is part of a series of articles on Side Hustles view all articles here.

What is Airtasker?

Airtasker was started in Sydney in 2012 by two Australian Entrepreneurs who wanted to build an online platform that lets users outsource their tasks to other users who are better known as ‘Airtaskers‘.

To use Airtasker users simply list their task and budget, and ‘Airtaskers’ make an offer on the task or ask for more information before making an offer. Airtaskers can offer above or below the task’s budget depending on what they believe the task is worth. The task poster then assigns the task to the Airtasker they want to do the task. Once the task is assigned the poster can privately message the Airtasker through the app, and exchange information about the task to ensure completion. Once the task is complete the Airtasker marks the task as complete, and requests payment.

How do I make money from Airtasker?

To start earning money on Airtasker you need to set up an account (this also allows you to post tasks as well). Setting up an account takes only a few minutes and doesn’t cost anything.

You can set up an account through this link here.

Once you have your account you can then view the tasks in your area, and set up notifications. I recommend setting up notifications as you don’t want to spend all day in the app, and getting tasks can be quite competitive. For example I assist people with lifestyle tasks such as cleaning so I have a notification for any tasks with the word ‘clean’ in it within a 10km range (you can customise this however you like).

When you set up your profile you will need to provide your bank details. Once you complete your task you mark the task as complete, and the task poster will provide you a review. Then your funds will be deposited to your account within 2-3 business days.

How do Airtasker fees work?

Airtasker is free to join, to set up an account and to post tasks; however it does take a cut of any task you are paid to complete (Airtasker calls this a Service Fee). The service fee that Airtasker deducts from your task income depends on the amount of money you earn from Airtasker each month (a tiered pricing fee).

At the time of writing this article there are 4 service fee tiers:

• Bronze Tier – 20% Service Fee (Airtaskers earning less than $1000 in a month)
• Silver Tier – 16.4% Service Fee (Airtaskers earning $1000+ a month)
• Gold Tier – 12.7% Service Fee (Airtaskers earning $2500+ a month)
• Platinum Tier – 10% Service Fee (Airtaskers earning $5000+ a month)

Do I have to pay tax on any earnings?

Yes, any Airtasker earned income is considered taxable by Australian law.

What if something happens whilst I’m doing a task? Am I covered by insurance?

Airtaskers are primarily responsible for the work they carry out under a Task and as per the current Airtasker website they may be liable for consequences that result from their activities when performing a task. Airtaskers are automatically covered by a third party liability policy that insures them for their liability to third parties for personal injury or property damage whilst performing most tasks (Not all activities are covered so check with Airtasker if you are unsure).

How much money do I make from Airtasker?

I have been using Airtasker for the last 18 months and have completed a number of different tasks. I’ve completed Mystery Shopping, Cleaning , Computer/IT, and Research tasks. I’ve made on average $50 a month via Airtasker over this period of time. I’ve also had repeat customers that I have managed through my personal business (and not Airtasker to avoid the fees).

What are my tips for side hustling on Airtasker?

• Set up notifications for tasks
• Make sure you add a clear and appropriate profile photo (people want to hire a friendly face)
• Create a task template so you can easily submit it for a role (or have a couple of templates saved on your phone in notes eg one responding to a cleaning task)
• Don’t be afraid to offer more.
• Don’t undersell yourself (always check the actual price you will be paid after the service fee).
• Ask questions if the task poster hasn’t added enough detail.

The future of Airtasker…..

Like most side hustles you are not going to get rich quick from Airtasker, but the freedom to find your own work is pretty liberating. In the very near future Airtasker is adding the ability to list your own services to the marketplace with your market rate. This is quite an exciting development and I look forward to hopefully finding more work through Airtasker in the future.

The final word

The side gig economy is getting bigger whether we like it or not. I’m a big fan of Airtasker as you are in charge of your schedule, and you don’t have to take a job if you don’t want to. Its a great way to make a little extra money when you know you’ve got a big expense coming up, or if you have some savings goals you want to hit.

If you would like to have articles like this delivered to your inbox subscribe below.