A SAVVY man has found a great means of boosting his income – and has taken his earnings to a whole new level.
Kaz Prakash from Hertfordshire signed up to local services marketplace, Airtasker, in May last year, and hasn’t looked back since.
The site connects people looking to get everyday jobs done with individuals who are willing to do them.
The 28-year-old told The Sun: “I’ve got a real passion for electrical repairs and realised there was the potential to earn big money from this.”
Through Airtasker, Kaz started fixing all manner of items including coffee machines, treadmills and cars.
Before he knew it, he’d earned a huge £7,000 in just one month.
This year he’s taken his side hustle a step further, netting a whopping £8,550 in January alone.
“I was actually abroad in Turkey for a stint last month,” said the hard-working entrepreneur. So I made that amount in just three weeks.”
Kaz now has dreams of beating this monthly record.
“I love working for myself – and being able to work flexibly,” he said.
“I’m hopeful my earnings may go up again.”
Airtasker saw a 3,000% increase in people signing up to the site in 2024 as Brits turned to the “flex economy” to help combat rising living costs – and to achieve a better work-life balance.
Kaz first found out about the marketplace when he saw an ad on the London Underground.
“I decided to check out the website,” he said. “When I first looked, I didn’t see a lot of jobs in my niche.”
But that all changed once he’d signed up.
“Suddenly a lot of tasks started showing which were right for my skillset,” he said.
“That’s when I began to realise just how much demand there is for someone who can carry out electrical repairs.”
While Kaz’s side hustle is now going great guns, the entrepreneur admits it did take him a little while to get his foot in the door – and get up to speed.
He said: “At first, I failed to provide my bank details – so in the beginning, I did a few jobs without getting paid. That was a costly mistake.”
But the repair whizz soon sorted that.
Kaz said: “As time went by, I got a lot more confident with the site. I began to get a better understanding of the ‘lead-generation’ model – and built a strong profile to capitalise on this.”
Once things were up and running smoothly, Kaz’s side hustle went from strength to strength.
He said: “Since joining Airtasker in May last year, I’ve already completed more than 300 jobs and got more than 200 reviews.”
Kaz prides himself on his high level of customer service.
“Right now, I have a ‘4.7-star’ rating,” he said. “But I would love to see that go up to five-stars.”
Born in Madrid, Spain, Kaz started out as a software and electronics technician before going on to gain experience in tech, healthcare and engineering.
He came to the UK in 2021, and after stints in Manchester and Birmingham, he moved to his home in a village close to Hitchin, in 2022.
Kaz currently runs an electronics business, as well as a logistics company.
“I’ve done this for many years,” said the side-gig pro. “That’s why I was excited to discover Airtasker.
“It’s given me the chance to do something a bit different.”
According to his profile, the hard-grafting entrepreneur can turn his hand to many different tasks, including tech support, data recovery, and programming.
The long list of items he can repair ranges from kitchen appliances, cars, dental and optical equipment, to treadmills and other fitness paraphernalia.
Over the years, Kaz has developed a strong work ethic.
“I tend to work seven days a week – totting up more than 70 hours overall,” he said.
“Of this, I probably devote around 35 hours a week to jobs on Airtasker.”
Kaz is no stranger to going above and beyond.
“Now that I’m well established, I sometimes choose to carry tasks for free,” he said. “I like being able to give back to the community.”
On one such occasion last year, Kaz helped a cash-strapped single mum with three children.
“She needed a replacement washing machine fitted,” he said.
“So I took out the old unit – down two flights of stairs – and fitted the new one for her.”
Kaz was recently named as one of Airtasker’s “Top Taskers of 2024” – a title given to individuals who showcase a high level of skill and service to the community.
“I’m always busy doing jobs in my village,” he added. “Everyone knows me as the man who can fix things.
“I love getting out and meeting people.”
While Kaz is diligent about moving a portion of his earnings into savings so he can build funds for the future, he also has a soft spot for cars.
“Cars are my hobby,” he said. “I now have a few in my collection – these are my absolute love.”
Equally, he has philanthropic plans, too.
Top tips on using Airtasker to boost your income
Kaz gave his top tips for using Airtasker to boost your income:
Find something you’re passionate about. Many people are bored of their 9-5 job, so think about what you like doing – and come up with something that motivates you.
Perseverance is key. There will be the odd hurdle along the way, but don’t give up. Stay with it.
Work hard, as hard work will pay off.
Be honest with yourself and your customers. This is really important when carrying out jobs for other
people. Also be honest about your targets and what you want to get out of being on the marketplace.
“Once I’ve got around £100,000 tucked away in savings, I’d love to put some money towards helping other people improve their lives.”
How does Airtasker work?
There are all sorts of ways you can make some extra money on the site, including cleaning, cooking, gardening, dog walking, pet sitting, tennis coaching, furniture assembly and other handyman jobs.
Once you’re signed up, you can look at the jobs available and choose which ones you want to pick up. Build up a bank of five-star reviews, and you get the option to bid for the higher-paid tasks.
As an Airtasker, you can opt to do as many – or as few – jobs as you like, depending on what you have on.
To get an idea of how much you could potentially earn by completing certain tasks in a week, check out Airtasker’s Side Hustle Calculator.
If you want to check out other sites which work in a similar way, take a look at Taskrabbit.
What about tax?
Under current rules, you can earn up to £1,000 from a side hustle in a tax year without paying tax.
But once you breach this threshold, you must declare that income and pay tax on it.
To do this, you will need to complete a self-assessment return.
The amount you need to pay will depend on how much you already earn.
HMRC wants to ensure sellers who boost their earnings with a side hustle are correctly reporting their income on their tax returns – and paying what they owe.
If you’re not sure whether your additional income could be taxable, search ‘online platform income’ on Gov.uk.
If you need help, Airtasker recommends speaking to a tax expert.
As a “tasker,” it’s also advisable to keep a record of all the jobs you do.
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