‘How I turned £80 into £50,000 in just 9 months’

A 26-year-old from Southall turned an £80 investment into £50,000 in just nine months.

Originally from Pakistan and holding a degree in Agriculture, Hamid Ali moved to the UK in July 2023 with aspirations of starting his own business. Initially, he tried self-promotion through leafleting but struggled to gain traction.

In February 2024, he learned about an online skills marketplace, , through a conversation with a stranger on his daily commute and decided to give it a try. He spent £80 on a second-hand lawnmower and scissors, then completed his first task, earning £40.

From there, his earnings grew steadily. With each completed task, Mr Ali invested in better equipment and built a reputation through positive reviews. Today, he has completed nearly 100 tasks, including landscape designs, decking, pergola construction, and garden maintenance, and even employs someone to help with the workload.

Mr Ali said, “I was so grateful to have come across Airtasker. So many apps require you to pay, and I didn’t have money to spend. With no upfront payment, I could just get started right away. I am now my own boss, which I have always dreamed of.”

Mr Ali’s spirit has led him to pocket over £50,000 since he started last February, with his expertise and passion for plants and agriculture winning over his clients.

Mr Ali said: “People trial small jobs with you first, which is a good way to prove your skillset, and then the requests grow. One lady hired me for a £100 job, and the next thing, I’m completely renovating her garden. Now she’s like family.”

Mr Ali has since been awarded as one of ’s Top Taskers of 2024. Last year, the platform saw a 3000% uplift in tasker sign-ups and a 928% increase in customer sign-ups, with Britons eager to boost their income by monetising their skills.

October was the most productive month on the marketplace, with the most offers made on the app, followed by August, with more than 21,000 offers made on posted tasks by taskers.

Tim Fung, founder and CEO of Airtasker, said: “Airtasker’s annual awards are all about recognising and rewarding Taskers for their skills and it’s amazing to see that more people are using the platform as their main source of income and starting their own businesses.

“Each of our Top Taskers has won over their clients with their craftsmanship, positive attitude and excellent customer service from landscape gardening, costume creation and treadmill repair. We can’t wait to see what lies ahead for them all and hope they inspire others to use their skills and have a more flexible lifestyle.”

People looking to utilise their current skills can use Airtasker’s to find out how much they can potentially earn.