EPISODE 5: My Hosting Journey and the 4 Mistakes I Made Early On
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts
4 Mistakes I Made Early On
Not hiring a cleaner soon enough
When my parents and I first started my Airbnb business, my mom and I were driving 1.5 hours to our property just to clean in between guests. We often times pushed through traffic, in snow chains, stressed we weren’t going to make it in between stays. It was so much unnecessary added stress. Finally hiring a cleaner allowed us to fully focus on the business.
Giving discounts to secure more bookings
I felt so much pressure to be fully booked and to impress other owners that I granted almost all guests a discount if they asked. I quickly learned that these are ALWAYS the worst guests. This is an immediate red flag that they do not value you, your business, or your property.
Not being confident in my place
I really thought that people would generally be more attracted to the common snow cabin that they wouldn’t want to book our place. The right people may come to your booking and maybe even prefer that over a cabin or actually prefer your unique property. Just give it a try! You never know what may happen.
Not starting sooner
I had no idea where this would take me, but if you have been doubting or questioning your start, just take that first step. Your journey may not always be linear, but I guarantee that new doors will open that you may never expect. Just start.
Airbnb Quick Tip:
Go into your calendar availability settings and make your calendar dates “unavailable by default.” What does that mean? Airbnb allows you to open your calendar by three months, six months, nine months or twelve months. Setting as unavailable makes you manually open your calendar. Why is this important? Let’s say you have your calendar set to open availability by six months. Every day that passes in real time, one extra day opens six months in the future. I read a Facebook post from a host that a guest booked her place for Super Bowl weekend, which her city is hosting, for only $100 a night and completely forgot to adjust that weekend’s prices. Had she manually opened her calendar, she could have adjusted the price and made a way bigger profit. It’s happened to me as well, but don’t let it happen to you!
How to set your calendar dates unavailable by default.
Question of the Week: Is it worth getting a hot tub for my Airbnb?
Both yes and no depending on your situation. For some, it’s worth the expense and for others, it’s not the main draw for an area. Tune in to the podcast to hear my analysis breakdown for both sides.
Am I the Airbnb-hole?
This week we react to a a guest and her list of demands over two moths. Yes, you heard that right….moths.
