A Melbourne man who started a side hustle to make some extra cash is now a millionaire at just 25 years old.
Vinul Karunaratne arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka nine years ago with barely any money and started studying and working the nightshift at a 7-Eleven.
In 2019, armed with a couple of items, he joined Airtasker and started doing some end-of-lease cleaning jobs.
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“When I started I didn’t even have much equipment. I had a vacuum, mop and bucket and some rags,” he told 7NEWS.
“That was the stuff I had at home.”
The business quickly grew and it wasn’t long before he quit the 7-Eleven and did the cleaning jobs full-time.
He scrubs around a dozen houses each week and is one of Airtasker’s top ten earners.
“I mainly do bond (end of lease) cleans and then also steam clean carpets and cleaning offices,” he said.
Five years on and the 25-year-old has made $1.2 million and has put a deposit on a three-bedroom home in Melbourne’s north and bought dream car.
He also saved enough money to buy his parents a luxury apartment in Sri Lanka and a little bit extra to start investing.
“I make between $1000 and $1400 per day,” he said.
“It’s physical work, but it’s good money.
“I enjoy the flexibility and working on my own terms. I’m my own boss.”
Karunaratne said there is no shortage of work and that he will never go back to a day job.
“Earning that sort of money, like $1.2 million, that takes a lot of effort, it’s really inspirational,” Airtasker founder and CEO Tim Fung told 7NEWS.
While GDP growth is slowing, the services platform has seen a 40 per cent boom in registrations as cash-strapped Aussies try to supplement their incomes.
This year the website clocked up a $600 million milestone, which was earned by taskers.
Unskilled labour is in huge demand and those doing removals, cleaning and gardening can make up to $308 for each job.
Fung said Airtasker experienced a huge boom during spring and summer.
“Gardening comes online, spring cleaning is a real thing and people will start to move homes more and things like that so this is really our peak season as we head into October November December and into the new year,” he said.
Karunaratne advises anyone who is keen for a side hustle to try Airtasker to get started.
“There’s plenty of jobs (on Airtasker) and it’s always secure,” he said.
“You’ll get your payment and everyone is nice. You have community guidelines and things like that.”