Airbnb Blueprint

Insolvency, Liability & VAT Chaos: How to Mitigating the Legal & Financial Risks

In this episode, Alex and Pooh are joined by Gareth and Stephanie Buckley, the co-founders of The InSOLVEncy Company which in 2024 became a part of Monahans, a leading accountancy and business advisory firm. Gareth and Sephanie spotted that many smaller business owners could greatly benefit from some real-world based practical advice and a good listening ear.  THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT UShttps://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk   KEY TAKEAWAYS Seeking advice from an insolvency practitioner as soon as you know your business is struggling is wise. By taking the right action, you can save the business. If a business is unable to avoid insolvency, the right advice limits the damage andavoids personal liability for many debts. If you are worried, seek advice before doing things like renegotiating leases or loans. Gareth and Stephanie offer free initial advice. Stay aware of upcoming changes in legislation and how they are likely to impact you. The HMRC v Sonders ruling could see some businesses having to retrospectivelypay back VAT. Why that is and how to prepare for it are discussed. The abolition of TOMS may mean some businesses are no longer viable. If you are still using TOMS you need to urgently review how you are operating. The consequences of not doing so are discussed. Avoid taking the wrong actions and creating personal liability. Keeping your business account healthy is important, once an account is frozen the options available to resolve issues narrows.Shutting a business down to avoid debt does not always work. Why is explained.
BEST MOMENTS“There is support available, so you don't go through this alone.”“They just needed somebody to talk to, so they could navigate through that and not end up insolvent.”“Speaking to an insolvency practitioner is evidence that you are doing the right thing as a director, looking at all options and taking it seriously.”“Its much better to keep both your personal and the business separate.
EPISODE RESOURCESFOR FREE ADVICE CONTACT https://www.theinsolvencycompany.co.ukSonders v HMRC VAT ruling - https://pkf-francisclark.co.uk/insights/big-win-for-hmrc-in-the- upper-tribunal-of-sonder-europe-ltd-toms-vat-case LINKS FREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community -https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

How To Make Semi-Passive Recurring Revenue Ethically

In this episode, Alex & Pooh sit down to talk about scams, specifically online course scams and courses that are actually pyramid schemes. There are so many of them out there that it is now making people so suspicious that it is holding many back from pursuing financial freedom. Alex & Pooh explain how to navigate this situation – how to avoid the scammers and still gain the knowledge and support you need to succeed. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT UShttps://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk   KEY TAKEAWAYS Lots of people still want to work for themselves, but because they no longer trustonline coaches and course providers many of them are giving up on their dream. There are still some genuine course providers and coaches out there. Before you sign up for anything, do your research. Find out who the course provider is and go online to check that they have actuallybeen successful in the field they are talking about. Understand how pyramid and Ponzi schemes work and the many forms that are used for these types of scams. These are universally used scam methods, so recognising and avoiding them is important. Some courses are just pyramid schemes. People who buy are required to get others to buy too, at which point they get paid a commission. Often, these courses contain no usable knowledge but the drive to make money leads people to recommend them. Pooh & Alex explain in detail how pyramid and Ponzi scheme courses operate and how to avoid them. Be realistic, stop looking for a get rich scheme. Every successful business takeswork, sacrifice and time to grow. Double check that the business model you are considering learning is for you. If you want to travel a lot, a business that requires you to stay in one place all year is not a good option.   BEST MOMENTS“There´s so much overwhelm, it makes people suspicious.”“You start thinking everything´s bulls**t, it´s a scam.”“Make sure that what they're selling or offering is something that they actually practice themselves.”“A lot of people do not want to admit that they have been lied to.”“You need to look at what is working today but also have an interest in what you’re going into.”“Generating and selling leads to Airbnb hosts or serviced accommodation hosts is a win-win business. ”“I can go to a beach bar…and just sit there generating leads.” LINKSFREE Guide - http://airbnbblueprint.co.uk/guideFREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community -https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To- Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

Real Life Case Study Why Our Mentees Are Forgetting Rent 2 Rent ££

In this episode, Alex shares the story of one of his and Pooh´s mentees who added lead generation to his Airbnb business, which enabled him to level up his profits surprisingly quickly. Within 4 weeks of starting to focus on lead generation, he did a deal to house 30 people for 12 months. The deal saw other landlords pay him a total of £5,000 to £6,000 per month for a whole year and he has several similar deals in the pipeline. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT UShttps://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk   KEY TAKEAWAYS John only got started with Airbnb 12 months ago and has already been able todiversify into other areas of the serviced accommodation business. Being able to network and build strong relationships with others makes leadgeneration much easier and very lucrative. Lead generation works really well, in part, because it is a win-win transaction, andyou are providing a service for which there is almost endless demand. Networking is the key to making a lot of money through lead generation. During the episode, Alex shares details of the best places to find people who regularly need to house large groups of people. To get started, all you need is a phone, a laptop and a desire to find the deals. Serviced accommodation lead generation can be done from anywhere in the world. BEST MOMENTS“Scale a very low risk serviced accommodation business without the liability of taking on lots of properties.”“Build peripheral businesses around your immediate business of serviced accommodation.”“John maintained and nurtured that relationship moving forward.”“It was a life-changing moment for John.”“Get ahead of the curve….get creative.” LINKSFREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community -https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To- Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

Why Money Mindset Matters

In this episode, Alex & Pooh get you into the money mindset. They literally “show you the money” providing more information about a simple way to ethically and substantially increase how much you earn from Airbnb.They have been able to create an additional revenue stream for their business. One that takes up very little of their time, does not require any further upfront investment, generates zero extra overheads and is a service for which there is huge demand. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT UShttps://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk   KEY TAKEAWAYS Big bookings sound lucrative, but once you take into account overheads andunexpected expenses they are rarely as profitable as you expect. Big bookings only pan out if the client stays with you for the full period that wasdiscussed and pays you in full. It is not unusual for contractors etc to move to new accommodation after a month or so or for their job to finish early. Making money regularly in smaller increments is a far more robust business model than simply chasing big bookings that you will only secure occasionally. The income comes in smaller increments but is so much more scalable. Generating regular reoccurring income improves cash flow so you can thrive andgrow. Selling deals and inquiries is far easier than managing your own or providing services for other people´s properties. Demand for leads is extremely high, and you can provide them across the UK, sothere are plenty of opportunities. Many Airbnb owners struggle with sales. If you invest in honing your sales skills, they will happily pay you to do it for them. BEST MOMENTS“People should shift their attention more to the smaller increments of income. It is a lot more scalable, without all the risk.”“Understand the power of the compound effect.”“When you stack a lot of them up, it overtakes your main property income.”“We are supplying bookings, enquiries and leads to the whole country.””You can choose… just find other partners that have the same ethics and core values as you.”“How scalable selling these inquiries is, and the balance of income potential versus theamount of work that's required is so powerful.”“You can make money ethically and without having to spend a lot of time at it.”“The amount of dopamine and adrenaline that comes from selling deals is insane. I love it because it feels like easy money.” LINKSFREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community -https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

What is a Recurring Revenue in Airbnbs?

In this episode, Alex & Pooh talk about consistent revenue. They cover why it matters, why so many Airbnb business owners struggle to achieve it and how to change things up, so that those months where bookings are scarce is no longer a threat to the overall viability of your business.They share the exact strategy they are using to diversify and earn a lot of revenue without taking on a huge amount of extra stress. In fact, this approach means that you actually end up earning well while doing far less work than you normally would.  THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT UShttps://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk   KEY TAKEAWAYS All Airbnb owners experience dry months with very few bookings. The fact that your regular overheads are high, especially if you are doing rent to rent,means it does not take long to run out of money. Even if you are booked up for months in advance, you can´t afford to be complacent. Things change, people and contractors cancel. Poor cashflow is the main reason businesses fold. Creating consistent revenue bydiversifying largely solves the cashflow issue. Working with partners creates a win-win situation which generates income for both of you. Seek out partners that share your standards and values. Don´t be afraid to charge a fee when you generate a booking for another Airbnbowner. You’re finding them a client, so are genuinely adding value to their business. You need to match the right customer with the right host.Regardless of the type of business you run, success all comes down to leadgeneration. There is a huge demand for Airbnb leads, so now is the time to get involved andprovide them. Generating leads through OTAs and paid ads no longer works well, which is whyAlex and Pooh teach a different approach. BEST MOMENTS“I looked for partners that were willing to work with us.”“It´s easy to just rest on your laurels and say “I´m making good money”.”“We always control the money; it has to come through us all the time.”“Then for the next four months, we get like £600 for just doing one invoice.”“It really doesn’t get much more passive than that.”“We are heavily focused on making a lot of money for our partners. Then we just takecommissions.”“It´s the best use of your time.” LINKS FREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years.This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

How To Generate Multiple Revenue Streams From Your Airbnb Business

The serviced accommodation industry is changing fast, especially the Airbnb sector, which means that what has worked in the past is not going to work in the future. Without scare mongering, Alex & Pooh share the changes that they and their students are seeing as a result of market saturation, legislation, tax rulings and other new challenges. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT UShttps://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk  
KEY TAKEAWAYSThe Airbnb market is saturated. Yet, SA course providers are not telling people this, which means even more people are entering the industry, making things worse. You can no longer take a short crash course and then go out, rent a property, put it on Airbnb, and make money. Relying solely on bookings to cover your Airbnb business overheads is now aprecarious business model. Airbnb entrepreneurs need to pivot and create further streams of income to maintain cashflow, remain solvent and make a decent profit. Using the knowledge, skills, and connections you already have to diversify is the best way to generate consistent revenue. Understand your strengths and hire people to cover your weaknesses. Relying solely on OTAs for bookings is no longer viable. Selling enquiries and leads to other hosts and taking a cut is a great way to makeadditional revenue and do so consistently, but you need the right training. BEST MOMENTS“That´s what we are about, being real, genuine, bringing some ethics to this business.”“We need to learn other ways to maintain consistent revenue.”“The truth is there's just too many people doing it (SA/Airbnb).”“You can no longer rely 100% on bookings.”“Right now, we have to accept that … if we want to make real money, we’ve got to change up the way we’re doing things.”“I like to set things up and then have much more capable people do the rest for me.”“I think the key is just to make a lot of money for other people and you take your cut. Its fair.” LINKSFREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community -https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. - This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

Will You Have Regrets At The End Of It all?

This episode of the Airbnb Blueprint podcast is a bit different. Today, instead of focusing on the practicalities of building a business, Alex talks about the essence of life itself. He invites you all to pause and think about the deeper question – Why are we here? He is doing this because properly answering that question for yourself and using as a guide is actually important to your personal and business success.  THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT US  https://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk   KEY TAKEAWAYS Pursuing material wealth alone, as society teaches us to do, often leads to dissatisfaction. Money is a tool that facilitates things, not the ultimate goal. Money cannot buy you the most important things in life e.g. fulfilling relationships. Passion drives more sustainable success than purely pursuing monetary rewards does. Constantly chasing material possessions is a trap. Prioritise personal fulfilment over status symbols that bring only transitory joy. Align your work with your passions. When you do that, the money naturally follows. The fact you are enthusiastic makes it easy to work well and succeed. Reflect deeply on your life's purpose and make choices that align with your core values. Focus on creating meaningful impact, not just income. Value your time, it is the most precious thing you have. Building a legacy brings long-term satisfaction. Don't let external validation drive you. Future-proof your business. Think outside the box and explore other ways to derive income from your skills e.g. lead generation. BEST MOMENTS"Money might buy you a beautiful house, but it can't buy you a fulfilling life.""How much of what we're chasing is about how others perceive us, rather than how we feel about ourselves?"“The more we compare ourselves to others, the more unsatisfied we become…we give away our power.”“We let societal expectations steer and dictate our path, taking the choices out of our own hands.”"Life is short, and the only currency we have is time, and it's the only thing that money can't buy."   EPISODE RESOURCESUnscripted - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unscripted-Life-Liberty-Pursuit-Entrepreneurship/dp/B0711VG44Y LINKS FREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOS Alex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -  This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’ Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

Rent to Rent Is Now Dead, But We Are Making More Money Doing This Instead!

In this episode, Alex explains why a shift in the serviced accommodation industry has turned the rent-to-rent approach into a broken model. He explains why some SA trainers are not recognising this fact and are continuing to teach rent-to-rent, instead of the new approach he and Pooh are now offering.The new model they are teaching enables people to make good money without investing a lot of money, dealing directly with guests, worrying about VAT, TOMS or competing in a saturated market. Alex shares an easy way for you to get started with this little-used business strategy. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT US https://welcome.airbnbblueprint.co.uk KEY TAKEAWAYS The serviced accommodation market is saturated. Regardless of where you operate, there is more accommodation than there are guests. The HMRC v Sonder TOMS VAT case means a loophole SA businesses have been able to use to avoid the 20% VAT liability on turnover is set to close. If your rent-to-rent SA business is turning over £90k the TOMS VAT situation is a ticking time bomb. Rising overheads, more competition, regulation and tax changes combined with fewer guests and lower per night prices are all combining to make rent-to-rent far more difficult. It is possible to run a bookings management company from anywhere and it only takes a few months to start making a profit. Now is the time to pivot and train to become a relocation agent. Currently, very few people are offering this highly sought-after service, so it is really easy to make money doing it. BEST MOMENTS “The rent-to-rent model … is beginning to crack. It's not just bending at the edges; it’s breaking and it’s doing it fast.”“Everyone's trying to undercut everyone else, and it's turned into a race to the bottom.”“You're going to start to see people going from making a pretty decent margin to breaking even, or worse, losing money. ”“Our business is built on integrity. We don't just say what's popular, we say what's true in today's world, in today's market.”“You simply bring the two parties together, provide a high-level service, and take your cut.”“There's no need to panic. We just need to pivot.” EPISODE RESOURCES Sonder vs HMRC TOMS VAT case - https://pkf-francisclark.co.uk/insights/big-win-for-hmrc-in-the-upper-tribunal-of-sonder-europe-ltd-toms-vat-case LINKS FREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOS Alex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -  This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’ Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

How To Avoid Doom Scrolling Social Media and 10x Your Productivity!

In this episode, Alex talks about the brain drain caused by social media and the negative impact getting sucked into social media has on productivity, a problem that Alex understands well. Despite being aware of social media addiction, occasionally, Alex still finds himself zoning out and scrolling for far longer than he intended. Fortunately, the 10 strategies he shares in this episode are helping him to greatly reduce how often that happens. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT US https://airbnbblueprint.co.uk/join/  KEY TAKEAWAYS Social media addiction is very real and a problem for most people. Even when people know they can easily get sucked into spending too much time onsocial media, most of them still find themselves doing exactly that, at times. If you don’t create some sort of structure for yourself, the alluring freedom of working for yourself and choosing your own timetable becomes a trap.Use time blocking, to stay organised and improve your time management.Prioritise your tasks the night before. Don´t be afraid of turning off your notifications for a couple of hours. Once you have done it a few times you will realise that you don´t miss anything important by doing this. Focus entirely on each task and avoid switching between apps or platforms.Yoga, deep breathing exercises and meditation all train your brain to stay calm and focused. If you are bored, do some yoga stretches instead of scrolling on social media. Balance is essential. Set boundaries between your work and personal life. If you only work, you will burn out.
BEST MOMENTS “This is a problem that I really, really struggle with.”“You tell yourself I'll get stuck in after just one more post and you end up wasting a whole day like this.”“It´s really planned and regimented time blocking that makes successful people asproductive as they are.”“When it comes to staying productive, accountability is also one of the most powerfulmotivators.”“When you’re clear on your objectives, you can really structure your day around the tasks that will help you achieve them.” EPISODE RESOURCESThe Pomodoro® Technique - https://www.pomodorotechnique.comHow to block social media - https://www.techlockdown.com/guides/block-social-media LINKSFREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community -https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOSAlex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.

Back To Basics 101, How To Make Money In Airbnb The Right Way!

In this episode, Alex explains how to create a really effective Airbnb listing. A task which starts with investing money in refurbishing your property to a high standard. If you do not do that, it is impossible to create a listing that tempts guests to book with you. He explains what you should be spending money on and what you shouldn´t and how to make sure you get the refurb done fast so you are not left paying rent for a property that is standing empty. THE AIRBNB BLUEPRINT CONSULTANT - CONTACT US https://airbnbblueprint.co.uk/join/  KEY TAKEAWAYS Everyone has to start spending before they start earning. Spend your refurb budget on the right things, Alex explains exactly what they are. Understand your avatar when deciding how to enhance your property. Focus on what they like and need. Get the refurb done quickly. You can´t have the property empty while you are paying rent to your landlord. Invest in good photos. Hire a professional who is used to photographing SA properties. You need at least 20. 50 is much better. Start with Airbnb, you get paid faster than with Booking.com and the listing process is far easier. Most people create appalling listings, so if you do yours to a high standard, it will stand out. Use ChatGPT to create titles that really pop. Focus on the first few words, those are the ones that catch people´s eye. The first 5 pictures on your listing are the most important. Use them to highlight the features that your guests want most. BEST MOMENTS“If you do this stuff, guys, you will be booked, and you will be in the 1% of listings on Airbnb. It's not that difficult.”“We'll get you to your goals in a 10th of the time with almost zero risk.”“Think, how can I make this place suitable for my target client avatar.”“The title is key. The next most important thing, or just as important, is the pictures.”“It's not just the quality of the pictures, it's what pictures you should be taking, the flow of the pictures and the staging of the pictures.”“Your photographer needs to be Airbnb, SA specific.” LINKS FREE Airbnb Blueprint Coaching Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2342454789487705 HOST BIOS Alex & Pooh have built a portfolio of over 16 Serviced Accommodation Units and 10 Buy-To-Lets collectively over the last 5 years. -  This AirBnB Business has allowed each of them to create their own tailor-made ‘lifestyle by design.’ Pooh chose to escape the corporate life as an electrical engineer instead to spend his time at home with his young and growing family, and Alex likes to spend most of his time in sunny Spain enjoying his love for road cycling or even hiking in the Tramuntana mountain ranges.