As you are probably aware, the Isle of Wight has become one of the UK’s busiest coastal destinations. It has gorgeous sandy beaches, sailing events, music festivals, and scenic coastal paths, because of this, the island attracts thousands of visitors every year. From families going on holiday to sailing enthusiasts attending Cowes Week, and people heading to the Isle of Wight Festival, there is a huge surge in demand for services on the island.
For residents, though, this is a valuable opportunity to earn some extra income through flexible side hustles. The busiest months are the summer period, particularly across July and August, which gives you plenty of time to decide which side hustle you want to take up.
Beach Hustle
Holiday makers often want to enjoy their time at the beach and in the sun, but they don’t usually want to carry heavy, big items like paddleboards, bodyboards, beach chairs, umbrellas, or windbreakers. This can create a lucrative side hustle for locals. It can be highly profitable to sell or rent these items, as most tourists do not want to transport bulky equipment on the ferry, making rentals and sales of the items when they’re on the island an attractive option. Starting small with a few boards or chairs can keep costs manageable when first setting up the hustle, while still generating a steady income during the holidays.
Rental Hustle
Holiday rentals are very popular on the island; someone needs to help the homeowners take care of the handovers, especially as lots of the homeowners leave the island in the summer, in order to rent out their homes to tourists. Because they won’t be on the island, they will probably be looking for people to help them manage the handovers and to ensure the property has been adequately cleaned for the next guests arriving to stay. Booking sites are heavily used because of the reviews, having someone there to ensure a smooth check-in, and to check the cleanliness of the property can make the property reviews stay positive and good.
Many guests in rental homes often need a little help with various things, whether it’s using the oven, not knowing where the Wi-Fi password is, or even a minor emergency like a leaking sink. So, having someone that they can turn to in these situations, for help, is a great plus point for a lot of them.
It can also be helpful for homeowners and landlords to have someone give the outside of the home and the garden a once-over before guests are going to arrive. This could mean getting rid of wet leaves, and jet washing the driveway or the garden path. The guttering may need to be cleaned out to keep it working and looking good, and because these jobs can be a hassle to complete, offer as your side hustle to do them!
During the summer, the plants will also grow much more quickly than the rest of the year and this can be a nightmare for homeowners who aren’t there but need the garden to look nice in their rental property. You could begin offering gardening services to them and ensure the gardens are pruned and maintained throughout the summer.
Dog walking
Another tourist-based side hustle is that when visitors come over to the Isle of Wight, they often bring their dogs. Bringing their dogs is great because there are a lot of lovely scenic walks and beaches where the dogs can play. Something to consider is that some days tourists might want to visit somewhere without taking the dog, or even just have a meal or evening out without them, and not every dog is good at being left on its own. If a dog chews things when it is on its own, tourists may not want to leave it unattended in a holiday rental. This is where locals have the opportunity to build a side hustle.
Setting up a dog walking side hustle is a great way to get fresh air, exercise and also spend time with dogs. If you like those things, then this side hustle may be for you! People may also be inclined to pay you to look after them for a day or an evening because if they have brought them on the holiday, then they have already saved money on putting them in kennels, which can add hundreds of pounds onto the price of the overall cost of the holiday, and it can sometimes be into the thousands!
Be Proactive
There are so many ways to be proactive about making money doing a side hustle this summer, especially in a place which attracts so many tourists as the Isle of Wight. If you’re more for staying indoors away from the hands on work, a lot of people who play online entertainment are proactive in using tools such as a blackjack calculator as an alternative means to side hustles. However, tourists need help, and so do the locals, so make sure you start planning early to give yourself the best chance at a successful side hustle this year
