(this article is a chapter of the main blog article - https://ian-crystal.blogspot.com/2021/08/airbnb-hacks.html)
table of contents
I. thesis
II. cut out the fats
III. detailed documentation
IV. training video
V. sample airbnb documents
--------------------------------
I. thesis
there is growing demand for airbnb staycations. the market is composed of jejemons, hardworking families and call center barkadas seeking to enjoy a day or two swimming and experiencing rare comforts and luxury. it's an alternative to beach resorts and public pools. it comes out much cheaper per person. plus instead of just a day use cottage/table, they can stay overnight in an aircon room with kitchen.
whenever i have a thesis i try to bludgeon it to death. this gravy train could be derailed if condo associations start realizing this trend. many condo owners might not want sub humans infesting their pristine condominium complex and degrading it's high class vibe because maybe it's angels from heaven and not human beings who farm our food, work in the factories to manufacture our precious iphones and nurse us when we are sick in the hospital. when i was hospitalized for 2 weeks a couple of years ago, i was unconscious most of the time so i can't remember if my nurses were human beings or angels from heaven.
meanwhile, there is a growing glut of condominiums due to over building with no end in sight. developers are like drug junkies. condos will continue to sprout all over like weeds until the bubble will burst. at that time, condo owners will be begging the sub humans to infest their properties just to keep the property values afloat. the problem is competition would be so tough. airbnb hosts will need to keep prices very low, resulting in razor sharp thin margins (profits). the only way to make a profit is for the owners to clean the units themselves, which is impossible because if you bought a condo/townhouse just for investment then it will be beneath you to be cleaning the toilet every time there is a new guest. this would be an opportunity to expand the gig economy so troubled youths and other fringes of society who can't persevere in a regular job can join the labor force and help boost our economy.
my theory is that many of those who can't hold a steady job can actually be productive if they are given the freedom to work only when they want to. they do have the energy. the problem is that their energy highs and lows is incompatible with normal work hours. so they become useless to society. lack of purpose and self esteem leads to drug abuse. gig workers such as ride sharing drivers (uber, grab, angkas) have the freedom to work whenever they feel an energy burst. if they feel sleepy and want to sleep, they simply turn off their app. i think promoting the gig economy will help eradicate the drug epidemic and lower the crime rate. this is why i'm also developing an asal sharing app and business model (https://ian-crystal.blogspot.com/2021/06/asal-lechon-sharing-app.html). running and growing a business would be more fun if your goal is to help others or solve a problem in society instead of just making money. and when you are having fun, your chances of success becomes greater.
nobody chooses to be lazy. it's always a genetic or biological disorder. it's nobody's fault. example, narcolepsy is caused by a deficiency from a protein called hypocretin (https://stanmed.stanford.edu/2015spring/hacking-the-biological-clock.html). a person suffering narcolepsy can easily wash all the dishes in a restaurant if they are given the choice to only wash dishes when they are fully awake and energetic. the problem is restaurants have to run a strict schedule.
my biological clock is also incompatible with the circumference of the earth (https://ian-crystal.blogspot.com/2013/11/stamina-not-insomnia.html). fortunately for me, my line of work was engineering where i had the freedom to work whenever i wanted to as long as i met my project deadlines. i ended up being very productive and kept getting promoted. (the downside was that sometimes i would finish a 3 month project in only a month so i had 2 months to write blogs and post my opinions in facebook which annoyed the hell out of my facebook friends. i realized people only want to hear your opinions if you have a likable personality or charisma. people will elect you president even if you say racist things or have difficulty forming a sentence.)
i discovered that even troubled youths can reliably clean an airbnb unit if you train them. i also found a way to train them with very little time and effort. in the spirit of the gig revolution, i created a chat group where i simply post when a unit needs to cleaned and first one to reply gets the gig.
II. cut out the fats
people normally buy 50 different kinds of clean chemicals but you really just need 1 - dishwashing soap. your wife will probably kill you if you tell her this. women need to buy a different cleaner and scrub for every part of the house. if you use water to clean the mirror or windows instead of windex glass cleaner, she will think you are a primitive caveman and she will divorce you.
my priority is always to rent out a property long term. the airbnb units that my friends ask me to manage are also advertised online for long term rental. if i get a long term renter i use the commission to support the schooling of my student gig workers. while waiting for a long term renter, i also post it on airbnb. the only time i need other cleaning chemicals is after a long term renter moves out. i usually need a household strength muriatic acid cleaner to remove tough stains. i also need a drain declogger. what's amazing is people usually have 50 different kinds of household cleaners but they won't have a muriatic acid and declogger. i haven't found any chemical that works better than muriatic acid on really tough stains.
so what's wrong with having 50 different types of cleaning chemicals? nothing if you are just managing 1 household. but if you are managing multiple properties, it will contribute to confusion and inefficiency. a lean operation is more reliable. a lean operation is also more adaptable. you can have 1 system for a studio unit or a 3 bedroom unit. a lean system is also more scalable. it's easier to train new workers as your business grows. it also allows your workers to be flexible and nimble because their tool bag is smaller and lighter. you might think the remedy is to keep the cleaning solutions in the unit but this would result in higher operational cost and more room for error. they need to keep track if a cleaning chemical is running out and buy new ones. the guest might also use it or take it home so the cleaner will have to go out and buy a new one, resulting in operational delays.
too much fat is what killed netscape, myspace, and friendster. cutting out the fat allowed the likes of facebook (no pun intended) and google to disrupt their industry and obliterate their competition.
III. detailed documentation
when i was working for altera corporation in silicon valley as a systems administrator, i was actually the least technically gifted person in my team. but i was the one who kept getting promoted and getting a salary raise because of 1 thing - i had the knack for detailed documentation. i have very poor memory so i was forced to document even the smallest details of all tasks and operations so i won't make mistakes. when my department opened a dev site in penang malaysia, my VP told me i have to travel to malaysia for a couple of months to train the new team over there. i told him there is no need because the systems are already up and running in penang and the new employees already know what to do. my VP was shocked and reviewed my documentations. he told me he was amazed at what i did but i needed to use proper capitalization and avoid using slang words such as "stuff" or we will get decertified by ISO 9000. i told him ISO 9000 is a racket. he agreed with me but also told me we need to play "the game" and go to critical race theory seminars (just kidding on the CRT part).
my airbnb cleaners follow a very detailed operation guide from start to finish. their training involves simply watching a 25 minute training video. the advantages of detailed documentation are similar to having a lean system i discussed in the previous chapter. it makes the operations more reliable, adaptable and scalable.
even if you are rich and can afford maids, i suggest you let your kids clean your house using my operation guide. they will learn a lot of my valuable operational philosophies. they don't teach my techniques in school because they are not really essential to success. i mean if your kid has a business degree from carnegie melon, your kid can be the VP of a national burger chain. or if your kid starts a burger joint, your kid can be the talk of the town for having the best tasting burger in your town. and that's great. but even if your kid has no college degree but possess the operational habits that i'm preaching here, your kid will start a burger joint that sells cheap and low quality burger. but your kid's burger joint will become a household name all over the country, not just your hometown.
just look at these ladies - Artistic Swimming Olympic Qualifier. they trained many hours a day for 4 years just to get to the olympics. they did not even win any medal. you only need to spend 2 hours a day for maybe 3 months to improve and document every detail of your operations and other business processes (e.g. accounting) so your business will have a chance to be the next "local to national story" in the wall street journal.
my brother started a lechon business. i advised him to be aware that even uneducated people know how to raise and roast pigs. even cavemen used to do it. if the business really is lucrative then many will go into the lechon business because there literally is no barrier of entry or moat. one of the ways to beat your competition is scale. just like walmart. anybody can setup a store selling what walmart is selling but walmart has the advantage of scale so they can lower their prices and muscle out the mom and pop stores. therefore it's important to do whatever it takes to make the business scalable and detailed documentation of all the business processes is one of them.
you also need to be sensitive to the feelings of your employees and business partners. it's possible they will react favorably when you start documenting and making training videos but you should always be conservative in predicting human behavior. humans are unpredictable and very imperfect. they might feel you are finding a way to make them easily replaceable. so you must first find a way to get them on board with your initiatives. maybe offer those with valuable experience a stake in the growth of your business. mark zuckerberg only owns 14% of facebook even if he singlehandedly created facebook.
you also have to pay attention to growth sustainability. example, alarm bells went off my brain when i saw the size of charcoal sacks being delivered. of course i'm not an expert and my reaction was probably just ignorance but i felt one big sack used up an entire ipil ipil tree. environmental regulations will only get stricter and maybe charcoal will get more scarce and more expensive. however i do know gasul is very sustainable because our planet has an over abundance of natural gas. it's also a byproduct of oil drilling and the drillers even just waste them by flaring them out. the cost of natural gas is really just the transportation, storage, and distribution. but first you need to make sure using gasul instead of charcoal won't degrade the quality of your lechon. then start doing some research. maybe machine shops can design and make you a gas powered grill.
my point is nowadays competition is very tough. if you don't continuously improve and innovate, you will become obsolete pretty quick.
IV. training video
helen of troy had a face that launched a thousand ships. the following video will be the video that rescued a thousand troubled youths. feel free to cut out, replace some parts or insert some clips to suit your needs (i used the "perfect video" smartphone app to create the video. i also used paintshop pro on my laptop to assemble and add text/markers to the photos).
average time it takes to clean a typical 1 bedroom apartment is 20 to 30 minutes. laundry takes around 30 minutes for washing/spinning/hanging. then after it's dry (3 hours fan drying) it takes around 10 minutes to fold and put the linens in the cabinets.
V. sample airbnb documents
you can also copy paste the following airbnb operation documents to microsoft word and tailor them to your needs.
---------------- operation guide front page --------------------
(13.5" long paper, narrow margins, 16 point times new roman headings and 11 point times new roman items text)
OPERATION GUIDE
*** mo post si ian sa chat group kung duna limpyohan ug unsa oras. first to reply ang maka earn.
- e inspect ang cleaning kit (sulod sa baldi):
- operation guide (kani)
- butilya na duna sulod:
- alpilir para declog sa shower ug sprayer
- 2 ka yawi sa avida kung vacant ang avida. 1 ka gawi kung naa guest
- 1 ka yawi sa corabes (ang usa ka yawi naa sa guard sa lobby)
- yawi sa linen cabinet
- hand broom
- hand dust pan
- dishwashing soap (1/3 cup) to water (1 large joy bottle) mixture
(dle gyud e buwag and 1/3 measuring cup sa butanganan sa dishwashing soap sa ato kusina)
- sponge-scrub
- spare floormat
- trapo para sa lamisa, aprador, kitchen counter ug bintana
- medium trash bags (kung hapit na mahurot pag palit sa grocery. siguroa sakto ang size)
- medium trash bags (kung hapit na mahurot pag palit sa grocery. siguroa sakto ang size)
- rubber gloves
- kabo sa toilet (small water bottle cut out)
- toothbrush para muriatic sa lababo
wala sa kit pero naa sa condo or balay:
- toilet brush (naa sa banyo)
- plunger (naa sa banyo)
- muriatic acid HOUSEHOLD STRENGTH (naa sa ilawm sa lababo sa kusina pagpalit sa sari sari kung hapit na mahurot)
- sosa declogger (naa sa ilawm sa lababo sa kusina. pagpalit sa grocery kung hapit na mahurot)
- mop
- dishwashing bottle
- dishwashing sponge-scrub
usa mo adto sa condo:
- puna ang dishwashing soap mixture bottle
- pagkuha ug limpyo na floormat sa laundry room
- sulod sa laundry bag:
- e butang ang cleaning kit (baldi) sulod sa laundry bag
- tabuni ang cleaning kit sa limpyo na floormat
- kung avida, pagbutang sulod sa laundry bag: 1 bedsheet, 1 habol, 2 punda, 2 towels,
- kung corables, pagbutang sulod sa laundry bag: 3 bedsheets, 2 habol, 4 punda, 2 towels
inig abot sa condo:
1) ebutang sulod sa butilya ang yawi na ge bilin sa guest
2) paagasi ug tubig ang lababo sa kusina ug banyo. kung hinay mo hubas, yabi ug mga usa ka baso na sosa. ayaw usa e on ang gripo inig human na ug limpyo sa banyo. kung dle mo hubas, e message dayon si ian
3) tanawa kung duna leak ang ilawm sa mga lababo ug toilet bowl. e message dayon si ian kung duna leak
4) limpyohi ang banyo:
- suloba ang gloves
- kung hugaw ang floormat, e butang sa cleaning kit (baldi)
- pamunit ug basura. example mga sachet. apila ug labay ang mga sachet naa sa bintana
- kung nag banaw ang saug kay walay drain hole, gamita ang hand dustpan pag haw-as sa tubig paingon sa shower
- silhigi ang saug gamit ang hand broom bisan basa ang saug. e butang ang hugaw sa basurahan
- piski ug dishwashing mixture ug e scrub gamit ang sponge-scrub ang:
- SAUG
- TIBUOK TOLET APIL ANG TOILET SEAT UG ILAWM SA TOILET SEAT
- LABABO
- kung hugaw ang bong bong, apila pud ang bong bong
- piski ug dishwashing mixture ang plunger, sudlanan sa plunger, toilet brush ug sudlanan sa toilet brush ug e brush gamita ang toilet brush
- gamita ang sprayer pag was was sa plunger, sudlanan sa plunger, ug sudlanan sa toilet brush ibabaw sa toilet bowl. kabo gamita kung walay sprayer
-------------------- operation guide back page ----------------------
(page 2)
- kung hinay ang sprayer, kwaa ang alpilir sulod sa butilya ug tusluka ang mga lungag sa sprayer. e uli ang alpilir sulod sa butilya.
- piski ang sulod sa toilet bowl sa dishwashing mixture ug e brush ang tibuok sulod sa toilet bowl gamit ang toilet brush
- piski ang sulod sa toilet bowl sa dishwashing mixture ug e brush ang tibuok sulod sa toilet bowl gamit ang toilet brush
- was wasi ang toilet brush ibabaw sa toilet bowl gamit ang toilet sprayer ug e witik.
- e flush ang toilet. kung wala natangtang ang mantsa sa toilet, siradi ang tank valve. then e flush. then hawasa ang tubig gamit ang toilet kabo. then butangi ug gamay (mga 1 ka tasa) na muriatic (kung wala pa na abri ang muriatic, tusluka ang plug cap sa kutsilyo ug ligwata. hugasi ang kutsilyo). then e brush gamit ang toilet brush. then abrihi ang tank valve. inig ka puno sa tanki e flush ug usab. was wasi ang toilet brush.
- kung wala natangtang ang mantsa sa lababu, butangi gamay (mga 1 ka kutsara) na muriatic ug e spot brush gamit ang toothbrush. ang mantsa ra e brush. e uli ang muriatic ilawm sa lababo sa kusina.
- gamita ang toilet spray pag was was sa toilet ug lababu, kung walay sprayer or dle ka abot ang hose, gamita ang kabo.
- paagasa ang shower. kung hinay tusluka ang mga lungag ug alpilir. e uli ang alpilir sulod sa butilya.
- kung walay drain hole ang saug, gamita ang hand dust pan pag haw-as sa nag banaw na tubig.
- kung hugaw ang samin, basa ang tumoy sa bulingon na towel ug trapohi ang samin. then gamita ang uga na part sa bulingon na towel para pag pa sinaw sa samin
- ilisi ug trashbag ang basurahan. was wasi ang basurahan kung hugaw ug trapuhi sa floormat para ma uga. ipadaplin una ang basura sa kusina kausahun ra ug labay tanan sa trash chute unya.
- kung hugaw ang bintana, limyohi ang bintana gamit ang trapo para sa lamisa.
- was wasi ug puga ug maayo ang mop hantod limpyo. then e mop ang saug. was wasi ug usab ang mop, piski ug dishwashing soap then puga ug maayo. ebalik ang mop sa butanganan
- was wasi ang shower floor gamit ang sprayer
- kung hugaw ang floormat ilisdi
- gamita ang floormat pagpa uga sa saug
5) limpyohi ang kusina:
- limpyohi ang refrigerator. ilabay sa basura tanan naa sulod. trapuhi ang hugaw gamit ang sponge-scrub para sa mga plato.
- panghugas
- kung hugaw, limpyohi ang tibuok lababo gamit ang sponge-scrub. sabuni pud ang strainer ug drain hole.
- kung hugaw, limpyohi ang stove gamit ang sponge-scrub
- kung hugaw, limpyohi ang microwave gamit ang sponge-scrub
- kung hugaw, trapohi ang counter ug lamisa.
- panilhig then e spot mop (meaning mopi lang ang mga hugaw na part)
- e refill ang dishwashing bottle. gamita ang nahibilin na dishwashing mixture
- ilisi ug trash bag ang food waste bin. ipadaplin una ang basura kausahun ra ug labay tanan sa trash chute unya. kung hugaw, limpyohi ang food waste bin gamit ang sponge-scrub.
- kung hugaw ang dish bin, limpyohi
6) limpyohi ang kwarto ug sala:
- kung hugaw, trapohi ang tanan lamisa ug aparador
- panilhig. ibutang ang hugaw sa basurahan
- pag spot mop (meaning e mop ang nihibilin na hugaw sa saug)
- ilisi ang trash bag. kung hugaw, limpyohi ang basurahan. ilabay tanan basura sa trash chute
- e butang tanan linen sa lamisa. then ebutang ang tanan bulingon sa laundry bag. then ilisi ang bedsheet ug punda.
- sa corabes, e sulod ang 2 ka extra bedsheets, 1 extra habol ug 2 extra punda sa aparador (dle sa drawer)
- e inspection ang aircon filter. kung hugaw, gamita ang sprayer or gripo sa banyo pag limpyo. trapohi ug bulingon na towel ug ebalik sa aircon. was wasi ang mga hugaw sa shower.
- panghapnig or e balik ang mga butang sa butanganan. e labay ang walay gamit
- kung na stuck up ang lababo ganina, paagasi usab ug tubig. kung stuck up gihapon, usba ug butang ug sosa ug huwat napud ug 20 minutes. kung stuck up gihapon, pahibawa si ian.
- sigurua pawng ang aircon ug naka unplug ang refrigerator.
- ebalik ang mga butang sa cleaning kit ug ebutang ang cleaning kit sa laundry bag
7) kung corabes, e bilin ang usa ka yawi sa guard
inig abot sa balay:
- e hayhay ang hugaw na floormat sa laundry room
- labhi tanan na bulingon. sunda ang instructions naka post sa bungbung
- kung daghan na na labhunon na trapo ug floormat, e light wash lang ug 5 minutes
- sigurua organized ang cabinet. sunda ang mga labels. then e lock. e sulod ang yawi sa butilya.
-------------------------------------------------------------
laundry procedure:
- e butang ang laundry sa washer (ayaw ipa lapas ug 3 kilos)
- e set sa "wash". butangi ug tubig tupong sa labada
- e set sa "wash". butangi ug tubig tupong sa labada
- pag butang ug 1 sachet (45 grams)
- e wash ug 5 minutes (kung naa mancha or hugaw labhi ug kinamot or kuskusa)
- e drain ang tubig
- e set sa "wash". butangi ug tubig tupong sa labada. e set sa "drain". e wash while ga butang ka ug tubig hantod dyutay nalang ang buwa.
- huwata ma drain na tanan tubig
- e butang sa spinner. siguradoa katunga ra kutob sa spinner. ayaw puna.
- kupti ang spinner ug e spin for 1 minute (ayaw ipa lapas ug 1 minute)
- e hay hay ug ipa igo sa hangin sa electric fan.
- e set sa "wash". butangi ug tubig tupong sa labada. e set sa "drain". e wash while ga butang ka ug tubig hantod dyutay nalang ang buwa.
- huwata ma drain na tanan tubig
- e butang sa spinner. siguradoa katunga ra kutob sa spinner. ayaw puna.
- kupti ang spinner ug e spin for 1 minute (ayaw ipa lapas ug 1 minute)
- e hay hay ug ipa igo sa hangin sa electric fan.
- inig ka uga, pamilo ug e butang sa linen cabinet. ayaw e sagul. sunda ang label. ang king size (pinakadaku na bedsheet) naa red na K sa 4 corners.
- pag inventory pag siguro walay kuwang
where to buy beddings and towels:
- bed sheets 75"x60" (190cm x 152cm) P200 at unitop, P450 at country mall but it comes with blanket and pillow case.~150cm:
- towels: gaisano country mall, about P99
- pillow case: country mall, about P65
- floormat in taboan public market
- trapo in taboan public market
- medium trash bags in 168 hypermart in v-rama
----------------------------- post in the sala: ---------------------
Dear valued guest,
- Please turn off the aircon and lights when not in use. This will keep our prices low for your future stays :-)
- When it's time for you to check out, just leave the keys in the room and lock the door
- STRICTLY NO SMOKING
- wifi name: benjamin, password: netanyahu
Thank you for your kind cooperation :-)
-------------------- post above the toilet -----------------------
If you notice any water leaks, please notify the owner immediately (0920-292-7615).
Example is when the flush button gets stuck and water continuously flows in the toilet bowl even long after flushing, kindly press it again so it will get un-stuck then notify the owner.
------------------ post above the food waste bin --------------
Kindly throw food waste in the bin labeled "food waste" to avoid clogging the sink.
Thank you :-)
----------------- basic sky cable tv guide -------------------
TV GUIDE
- make sure the tv and cable box is plugged. there will be a red indicator light if it is plugged. make sure the extension chord above the kitchen table is plugged
- turn the tv and cable box by pressing the red button on the remotes. the tv will take about 10 seconds to turn on so do not press the red button again or it will turn off. you will know the tv is booting up if the red indicator light goes off. the red indicator light of the cable box will also turn off when it has turned on
- if the screen is still blank, press the source button on the tv remote and continue pressing until the HDMI1 is selected
- if you have movies in a flash drive, you can plug it in the back of the TV then press the source button to select MEDIA. use the arrow keys and OK button in the middle to navigate through the directories and files. the red button on the remote = play/pause, green button = rewined, yellow button = fast forward, blue button = stop
*** please turn off the tv when not in use ****
* only channels with asterisk (*) are available:
pinoy movies:
*401 - cinema 1
*409 - pbo (pinoy box office)
*411 - tmc (tagalized american movies)
*412 - cinemo
HD
*700 - abs cbn hd
*701 - abs cbn s+a (college sports)
705 - cnn hd
*706 - anc hd
*710 - hbo hd
711 - hbo hits hd
712 - hbo signature
713 - hbo family hd
714 - fox movies hd
715 - fox faimly movies hd
716 - cinema world hd
721 - discovery asia hd
722 - history hd
*723 - nat geo hd
724 - outoodr channel hd
725 - nat geo wild hd
727 - travel hd
728 - h2 hd (history)
729 - fyi hd (real estate, food, ...)
730 - crime and investigation hd
*731 - cartoon network hd
*732 - disney hd
738 - warner tv hd (old movies and sitcoms)
739 - blue ant hd (funny videos and variety shows)
740 - lifetime hd (drama, elen degenerous...)
741 - fox life hd (drama movies)
742 - fox hd (ncis ...)
745 - food hd
748 - comedy central hd
749 - mtv live hd
750 - tvn (chinese)
751 - classica (orchestra)
*752 - aquarium
*757 - liga hd (college sports)
761 - fox sports 3 hd (soccer, car racing, x sports ...)
769 - fashion tv hd
902 - tbn (religion)
*1 - sky one
*2 - abs-cbn
*3 - ptv (news
*4 - tv5
*5 - gma 7
*6 - cnn philippines
*8 - abs-cbn sports + A
*9 - net 25 (news)
*10 - untv (news)
*11 - shopping
*12 - gma news
*13 - aksyon tv
*15 - inc (iglesia)
*16 - rjtv (news radio)
*17 - etc (reality shows)
18 - yey (pinoy sesame street)
*19 - cinemo (pinoy movies)
*20 - bean (shopping)
cebu channels:
*36 - cctn (christian)
*37 - smni (news)
*53 - community channel
*54 - my sky (classifieds)
cartoons:
*105 - nickelodeon
*109 - yey (pinoy sesame street)
*111 - nick jr
*112 - boomerang
*203 - knowledge channel
*308 - liga SD (college sports)
*501 - dzmm (teleradyo news)
*502 - anc (news)
*601 - metro channel (culture, cooking ...)
*610 - jeepney tv (pinoy soaps ...)
*620 - hits (old american tv sitcoms and tv shows)
*626 - living asia (travel, culture)
*630 - myx (music)
(for more of my knowledge bombs, click the "ian's knowledge bombs" banner at the top of this article and choose any article in the table of contents that piques your interest)
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