Failure to launch on Airbnb

[Kevin Hill]

So my wife and I purchased a camp on a canal. We bought it with the intent to rent as an airbnb. We created our LLC, did some renovations and fully furnished it. We have used it with my parents as a fishing camp for about a year now and never listed it. We watch videos on what you need and do's and don'ts but never list it. I watch youtube videos that say list it and learn as you go while my wife watches nothing but the horror stories, what can go wrong, and how a negative review can ruin your airbnb. While she has caught a lot of things we needed and has made several lists that we are completing it doesn't seem like the list will ever end. I guess the question is should we list and learn as we go or is a negative review something we should worry about.

[Steven Wang]

Having been in the short-term rental industry for a while now and currently running an STR business, I can tell you right now that all of the items you had listed as potential issues and horror stories are novice traps that are easily addressable once you understand how Airbnb (as a company, and other OTAs) operates and how to leverage tools/strategies that proactively filters out most bad guests.

As with any business and industry, you are always learning and will always lose from time to time. You will never be an expert and understand the intricacies without actually doing it yourself and execute. Analysis paralysis is real, and to be honest with you, most "gurus" on YouTube tend to only provide content and punch lines that will attract views, not necessarily the nitty gritty boring details that you will need to run your daily operations effectively. This kind of knowledge that will make or break your business only comes with doing and constantly improving on every aspect of your business as you go.

Hope this helps!