We recently had a chance to talk with Takayuki Eiki, who runs the web tool PRIMA (illustrious LLC) which helps Japanese sellers to utilize the Amazon platform more effectively. Takayuki is not only an online seller but also a host for vacation rentals in Japan. He shares his experience on building a business in a global marketplace:

Why did you start an online exporting business? How did Payoneer help?
I used to work in automobile industry; however, I always wanted to be independent. Once I decided to be a sole proprietor, I stoped working at mycompany without any hesitations and started a global business selling items on eBay and Amazon.

I started this business in the summer of 2012 when the USD hit the cheapest record in Japan. I worked very hard to establish my business, but the payment options to receive my earnings were limited and it was one of my barriers to growth. I searched for a payment option that would offer me flexibility and minimal fees, which is when I found Payoneer.

In 2014, our  Amazon support system, PRIMA, partnered with Payoneer. PRIMA now has 330 members and we are going to launch the global version supporting foreign languages not far from now. We hope to empower the people who sell on Amazon marketplaces all over the world with our system.

We hear you are also a host on Airbnb?  
I heard about Airbnb in the Spring of 2014. I rent an apartment in Tokyo but I often go for business to Ehime where my company is located. I wanted to find a solution to use this room when I was not there. My friend told me about Airbnb and I thought “that’s the one!”

I didn’t start hosting to make money.  I  simply wanted to meet guests from all over the world.  I don’t usually have a chance to meet face to face and to chat with non-Japanese people, even though I work for an international business. The communication in my business is mostly email or chat by internet.  The ability to meet and chat with guests gives me a great opportunity to learn languages and better understand cultures for my business. I’m very happy to be a host in Airbnb.

Would you recommend becoming an online seller or Airbnb host?
I like Japan where I was born. There are Thai people who like Thailand, there are French people who like France. I’ve been thinking to visit many countries for a long time and that is why I wanted to build a global business. Being an online seller is the best solution for me.  I would recommend building an online business to someone who is like me- interested in different cultures and places they have never visited. Any business which has relationships with people outside of where I know (Japan) is very exciting business for me.

What are your thoughts on Payoneer?
I was very happy hearing about EUR collection account and the local bank transfer option. Payoneer leads the payment business and Payoneer’s services have motivated and stimulated my business.  I use Payoneer to receive payments from Amazon, eBay and now Airbnb. I’d like to use their service for B2B business in the future as well.

Would you also like to share your experience or interesting story with the Payoneer community? We’d love to hear about it – let us know by sending an e-mail to community@payoneer.com, or post your comment below!

According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals reached a record 1,087 million arrivals in 2013 – surpassing expectations and growing by over 50 million tourists travelling across the globe!

With the incredible increase in tourism, people are beginning to leverage available space for additional income using popular community marketplaces such as Airbnb and HomeAway. The Sharing Economy is the next big thing, which leads us to the following question: how can you make money renting your space? Check out our top

1. Keep your accommodation well kept

Renting your accommodation during holidays or for travelers all year round is no easy task- while you might start off with a great beach house or apartment in the heart of the city, you will need to do maintenance work on your property to insure it’s in its best condition. Keep it squeaky clean- no one wants to stay at a dirty place.

2. Find the dream marketplace

There are many community marketplaces around the world where you can offer your available space for short term rent, with major platforms including Airbnb and HomeAway. The best thing is that while you get a lot of users checking out your property, listing it is for free. Another big plus is that you can check out your future guests’ profile and know a little bit about them before hosting them. Don’t forget to use Social Media networks such a Pinterest, Tumblr and Google+ to make your property go viral.

3. Do market research

Several marketplaces like Airbnb, HomeAway, Wimdu and FlipKey will recommend a price for your accommodation. However, you know your house and area the best. Skim through ads for other rental properties and set a fair and attractive rental price, taking into account the amenities you are offering.

4. Snap away

Take several pictures of your property and try not to retouch them- you want to give your future guests as accurate an image of your accommodation as possible. Think a bit outside the box, and show off your location as creatively as possible. Should you not be able to take good pictures, or get hold of a good camera, Airbnb offers freelance photographers that will take pictures of your property free of charge.

5. Improve your guests’ experience

The first step is to set up your profile on any community marketplace- there’s no thing as too much information when it comes to this. Do your best to describe and present yourself in a pleasant, friendly way. Try and establish a good relationship with the travelers before they stay at your accommodation. Do your best to ensure they have a good time by offering them hospitality.  Your guest reviews can go a long way- their recommendations will bring more people and benefit your business!

This cool infographic presented by Visual.ly shows the evolution of tourism, top most popular countries to fly to, means of transportation and profits.

Millions of people around the world choose to get paid with Payoneer, and we’re happy to announce that payout via Payoneer is now available to Airbnb hosts!

Airbnb is a leading community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world.  Their global marketplace includes over 192 countries, 33,000+ cities, and more than 500,000 listings. Our new partnership with Airbnb will allow hosts to easily withdraw their earnings using the Payoneer Prepaid Debit Mastercard® card.

Benefits of the Payoneer card for Airbnb hosts:

• Payouts available in minutes
• Low cost, with quick access to cash in hand
• Purchase online, in stores, and at ATMs worldwide where Mastercard is accepted
•  24/7 multilingual customer support via telephone, live chat, and e-mail

If you’re an Airbnb host and want to begin receiving payouts with Payoneer, simply sign into your Airbnb account, click on “Payout Preferences” and then click on the “Add Payout Method” button. If you have an available accommodation that is not listed on Airbnb, be sure to visit https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/new and post your free listing.

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