The purpose of this document is to explain how micro-entrepreneurs can sell services, goods and experiences to

untapped markets through emerging web-based marketplaces.

Online marketplaces

In competitive markets access to

customers is often controlled by retail

monopolies. In those situations, small and

micro-businesses recurrently face great

barriers to make their goods and services

visible to potential customers. The control exerted by intermediaries

is often due to customers’ lack of

information about suppliers, or because of

excessive complexity of supply. At its

core, retail monopolies are dependent on

information imbalances, and therefore, such

situations can be addressed with

information-based solutions that improve

info flow between suppliers and their

potential customers. Recently, advances in ICT systems

have created innovations that can moderate

large and complex sets of product offerings

and make them available to customers in

efficient ways. Often, these solutions have

taken the form of web marketplaces where

micro-entrepreneurs can offer their services

to desiring customers. Marketplaces such as Ebay, Craigslist

and others (see figure 1 for examples) allow

suppliers to showcase their goods or

services, and may help potential customers

navigate offerings in more or less

facilitated ways.

Figure 1 – Logos of online marketplaces

The system provides help and examples throughout

the process.

Step 5: Photos

Add up to 10 photos and choose one as the cover for

your experience.

Figure 2 – Uploading photos (www.vayable.com)

Step 6: Schedule

Pre-approve times or mark them as unavailable

according to your needs. Learning how to use the

Instant Book Scheduler is recommended.

Figure 3 – Pre-approve times (www.vayable.com)

The right tool for the right job

There are many online marketplaces that you

can choose from according to your needs and

expectations. From the many websites related to

tourism, lodging and entrepreneurship, this document

highlights six that we consider the best fit to get you

started using these marketing tools. After reading this

document you will be able to: (1) sell experiences in

a city using Vayable; (2) sell crafts and art using Etsy

(3); sell farm products using Local Harvest; (4) sell

gastronomic experiences with Feastly; (5) rent a

house or a room using Airbnb; (6) sell genuine,

authentic experiences using web-to-cell technology

through People-First Tourism.

www.vayable.com is a marketplace where

people can discover, book and offer tours and

activities across the globe. Vayable Insiders are

independent people who create unique experiences to

share with others. If you have unique knowledge,

skills or access, you can earn money offering an

experience by becoming a Vayable Insider.

Step 1: Signing up

Sign up in the home page. Insert email address, name

and choose a password. Alternatively connect with

Facebook (in case you have an account).

Step 2: Profile video

To ensure trust, safety and a high level of quality, this

website asks each Insider to create a profile video

telling potential travelers a little more about

themselves and what they have to offer. You may

keep the video informal, but try to make it appealing.

Step 3: Identity verification

Edit your profile. You will be asked to provide your

contact number. After receiving a text on your phone,

insert the code back in the system for verification.

Step 4: Basics

At the top of the page, click “list an experience”. Fill

in the fields with the summary of the experience, its

title, location, number of people, duration and price.

Step 1: Register

Insert your first and last names, e-mail address,

password and username, or alternatively sign up

using Facebook (in case you have an account).

Step 2: E-mail account confirmation

Check if Etsy sent you a message, open it and click

on “confirm your account”.

Step 3: Profile

Edit your profile from the top right icon with a face.

Follow the instructions. Remember to portray

yourself in an accurate and appealing way.

Step 4: Shop setup

Pick your shop name. It appears with your items in

the Etsy marketplace. Pick a name that has personal

significance or helps identify what's in your shop.

Step 5: Stock your shop

Add as many items as you can right now—10 or

more would be awesome. More items equals more

chances to get discovered! Shipping costs estimation

is available.

Figure 5 – Adding items section (www.etsy.com/)

Step 6: Get paid

Etsy uses their own secure payment system. You will

have to provide detailed information such as bank

account and social security numbers, home address

and date of birth.

Step 7: Payment You can choose to be paid out by secure direct

deposit (ACH) or via PayPal.

Step 8: Publish

Preview your experience and proofread it carefully.

After you click publish, Vayable reviews your

experience and will let you know if they need more

information. You can go back and edit your

experience at any time.

Step 9: Get to the job

Stay tuned for reservations and good luck!

Vayable collects a 15% commission from all guides

on all confirmed bookings. This fee is automatically

deducted from payout.

www.etsy.com is a marketplace where people

around the world connect to buy and sell unique

goods.

Figure 4 – Homepage (www.etsy.com/)

Step 7: Open shop

Although there is no monthly membership fee, you

will be charged some fees for selling on Etsy: (1)

Listing an item costs $0.20 USD each. Listings

expire after four months; (2) Selling an item costs

3.5% of the selling price. This does not include any

shipping or tax rates you may charge.

www.localharvest.org connects people looking

for good food with the farmers who produce it.

According to Local Harvest, the goal of the local

food movement is to create thriving community-

based food systems that will make high quality local

food available to everyone.

Figure 6 – Homepage (www.localharvest.org/)

Step 1: Sign up

On the top right click Sign Up and follow

instructions in the page. You need to provide your e-

mail and pick a password. Alternatively sign in with

Facebook (in case you have an account).

Step 2: Create listing

In the home page, bottom center, click on “about us”

under “support”. Then, under the headline “The

LocalHarvest National Directory”, at the end of the

paragraph, click “click here” to create a list for your

farm. Choose your listing type (Farm/Ranch or other)

and pick a name for your business.

There will be two listing levels available: basic

listing and sponsored listing. While the first is free,

the second requires a minimum contribution of $30/

year which might be a better option as your products

will get priority in the customers’ search lists.

Step 3: General profile

Fill out the required fields and write a few paragraphs

describing your farm and farming practices. Be sure

that you are concise and include relevant keywords.

Figure 7 – General profile (www.localharvest.org/)

Step 4: Market profile

Indicate your normal market outlets and, in case you

sell at Farmers’ Markets, post the Schedule and

Location: (place, days, hours).

Step 5: Product List

Use this page to tell the public about the products that

you grow and when you grow them. Whatever you

check will appear in a list at the bottom of your

profile, with the appropriate season.

Step 6: Upload Picture

Your profile will look much better with a photo of

your business.

Step 7: Yearly Sponsorship

Select basic listing or pay the amount of $30 for

sponsored listing.

Step 8: Ark of Taste Product List

Use this page to tell the public of any Slow Food Ark

of Taste products that you grow or manufacture. You

can learn more about this concept in the website.

Step 9: Calendar of Events

If you would like to maintain a calendar of events

with LocalHarvest, you can add them here. Your

events will be shown as part of your listing and will

be available for view by all visitors looking for

information in your area through the LocalHarvest

events calendar.

Step 10: Your Storefront

After you submit, you come to a screen that says

"Thank you. Now LocalHarvest will review your store

to ensure that it complies with their standards, and

approve it for inclusion in the catalog. Please notice

that if you are accepted LocalHarvest will retain a

payment of 15% of each sale as a commission

(before shipping or taxes,) and of 6% over the

shipping fees, to cover their credit card processing

costs. Their commission for CSA subscriptions is

6%. You will be able to create your Localharvest

store after they approve your listing.

www.eatwith.com offers you a fun and easy

way to host an unforgettable experience in your

home. Prepare your favorite dishes, meet interesting

people and share your unique cultural perspective.

And, earn some extra income on the side! EatWith is

growing fast but it is likely that it might not be

currently accepting host applications in your location.

Step 1: Sign up

Sign up on the top right. Provide your first and last

names, email address and a password. Choose your

country. Alternatively sign up with Facebook (in case

you have an account).

Step 2: Become a host

Once you are logged in you’ll be redirected to the

home page. Here, on the top right you’ll be able to

see your name. Click on the drop arrow and then

dashboard. Once in the dashboard, scroll down. Click

be a host on the bottom right.

Select your country and your city (if neither your

country nor your city are listed you may choose to be

notified when EatWith is launched in new

locations—just click Can’t find your location?) and

then Be a Host.

Figure 8 – Homepage (www.eatwith.com/)

Step 3: Eligibility

Do you have what it takes to be a host? Watching the

video provided by EatWith will help you to figure

that out.

Step 4: Video submission

Submit a short video (30 - 60 seconds) and/or photos

of why you are the perfect host (pictures of your

hosting space, you cooking, your food and anything

else that sets you apart)! Add a link to your video or

photos in or email the files later to

beahost@eatwith.com.

Step 5: Fill out a set of questions

In addition to your photo and video

submission, add the URL of your blog/website/

Facebook page.

Name, Country, City

How many people can you fit around the table

based on the number of people for which you

have plates and cutlery? Where do you plan to

host your events?

Figure 9 – Hosting amenities (www.eatwith.com/)

Have you ever studied cooking? Where do

you get your cooking inspiration from?

How many dishes is your menu composed of?

Do you cook with organic/home-grown produce?

Does your event include live music or a

cooking demonstration?

Can you cater for the vegetarian, kosher,

vegan, celiac or lactose intolerant?

Who do you host dinners with? How many

times per month are you available to host events?

Do you speak English? How many languages

do you speak?

How many minutes in a cab are you from the

city center? What’s your address?

How old are you?

Do you have a smartphone?

Describe your neighborhood.

What does your food look/taste like?

Step 6:

After you have completed your questionnaire and

submitted your video/photos, EatWith will review

them and contact you for further instructions

including pricing, payment methods and legal issues.

www.airbnb.com is a community marketplace

where guests can book lodging spaces from hosts,

connecting people who have space to spare with

those who are looking for a place to stay. Through

their experiences on Airbnb, guests and hosts are

expected to build real connections with real people

from all over the globe.

Figure 10 – Homepage (www.airbnb.com)

Step 1: Sign up Sign up on the top right. Choose sign up with email.

Provide your first and last names, email address and a

password. Confirm your password and hit sign up.

Alternatively you can sign up either with Facebook

or Google Plus (in case you have an account).

Step 2: List your space

On the top right click List Y our Space. Pick the

option that best describes your room or house, how

many guests it accommodates and the city. Next click

Continue.

Step 3: Availability

Indicate when your listing is available: Always,

Sometimes or One Time. You are creating your

calendar at this step and you will return to the

calendar periodically to update the availability.

Figure 11 – List your space page (www.airbnb.com)

Step 4: Pricing

You alone are responsible for choosing a price for

your listing. The suggested price tool can give you a

sense of prices charged within the past 90 days by the

most comparable listings in your city or

neighborhood. In case you want to offer a discount

for longer stays, you can also set weekly and monthly

prices.

Step 5: Overview

Provide a title and a summary to be displayed on

your public listing page. A great summary should be

rich and exciting! It should cover the major features

of your space and neighborhood in 250 characters or

less.

Step 6: Photos

Add a photo or two... or three, or more! Guests love

photos that highlight the features of your space!

Step 7: Amenities

Most common amenities include TV, heating or

internet; extras include hot tub, pool or free parking;

special features include kids, smoking and

accommodations for pets. Please note that smoke and

carbon monoxide detectors will be required for most

listings by the end of 2014.

Step 8: Listing info

Insert the number and types of beds, and bathrooms

guests can access.

Step 9: Address

Click on Add Address and insert it in the fields.

Provide guests with directions to your place,

suggestions on transportations and any other details

that may help them arrive easily and on time. Notice

that your exact address is private and only shared

with guests after a reservation is confirmed.

Step 10: Confirmation

Insert a photo of yourself and your phone

number. You will get a text message on your phone

with a 4 digit verification code that you will need to

type into the website.

Step 11: Getting paid

You can add a payout method from your account.

Payout Preferences are listed on the drop down menu

stemming from your name on the top right of the

home page. Available payout methods and currencies

differ by country. Click Add Payout Method and

enter your address to see the payout options available

to you. These include: ACH/Direct deposit; Bank

transfer / International wire; PayPal; Western Union;

Mailed check; and Payoneer.

Step 12: Wait for reservations

In the meantime, please review your local laws

before listing your space on Airbnb. Some cities have

laws that restrict your ability to host paying guests

for short periods. These laws are often part of a city's

zoning or administrative codes.

The phrase “digital divide” can be applied to

the gap observed between individuals with ready

access to information and communication

technologies (ICT), and those without such access. In

this case, some individuals will still be unable to

reach the aforementioned untapped markets if they

have limited (or no) internet connectivity. Thus,

technologies do not in themselves solve social and

economic discrepancies within societies, but they can

often exacerbate them. Conversely, a key feature of

the People-First Tourism software is that it embraces

the advanced ICT functionality of hyper-connected

tourists while making the system accessible to even

the least ICT savvy micro-entrepreneurs.

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1 If you don’t have a business name, include only your

first and last name; if you do have a separate business

name, please include both the name of the business and your

full name.

2 Include a headshot (or “profile picture”) of yourself.

Please be sure that you are comfortable with the picture

being shared online.

3 Provide a compelling description of yourself (150-200

words). Begin with a brief background of your historic

connection with the local community; include some info

about your economic struggles or hopes (include only that

which you are comfortable sharing); demonstrate your

special knowledge, skills, and personality; and reflect how

you desire to meet and interact with visitors. Be deliberate to

use words that might be searched by interested tourists.

4 You must have a cellphone number that can receive

reservations via text (SMS enabled). Remind that

investment in high end devices is not required as any basic

“dumb” phone will do the job.

5 You need to have a PayPal account. For help, you can

consult a PayPal tutorial.

6 You are entitled to list up to two services. Provide a

description and a photo. Specify duration, maximum

number of people for the listed price and extra fees to be

paid in cash on site per extra person if appropriate. Please

specify if the service is best suited for certain visitors (e.g.,

families, children of a certain age). You may want to include

soft warnings about weather or physical demands, and

potential exposure to allergens.

7 Use Google Maps or a GPS device to determine the

exact location where you would like to meet with the

tourists.

8 Provide the physical address of your location.

Figure 12 – Profile page (www.peoplefirsttourism.com)

P1T at a glance www.peoplefirstourism.com is a marketplace

for buying and selling genuine tourism experiences.

This project links entrepreneurs trying to pursue

dignified and sustainable livelihoods through tourism

with adventurous and conscientious tourists

interested in unique off the beaten path experiences

and in making positive impacts on the communities

they visit.

Figure 13 – NC home page (www.peoplefirsttourism.com/NC)

Travelers interested in supporting local economies

and people, while also having meaningful tourism

experiences, can register on this site and search for

providers based on geographic location or type of

activity. Once a desirable provider or product is

identified, travelers can fill out a reservation inquiry

that is submitted via SMS to the entrepreneur's cell

phone. The travelers will receive an email answer

some time later from the entrepreneur confirming

availability or declining the reservation. Once

travelers receive confirmation of the reservation, they

are prompted to pre-pay for the service through

PayPal.

This reservation process was designed in

consultation with tourism micro-entrepreneurs to

maximize their ability to be involved in selling

tourism services despite their unreliable access to

communications and their complex work schedules.

Figure 14 – Web-to-cell technology

(www.peoplefirsttourism.com)

People First Tourism Entrepreneurs Becoming an entrepreneur for People-First

Tourism may be a perfect opportunity if you are

looking for a way to share a unique skill or

experience with tourists who desire to learn more

about your local community and way of life. P1T will

enable you to market your small business to tourists

while keeping the process simple and the profits

local.

You are asked to work with local

empowerment agents to establish experiences offered

to travelers through this web site. By working with a

local empowerment agent, you can get advice about

how to market your business, discuss competitive

rates of your services, and ask questions about credit,

liability, etc. In addition, empowerment agents

provide a trusted endorsement of your quality and the

quality of fellow micro-entrepreneurs in your

network. Becoming a micro-entrepreneur through

People-First Tourism may be the extra oomph that

you need to start and grow your small tourism

business.

Prepared by:

Bruno Ferreira, Graduate Student

Duarte Morais, Associate Professor

Mary Lorscheider, Administrative Support

Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

North Carolina State University

Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit

themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addi-

tion, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.