Recent testimonies of successful business networking - Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme
This is merely a selection of our success stories.
Want to see more testimonies? Use our search function »
New entrepreneur:
Viktoriia Zaitseva (Ukraine)
Age: 26
Company name: NAILS & BROWS BAR (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Health, beauty and social services
Viktoriia Zaitseva (Ukraine)
Age: 26
Company name: NAILS & BROWS BAR (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Health, beauty and social services
It was a pleasure to meet Justinas as a business development mentor and I appreciate so much this opportunity from Erasmus For Young Entrepreneurs
Host entrepreneur:
Justinas Taruska (Lithuania)
Age: 41
Company name: Catapult (10 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Legal, fiscal and other consultancy services
Justinas Taruska (Lithuania)
Age: 41
Company name: Catapult (10 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Legal, fiscal and other consultancy services
I was glad to share all my experiences with Viktoriia and get the opportunity to exchange useful insights about business and finance
Period of exchange: 05/2022 until 10/2022
Duration of exchange: 5
Business sector of the exchange
Health beauty and social services
Viktoriia Zaitseva, a Ukrainian individual, worked as a finance assistant in Ukraine. After February 24th, 2022, she moved to Lithuania. Viktoriia had an idea to establish a new business where she could offer high-quality services and assist other Ukrainians in their self-realization journey. With insights into the beauty industry, she understood how to construct such a business. The main startup concept was to hire and provide education to Ukrainian nail and brow specialists for a new studio in Lithuania. The goal was not only to create new job opportunities but also to help fellow Ukrainians access top-notch services in Lithuania without language barriers.
Justinas Taruska is the CEO of "Catapult," a company that operates as a global seed-stage venture capital platform, supporting entrepreneurs from less mature tech hubs as they develop transformative companies targeting large, disruptive markets.
Viktoriia and Justinas spent six months collaborating. Justinas aided Viktoriia in comprehending the process of registering a new business in an EU country, competitive marketing, promotion strategies, and ways of advertising. In return, Viktoriia shared her expertise in the finance and accounting field. Both benefited from exchanging innovative ideas and information regarding sales and business development. Viktoriia notes that thanks to the exchange, she gained:
- Improved soft and business skills
- An understanding of the local market and assistance in creating a new business strategy
- Skills in securing financing for creating, developing, and expanding a social business.
According to Justinas, his role as a host-entrepreneur enabled him to:
- Develop mentoring skills
- Obtain useful insights and assistance in the finance and accounting field
- Acquire knowledge about Ukrainian business practices.
Viktoriia learned the principles of operating a new business in an EU country and forged a lasting partnership with Justinas to gain a deeper understanding of the laws and financial management in Lithuania. Despite her return to Ukraine, she plans to launch her own business in the next 2-3 years. Justinas has provided support to Viktoriia by sharing valuable contacts. He has also expanded his knowledge about the Ukrainian startup market to enhance his counseling and sales efforts. He received advice about the business and its strategy from Viktoriia's perspective, experimented with new promotional tools and strategies, and the two maintain communication and are open to future collaborations.
For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:
New entrepreneur's contact point:
Alfred Nobel University (Dnipro, Ukraine)
Host entrepreneur's contact point:
European social entrepreneurship and innovative studies institute (Kaunas, Lithuania)
« Back to the overview
An initiative of the