Recent testimonies of successful business networking - Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme
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New entrepreneur:
Milan Demin (Croatia)
Company name: (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Crafts, art materials and accessories
Milan Demin (Croatia)
Company name: (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Crafts, art materials and accessories
Thanks to this experience abroad, I have improved my entrepreneurial skills. I am now able to use marketing technique to promote and sell my custom made furniture.
Host entrepreneur:
Mitja Bitenc (Slovenia)
Company name: (12 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Hotel, restaurant, tourism, travel services and wellness
Mitja Bitenc (Slovenia)
Company name: (12 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Hotel, restaurant, tourism, travel services and wellness
I opened my restaurant in 2008. Since then, I have been working hard and acquired valuable experience in the sector. I was happy to share my knowledge with Milan, as I know too well how important it is to have the right people around you when you start as a new entrepreneur.
Period of exchange: 10/2019 until 04/2020
Duration of exchange: 6 months
With the goal to create a carpentry business, Croatian new entrepreneur Milan Demin, started a collaboration with Mitja Bitenc, a Slovenian entrepreneur with years of experience in restaurants and catering management.
During the exchange, Mitja helped Milan develop his marketing and selling skills especially online marketing specific to recycling and ecologic solutions in various sectors.
This story shows how important marketing tactics are essential nowadays to obtain success. As described below through a number of entrepreneurial activities, this cooperation generated important benefits for both of Milan and Mitja.
The activities performed during this exchange, centered on developing new ideas for ecological and recycling packaging in the food and distribution sectors, getting to know the main customers suppliers and business partners and finally promoting the products through social media relying on proven marketing strategies.
More particularly, Mitja and Milan worked on the activities that aimed to promote the new products and innovative solutions. Applying the techniques of "job shadowing” and "the learning by doing”, Milan managed to collaborate with Mitja on the development of recycled nature-friendly packaging (e.g. from wood).
As for Mitja, he had a helpful hand from Milan in building the interior furniture of his new restaurant, as well as has received support in the development of wooden packaging especially designed for food catering.
Milan managed to gain new contacts with potential customers and professional in Slovenia. He improved his knowledge in digital marketing, more particularly the learned about "marketing tactics” that are use for social media channels (Instagram and Facebook etc.). This exchange of experience helped Milan improved his own business plan and got valuable insights on how to develop an attractive website for his business – a powerful tool for the promotion of his products and services on the market.
Mitja, improved his skills in dealing with challenges in the domain of sustainable business with substantial improvements for his catering and restaurant services and products. Milan also helped Mitja to build some new ecological furniture for his restaurant and kitchen.
For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:
New entrepreneur's contact point:
University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia)
Host entrepreneur's contact point:
INFORMO - Udruga za poticanje zapošljavanja, stručnog usavršavanja i obrazovanja (Vodnjan-dignano, Croatia)
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