Digitally Fit For Ecommerce

The project “Digitally Fit for E-commerce” implemented by the Association for e-commerce of Macedonia in cooperation with the Association for e-commerce of Albania, supported by the USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise Growth Project (EDGE) aims to support 60 micro, small and medium enterprises from Macedonia and Albania to strengthen their digital skills, introduce them to the world of e-commerce and help them start selling their products and services to someone from the marketplace markets in both countries.

The project consisted of 3 phases and occurred in parallel in both countries.

PHASE 1

Selection of companies through a public call, analysis of their needs for digital skills, creation of a report of the results and creation of a proposal for educational training according to the assessed needs.

PHASE 2

Creation of an educational program and organization of three dedicated trainings with a physical presence on topics related to e-commerce and digital marketing, according to the mapped needs of the selected companies.

PHASE 3

Selection of marketplaces and connection of the selected companies with the platforms, to open their new sales channel – an e-store within one of the marketplace platforms that are part of the program.

PHASE 1

At the public call in S. Macedonia, they received 80 applications, where 30 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises were selected by an expert jury committee that is part of the e-commerce ecosystem. At the public call in Albania, a total of 58 applications were received, where, following the same process, 30 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises were selected to be part of the program. Questionnaires were sent to the selected applicants to analyze their needs for increasing digital skills. Based on the responses and their needs, a comprehensive needs analysis was made and the educational sessions were conceptualized.

PHASE 2

After creating an educational program, 3 dedicated educational trainings were held, which were created in order to meet the needs for improving digital skills related to e-commerce and reaching more online buyers of 30 micro, small and medium enterprises that do not have their own e- store and come from the following sectors:

WOOD PRODUCTS AND FURNITURE

Light manufacturing – wood processing and furniture production

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES

Light manufacturing – Clothing and textiles

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Fresh or processed fruit and vegetable products

TOURISM

Ecotourism, rural tourism, adrenaline tourism

In S. Macedonia, the trainings were held in the period from 15.12.2023 to 21.12.2023 in the premises of INNO-FEIT, while in Albania the trainings were held in Tirana in the period from 10.01 to 12.01.2024.

Training 1 - Positioning your brand in a crowded market with real content

At the first of three trainings with Darjan Radenkovic from Zhar Ptitsa, through active discussion and thorough elaboration of 10 questions, he helped the participants lay the foundation for a complete brand strategy as the first step to becoming “Digitally ready for e-commerce”.

Training 1 - Branding, market research and data analytics

In the first training session, led by Valerie Pindery, Dalip Bali of Gjeje Vete and Nayada Balani of Hermex, participants delved into the intricacies of branding and market research with a focus on e-commerce potential. The session opened with a comprehensive overview of branding, highlighting key concepts and their importance in understanding customer segmentation. The training then moved on to the second module, which covers market research and evaluation of business potential in e-commerce.

Training 2 - Creating an effective digital marketing strategy and choosing the right marketing channels for your business

At the second training from the “Digitally Fit for E-commerce” educational program, Martin Kitanovski, CEO of Monks.Agency shared with the participants information through which they better understood marketing, digital marketing, storytelling and how all these components can help them to better position their brand in the digital world.

Training 2 - Introduction to Digital Marketing

In the second training session, a diverse team of lecturers including Laidi Ferruni, Valerie Pinderi, Sabi Osmani, Flobes Subashi and Gerti Boshnjaku took the stage to delve into the world of digital marketing. The session was divided into two modules, each designed to equip participants with both basic knowledge and advanced digital marketing strategies.

Training 3 - Sales and data analysis for increased business growth

During the third training, the present participants from Denis Ampov, Country Manager for Ananas.mk had the opportunity to hear more about how by monitoring certain metrics and data analysis, increased business growth can be achieved. The training was rounded off by awarding certificates for successfully completed program and networking with all participants.

Training 3 - Data-Driven Metrics for Expanding E-Commerce Businesses

During the third training, an expert panel of lecturers – Laidi Ferruni, Valer Pinderi, Sabi Osmani, Flobes Subashi and Gerti Boshnjaku – shared their insights on expanding business opportunities and optimizing e-commerce operations. The session was structured into two insightful modules, each focused on different aspects of market research and data-driven strategies.

Module 1 focuses on exploring three significant markets that represent promising business opportunities. The second module focused on using data-driven metrics to expand e-commerce businesses.

After the completion of the trainings, the results were measured through an online survey intended for the participants of the program in order to receive feedback on the quality and level of knowledge acquired during the educational sessions, and certificates for participation in the trainings were awarded.

PHASE 3

Selected manufacturers and companies have opened their e-stores on the following marketplace platforms.

PCELARSKA ZADRUGA PCELIN RAJ

BIBATERK

IMAKO VINO

DR. PETROVSKI APICENTAR

HAVANA TRAVEL

APISTELA

KUFER

VES KO

DANTEKS

MNML BY NANA

HANIMAK

JAGODITE NA ARIFE

KATJA

SZD DRVENO KATCE

ARAI

EKO FARMA

SUP CLUB OHRID

VENCANICA TINA

SUITS

PCELARNIK NAUMOV

PCELARSKA ZADRUGA PCELIN RAJ

EKOVITA

IMAKO VINO

JAGODITE NA ARIFE

EKO FARMA

SUITS

PCELARNIK NAUMOV

KATJA

IMAKO VINO

PCELARNIK RASPATIJE

The stores that are open in Albania on aladini.al will be announced soon

The stores that are open in Albania on gjevete.al will be announced soon

Results of this project

This project supported domestic individual producers and businesses in their digital transformation through educational training sessions and opening their own e-stores on local marketplace platforms.

OPEN 60+ E-STORES

Over 60 e-stores were opened within local marketplace platforms in total in both countries for the duration of the project. Through this initiative, 60 MSMEs (30 each in Macedonia and Albania) marketed their products online and opened up the opportunity for a larger number of consumers for their products.

INCREASED DIGITAL SKILLS AT 60 COMPANIES

Held 3 one-day training sessions with physical presence in parallel in Skopje and Tirana, on the topics of improving digital skills and increasing sales with e-commerce by experts with many years of experience in the fields of e-commerce and digital marketing.

DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT OF 60 E-COMMERCE COMPANIES

Supported 30 micro small and medium businesses from S. Macedonia and 30 micro small and medium businesses from Albania in their digital transformation, education, networking with key factors from the e-commerce community.

IMPLEMENTERS OF THE PROJECT

The program was implemented with the support of
The USAID regional project for economic development, management and growth of enterprises – EDGE