Elena Dinovska, A young entrepreneur from Republic of Macedonia in Slovenia

01. 08. 2018

Elena Dinovska started her Erasmus for young entrepreneurs programme at Memo institue in May 2018 and she finishes it in the end of August. So far, she understood the business model of a coworking space, learnt how to manage a community, make events and breed connections and networking among people while focusing on event promotion through social media. She explained us her Erasmus experience.

Where and what have you heard about the program Erasmus for young entrepreneurs before you applied?

I heard about the program Erasmus for young entrepreneurs during the last year’s conference held in Pula in the Community center Rojc while I was taking part in the European Voluntary program which is also an Erasmus program. During the conference “Origin of Spaces” , I had the opportunity to hear how a community can be self sustainable, which business models suit different types of community, how to become a social entrepreneur and understand in which way local individuals can boost the growth and development of their own community, got acquainted with the participatory governance model as well as with the term coworking. During the panel discussion with Luka Piškorič, I really got inspired to learn about coworking in general and start a similar business in the future, however I lacked knowledge and experience in that field. In this manner, I got encouraged to ask him a question: Is there any way that I can learn more about the business model or enroll in an exchange program similar to EVS and visit Memo Institute? His answer brought me to my first encounter with the EYE program.

What was the main reason you applied for the program? Where did you find Technology park Ljubljana, that helped you find a company?

I decided to apply for a couple of reasons. Back then, I worked hard and was unsatisfied from my job and was thinking that it might be great to use the opportunity and learn how to be self employed and develop a business. In addition, the idea to be again in a creative and cultural space sounded like continuation of my experience in Rojc, but this time in Memo Institute. I was thinking, why not? Nice country, great learning opportunity plus having my old friends nearby. Then I did a thorough research and realized that I would need an intermediary organization and local point to apply and most certainly a good business plan for my coworking space. Regarding the second question, it was the other way round actually. After finding the entitled intermediary organisations, I contacted Luka to ask which one would he recommend and here it was - Technology park Ljubljana, a mediator and intermediary organisation with which Memo Institute have had previous successful collaboration.

How was the selection?

As in any other selection process, there are always many participants to select from and certainly it was not easy especially while waiting to see if the offered partnership will be accepted. Writing a business plan was not an easy task, however I did a lot of research and was focused on how to make my coworking space as unique as possible. Usually coworking spaces are run in capital or bigger cities, yet I thought of running one in my own hometown of 16 thousand inhabitants with a strong believe that the target group would appreciate healthy life in nonpolluted environment, fresh food, great geographical location and most important nowadays - value for money! In addition, I was convinced that gaining knowledge for this particular area would be best done if I acquire it on the Balkans.

Is Memo institute your first Erasmus experience?

My first Erasmus experience was in Pula as explained above, and it was great how such kind of experience brought me to the EYE program. In my opinion, I really feel the change and progress of my initial knowledge about how the business works in practise, which is the right way of promotion, customer care, community building events, communication and many other parts which at first seem small or not so important, however those are exactly the areas which help me develop my sense for business. In short, Memo Institute as a core example and Luka Piškorič as an expert in the field of creative economies are best match for my business development process.

Was Slovenia on your wish list of countries?

Slovenia was definitely on my wishlist! Rich in nature, clean, eco and bicycle friendly having best of both worlds, European and Balkan, right for my taste. I am currently exploring its natural and cultural beauty and looking forward to explore more of this hidden Balkan gem.

What, do you think are the benefits for you with this experience? What have you learned so far on the program?

The program offers a great opportunity for young opportunists which are business oriented, to enroll, learn and later develop their own business. Personally, this exchange is beneficial in the aspect of gaining knowledge and participating in the fields of community development strategies, event management, promotion and organisation, coworking and crowdfunding, developing new digital skills, space management, developing a network of members and reaching the wider community, promoting the visibility of a coworking space and actively exchanging ideas and experiences. In addition, the knowledge and practice in Memo Institute will ease my path to start a business on my own while having a clear picture after this fruitful experience.

What are your recommendations for other new entrepreneurs?

I would recommend other young and hopeful businessman and businesswoman to be:

do not be afraid to go step further in realizing your ideas, enroll in the EYE program as it might be the crucial decision that will later change your life for good.

Keywords: Erasmus, Technology park Ljubljana