In the Lithuanian town Balbieriškis, Rasa Zymoniene, entrepreneur, fostered a business idea named “Aviuko Sapnas.” This venture aimed to provide catering, educational, small sightseeing tours, and other entertainment services to both locals and visitors. While Rasa possessed legal expertise, the business domain was a new territory for her.
On a broader horizon, Jolita Kricke, an established entrepreneur with a reservoir of business experience, was looking forward to mentoring not-experienced entrepreneurial minds and developing her business by involving them in practical day-to-day business development tasks.
Their paths converged through the Erasmus Young Entrepreneur Program, orchestrated by the coordinator Simona Šimulyte. They were brought together to mutually benefit from the exchange. Rasa’s goal was to obtain practical knowledge on implementing her business idea, understand the prerequisite steps before launching, and gain insight into effective marketing strategies. Jolita, on the other hand, was keen on sharing her business experiences, mentoring Rasa, and delegating tasks to streamline her own operations.
Under Jolita’s mentorship, Rasa acquired comprehensive knowledge on several fronts — developing a business plan, identifying and understanding customers, and gaining insights into sales and marketing strategies. Rasa’s newfound understanding of social networks, the significance of a business website, and content creation became the pillars of her learning journey. She also honed skills in client-centric information creation, website content management, and SEO tools, which were crucial for the digital presence of any modern business.
Jolita meticulously guided Rasa through the nuances of digital marketing, including Google SEO tools, meta descriptions, and keyword phrases. She also provided a practical understanding of business operation, funding sources, and customer engagement, alongside presenting marketing strategies. Through delegated tasks, Rasa’s hands-on involvement allowed Jolita to allocate more time to other strategic aspects of her business.
The exercise significantly benefited Rasa, as she managed to create attractive content for Jolita’s business, optimize website SEO, and continually update the site with new offerings and activities. This hands-on experience, under Jolita’s mentorship, provided a platform for Rasa to transform theoretical knowledge into practical skills.
Meanwhile, Jolita found value in Rasa’s growing competence, which not only lessened her workload but opened doors for collaborative projects and dissemination of entrepreneurial knowledge.
As the exchange program concluded, both entrepreneurs expressed a keen interest in continuing collaborative activities, emphasizing the value of the practical experience gained. This encounter symbolized a harmonious blend of working, socializing, collaborating, and learning.
The narrative of Rasa and Jolita epitomizes the essence of the Erasmus Young Entrepreneur Program, showcasing how symbiotic collaborations can foster practical learning, enhance business operations, and lay the groundwork for future cooperative ventures.
