Locations
When Jelena from Kragujevac decided to start her own business, she had a clear vision—she wanted to create something sustainable and authentic. Together with her husband, she founded Lavandin raj (Lavender Paradise), producing natural lavender-based products. Their lavender plantation is unique in Serbia, as the land has not been treated with artificial fertilisers for over a decade. Every step in the production of tea, soaps and skincare products is carefully designed to preserve nature—free of chemicals and pesticides, ensuring top quality.
As the lavender business grew, Jelena realised she wanted to return to her first love—hairdressing. “I gathered courage, made a decision, applied for the self-employment grant from the National Employment Service (NES) and received a subsidy for self-employment,” Jelena recalls.
Now, in her hair salon, she combines her two passions—hair care and natural products. “I can now present my lavender-based products to clients, let them taste and test them, all while doing the job I first fell in love with,” says Jelena.
Jelena in her hair salon Lady L
Through NES, she was invited to attend the “Better Business through Data” training with seven other women entrepreneurs from Kragujevac.
“At first, it felt strange—I thought, what could Excel, ChatGPT, or Canva do for me when I need to cultivate lavender or prepare products?”, Jelena admits. However, with the help of mentors, she soon realised how valuable her new digital skills could be. She learned to manage finances in Excel, allowing her to better control her income and expenses. ChatGPT and Canva (a graphic design platform) help her with social media promotion.
The training also provided her with a support network of fellow women entrepreneurs. “It’s very important to have a community where you can rely on help and share experiences,” Jelena emphasises. Being an entrepreneur is not easy—she puts the same energy into her hair salon, lavender production, and family life. Every day is a balancing act, but as she says, “Giving up is never an option.”
The “Better Business through Data” training, led by a professor of statistics Tatjana Kecojević PhD, information systems engineer Zorica Markotić, and Master of Law Sanda Budimir Gadžić, also helped women entrepreneurs from Leskovac improve their businesses.
One of them is Marija, who opened a flower shop in Leskovac seven months ago. “After working in accounting, I felt the need for a change and decided to open a flower shop despite having no prior experience in the field,” says Marija. Even though she faced challenges, she remains determined because she loves her new profession.
She came to the training with basic Excel skills from her previous job. “I was familiar with Excel, but now I can use new formulas that help me manage my business more efficiently, which will be especially useful as my business grows,” explains Marija.
Marija in her flower shop Holi-Mar
She already shares photos of her beautiful floral arrangements on Facebook and Instagram. With her new Canva skills, she can now create even more attractive posts, helping her attract more customers and build a recognisable brand on social media. With the support of mentors and a small community of entrepreneurs from the training, Marija continues to develop her business, motivated and determined. She also plans to launch her own website to expand her business and offer customers another way to shop and learn about flower
The same training was attended by 25 women entrepreneurs from various towns in Vojvodina, all members of the association “She is Worthy”. They were eager to improve their skills to gain better market visibility, both locally and internationally.
“We learned how to shorten the time for entering data and how to manage data more efficiently. This means we now have better insight into our businesses, that we manage and control production, as well as organise the provision of services to clients, more easily. Also, now it is easier for us to understand what need to be changed to improve our business", says Svetlana Čavić, president of the “She is Worthy” association.
Svetlana Čavić, president of the “She is Worthy” association
About the “Better Business through Data” Training
The “Better Business through Data” training for women entrepreneurs was held within the “Open Data for Open Societies” project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office for IT and eGovernment, with support of the United Kingdom.
Between October 2024 and March 2025, a total of 43 women entrepreneurs completed the training—25 from Vojvodina, 10 from Leskovac, and 8 from Kragujevac. In Vojvodina, the training programme was organised in partnership with the “She is Worthy” association, and in Kragujevac and Leskovac in partnership with the National Employment Service.
Over the course of eight weeks, participants learned how to collect and analyse data and use digital tools to monitor their business performance. Their newly acquired knowledge and skills now help them create better business plans, prepare professional reports and presentations for funding applications, and successfully promote their products and services.
