2 of 10

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic shocked not only the SMEs in Europe but the whole world.

European SMEs have been, and to some degree still are, devastated by the effects of the pandemic.

However, a lot of SMEs were able to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic mainly through digitalisation and pivoting of their activities.

Here we describe successfull examples of SMEs all across Europe who managed to tranform and thrive leaving their resilience in change behind.

Adapted from: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/case-study-education-learning-knowledge-concept_17112463.htm

3 of 10

PROGETTO QUID: Anna Fiscale | Verona, Italy�https://shop.progettoquid.com

Progetto Quid is an ethical and sustainable fashion company. It takes high-quality textiles from high-end fashion brands and re-develops it into beautiful collections.

Nearly all of Quid’s designers are women and many of them come from difficult pasts.

Progetto Quid was forced to close all nine of its physical shops during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They decided to pivot and move digitally.

Progetto Quid created videos showcasing its collection which were broadcasted on Youtube and social media of the company (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram).

4 of 10

PROGETTO QUID: Anna Fiscale | Verona, Italy�https://shop.progettoquid.com

Quid’s social media networks and their Google My Business page offered key channels for keeping up communication with customers and answering questions promptly.

Google My Business also provided ways for customers to book appointments for a tailor-made shopping service that the company launched during the pandemic.

They also utilized Google Ads which increased their visibility dramatically.

This developed a real connection between the brand and the customers, even from a distance.

In just over two months, Quid received orders for over 700,000 items.

5 of 10

MakeArt Design:Antonis Christou, Lenos Kotzia-pasis /Cyprus

https://www.facebook.com/makeartdesign

MakeArt Design is a Cypriot Company created in 2013.

They construct contemporary furniture and accessories using wood and other materials like steel, wood and plastic.

The owners of the Company, Antonis and Lenos, started designing of furniture as a hobby and with a minimum budget.

They created a simple Facebook page where potential clients could see their work.

In order for them to establish a digital presence, their only mean at the time was through Facebook ads. So, they added a weekly budget to Facebook ads.

6 of 10

MakeArt Design:Antonis Christou, Lenos Kotzia-pasis /Cyprus

https://www.facebook.com/makeartdesign

This strategy led the company to acquire a huge online audience of more than 30k people.

This is an extraordinary example of how a minimum budget can provide a company with a strong online presence.

COVID-19 crisis affected MakeArt Design too. But the owners utilized their social media audience to promote their work systematically.

They also strengthened their presence online with articles in online press which were then shared with their audience.

The importance of having a strong online presence helped the company not only to stay resilient during COVID-19 but also to thrive.

7 of 10

Hooray Heroes-LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA�www.hoorayheroes.com�

Hooray Heroes creates personalized books. At first, they were intended for children.

Hooray Heroes has been digital-first and online-only from the very start.

Mic, started the business with hardly any money. He invested a lot to social media campaigns and marketing.

Now, his company has nearly as many social media followers online (1.5 million) as the entire population of his homeland (2 million), so he knew that low-cost digital tools were likely to provide the best avenue to get the word out.

8 of 10

During the pandemic, they used Google Ads, Google Shopping Campaigns, Google Search, Google Analytics and Market Finder to help them break into new markets and Google Workspace tools like Docs to help them collaborate across borders.

This led the company to an extreme expansion beyond borders to countries like Canada, Australia, Spain and Belgium.

Hooray Heroes-LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA�www.hoorayheroes.com�

9 of 10

Bibliography

Home - Digitally Driven (connectedcouncil.org)

10 of 10

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Project number: 2021-1-RO01-KA220-VET-000033300

1 of 10