May 2016—Despite tremendous growth in ICT (information and communication technology) across the world, many Serbian companies have been slow to adopt ICT solutions like websites for product marketing and sales.

Recognizing the importance and potential of ICT to boost Serbian businesses, USAID’s Private Sector Development Project has been providing critical technical assistance to small and medium enterprises operating in underdeveloped municipalities in south and southwest Serbia.

Novateks Ltd.—located in Nova Varoš in the Zlatibor district of Serbia—leveraged this valuable ICT “building-block” assistance into increased sales. The company specializes in the production of protective clothing for professional and technical clients as well as producing promotional and residential textile products. Novateks primarily produces protective gear based on its own designs, but also performs contract work according to customer specifications.

In 2014, USAID helped Novateks to develop a new company website with an online e-shop to more fully display its wide range of products. The company also invested in Google advertisements and search engine optimization to increase the number of hits to its website.

“We’ve discovered an entirely new channel for marketing and sales of our products with the e-shop,” enthused Nadežda Kolašinac, director of Novateks. She noted that the company “had to hire one employee to solely focus on facilitating and fulfilling our online sales.”

The online e-shop has resulted in robust, increased sales of around $37,000 (4 million Serbian dinars) over the past two years. These increased sales prompted Novateks to think about applying for a loan to further expand its production facility to better meet increased demand.

The expanded online sales also inspired Novateks to broaden its range of product offerings. With continued technical assistance from USAID on new product design, the company developed new working uniforms, including a uniform collection for nurses. Eager to show off their new product to online customers, Novateks held professional photo shoots (see photo) for some of its new products and prominently displayed them in the e-shop.

USAID’s Private Sector Development Project is a four-year, $6-million activity launched in July 2013 to strengthen private sector firms in 12 municipalities in the economically disadvantaged regions of south and southwest Serbia.

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