Blog

Resilience is key to overcoming setbacks, uncertainty, and the daily challenges of running a business. In this blog, communication expert Emma Ewing and well-being coach Tammy Barter break down what resilience means, why it’s crucial for success, and how to build it – so you can make better decisions, stay motivated, and tackle tough situations with confidence.

Krill Design, a start-up in Milan, turns food waste into 3D printed, stylish homeware. Discover their inspiring journey and get 5 insider tips on how to incorporate eco-design into your business.

Embedding sustainability into your daily business operations is not only beneficial for the environment, but can also improve your brand reputation, reduce costs, and attract socially conscious customers. In this article, we’re sharing 5 strategies that will help your business become more sustainable.

Intellectual property is a powerful tool that can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) thrive in a fierce business world. Small businesses drive innovation, job creation, and economic growth. Yet, many of these ventures face a common hurdle: the lack of resources and know-how to protect their valuable intangible assets. Join us for a conversation with Christina Deyl, Internationalisation adviser for Enterprise Europe Network Hessen, as she shares her insights on how to make the most of your intellectual property.

As clean beauty is reshaping the cosmetics landscape, Four Starlings – a family-owned soap-making business in Poland – is gaining international recognition. We spoke with Grzegorz Sienkiewicz, Managing Director of Four Starlings, and Anna Wrzesińska, Chief Specialist for International Cooperation at Podlaska Regional Development Foundation and Business Adviser at the Polish branch of Enterprise Europe Network, to find out how the Network helped turn this small company into a global success story.

In 2018, a group of Greek farmers created Proud Farm Group of Farmers to promote sustainable sheep and goat farming with the help of new technologies. With support from business advisers at ANKO Western Macedonia – Organisation for Local Development, part of the Enterprise Europe Network, the company was able to turn its ambitious vision into reality.

Finnish entrepreneurs Veera Ylikotila and Jenni Hakkarainen launched Xeraliving with a bold mission: to make the interior design industry more sustainable and transparent. The Enterprise Europe Network helped the company with advice on outsourcing, building international connections, and finding new partners. Hanna Riski, Senior Adviser at Business Finland, spoke with Veera about how this support helped Xeraliving succeed globally.

What is sustainable architecture and how can it help designers, architects, builders, and clients minimise harmful energy consumption and pollution? Katarína Jelenáková, Manager for International Cooperation and Support of SMEs at the Network partner Slovak Business Agency, interviewed architect and structural engineer Martin Pribila, the creator of the "Krtkodom" concept. This alternative housing solution uses less land and energy while promoting a healthy, natural environment for its residents. Simple, sustainable, and successful, the Krtkodom is making a strong case for greener living.

Small businesses in Europe are facing unprecedented challenges. The war in Ukraine, combined with China's economic slowdown, the pandemic, and the climate crisis, is disrupting global supply chains and impacting industries from semiconductors to food. To help Europe recover quickly, it's essential to strengthen the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, enabling them to bounce back from these crises.

As the Enterprise Europe Network enters a new framework period, we talked to Muriel de Grande, Head of Sector at the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), to find out more about the Network’s exciting initiatives and plans for the future.