I had a wish to be a shoemaker since I was ten years old. After high school, I studied architecture and when I got my degree I still wanted to learn how to make shoes. After some years of research and collaboration with shoemakers in Slovenia, for which I am very thankful, I wanted to broaden my knowledge even more. I visited the workshop of a bespoke shoemaker Gabriele Gmeiner in Venice, in May 2019, asking her about the Cordwainers College she went to in London and her work experience at John Lobb. In August, she invited me to do an exchange at her workshop. I wrote a business plan to apply for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs and started to arrange and prepare for the exchange. Professionals, who organise the programme at BSC Kranj (Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska) in Slovenia and UCV (Unione Regionale delle Camere di Commercio, I.A.A. del Veneto - Eurosportello Veneto) in Italy were very helpful, well organized and friendly, the procedure went fast and smooth.

The exchange was an interesting experience from the first day. I arrived in Venice in the afternoon on 12 November 2019, later in the evening we experienced the highest “acqua alta” after 1966. In spring 2020, I had to suspend the exchange due to the corona virus lockdown, which closed the workshop. By experiencing extreme circumstances I could learn how to react and run a business also in difficult times, how to organise and how to proceed with work thereafter. Gabriele Gmeiner is based in a very nice workshop near Rialto. During the six months of the exchange programme, I have seen all stages and different tasks, which she, as a shoemaker and an entrepreneur, has to perform to run a small business like hers. She works on the highest level of bespoke shoemaking with an artistic talent, which I admire in her shoes. At the workshop I saw how Gabriele interacts with her clients, takes the measurements of their feet, how she responds to client's feedback to trial shoes, draws patterns, lasts the upper and all other stages of bespoke shoemaking. I helped at tasks such as skiving toe puffs, heel counters, lining and uppers, cutting leather pieces, preparing the insole, attaching it to the last, making the heel, etc. I also made mock-ups in different sewing techniques and the final pair of a ladies' high heels.

This exchange enabled me to learn shoemaking and gave me a great insight into how to run a small business, which will be of great value when I start my own company. I am very thankful for the opportunity and I think this is a great way for entrepreneurs to exchange, collaborate and share the knowledge and experiences. In my opinion, it is important to live abroad and to travel in order to broaden your horizons, learn about and experience other cultures, make new contacts, friends and partners. It is as valuable as learning new skills and developing future business and Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange is a great way to do all that.

Za vse tiste, ki vas zanima sodelovanje v programu in bi radi razvijali svojo poslovno idejo s pomočjo tujega mentorja - najdete informacije tukaj ali preko Erasmus za mlade podjetnike spletne strani ter informativnih brošur:

• informativna brošura za potencialne ali mlade podjetnike od 0 – 3 leta poslovanja,
• informativna brošura za podjetnike gostitelje.
• informativna brošura - 10 let programa Erasmus za mlade podjetnike

Za vse dodatne informacije smo vam na voljo na posredniški organizaciji BSC, poslovno podporni center, d.o.o., Kranj.

Kontaktna oseba: Nives Justin (04 28 17 248) in Nastija Podobnik (04  77 77 252)

Elektronska pošta: nives.justin@bsc-kranj.si in nastija.podobnik@bsc-kranj.si