For Antoniya Koleva, blending creativity with business strategy is a natural extension of her journey. As a consultant, mentor, and inspiring leader for creative businesses through Etsy Superstars, she transforms how entrepreneurs adapt to the digital world.
As the Brand Ambassador for the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025, Antoniya believes the Balkans have the potential to set trends in eCommerce. With extensive experience on platforms like Etsy and a deep understanding of global markets, she proves that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.
In this interview, Antoniya shares her vision for the future of e-commerce, the challenges and opportunities the Balkans present on the global stage.
What inspired you to take on the role of Brand Ambassador for the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025, and what advantages does this event offer?
As someone who believes in the immense potential of the Balkans, it’s an honor to be the ambassador for the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025. I hope this event further establishes itself as a unique platform that brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, and professionals from the region to exchange knowledge, inspiration, and opportunities. For me, it’s a privilege to represent something I deeply believe in.
I see the Balkans as a region with a unique energy and creativity capable of elevating local businesses to the global stage. While living in Turkey from 2010 to 2020, I was constantly amazed by the creativity and resourcefulness of Turkish entrepreneurs, both small and large. I strongly believe that we can offer the world more than just yogurt; Balkan eCommerce should serve as a global example.
How do you see the role of innovative platforms like Etsy in building new business models for entrepreneurs?
Etsy revolutionized the landscape for small creative entrepreneurs, giving us the ability to compete with major companies that have significantly more resources in eCommerce. These types of platforms create opportunities for businesses, big or small, to achieve incredible results with minimal resources. For example, translating your website into 140 languages would typically require a tremendous amount of time, effort, and would result in numerous bugs. Etsy does it automatically for us. This is just one of the benefits of working with marketplace partners. We share the effort, and everyone wins.
Platforms like Etsy provide access to a global audience, revolutionizing how small businesses operate. They enable entrepreneurs to experiment with ideas without requiring substantial initial investments.
What strategies would you recommend for small businesses to use marketplace platforms effectively?
The best strategy is adapting to the specific market and platform requirements. We should view such marketplaces as our partners, much like how we approach social networks. For example, sharing a video made for Instagram on TikTok won’t yield the same success as creating content specifically for TikTok.
The better we understand how a platform works and its user profile, the easier it becomes to adapt. Businesses should avoid a one-size-fits-all strategy – flexibility and adaptation are the most successful strategies my clients apply.
What challenges do established businesses face when entering online markets, and how can they overcome them?
A lack of flexibility often prevents them from adapting and limits their potential.
Common challenges include adapting existing business models to suit the platform, understanding the user base, and building a suitable product portfolio tailored to Etsy’s consumers.
we want to be part of the future of eCommerce, we must understand that personalization begins long before the checkout page – it starts with the products we offer, who we offer them to, and how we present them.
How do you balance the artistic aspects of your career with the demands of mentoring in eCommerce, and what common ground do you find between these fields?
My artistic work and mentoring complement each other. Both require creativity, patience, and the ability to understand people.
For me, entrepreneurship is an endlessly creative process. Having a vision for something, trying dozens of times without knowing if it will succeed, and ultimately creating something entirely different yet better than your original idea – that’s the process of creating art and building a business.
The process is the same; only the tools are different. If we can maintain creative thinking in business, we gain an unparalleled advantage.
What do you foresee for the future of eCommerce in the Balkans?
The importance of sustainability, personalized products, and direct sales is already growing.
For entrepreneurs in the Balkans, this is an opportunity to position themselves as creators of unique, authentic, and eco-friendly products that meet rising consumer demands.
If we leverage our strengths – focus on the customer, unique products, and adaptability – we have endless potential for growth and development. At the Balkan eCommerce Summit, I easily find partners who share the same values and are ready to capitalize on what makes the Balkans unique to achieve extraordinary results.
Join the Future of eCommerce at the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025
Antoniya Koleva’s vision for collaboration, innovation, and growth encapsulates the transformative potential of e-commerce in the Balkans. Leaders like him are driving the region toward new heights, offering inspiration and actionable insights for entrepreneurs.
📅 Don’t miss your chance to be part of this movement! Secure your tickets today and connect with visionaries like Antoniya at the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025. Visit balkanecommerce.com for more details.