Jan de Jong, entrepreneur, advisor, and advocate for innovation, has significantly contributed to transforming the business landscape in the Balkans. From championing the introduction of the digital nomad visa in Croatia to his role as a Brand Ambassador for the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025, Jan shares his insights into fostering growth, overcoming challenges, and embracing innovation in the e-commerce industry.
What motivated you to become a Brand Ambassador for the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025, and what impact do you foresee from this collaboration?
Through my businesses, I have served and supported many companies from the eCommerce sector and I have always been passionate about marketing. Little over a year ago, I became a member of the Board of Advisors to the eCommerce Association in B&H – as it is my goal to help further develop eCommerce in our region. While most of my entrepreneurial efforts are focused on Croatia and the Adriatic region, I see great opportunity to help support the Balkan eCommerce Summit by giving it more visibility in Croatia, as well as for myself to make new contacts and develop my business in Bulgaria.
What strategies were critical to the rapid growth of M+ Group, and what challenges did you face during its expansion?
When I started M+ Group back in 2006 we were among the first companies in Croatia to start offering contact center services. This meant that we enjoyed the first-mover advantage. But while you have a great opportunity to become a market leader when being first, it also comes with a different set of challenges. For example, our biggest competitors were in fact our potential clients. Many large companies who we wanted to serve as clients had their own in-house contact centers – and it was up to us to convince them to outsource such business processes to us.
Even though we started this business in Croatia in 2006, we actually had a lot of experience running contact centers from back in the Netherlands where this Business Process Outsourcing sector was already highly developed. Our experience enabled us to deliver remarkable results for our clients whenever we were given an opportunity.
The strategy that has always worked in all my business is under-promise and over-deliver. We always go the extra mile for our clients and we make them feel happy about choosing us as their partner.
What inspired your initiative for the digital nomad visa in Croatia, and how has it impacted the country?
As a result of Covid-19, our homes turned into offices overnight. All of the sudden, many people become familiar with the concept of remote work. Croatia, a country that depends for over 20% of its GDP on tourism, was obviously hit hard due to travel restrictions. I believed that since people were not able to come to Croatia for short-term holidays, we should be inviting remote work professionals, also known as digital nomads, to come to Croatia – to work from here, long-term. That’s why I asked our Prime Minister in an open letter on LinkedIn if he would be willing to introduce a digital nomad visa. 44 days after my open letter I met the Prime Minister in his office – and with his support, Croatia became the 2nd country in Europe (after Estonia) and 7th country in the world to introduce such a visa.
Currently, Croatia is hosting thousands of digital nomads throughout the year, contributing some EUR 100 million to its economy annually. Every month between 100 – 150 third country nationals apply for this Croatian digital nomad staying permit and it is therefore one of the most successful digital nomad visas in the world.
The biggest global impact this Croatian staying permit had is that it’s used as a good example for other countries to follow. Nowadays several dozens of other countries welcome digital nomads by granting them a staying permit similar to Croatia’s permit.
How do you view the current state of eCommerce in the Balkans compared to Western Europe, and what potential do you see for growth?
This region has already made significant steps forwards in its eCommerce developments. I believe that the biggest difference we see in this region compared with for example Western Europe is that not all age-groups have adopted online shopping yet. My parents in the Netherlands, who are in their 60s are buying online on a regular basis. However, I am not sure how many 60+ year old’s in this region have lots of experience with buying products and services online.
Also, I think there is still enough potential out there for companies to adopt the latest technology, such as marketing automation solutions and Customer Data Platforms. That is why I see our company, Webpower Adria – which is specialized in just that, grow with some 85% per year.
What challenges do entrepreneurs face in the Balkan eCommerce landscape, and how can they be addressed?
I believe there are many challenges for anyone who works in eCommerce in our region. Aside from logistical challenges, it is probably difficult to get significant volumes in this region. The Balkans is a group of several smaller countries with rather limited volumes. Each country has a different language, different tax systems, different legislation, etc. All of this can be resolved but it requires great in-depth knowledge and understanding of the different markets.
One Croatian eCommerce company, which was already highly successful in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia decided to expand into Bosnia & Herzegovina. I think that by now they can write a book about the local challenges they are facing there. This is just one out of many examples of how difficult it is to run an eCommerce business in this region.
What trends do you foresee shaping the future of e-commerce entrepreneurship in the Balkans and globally by 2025?
Obviously, the use of AI technology is going to bring lots of changes, especially in how eCommerce businesses will be improving their UX and customer support. There are great opportunities for companies who can provide such AI-driven technology to the eCommerce sector in a cost-efficient manner. I also see a great opportunity for smaller eCommerce players on how they can leverage AI to compete against large competitors.
Join the Future of eCommerce at the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025
Jan de Jong’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 Jan at the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025. Visit balkanecommerce.com for more details.