Financial and digital literacy are helping women turn small businesses into more stable sources of income
In Kosovo, many women build small businesses with courage, creativity, and determination. But courage, as important as it is, is often not enough. Without practical knowledge of finance, technology, and digital safety, many of these businesses remain small, precarious, and dependent on daily effort without a clear long-term plan.
Through the project “Digital Financial Literacy for Women Entrepreneurs,” NGO Yellow aims to support women entrepreneurs in Kosovo by helping them better understand their businesses, use digital tools more confidently, and make better-informed financial decisions.
A daily reality
Across Kosovo, women are working, creating, and building businesses from the ground up. Yet women’s entrepreneurship in Kosovo remains limited compared to men’s.
According to the 2023 report by the GAP Institute, based on the Kosovo Business Registration Agency data, Kosovo had 96,995 active businesses as of March 2023. Of these, 78.7 percent were owned by men, 18 percent by women, and 2.3 percent were co-owned by at least one woman. The same report found that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises make up 99 percent of women-owned businesses in Kosovo.
Many of these women business owners do not necessarily introduce themselves as “entrepreneurs.” Instead, they often describe their work in modest and informal ways, as an effort to earn income from home, test a business idea, or grow slowly step by step.
Behind these simple words lies the lived reality of women who care for their families, manage their time, communicate with customers, promote their products on social media, and try to create a stable source of income.
Based on NGO Yellow’s previous work with women and community groups, as well as the needs identified during the preparation of this project and the first training activities, one recurring challenge became clear. Many women who run or plan to start small businesses need more practical support in financial management and the use of digital tools.
A small business may appear to be doing well simply because it has sales. However, for many micro and small enterprises, growth depends not only on selling products or services, but also on keeping financial records, understanding costs, setting sustainable prices, and planning reinvestment. These challenges become even more important for women-owned businesses, which often operate with limited resources and informal support.
In its work with women and community groups, NGO Yellow has observed that practical financial skills, such as separating personal and business expenses, tracking costs, and understanding profit, are among the areas where additional support is needed.
This is also consistent with the GAP Institute research on women-owned and minority-owned MSMEs in Kosovo, which highlights the need to address financial barriers and strengthen access to knowledge, resources, and support for small businesses.
Turning a community need into action
The project seeks to support 30 women entrepreneurs, including those from rural and semi-urban areas, who run micro- or home-based businesses in the early stages of development. This support is provided through online training sessions, in-person workshops, individual mentoring, a digital learning platform, and a practical manual in the Albanian language.
The topics were selected based on NGO Yellow’s previous experience with women and community groups, the needs identified during the project design phase, and the practical challenges commonly faced by women who run or plan to start small businesses.
The modules were designed to respond to everyday business needs: understanding income and expenses, setting prices, planning finances, using digital payments and online tools, and staying safe in digital spaces.
The goal is to provide knowledge that participants can immediately apply in their everyday business activities. For example, a simple expense-tracking table, a clearer method for setting prices, a better understanding of profit, or a safer online practice can make a significant difference for a small business.
This idea has already begun to take shape. During the first online training session, titled “Financial Organization of Business,” participants were introduced to the basics of financial management, the separation of personal and business finances, the importance of budgeting, and the impact that financial decisions can have on the development of a small business.
Since this was one of the first activities of the project, NGO Yellow plans to collect more structured feedback from participants. This will help the team better understand which tools and knowledge participants find most useful, and how they apply them in their businesses.
More than training
For some participants, the project is already opening new ways of thinking about business, finance, and digital tools. One of them is Albina Peci, a law student who took part in the training. She described the sessions as more than a lesson about business or technology. For her, trainings that combine business knowledge, digital skills, and practical financial education can help young women think more clearly about their ideas and future opportunities.
Albina shared: “Such trainings make the idea of starting or managing a business feel more accessible, especially for women who may have ideas but still need confidence, information, and structure to take the first steps.”
Her experience reflects the broader purpose of the project: to create a space where women can learn, ask questions, and begin to see entrepreneurship not as something distant or intimidating, but as something they can understand, plan, and gradually build.
The real impact of such a project is measured by the changes to women’s confidence, understanding, and ability to apply practical knowledge. In a society where many women still face economic, social, and digital barriers, these skills are tools for independence, inclusion, and more equal participation in the economy.
In the end, the question is not whether women in Kosovo have potential — they prove that every day. The real question is whether we will give them the space, skills, and tools they need to turn that potential into sustainable development.
For NGO Yellow, the answer is yes.
Author:
Fatlum Gogiqi
Executive Director
NGO Yellow, Kosovo
Email: fatlum.gogiqi@gmail.com
