All posts by : IT DESIGN

1.6.2023. Publication of the public call “Vouchers for digitization” (Reference number: NPOO.C1.1.2. R3-I2.01)

Through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 – 2026, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development announces the Call for Project Proposals “Vouchers for Digitization” (Reference number: NPOO.C1.1.2. R3-I2.01). Grants are awarded through an open award procedure in the modality of a temporary Call.

Destination of the call

The goal of this Call is to contribute to increasing the level of digital maturity of SMEs through the development of digital business models, strengthening the capacity to implement digitization and digital transformation or improving cyber security, which will ultimately increase the competitiveness and resilience of companies using digital technologies.

The call includes several types of vouchers, depending on the needs of SMEs:

– Digital skills improvement voucher
– Digital marketing voucher
– Digital transformation strategy development voucher
– Cyber ​​resilience diagnostics voucher
– Complex digital solutions voucher

Eligible activities that can be financed, depending on the type of voucher:

– Specialized non-formal learning programs focused on the development of digital skills for implementing digitalization and digital transformation
– Website, application and e-commerce development, social media management
– Development of a digital transformation strategy with an implementation action plan and implementation monitoring methodology; Verification of the cybersecurity of the company through the implementation of security audits and analysis of collected data and definition of additional system improvements; Introduction of complex digital solutions that will enable the development of digital business models and strengthening the capacity for implementing digitalization and digital transformation

Total available amount of funds: EUR 9,954,210

Indicative allocation of funds per type of voucher (EUR):

Digital skills improvement voucher 1,924,480
Voucher for digital marketing 1,990,850
Voucher for creating a digital transformation strategy 1,194,500
Voucher for diagnostics of cyber resilience 2,919,900
Voucher for complex digital solutions 1,924,480
Total allocation of Calls: 9,954,210

The maximum amount of grants that can be awarded to an individual project depends on the type of voucher and amounts (EUR):

Voucher for improving digital skills – VDV 9,990.00
Voucher for digital marketing – VDM 9,990.00
Voucher for creating a digital transformation strategy – VDT 9,990.00
Voucher for diagnostics of cyber resistance – VKO 14,500.00
Voucher for complex digital solutions – VSD 19,900.00
A maximum of two vouchers may be awarded to an individual applicant under this Call. Vouchers must be of different types, that is, they must relate to different types of activities.

Eligible Applicants: SMEs

Eligible service providers: legal and natural persons registered in the Catalog of Service Providers under the “Digitalization Vouchers” Call.

Deadlines and method of submitting project proposals

Project proposals are submitted exclusively through the eNPOO system.

Application deadline Indicative allocation by application deadline:

1. deadline from 01.06. until 07.07.2023. year 3,318,070 EUR
2. deadline from 01.11. until 01.12.2023. year 3,318,070 EUR
3. deadline from 01.03. until 01.04.2024. 3,318,070 EUR

Looking for a reliable contractor to implement your digital marketing voucher web project? Contact us with confidence.

How to adapt to changes in online business?

We know that from January 1, 2023, the introduction of the euro as the official currency in the Republic of Croatia awaits us, and preparations for this have already begun. However, what is not so well known is what needs to be optimized at points of sale to make the transition period as painless as possible for employers and their clients. Don’t forget that points of sale also include web shops in Croatia. That’s why IT DESIGN is here for you – to prepare you for the multi-currency price display, but also to introduce you to all the details and news that you can expect in the coming months when it comes to online business.

Phases before and after the introduction of the euro

In order to properly prepare your web store for the upcoming period, there are three phases aimed at facilitating the transition to the euro as smoothly as possible, and it is important to know that during the dual price display, a fixed conversion rate is used: 1EUR=7.53450 (which must be clearly stated).

September 2022 – primary currency kuna

On the first Monday in September (September 5, 2022), dual pricing will be mandatory, meaning that you must display the price of your product in kuna and euros in your web shop. The price in kuna must be more clearly indicated than the price in euros. This method of displaying prices must be unambiguous, while the full amount of the fixed conversion rate must always be used when converting. The period of dual pricing with an emphasis on kuna lasts until January 1, 2023.

January 2023 – December 31, 2023 – primary currency euro

This is the date when the official currency in Croatia becomes the euro. For the first two weeks after the introduction, payments will be possible in kuna and euros, and after that period (and beyond), dual pricing will remain, but with an emphasis on the price in euros.

Although the dual circulation of kuna and euro does not have a direct impact on your online store because payments will be made in euros, it is still necessary to know because a large number of citizens use the option of paying upon collection, so during those two weeks, customers will be able to pay the delivery person or when collecting in the branch in kuna.

On January 1, 2024, we will completely switch to the euro and thus dual display of prices will cease.

From January 1, 2024, Croatia will completely switch to the euro – thus dual display of prices will cease and prices will be displayed only in the euro currency.

How to prepare a web shop for dual display of prices?

Your web shop will have to display converted prices of all products, and after January 1, the main currency will have to be converted to the euro – it is up to you how you adjust the currency display. In Europe, the price is most often written as “€ 199.99”, but it is also possible to see other forms: “€ 199.99” or “EUR 199.99”.

You should use the fixed exchange rate of the Croatian National Bank to display prices, and make sure that your users see the price in euros and kunas when searching for a product, when adding it to the cart, during the checkout process, and when making a purchase.

The two-week dual payment period should not have a direct impact on your store, as kuna funds in bank accounts and cards will be automatically converted to euros. After this period, you should disable the option to pay in kuna, but you will need to leave the dual display of product prices for about another year, after which prices will only be displayed in euros.

Leave the introduction of the euro to the web shop completely to our experts in order to:

Implemented a dual display of prices (EUR / HRK)
Made the conversion and conversion of the currency according to the fixed / dynamic exchange rate (merger with the CNB)
Adjusted prices according to the exchange rate (fixed, dynamic or adjusted)
Made adequate preparations for the easiest possible change of currency (euro), when the time comes
Created the necessary standardization for integration into the WordPress and OpenCart environments

Why is it necessary to start adjusting prices as soon as possible?

As the deadline for displaying multi-currency prices approaches, the demand for changes in online stores will also increase. In Croatia, there are a large number, even millions, of websites that sell services and products – all of them need to adapt to the changes that will start from September 2022. Do not postpone these changes for the last minute.

Adapt to prescribed decisions

Be sure that your online business will function smoothly without any difficulties and in accordance with the prescribed provisions. With professional IT help, you can easily align all the necessary functionalities for the upcoming directives.

Preparing your online business for the new currency is an adjustment process and requires some time for setup, programming and testing the solution, and it is important that it functions smoothly in all environments, as well as that it displays well on different screens. Leave the introduction of the euro to our experts, and you can focus on other priorities of your business.

Additional information

All guidelines for the adaptation of the economy in the process of replacing the kuna with the euro are available on the official websites of the Croatian National Bank and the Ministry of the Economy and Sustainable Development:

https://euro.hnb.hr

Before starting a webshop, clients often ask us “How to start a webshop?” and what legal obligations must be met in order to register a webshop for their company or craft.

To successfully open a webshop, you need to complete 7 steps that prepare you for creating a webshop. Webshops used to take months or even years to create. Today, with the help of technology and good preparation, we can create one in just a few days.

The first and most important thing to start a webshop is to complete the mandatory registration of a business entity, or activity. This means that the first step in starting an online store is to register a craft or company, where you must also enter information society services in the register of activities, in addition to your main activity. The activity that is required is called Retail sales via mail order and the Internet.

The conditions for opening a craft are prescribed by the Craft Act, and you can establish a craft through the e-Craft service or by visiting the competent state administration office in the county. A company is registered according to the Companies Act, and you can significantly shorten the process of establishing a company if you decide to use the services of the HITRO.HR entrepreneurial service. If you already have a company, then you need to register a company for the activities required for conducting online shopping in addition to the activity you are engaged in.

7 steps to prepare for creating a webshop 1. How many products do you plan to have in the webshop? It is possible to fill the webshop with an initial 10 products and then fill the rest of the products yourself after training. If you don’t have time, we can certainly fill the entire webshop. A good way to prepare a product list is to export the list from your accounting program. For example, a store has a product database in an accounting program from which we can extract all products with prices and codes into an Excel or CSV table. 2. What types of payment methods do you want to have on the webshop? There are several options, but the most commonly chosen methods are: Card payment (one-time, in installments), payment to account, PayPal, payment on delivery. Fiscalization is required for card payments. We recommend that you use an accounting program that has the ability to connect to the WordPress cms system and that has integrated fiscalization. For the card payment system, we recommend CorvusPay, through which you can arrange cards in selected banks. Accounting programs that can be integrated into the WooCommerce system and have fiscalization are eRacuni or SOLO.

3. Which delivery service will you choose? ***Inform yourself with each delivery service about the prices of package delivery for you.

***The prices of package delivery services depend on the contract and agreement with individual webshops and depend on the number of packages sent monthly.

4. Product photos Do your products have photos? Professional photos sell products by themselves. This is one of the most important factors. In our offer, we offer professional product photography. But if you want to submit the photos yourself, it is important that they are at least 1000×1000 px in size.

5. VAT Is your company in the VAT system? If so, decide whether you want your prices to be displayed with or without already calculated VAT. You can enter a price with VAT and the system will automatically display the unit price and the amount of VAT.

6. Product description Prepare a short and long product description. In the short description, try to write 1 or 2 sentences about the product. In the long description, put as much descriptive text as possible for that product. For example, product composition, maintenance or warnings related to that product. You can write this text in bullet points because we offer text writing and proofreading.

7. Webshop SEO In order for your webshop to generate sales, it is very important that each product has good SEO. What does SEO mean? SEO – Search Engine Optimization – optimization for search engines. Through this system, we can insert a keyword and description into each product. Therefore, your last step is to create a list of keywords and short descriptions along with the list of your products.

All of this may seem like a lot of work to you, but it is certainly more work when you open a physical store. The advantage of a virtual store is that once everything is set up, you no longer need to pay for additional maintenance.

WEB STORE MAINTENANCE SERVICE – by arrangement and as needed (price 370 kn / h).

Web store maintenance is not necessary, it depends on your needs. The security and existence of the web store itself is guaranteed with our hosting, so there is no need to pay for additional maintenance. Web store maintenance is taken care of if you do not have time to change the text or image on the page. As part of the web store, you receive online training with which you can later independently change the content of the web store.

To make it easier and faster for you to prepare for opening a webshop, contact us at info@design.com.hr.

Our web store development offer includes: We create and compile content for your web store quickly and easily We proofread existing content We professionally photograph your products.

Digital transformation (DT or DX [1]) is the adoption of digital technology to transform services or businesses, by replacing non-digital or manual processes with digital processes, or by replacing older digital technologies with newer digital technologies. Digital solutions can, in addition to efficiency through automation, enable new types of innovation and creativity, rather than simply enhancing and supporting traditional methods.

Today, digital transformation is no longer a matter of choice – it is inevitable, necessary and unavoidable. But do you know what the term digital transformation represents and what changes it brings us?

The word “transformation” describes a process in which we undergo a certain change and which lasts for some time. Digital transformation refers to the process that starts from the moment when the organization starts thinking about the introduction of digital technologies in all areas of business and lasts until the moment of their complete integration. However, digital transformation also involves individuals: it is not enough to introduce digital technology into the business, it is also important to educate employees.

Digital transformation can include areas such as digital marketing, digitalization and automation of business processes, digital procurement, digitalization of sales representatives, Big Data, and the like. The biggest problem is that decisions related to the introduction of new technology continue to be postponed.

Like many small business owners, you may believe that your business can’t benefit from a website or that a website isn’t within your budget. Or you may think that because you don’t use a computer, your potential customers won’t either. These are misconceptions. These 8 reasons show why your business needs a professional website, regardless of the size of your business.

YOUR BUSINESS WILL GAIN CREDIBILITY

Today, more and more consumers are using the Internet to search for the products or services they need. Your small business will gain credibility by visiting a website. Without it, potential customers will go to your competitors. If you already have a website, but it’s “home-made,” a professional redesign will give your business a professional image that will inspire even more confidence. For home-based businesses, this is especially beneficial because you don’t have a storefront to promote your products or services.

A WEBSITE SAVES MONEY

As a small business owner, you probably think you can’t afford a professional website, but you can’t NOT afford one. Although website design costs vary, once it’s up and running, a small business website usually costs under $350/year, and in some cases, less than $200/year. Compared to newspaper ads, when you consider the potential market you can reach with a website, it is a very cost-effective way to promote your business.

THE WEBSITE WILL ALLOW YOU TO INFORM YOUR CUSTOMERS

Think of your website as your online brochure or catalog. It is much easier and faster to update information about your products and services on your website than on printed material, which makes it an efficient way to inform your customers about the arrival of new products, upcoming events, special promotions or all the new services you offer. Unlike print ads that quickly become outdated, your website can provide current information and news.

A WEBSITE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE

A ​​website is available to both your regular and potential customers 24/7/365, giving them the convenience of browsing your products and services when your store or office is closed. With today’s busy lifestyles, this is a great selling point when making a purchasing decision.

A WEBSITE CAN TARGET A GLOBAL MARKET

Whether you provide products or services, your website will provide an alternative place to sell them. As a seller, a website (eCommerce) is a great place to sell your products to a wider market; even services can be available globally. Don’t think you’ll be able to sell your products or services online? Don’t forget, even cars and houses are sold online!

A WEBSITE ALLOWS YOU TO PRESENT YOUR WORK TO THE BUYER

No matter what type of business you’re in, a website is a great place to showcase your work. By including a portfolio or image gallery, as well as testimonials about your work, you can show what makes your business unique.

A WEBSITE SAVES TIME

Providing information to your customers takes time, whether it’s over the phone, in person, in a brochure, or via email. With an online catalog, you can provide a wealth of information about your products and services. Once your website is up and running, it will be available to your customers indefinitely, saving you time. And how much does time cost? Time is money!

A WEBSITE IMPROVES CUSTOMER SERVICE

Perhaps you sell eco-friendly products and want to share tips on how to recycle, or you’re an accountant and want to give your customers advice on how to streamline their bookkeeping practices. By including an FAQ page, adding articles, or hosting a newsletter to answer all of your customers’ questions, you can keep them up to date. What better way to provide value-added service than by sharing information on your website

Starting a web shop – legal regulations

Online shopping is growing unstoppably in the world, and the situation is similar in Croatia. This is supported by official data from the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia, which show that more than a quarter of Croatian small and medium-sized entrepreneurs are engaged in online sales.
These data are not surprising, especially if we consider that creating a web shop, or selling online, has numerous advantages over “classic” commerce.
Creating a web shop requires significantly lower startup and maintenance costs, your product or service offering is constantly available, and you achieve a greater reach of target customers. This means that starting a web shop allows you to do business without additional costs for hiring, renting and maintaining a business premises, sales take place 24 hours a day / 7 days a week, which ensures access to your products to a large number of customers, and thus improves commercial results.

Regardless of whether it is an expansion of your business or an independent activity – quality web shop creation is a key factor in business success.

1. Business entity registration

The first step in starting an online business is registering a trade or company, where, in addition to the main activity, you must also enter information society services in the register of activities.

2. Mandatory data

As prescribed by the Companies Act, the following data must be clearly indicated on your website:

Name and abbreviated name of the company;
Company headquarters;
Court where the company is registered in the Court Register;
Number under which the company is registered in the Court Register;
Amount of the company’s share capital, and whether the share capital has been paid in full;
If it has not been paid in full, it is necessary to state which part of the share capital has not been paid;
In the case of a joint-stock company, the total number of issued shares and their nominal amounts;
Surnames and at least one name of a member of the company’s Management Board
In the case of a joint-stock company, members of the management board, i.e. executive directors and the chairman of the supervisory board or board of directors;
Company and headquarters of the institution where the account is held and the number of that account.

In addition to the above information, it is useful to include the company’s OIB and, if you do business abroad, the VAT number.
The practice is to include the above information in the “About us” section, on the “Contact” link or in the footer of the page or web store.
It is important to note that the previous provisions of the Law apply to all forms of companies registered as j.d.o.o., d.o.o. or d.d., but not to crafts.

Tip: Be sure to check whether your website contains the above information, because according to the same Law, penalties are determined in the event of failure to provide the prescribed information up to a maximum amount of 6636.14 euros, or 930.00 euros for the responsible person.

3. Legislation

In order for purchases and sales through your web shop to be in accordance with applicable regulations and provisions, after you have opened a company or craft, or an appropriate regulated activity – it is time to study the six basic laws that need to be studied in detail before registering a domain, choosing hosting, or before you launch a web shop, and these are the following documents:

Consumer Protection Act;
Electronic Commerce Act;
Alternative Consumer Dispute Resolution Act;
Electronic Communications Act;
Obligations Act;
Trade Act.

Consumer Protection Act

The first law we will mention is the Consumer Protection Act, where you will find a list of obligations towards customers that you as a merchant must comply with. According to this Act, you are obliged to deliver to customers a purchase contract stored on a durable medium, or on a medium that allows access to the contract in an unchanged form within the optimal period of time after placing the order. Furthermore, it is important to mention the “Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights”, which has been applicable in all European Union countries since June 13, 2014, and according to which “consumers in all European Union Member States have the same rights when purchasing goods or services via the Internet, e-mail, telephone and when purchasing away from the trader’s business premises (street or doorstep sales), regardless of where within the Union they purchased the product or service” (Source: Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Croatia, Guide to Online Shopping). Finally, we will mention another important provision of the Trade Act, which relates to the conditions for terminating a contract. Namely, “the prescribed period for termination of the contract is 14 days and begins to run from the moment the subject of the contract is handed over to the consumer, except in the case of concluding a contract whose subject is digital content that is not delivered on a physical medium (as well as in the case of concluding a service contract, a contract for the supply of water, gas or electricity sold in unlimited volume or unlimited quantity and the supply of thermal energy), when the period of 14 days begins to run from the day the contract is concluded.
If the consumer exercises his right to unilaterally terminate the contract, the parties are not obliged to