Every day, Dimitar Mihaylov stands in front of his phone camera in his shop in Rakitovo. He shows new products and the week's special offer, and jokes with his customers. A year and a half ago, he had never posted a single video. Today, his shop's turnover is three times higher.
Dimitar and his wife opened a small grocery shop in the Roma neighbourhood of Rakitovo in 2008. Money was tight and competition was tough. But Dimitar earned something money can't buy: people's trust. He sells quality products at lower prices than the big supermarket chains. Over the years, the shop became the neighbourhood's favourite place to shop, and today it employs four people. But all of its customers came from Rakitovo, and that is where growth stopped.
In April 2025, Dimitar joined a training for small businesses supported by the Trust for Social Achievement. There he realised that he had a stable shop, but people outside the town didn't know about it. So he created a TikTok profile and started posting every day. He talks to customers online the same way he does at the till: naturally and openly.
Soon, customers started coming from nearby towns and villages, and the shop's turnover tripled. The small neighbourhood shop has become a recognisable, modern business that combines traditional retail with an online presence.
Dimitar is now building his next business idea: a venue for celebrations and events, a place where people from the community can mark their happiest moments. The venue will create new jobs. His next goal is a bigger, more modern shop.
The training Dimitar attended was the first of its kind, run by our partners with TSA's support. The approach is simple: each participant identifies one weak spot in their business and works on it in small steps, every day.
We believe there are many more people with ambition and vision like Dimitar. We will keep supporting them in the ways they need, because their success also transforms the communities we work with.