Bureaucracy SAILING AHEAD IN SERBIA
Bureaucracy
What does give her a headache is the country ’ s bureaucracy — a bureaucracy so abundant and complicated that it discourages domestic and foreign investors not only in Serbia but the whole region of south-east Europe . A recent picture , uploaded on facebook , by an entrepreneur was most telling of the state of starting-up in the Balkans — He published a photograph with two sets of papers . One thin , that showed the number of documents needed to start a business in Germany and the other almost ten times as thick , showing how many documents one needed to open up the same business in the Balkans . “ In our region , a complicated bureaucracy is a classical problem . One always needs to be prepared for that sort of a challenge ,” says the Serbian entrepreneur .
What keeps the Serb going is a thought that is etched in her mind . “ I strongly believe if one is persistent and dedicated , the solutions will come . I think every entrepreneur should surround themselves with experts from various sectors to whom they can talk to at any given moment and get the best results ,” Svetlana advises . On some days Svetlana has a 10-hour workday ; the work of the entrepreneur never actually ends , she is quick to add . “ On the other hand , it is a great incentive .” problem with the education system in Serbia , regarding encouraging entrepreneurial spirit , in her opinion is , that it doesn ’ t prepare the youths for challenges they would be faced in business . This makes it difficult for individuals to step into a world of business and successfully wade through the global competition . “ This problem should be nipped in the bud . From the beginning , girls and boys should be motivated to do big things . They should be taught that trying and hard work is crucial not just for business but also for personal success ,” she says .
Svetlana has big plans for her company . “ We want to increase the number of inspiring projects . We are also hoping our project ‘ Floating Hotel with Catamarans Apartments ’, which had a good response from potential clients — mostly restaurant entrepreneurs and foreigners who love nature , will do well . We are on the search for investors for this project .”
Encouraging Entrepreneurship
Serbia has many financial and support programmes for women offered by the state as well as different associations . But Svetlana reveals that she has neither received any help from the state nor the local administration . But with the number of international clients her firm boasts of , it is no wonder she doesn ’ t need that extra push from the state . “ In the sense of support , ’ Association of Business Women in Serbia ’ helped me the most ,” says Svetlana .
She advises to women , when it comes to business , to be persistent , start with small steps , and believe in them . The
Interiors by Svetlana Mojic
Ivana Domitrović is a journalist based in Zagreb , Croatia . She works for the Croatian news site Dnevnik . hr . For more details you can reach out at idomitrovic @ yahoo . com Photo courtesy : http :// saltandwater . rs
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