XXII. Inspire like a girl, ep. 2
XXII. Inspire like a girl, ep. 2
This is the second episode of our trilogy, about the stories of Sarajevan women who are renewing the image of Bosnia. Erna Šoševic explains how being a businesswoman can help other people in Bosnia
Hi,
welcome back to BarBalkans, the Italian newsletter whose aim is to give a voice to the Western Balkans’ stories, on the 30th anniversary eve of the Yugoslav Wars.
Last Saturday, we started a journey throughout the stories of Sarajevan women who are breaking the gender walls and renewing the image of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Džana Bašić and Rialda Spahić told us how is to be a woman in the IT field.
In the second episode, we’ll discover the experience of an entrepreneur, who is currently helping other Bosnian economical activities to grow up through her business idea.
Erna Šoševic has just entered the BarBalkans. She has the floor.
Something on my own
Erna, can you tell us where everything began?
“When I worked as an employee, none of my ideas was never adopted. All of my employers insisted that we had to work exclusively according to previously defined rules.
That’s the main reason for my decision to take the path of entrepreneurship. That resistance to change, combined with the introduction of new ways of doing business awakened in me the desire to bring the change myself”.
Is that why you decided to stay in Bosnia?
“I’ve a special relationship with Sarajevo: this is my city. We’ve always come out of many difficulties together, even the greatest siege in the European second post-war period. Moreover, starting a business in any capital city is a great advantage, because there are many opportunities for the growth of a company.
The path of entrepreneurship in my city made me get to know with many inspiring people and entrepreneurs who are doing great things for our economy. It gave me experience and knowledge, that I would have never gained through formal education.
We are a small, but emerging market. That was my big break”.
Who is Erna now?
“I’m the first female founder to win the award for the best Bosnian start-up (2018). I’m also one of the few who managed to turn it into a company that improves the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as recognized by the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Power of Excellence award.
I’m very proud of this company and of the people who work here. Bizbook received the EDITA 2019 regional award for Economic Digital Transformation.
It is a great honor to be recognized by the business community for the development of an innovative idea in the Balkans. However, the greatest success is having satisfied clients to whom we created opportunities for growing up”.
Growin’ up, while helping others
What is Bizbook and how does it work?
“Believe it or not, Bizbook was born while I was washing dishes! It is the result of my work experience and identifying the needs of the market: it took a long time to develop all the functionalities and the software solution.
Bizbook is a digital B2B (business-to-business) tool for promoting products and services, improving sales and fast exchange of information between companies. This platform allows micro, small and medium companies to create personalized online profiles in a secure environment.
We want to connect and strengthen as many Bosnian companies as possible, by encouraging mutual cooperation and emphasizing that the competitiveness of Bosnia depends on the competitiveness of all the branches of its economy”.
Can you give some examples?
“There’s a guy who runs a top-quality furniture company. He doesn’t have a website or any kind of digital appearance. So, we create an online profile for him and we connect his business activity to four hotel chains.
We find young entrepreneurs who are starting their businesses, old CEOs who want to bequeath more competitive factories to their children, businesswomen who run their activities. Then we look for European companies that may be interested in working with them.
Almost 40 percent of Bizbook companies have female CEOs. I can’t suggest them anything that they don’t already know about their own sectors. But they need to see the opportunities of the market, to acquire new working tools: that’s a matter of attitude and character”.
How does Bizbook reflect your idea of women empowerment?
“My team is entirely made up of women, although unintentionally. Moreover, except for my husband, the overall support has always come from women: we have emotional intelligence, passion and helpful nature to care for the product and customers.
It is very important to me that, as a team, we are part of the story of gender equality. The willingness and confidence of female employees push themselves to the forefront of expertise and experience in Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As a female founder, I need a team that believes in my idea as much as I do, and I’m sure I have such a team!”
Do it for yourself
Let me ask you what your greatest dream is.
“My greatest dream is to put Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the map of countries that have innovative solutions, strong female founders and the willingness to change things for the better.
With courage, we need more women in leadership positions to hire other women, inspire young girls and be mentors for any area of their development”.
How do you imagine the foreseeable future of women in Bosnia?
“Bosnian society is still traditionalist and men continue having advantages in many jobs. But I can say that, as I have earned the respect and appreciation of my clients and partners, more and more women will succeed.
We already have great women engineers, but most of them are developing their careers in other European countries. That’s why we are empowering Bosnian startups with female founders and startups with women in their teams. The future of Sarajevo is female!”
What would you say to a young woman who wants to run her own company?
“Persevere for as long as you can. Find a mentor with similar experience and always seek advice on issues you don’t have enough knowledge about. Look for opportunities for development and always believe in yourself.
Sometimes girls ask me: «Do you think that I should marry first and then creating my own startup?» That’s the consequence of the traditional society we live in: having a family and kids is the most important goal.
I’m married, I have two kids and I started my own business at the age of 33. So, yes, it’s never too late. But I always answer them that they have to get to know and build themselves first.
You won’t lose anything and you’ll learn a lot while you spend time doing something on your own. Just go and try!”
Pit stop. Sittin’ at the BarBalkans
As usual, at the end of the trip/trilogy, we deserve a little pause. Sittin’ at the BarBalkans, it’s time to ask for recommendations.
Before we get back on the road, let’s listen to our guest!
Erna, tell us.
“Sarajevo has so many wonderful places evoking the diversity of cultures that we are proud of. I suggest you to go to The Džirlo Teahouse. It is in Baščaršija, the old bazaar and the cultural center of Sarajevo.
When you arrive there, ask for the salep [remember, from the last stop?], a hot drink made from several types of the ground wild orchid root.
If this recommendation doesn’t convince you to stay here, the Sarajevo Film Festival will do it…”
With these words in our mind, let’s continue the BarBalkans journey. We’ll meet again in a week, for the last episode of this trip/trilogy.
A big hug and have a good journey!
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting this far. I hope you enjoy the trip and you’d help me to make this experience grow.
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