We often hear that business people are the ones who “push” society forward and improve it with their innovative ideas and concepts. Participants in the panel entitled “Entrepreneur: Public Ally Number One” agreed that entrepreneurship is crucial in times of crisis, but that business management also means accepting risks.
State interference and dependence on government are the main problems when it comes to starting and running a business in Croatia, say entrepreneur Hrvoje Bujas, the president of the Croatian Employers’ Association, Mihael Furjan, and majority owner of M + Group, Stjepan Orešković. Our economy has changed, we have a lot of potential for progress, however, this country still lags behind other members of the European Union, the panelists concluded.
People who do business in Croatia often cannot succeed because the economy is dependent on the state. The panelists described potential solutions to this obstacle, emphasizing that we do not necessarily have to be media stars or tied to the state if we want to achieve our desired success in business.
Both Bujas and Orešković believe that it is necessary to invest money, not just save it. “Companies and people who have succeeded on the world market are completely different from those only operating in Croatia. Most have to be completely independent. We operate in 59 markets, we have more than 9,000 employees, and all our revenues are related to multinational companies. We do not depend on the business model that prevails in Croatia,” said Orešković. He concluded that the most important thing for success and overcoming any challenges is being well-educated, persistent and true to yourself.
“Knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. Mate Rimac could fill these halls because he is a star. But look at the management structure behind him, the people who run his finances and development strategies. It’s the same with Infobip. There is not a single person on the management board of a top Croatian company who has not graduated from a world-renowned university. It is necessary to invest in management and knowledge—without that there is no success,” stressed Orešković.
