The world of entrepreneurship offers many opportunities for an individual who wants to start her or his own business. Vesna Mladenović, from Desimirovac near Kragujevac, is one of many women who started the development of their own private business. Along the way, she encountered various challenges that she managed to overcome thanks to her great desire for success, but also the support she received. The taste of success for Vesna was fantastic, just like fruit juices and jams that are made according to a traditional recipe in her company Marella Natural.
Vesna was an administrative worker in a local company for years. With a modest income, she and her husband were raising four children. She remembers this period as very stressful because she could not accept the fact that she often worked long hours for a minimum wage, while almost never having enough time to spend with her family or deal with some other important things in her life. She found escape from the gray everyday life in her hobby - making 100% natural fruit juices for her family. "During the rare free time moments, I started preparing healthy juices. For months, I was looking for the ideal combinations of fruits, good tastes and textures of juices." When Vesna realized that her neighbours and friends liked her juices, she came up with the idea that making completely natural fruit juices had the potential to grow into something more. "I wanted to be honest with myself, and to help myself and feel satisfied. I felt I could achieve something more. I was aware of the potential challenges, however, at the same time I believed that with persistent and hard work I would succeed and overcome them. "
At the beginning of 2017, Vesna decided to enter the world of entrepreneurship on her own. She bought the first fruit presses, hired a technologist who helped her get the highest quality products, and procured adequate packaging and the necessary labels. Her first products were three types of homemade 100% natural fruit juice. Slowly but surely, Vesna walked towards realizing her dream. She sold the first products in local stores. Gradually, Vesna expanded her production, so she started preparing jams and ajvar. Due to the increase in the volume of work, her husband joined her in the further development of the business, while her children, who actively participated in the family business, brought a special charm to it.
As a beginner in entrepreneurship, Vesna had a lot to learn. As an economist she had the knowledge that helped her to find her way in administrative work more easily, but also to explore new sources of financing for her business. "The beginning was very difficult, especially when I did not have enough funds to procure all the necessary equipment. As my enterprise was "young", the banks did not want to approve loans to me. “Many times I thought of giving up, while my inner voice told me that I had to continue”, Vesna says and adds, “Then I learned about the EU PRO public call for entrepreneurs, micro and small businesses through which the European Union (EU) was providing grants for procurement of equipment and introduction of services. The training that was organised by EU PRO for all interested entrepreneurs helped me to write a quality business plan; I submitted my project proposal and received funds for further business development. I was overwhelmed with joy when I received a donation for a vacuum evaporator. This machine can be used both for making jams, for which we use it, and for making ajvar. Since our mission is to produce the healthiest products possible, we desperately needed this kind of support. When processing the fruit in a vacuum evaporator, the nutrients remain in the product and there is no oxidation process, which additionally gives the jam a beautiful colour. We have also managed to speed up the production process, and thus expand the production line. As we were able to produce larger quantities of juice and jam, we improved the entire business operation. After the EU donation, we started to place our products at other markets in Serbia, opened seven new jobs and almost doubled our production! "
Vesna has never stopped pursuing her idea: "Our surroundings are exceptionally fertile and abound in good soil, so we have first class fruit. Since the quality of raw materials has always been my number one priority, I buy the fruit for jam production from local agricultural households. In addition to getting a great product, I also support my neighbours in this way. It is necessary for us to be there for each other, because only in that way together we contribute to the development of our local community and build the future for our children here in the place where they were born.
The EU support significantly contributes to enterprises to develop their strategic goals and improve their business. Creating a favorable environment opens up opportunities for new jobs and overall community development. The European Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, supported over 200 micro and small enterprises and entrepreneurs through the EU PRO programme with almost 4.5 million Euros. The funds were used to purchase new equipment that contributed to improving production and competitiveness and opening new jobs.
Through the activities of the EU PRO programme, the European Union contributes to the more balanced socio-economic development of Serbia with a total of 25 million Euros. The programme aims to contribute to increasing the competitiveness of micro and small enterprises, improving the business environment and strengthening social cohesion in 99 local self-government units, in two regions: the Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia and the Region of Southern and Eastern Serbia. The activities in the field are implemented by UNOPS.