After completing the ILO "Start and Improve Your Business" (SIYB) training this year, Biljana Topić, a biologist and ornithologist from the small town of Šipovo, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, learnt how to turn her idea into a viable enterprise. She developed a business plan, launched her own company and brought to market her own line of natural, cold-pressed fruit juices made from locally grown ingredients.
Unemployed people living in rural areas qualified for the SIYB training. Biljana was among them. Her family had previously been engaged in juice production, which gave her the practical background she needed. With support from the EU4Employment initiative, implemented by the ILO with EU and Swedish funds, she successfully registered her new business.
Today, she is running a small but recognized business that supplies juices to her local community and shows strong potential for growth. The business is generating income, and with steady growth and market opportunities, she is on a clear path to a sustainable livelihood.
Each juice carries the name of a bird from her region - Goldfinch, Linnet, Blue Tit - reflecting her love of nature and creative approach. The products are 100% natural, additive-free, and appreciated for their authentic, homemade taste.
Her entrepreneurial journey recently caught the attention of the Team Europe ambassadors, representatives of the European Union and its Member States in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Led by His Excellency Luigi Soreca, EU Ambassador, they visited Biljana's workshop to see first-hand how skills and determination can turn local opportunities into decent work.
The EU is proud to support people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who turn ideas into businesses. Seeing how the EU4Employment project helps families create sustainable livelihoods, the real impact of our partnership becomes tangible.
Luigi Soreca, EU Ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina
"The EU is proud to support people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who turn ideas into businesses. Seeing how the EU4Employment project helps families create sustainable livelihoods, the real impact of our partnership becomes tangible," said EU Ambassador Soreca.
What began as a small family workshop has become a symbol of empowerment and rural resilience. "You don't need perfect conditions to start," says Biljana. "Start small, keep learning, and trust your idea, everything grows step by step."
In the last seven years, the ILO has been providing support for entrepreneurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina through several, mostly EU-funded projects, also backed by EU Member States such as Germany and Sweden. These initiatives have supported those furthest from the labour market, people hit hardest by crises and those facing obstacles during recovery or structural change, to progress from unemployment to sustainable entrepreneurship. They have also contributed to more inclusive labour markets and supported the alignment of Bosnia and Herzegovina's employment policies with EU International Labour Standards and related EU acquis.
