Pilot action in Dubrovnik-Neretva region, Croatia

DUNEA as a project partner was given a task to do an pilot action in Dubrovnik-Neretva region. Dubrovnik-Neretva region is sharing the experiences of the business succession with the neighbour countries. The region is facing with the needs for the business succession and experiencing different situations and models. The pilot action was aimed at young entrepreneurs, family-run businesses and public institutions who are in the service of entrepreneurship. The goal was to point out the complexity of the business transfer process and to point out some important questions that should be taken into account when deciding on the most appropriate model of business succession. The pilot actions took place in Metković and Dubrovnik. The workshop in Metković was attended by the stakeholders from companies, crafts and one company which is owned by the City of Metković, while on the workshop in Dubrovnik we had stakeholders from companies, crafts and public institution who are in the service of entrepreneurship, and for the interviews the biggest interest was from the family-run businesses. Trough the project activities we had 30 representative of the targeted group. They were very interested on this theme, and want to know more about it. On the workshops and interviews, the stakeholders have expressed the need for more availability of information about the business transfer process. There is a lot of information available on the Internet about the business transfer, but there are no steps regarding the business transfer process. The stakeholders who have participated in the workshops were mostly heirs or owners interested in business transfer to their children or other family members. However, problems occur when children or family is not interested in continuing this business or seeing themselves in some other life challenges. So we must find a way to motivate young entrepreneurs to take over the business and guide them to be successful. On workshops and during the interviews they were explained that the business transfer to family is not the only form of the ownership transfer and that there are other forms of business transfer, as well as the steps of business transfer. Thanks to the workshops and interviews, the stakeholders have been given the necessary information on the models and processes of business transfer and are encouraged to timely prepare themselves and their businesses for the transfer to avoid decision-making under the pressure and with unpredictable circumstances. Through the project activities we are promoting the business transfer process in a way to raise awareness of the targeted groups as well as the public on the topic of process.