Olivmont
Mirjana Babic is business incubator tenant since 2010. Two years prior to entering the business incubator she heard about Business Start center and the competition for the best business plan. Having had a couple of business ideas, the notice about the competition has awakened interest in her and she came to BSC Bar to find out what kind of help from the business center she could expect.
Specifically, Mirjana's family owns several hundred olive trees and she produces olive oil. During the years in olive oil business she noted that olive oil producers have hard time in selling of the final product because there are no organized olive oil purchase centers and that the wholesale prices are low. This fact encouraged to think in terms of production of a product made from the olive oil and so she came up with the idea to revive and modernize the production of natural soap made from olive oil. She decided that her business idea would be - production of natural soap made from olive oil. Mirjana applied for micro-credit support from BSC Bar and got selected among the winners of: a loan under favorable conditions, free registration service and grant funding for engaging professional consultants who gave her clear instructions about what she needs and whom to contact in obtaining further information about the production of soap from olive oil . That's how ' OlivMont ' stated.
Beginning was not easy. She realized that in entering the market every detail needs to be taken in consideration and the new ways of winning the trust of customers had to be introduced. In a short time she had to build the image of the serious and high quality entrepreneur. She knew there was not much time for her to prove herself and that there was not much room for error. In her business she involved her family members. This way she established a good foundation for a craft shop ' Olivmont ' and for her product -soap made from olive oil.
She is now widely recognized across the country and in the region. Her love for work, striving for continuous improvements and the creation of high-quality product have been successfully recognized by the BSC with whose recommendation was invited to the celebration of Entrepreneurship Week and to participate at the Entrepreneurship Fair in Brussels 2010. There she received an award as the best women entrepreneurs from Montenegro in 2010. As part of the same Fair organizers have created the brochure ' Secrets of Success ' in which Mirjana's original product was presented as an example of traditional production method that does not harm the natural environment. This point is considered as the turning point in the development of her business. In addition to the participation at the Brussels Fair, an important point in her career was the start of the collaboration with Aman Resort, which manages hotels in Sveti Stefan. Satisfied customers with high standards encourage her to continue producing more quality products. Mirjana is a regular visitor at the fairs where, in addition to her products, she also represents the city of Bar. She managed to prove that he can be much more than just a mean for achieving hygiene - she presented her soap as a genuine souvenir labeled ' Montenegrin souvenir ' and as such it became an integral part of gifts to visitors of various national events. Soaps of ' Olivmont ' spread their scent all the way to Russia and even Taiwan and South Africa.
'Let the water of ideas carry you and not a desire for profit. Try to find out what you do best . If you can not immediately figure it out try again and when you find the right thing for you do not let anyone stop you. Age is not important. Do not imitate another idea. Try to be original . '
The secret of her success is the desire to learn and exchange experiences. At the end of 2011 she was invited to participate in the project 'National network of mentors for women entrepreneurs in Montenegro.' As one of the mentors she generously shared her knowledge and experience and motivated other women entrepreneurs to develop their business. She is a member of the Association of Business Women of Montenegro, Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Montenegro, and the Women of the Adriatic- Ionian Initiative. Mirjana believes that for the success of the business it is very important to connect with other entrepreneurs, because in that way you can exchange ideas and improve operations.
