Siniša Slunjski proves that blind people can be very successful entrepreneurs, even in Croatia.
In just three years, Siniša Slunjski has managed to build a company from scratch and employ 16 people. Although he is blind since birth, that did not stop him, his wife and his brother from running a successful business, reports Index.hr on December 4, 2016.
Before he launched his own business, Slunjski worked at an agency dealing with services related to telecommunications. It was providing customer service to telecom companies. After seven years, he decided to go into the business independently.
His company SMB is working for Croatian Telecom and taking care of its business customers – from sales to resolving complaints. In addition, they also deal with the construction projects, which is the responsibility of Siniša’s brother.
Siniša does not consider his blindness to be a major problem, but a natural condition to which he has adapted. “I do not feel as a handicapped person. I was born this way and for me that is something normal. There are, of course, some things that I cannot do. For example, I would probably like to be a lot more involved in sports, but some sports are not really for me”, said Slunjski.
His attitude has allowed him to have a successful career even before he entered entrepreneurship. “Some ten years ago, I started working for a company which was also a partner to a telecom operator. I was successful in this job and I reached the top of the company. At one point, I had a chance to get a partnership contract and start my own business. We were able to create a stable company with revenues of 2.5 million kuna and profits of around 600,000 kuna last year”, said Slunjski.
In his everyday work, he is helped by modern technologies. He has a computer with special software which allows him to “read” documents. “There are software solutions that allow us to use all of today’s technologies, computers, phones… What other users can see on their screens, the software converts to sound. That is one option. Another is that it turns the text into Braille. I personally use the sound option”, added Slunjski.
Given that his current business is doing so well, he is considering other options, including the construction of a small hotel somewhere on the Adriatic coast. This would be a hotel with about 20 rooms, and it would be fully adapted for people with disabilities. Disabled people in Western Europe have a much better social status than in Croatia, they often have more free time, and like everyone else – they love to travel.
“There is virtually no such facility in Croatia and I believe that it would have great potential. That is our plan for the future”, concluded Slunjski.
