The number of small businessowners applying for incentives for traditional crafts keeps growing each year.
8th conference for small business owners, called “Vratimo gradu sadržaje i duh” (Let’s give the city back its content and spirit), took place at the Croatian Chambery of Economy today, September 19, 2017. The event was organised by Suvremena trgovina magazine and the Chamber of Economy, and assistant to the Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Ms Ana Mandac, attended the opening ceremony, as well as Deputy Mayor of Zagreb Ms Olivera Majić, Suvremena trgovina magazine representative Mr Srećko Sertić, Ms Violeta Jelić, general secretary of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, and Mr Juro Avgustinović, Konrad Adenauer Association representative, which was the sponsor of the event.
Deputy Mayor Majić said that small business owners are an important factor in the development of the City’s economy and that the City of Zagreb has supported them since 2000, through small and medium-sized entrepreneurship incentives programme.
“The City has allocated around HRK 400 million for loans and financial aid programmes for innovators, self-employment, and traditional crafts, among others. Zagreb is famous for traditional small business owners and keeping this tradition alive is another reason for a quality cooperation between the City and the Chamber of Economy,” Ms Majić said, adding that the number of business owners applying for a traditional craft incentive programme keeps growing each year.
Deputy Mayor also added that, in addition to financial aid and fairs, the City provides free education programmes for business owners within its Plavi ured office, and an Obrtnički centar (Centre for Craftsmen and Trade Owners) is in the process of being built, in cooperation with the Chamber of Economy and Crafts Association.
“I believe that this conference will be a chance to exchange useful experiences and it will serve as an additional reminder to the public and other factors of how important developing small crafts really is.”
Organiser representatives have emphasised how important it was to revitalise small businesses in the centre of the city that were forced to close down because big shopping malls were opened in the outskirts. They added that bringing small craft businesses back to the centre would enrich the City’s tourist offer and solve the problem of abandoned spaces.
