AGENCY PREVODILICA

1. How and at what moment did you come up with the idea to start your own business?
The idea crept up on me, it came quietly and unexpectedly even for me. My parents had their own private businesses, so it was a path that seemed natural to me. However, I hadn't really thought about it until the opportunity presented itself, and I simply said YES.

2. Did you always want to be involved in your current line of work?
I knew nothing about the translation business, except that I had always loved and attended various language courses in different parts of the world. I have to admit that I stumbled into translation as a history of art graduate without a job, who didn't know how to do anything except discuss art. I had to learn the business from scratch, slowly and thoroughly, with significant help from my first business partner, the owner of the translation agency BEPS Translations.

3. What are you most proud of in your business?
My greatest success is my clients who have been with me since the beginning, as well as those who keep coming back, and their statements that they couldn't work with anyone else. While they probably would have managed without me, their loyalty and dedication make me proud and encourage me to keep going.

4. What is the secret to your success? (List three qualities, behaviors, beliefs, or abilities)
It is widely known that diligence, hard work, and discipline invariably lead to success. The approach to translation is somewhat different, and my motto is immediacy, accessibility, authenticity, and responsiveness, all while maintaining quality.

5. How understanding has your environment been, and who has been your greatest support?
My environment has been my greatest support from day one, and my first clients were actually my friends and acquaintances. I receive support from various sources, including colleagues, clients, friends, and, of course, my family.

6. What is your guiding motto?
Whoever wants to find a way, they find a way. Whoever doesn't want to, finds an excuse.

7. Do you have role models who have motivated or continue to motivate you in your work?
Through my work, I have met wonderful colleagues who face the same or similar challenges as I do, and they are my motivation. I always think the same thing - if they can do it, so can I. I am also motivated by my clients, who often send me postcards from the country they have moved to after I helped them fulfill their dream and start a new life through document translation.

8. What have you had to sacrifice?
Work has spilled into my leisure time, and a businesswoman's leisure time is always also work time. I've given up vacations without a laptop, emails, and calls. Sometimes I think about how I should be grateful that I can work from a beach in some exotic destination, but at the same time, it's burdensome and overwhelming. In private business, there's no vacation, and there's no clock to watch, so leisure time is the one that suffers the most.

9. What has driven you forward, and how do you motivate yourself when times are tough?
Motivation is something I constantly grapple with because it comes and goes as it pleases. It's also my biggest challenge. When you know that something depends solely on you, there's no room for giving up or making excuses. Moving forward is the only option, and that's the direction in which you must think. Bad times are always temporary, and one must be patient and have confidence in oneself and one's work.

10. Why is it better for a woman to be an entrepreneur rather than being employed by a company?
The key word is freedom. It's about time freedom, location freedom, and financial freedom.

11. What advice would you give to new female entrepreneurs or a younger version of yourself?
Starting a business comes with a set of responsibilities, and that's the first thing they need to be prepared for. Taking on responsibility is the most challenging and demanding part of running a private business. Today, starting a business is easier than ever, which is great but also somewhat dangerous for people who don't know their own capabilities.

12. On a scale of 1-10, how challenging is it to be a female entrepreneur in Serbia? (or to be in a "male-dominated" field)
Today, it's challenging to be a human being. Being a woman is wonderful, and being a female entrepreneur is equally rewarding. It's challenging, just like everything else in life, to be happy, successful, and healthy. However, I often witness the challenges my female entrepreneur colleagues face, such as limited access to finances due to lower ownership of assets, fewer networking opportunities, representation in lower-value sectors, primarily micro and small businesses, limited access to services and information, lower digital literacy, the double burden of household responsibilities, and business responsibilities, among others. In the end, when a company primarily led by women or women does manage to overcome all these obstacles, it often happens that they don't win tenders where traditionally their male colleagues prevail.

13. As a woman in the business world, how common are indecent proposals?
Indecent proposals are for indecent people. I don't encounter them and have no contact with such individuals.

14. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself as the owner of a chain of translation agencies throughout Serbia.