Helping to Formalize Refugee Businesses
DUO STIL is the name of a newly registered furniture production and repair company. It is co-owned by the Dabic and Tasic families, internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kosovo and Metohija, living in Kragujevac since June 1999.
In order to support his family of seven, Marko began repairing furniture about a year and a half ago. Marko's partner is his brother-in-law, Aleksandar Tasic. Their families used to live in the same town in Kosovo, Urosevac.Today, they are venturing together in a furniture business, trying to secure a better living for their families.
"We worked hard but without USAID's support we wouldn't have dared to legalize our business and enter the formal business sector," says Marko.
After getting their business up and running and creating a solid client base, they turned to USAID's Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program for help to increase the scope of their business.
"The machines, equipment and raw materials helped us to speed up the process of furniture repair and increase the quality of our work. In addition to repairs, we have begun working on the production of our own branded products."
Dabic is one of 400 CRDA micro-grant recipients in Central Serbia that received assistance in the form of equipment and livestock to start small business in 2003. After an initial year of successful business operations, his company was selected as a recipient in the second round of grants in 2004. In total, he received equipment in the value of $5.000, including an industrial
sewing machine, manual and circular saws, 500 square meters of raw patterned material, over 100 square meters of wood and 100 kilograms of sponges.
Their successful business venture, coupled with the knowledge they gained through CRDA-sponsored economic trainings and workshops, enabled them to receive a 1,200 loan for business development from another USAID implementing partner, Opportunity International Stedionica. They used the loan to expand the working space.
Thanks to the assistance, DUO STIL has managed to close a business deal with clients in three Central Serbian cities. Due to the increase in the workload, Marko and Aleksandar are now considering hiring two new employees. According to them, "this is just the beginning".
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