In 1987 Drago Bilic, 50-years-old entrepreneur, decided to take a chance on turning a dream into reality. Risking family assets, he launched a business manufacturing wood furniture in Busovaca, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Together with two brothers, he began producing furniture to order in 1988 for customers from the surrounding area. Christened "Grand", the business thrived for five years and provided kitchen furniture, tables and chairs, cupboards and dressers.

This success was short-lived. In 1992, war broke out and his business was shut down overnight. During this time, the community was barely surviving and people could not find food let alone buy furniture. The brothers remained on their farm in Busovaca (the location of Muslim and Croat fighting) to protect their property and sustain their family on their life savings.

Six years later, the war ended and the fighting ceased. Bilic was ready to pick up where he had left off and rebuild his business. But the economy in Busovaca was unstable - banks were only giving short-term loans at exorbitant interest rates. Bilic was unable to secure a loan with the bank, let alone afford the high monthly payments.

Gospodarska Bank in Sarajevo, one of USAID’s first agent banks, began lending funds after the war. When Bilic approached the bank to ask for a loan, the bank officers informed him of USAID business finance's loan programs. He thought that the lending terms and conditions were reasonable and decided to apply for a loan.