Serbia is a small country on the Balkan Peninsula. Only a bit more than 7 million people live there. Serbia does not have access to the sea but it has many lakes and 3 large rivers. Besides, the Balkan Peninsula is surrounded by 3 warm seas: the Aegean, the Adriatic and the Black Sea.
The level of bureaucracy is quite moderate in Serbia and starting and growing a business venture is rather simple in the country. A short time ago, the economy of the country was in stagnation and now it has started developing at a rapid pace. This means that there are many vacant niches and business opportunities in Serbia. Below we discuss some business ideas that you could put into reality in Serbia.
Before we go on, however, we would like to note that you would need some professional support if you wanted to start a company in Serbia. Any foreign country will have its own ways and customs and the bureaucratic procedures are different in all countries. A team of professionals can help you start a business in Serbia: simply follow the link and get in touch with them.
Open a café
Serbians are fond of eating out. They are rather talkative and they love spending time with their friends and relatives in bars, cafes, restaurants, and so on. The competition is going to be rather tough but if you manage to find a good location or if you have a specialty that no other café in the area has, you can return your investment within several months.
Grow strawberries
You can grow strawberries in a greenhouse, in the open, or even at home. The Serbian climate is good for growing berries and the price of strawberries in particular has grown by 20% to 30% compared to last year. Probably, you won’t be able to earn a lot of money if you grow strawberries at home but if you build several greenhouses and take good care of your strawberries, the investment is going to pay back after a few months.
Open a hotel
The number of small hotels, homestays, and B&B facilities has been growing rapidly in Serbia. As the country is developing, an increasing number of foreign tourists want to visit it. Summertime is the hottest tourist season, of course, but the good news is that winters are quite warm in Serbia so you would probably have guests all around the year. Without doubt, our hotel would have to be located in a place frequented by tourists.
Process used car tires
This suggestion might sound somewhat unexpected but the matter is that you would get state support if you processed used car tires in Serbia. Every year, around 53,000 tons of car tires are processed in the country and the state gives a 20-dinar subsidy for each kilogram. If you do your math, you will see that the state subsidy is quite substantial.
Open a beauty salon
Serbian women like to look nice and the number of beauty salons has been growing in the country. You would face tough competition but if your salon was located in a densely populated place, your investments might pay back within a year or two.
Give bicycles for rent
A bicycle rental business does not require too much money to start. All you need is a few bikes and a storage room. On the other hand, Serbians are true sportspeople – you will often see them jogging or working out if you visit a Serbian city. Bicycling is also a popular sports activity in the country so with a dozen bikes, you should be able to return your investment after one season.
Produce eco-goods
Serbia is picking up the trend from Western Europe and the issue of ecologically friendly products is becoming hotter in the country. Similarly to many other Europeans, Serbians believe that they have to be responsible in consumption. Thus, you could score some extra points for simply selling an eco-product. The amount of investment and the payback period will depend on what product you choose.
Make things of ceramics
Serbia is famous for items made of ceramics. Figures painted manually are especially popular with tourists. You will find ceramic figures in any souvenir shop in Serbia. Large-scale production would require serious investments but you could start with making only a few figures.
Make other souvenirs
As the number of foreign tourists visiting Serbia is growing, you could make them your primary target audience. There are several types of souvenirs that tourists often buy in the country. For example, shaikacha is a national hat that is worn at various celebrations. Dolls in national Serbian costumes also make popular souvenirs.
Become a tourist guide
To continue the tourist theme, you could offer guiding services to tourists in Serbia. Naturally, you will have to learn about the places of interest in the country to make your excursions popular but the knowledge of a foreign language could be to your advantage. Besides, this type of business does not require too much investment.
Produce rakija
Rakija is Serbian brandy made from honey, apples, pears, grapes, and other fruits. However, most often rakija is made from plums. Serbians love the drink and you would always be offered a shot of rakija when you pay a visit to a Serbian home. While coffee is the daytime drink for Serbians, rakija is the evening drink for many of them.
Make tobacco products
We understand that smoking is bad for people’s health but business is business. Serbians are known for being heavy tobacco smokers. They do not only smoke in cafes and restaurants but in elevators and on the buses sometimes. Thus, if you grow tobacco, you will always find a buyer for your produce in Serbia.
Provide courier delivery services
This type of business activity requires very little in investments but the truth is that courier delivery services are rarely available in Serbia. Therefore, this is a good niche that you could take.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that other business opportunities are also available in Serbia. We have simply made several suggestions to set you thinking. Whatever business area you choose, however, you need somebody’s help to establish a company in Serbia. The authorities of the country proudly boast of making it very easy to register a company in Serbia: you can do it online! Well, yes, you can but the website is in Serbian so you cannot actually open a company online in the country if you don’t speak the Serbian language.
