ABOUT US: Brotherhood Works

Goran Musicki:  Painting Contractor

Goran invested in equipment for his painting business in 2007. He also hired four employees. August, September and October were very slow months for his business. In addition, Goran suffered a physical set-back in late 2007. He had meningitis and his doctors advised him to cut back on physical work while he recovered.

Goran plans to continue his work, but the winter months are very slow in Serbia. He said he hopes that in the Spring that new jobs will come to him. In the meantime, he is letting someone else use his equipment.

Miroslav Vlaovic:  Auto Body Repair

Miroslav Vlaovic (Mirko) is an auto mechanic who has owned his own shop since 2002. Mirko’s business is going very well, and he realized several successes in 2007. He worked long hours, and was able to turn a profit. Investment was the key to Mirko’s business plan for 2007. He purchased six wrecked cars that he could restore and resell for profit. At the end of the year, he only had two cars left in his inventory. In addition to restoring and reselling cars, he repaired wrecked cars for his customers.

As he looks to the future, Mirko would like to build a new shop that would allow him to work on more than one car at a time and keep the rain water out of the building. He says it will cost approximately 4,000 Euros, and he anticipates that it will take two or three years to accumulate this extra money.

Bozidar Galovic:  Transportation Business

Bozidar (Boza) Galovic's original business plan was to establish a taxi service using a mini-van. The main objective was to become a preferred provider of airport and long range services to select organizations such as hotels, travel agents, universities, and large corporations. However, Boza’s plans were delayed. He was involved in a vehicle accident in 2007 that set him back, both physically and financially. His back injury and subsequent surgery and rehab delayed his business plans. However, he took advantage of his downtime by completing his high school education.

Boza is back on his feet now, and he plans to move forward with his taxi business. He recently purchased an automobile that he will share with another driver, each driving 12-hour shifts, six days a week. He needs to find a reliable partner to work with. Boza is very motivated to see his business realize success, and he enjoys what he does. He will be a friendly driver for tourists and locals.

Vladimir Jajin:  Graphic Designer

Vladimir (Vlada) Jajin invested in equipment in 2007. He purchased an iMac computer and monitor, a scanner and printer, and an office chair and work table. He was able to register his business in November, which will enable him to get bigger jobs and work with international clients.

Vlada has a steady magazine job, and he also designs book covers and works for a sound equipment company on a regular basis. He is a hard worker who regularly puts in 10-hour work days. He takes pride in keeping his customers happy. In return, his customers recommend his work to others.

Milan Kovacev:  Graphic Designer

Milan invested in equipment last year. He purchased a computer for the church office and one for his home, a digital camera with tripod, a printer, and a computer chair for his home office. He also invested in computer servers and Web hosting services.

Milan’s work focused mainly on video and DVD production and subtitles for movies. While he was able to make some money last year, the work was not steady. Some months were very busy and others went by without any work.