The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the Head of the European Commission delegation to BiH, HansJoerg Kretschmer, today launched the radio and TV series "Od ideje do biznisa" (From an idea to a business).

“Od ideje do biznisa” provides a basic step by step guide to how to start or improve a small to medium-size business in BiH, from making a business plan, registering a business, getting a loan, hiring employees and managing finances to finding and keeping customers.

The 10-part radio and TV series, with an accompanying printed guide, has been produced by the Office of the High Representative and the European Union Quick Impact Facility program (which is implemented by CARE) in co-operation with 19 radio and 7 regional TV stations across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Each show will be one hour long, and comprise both centrally and locally produced material. The centrally produced material includes a simple introduction to each subject by EU-QIF experts, pre-recorded interviews with a wide range of BiH businessmen and women, and jingles that will make the series recognisable. The local radio and TV station will then add their own input, including studio interviews with local businessmen, municipal officials or representatives from business advisory services and banks, whom listeners and viewers can call and ask questions to during the broadcast, as well as locally recorded interviews and vox pops.

The written guide that accompanies the series will be available, free of charge, from participating radio and TV stations, OHR and QIF offices. It includes all the main points of the series as well as a sample business plan and comprehensive directory of business advisory services, financial institutions and chambers of commerce in BiH.

The series will air, on the following stations between now and December: EFM Radio, Radio Srpsko Sarajevo, Radio Bratunac, TV Kanal S, RTV Gorazde, TV Zenica, TV KISS, TV Travnik, TV Bugojno, Radio postaja Zepce, Radio TNT Travnik, Radio Donji Vakuf, Radio and TV TK, Radio Doboj, Radio Osvit/Zvornik, Radio Gracanica, Radio Bobar, RT RS Radio, Radio Gradiska, Radio Prijedor, Radio Sanski Most, Radio Bihac, RTV Mostar, Radio Livno, RadioTrebinje.

All centrally pre-recorded interviews for the series were produced by OHR with the assistance of EFM Student Radio, Sarajevo, and Studio Flash, also based in Sarajevo. All graphics and jingles were produced by designer Faruk Sabanovic and EFM Student Radio.