So, what is your story?  

Bojan: Ana and I both grew up in the small town of Žepče in central Bosnia where we got to know and love each other. After graduating from high school, we moved to the beautiful city of Mostar where Ana studied journalism and I was studied business and economics. After we got our bachelor’s degrees, we had the desire to gain experiences and learn new languages, so we decided to continue our studies abroad. A good friend recommended us the University of Basel where we applied for our master's studies. Fortunately, we both were accepted and we started our adventure of studying abroad. During my study, I was already interested in the fields of web and online marketing and had the opportunity to complete my first projects. After my studies, I used the opportunity to continue working in the Web industry and expanded my knowledge in E-commerce. A former experience in this field is one of the reasons why our business is online based. With Ana being a fashion influencer for over 5 years, and her experience in Social Media, creating and marketing for our own products was somehow a logical step. 

Ana: Since I was a fashion lover for as long as I can remember, it was always my dream to have my own collection, especially shoes. The manufacturing of quality shoes has a very long tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is unfortunately forgotten because of the current economic situation in the country. That's why we are particularly happy to promote shoes with a Made in BiH label. 

Bojan: Ana’s Blog and her Social Media knowledge have made the beginnings of Lovidovi much easier. Lovidovi is, therefore, a project that perfectly combines our skills and past experiences, in which we continue to invest a lot of time and passion on a daily basis. 

Ana: The name Lovidovi is, in fact, a word game that translates into "Share Your Love". Because the love and attention dedicate to the smallest details are the most important components of our shoes.

How do you generate new ideas?

Ana: As far as design is concerned, I think the love for fashion plays a great part because when you basically “live fashion” and follow all of the trends and developments, ideas are arising easily.

Bojan: In addition to design, comfort and foot health plays an important role in the creation of our products. We are trying to analyze all new ideas from the customers perspective. What do they really want? What solutions and services can we provide to make shopping and wearing shoes a better experience.

How are you currently developing a business and what obstacles have you encountered?

Bojan: Lovidovi shoes are exclusively sold online directly to the customer. It is very important for us to create a direct interaction, which enables us to clearly communicate the values we represent. In addition, the direct feedback on our products and services is of great importance for us to be able to constantly improve our offer. Besides our shoes, it is very important for us to provide a high-quality service as well. That includes fast delivery, free refund within 30 days, postponed payment options, but also providing a great consulting service before and after the purchase. We do not just want to sell shoes but create long-term benefits for our customers. The shoe business is quite complex and capital intensive. All the technologies and tools that big brands have, we do not, but we try to make up for it with creativity, passion and individual dedication to each customer. As for the launch of our own business and the obstacles we faced, they were probably the "standard" difficulties everybody comes across if they decide to start a new business and build something on their own. We have constantly gone through the various stages of ups and downs, that in our opinion is not a path that you have to go through just in our line of business but more a general roller coaster of creating a new business. Although we have already done a lot, this is still the beginning of our story. We are convinced that with a clear vision and dedication we will be able to create the first large Bosnian shoe brand.

Ana: We believe that obstacles and mistakes along our way are sometimes even really helpful in guiding us in the right direction and pushing us to be better. 

What piece of advice would you give to young people in Bosnia?

Bojan: To work on their dreams no matter how far and impossible they seem. Perseverance and patience always pay off in the long run.

Where do you see your business in the next few years? 

Bojan: 

Some short-term goals are the introduction of free refunds of our shoes as well as the possibility of delaying payment. Even if it does not sound so spectacular ... everybody would have the chance to order shoes, try them at home and after 30 days decide whether he wants to keep them or not. If you are unsatisfied or the size is not appropriate we will pay for the costs of the refund. This service is mostly offered by major brands, and providing it is a costly move for us, but we still consider it a very important step to make the process of buying shoes even easier. As a mid-term goal, we plan our first shoe models for men. We also plan projects that will further develop our shoes in the field of anatomy and healthy feet. In the long run, we see Lovidovi's as a platform for young designers from the ex-Yu region who will have an opportunity to take part in our own Lovidovi collection.

If you had a magic stick, which are the three things you would change in Bosnia?

Bojan: Perhaps only one thing to focus on is unemployment, which is probably the biggest cause of the current problems in the BH society. If the new generation finds a creative way to discover and create new job opportunities it will have a positive effect on all the other current problems in the country. Reducing unemployment is also one of our goals, where we will try to give our contribution as much as possible.