VRIJEME JE ZA GOSPODARSTVO Nikola Oršanić

Guest Nikola OršanićHosted by Darko BukovićMay 3, 2026

Nikola Oršanić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The common wisdom says a profitable business is never for sale. But what if that assumption is backwards? Nikola Oršanić, founder of Konsultarijum, navigates the hidden market of micro and small business transfers, where owners aren't looking to escape failure, but to secure a future for what they've built. He reveals a landscape shaped by aging founders, changing life circumstances, and a profound lack of succession planning. Oršanić, drawing on his own entrepreneurial career and experience in large corporations, explains why an existing business, even one facing a leadership transition, often presents a superior opportunity than starting from scratch. He argues that the very maturity of Croatia’s post-transition economy now demands a sophisticated approach to business exits — a field still misunderstood and clouded by old prejudices. This conversation offers a rare look into the delicate art of mediating business transfers, where the consultant’s role isn't to represent buyer or seller, but "the transaction itself." You’ll walk away reconsidering the true value of a business for sale, and the often-emotional forces that drive these critical transitions.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

When asked if there's a bad time to sell, Oršanić says, "always the best time" — but clarifies that the *owner's* delay can lead to a business having no market value at all. The timing isn't about the market, but about the owner's foresight; wait too long, and even a functioning business might be unsellable.

The term "business transfer" is more precise than "sale" because the aim isn't just a transaction, but continuity. The point is to inject fresh energy into an existing operation, ensuring the business doesn't just change hands but gains a new life and growth trajectory.

The majority of Croatian businesses, founded from necessity in the 1990s by owners now over 55, were built for survival, not for exit. This history explains why the market for business transfers remains underdeveloped, leaving many operations without a clear succession path.

A pervasive prejudice suggests that a business for sale must be in trouble, creating a high perceived risk for buyers. Yet, Oršanić points out that acquiring an existing, proven operation is almost always less risky and more efficient than starting a new venture from scratch, especially when considering brand and personnel.

Starting a seemingly simple service business, like cleaning, is "not that simple" when it comes to finding and retaining quality staff. This example underscores the hidden value of acquiring an existing operation that already possesses a trained team and established quality, bypassing years of difficult recruitment and operational setup.

The need for discretion in business transfers is paramount because public knowledge can cause more harm than good. Employees fear job loss, customers and suppliers grow nervous, and competitors sense weakness, underscoring why these processes must be handled away from public scrutiny.

A business is a "living organism" with "two big emotions" clashing between buyer and seller, making its transfer fundamentally different from selling real estate or a car. This emotional intensity requires the consultant to act as a "business mediator," steering the transaction by keeping those powerful, often conflicting, feelings separated.

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