Today I am a happy man. I have been watching the initiative of “24 Chasa” “The Big Little Ones” for several years now and I am flattered to be able to be with you on this anniversary edition in what is once again a rather difficult situation for our country, but when has it been easy, especially in the last few years .
This day is remarkable because you give us back the meaning and make us feel part of a community – something that has been missing us a lot lately, a community where everyone has dreams, projects, work, thoughts and wants to do something in the future . It feels weak or strong, but also in a community where with causes like this we realize that no matter how brave, no matter how strong a person is, when we are together we become even stronger, and when we support each other – we also become the strongest. That is why this initiative has been on the scene for 10 years and has more and more like-minded people.
These are the words of Vice President Iliyana Yotova, spoken to brave entrepreneurs who were honored in the 10th anniversary edition of the “Big Small” contest on “24 Chasa”. In it, a competent jury selected 15 companies that are developing successfully and have the potential to become big. Partners of “24 Chasa” in the competition are Post Bank, the Bulgarian Export Insurance Agency, A1 Bulgaria, Visa, “Dundee Precious Metals”, the Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises and “Sofia Tech Park”, SNIRD.
Yotova presented the award to The Balkan Theater Factory, a children’s theater that creates a community, with its initiative to donate 60 tickets for each performance to disadvantaged children. The vice-president emphasized that she chose to present this particular award, because in today’s digital world it is increasingly difficult to explain to children what is good and evil, and through the theater this happens in the best way. Our society lacks love and compassion, and these people have dedicated themselves precisely to the weak, to ensuring that children have equal access to art – be it for those with problems or from poorer areas,” Yotova said.
And he addressed the entrepreneurs with the words:
The last time I was here, we promised ourselves that next time we would be in a calm political environment where we could talk calmly about what these brave people – the entrepreneurs – are doing, and we – the representatives of the institutions – to help them because we are in credit to these people – they are great creators and with our help their ideas can and will be even more effective. Today we cannot boast of this, because we live in two parallel worlds – one of assembly, bought elections and loss of trust, and the other is ours, which is much nicer, in which people have the courage and courage to start from zero, to have the good idea and see its realization, to gather a team and allies with whom they can realize it.
Everyone has the right to choose, but I think that you and I have chosen the more correct world, and let’s impose it on those who chose the first, because it is a road to nowhere. I’m sure if any of you were to write a textbook on entrepreneurship it would start by saying that in this business there are no working hours and no days off, you are responsible for other people’s wages and for that you have to keep up with all the news and stuff , for which other people, more faint-hearted, would have given up.
However, your biographies show that you do not give up, but are very strong and courageous people. I read in the history of the people involved in winemaking that their business is big because one cycle is 10 years. This is precisely your foresight about how to leave to your children what you are creating now.
Find out about the rest of the awarded companies later on 24chasa.bg