Because the Croatian market is fairly sophisticated, businesses considering entry should plan well and consider:

·        The price sensitive nature of consumer demand in Croatia;

·        A judicious selection of one of three low-risk entry strategies: representation, agency, or distributorship (note that, if possible, a Croatian agent or distributor is still preferable to a “European office” due to the difficulty of the language and other idiosyncratic market factors);

·        After-sales service, follow-up and training are essential;

·        The entrenched bias of a conservative market that sticks to known suppliers and therefore requires sustained market development; and

·        Croatia’s position as the pre-eminent stepping-stone for developing most sectors in Southeast Europe.

Due diligence of potential partners and specific business opportunities (especially in the real-estate sector) significantly reduces the risk of failure or long-lasting commercial and investment disputes. The U.S. Commercial Service in Croatia offers U.S. exporters a number of cost-effective business facilitation services, including counseling, information on key local contacts, appointment setting, background checks of potential business partners, and organizing single and multi-company promotion events. For a full list of the services offered please visit: https://www.trade.gov/all-services.