An anniversary conversation with our director and co-founder
This month, Sinonim celebrates its 12th anniversary. Exactly twelve years ago, three people joined forces around a simple idea: helping people understand one another. They had no office, no capital and no favorable business climate. What they did have was a room, their own computers and determination.
Twelve years later, Sinonim covers more than 60 languages, works with over 150 collaborators and serves a wide range of clients, from global brands like Nestlé to tourism boards and government ministries. Along the way, we also took our biggest step forward: bringing translation and marketing under one roof to become Croatia’s first multilingual marketing agency.
Our director and co-founder Igor shares the story of those early days, the work they put in after finishing their shifts at their full-time jobs, three years without taking any profits and what it takes to build a company that always puts people first.
How It All Started over Coffee
Our story didn’t begin in a modern office with substantial capital. It began on 15 September 2014, at a time when businesses were closing in large numbers and the climate for entrepreneurs was anything but encouraging.
“Mario had already been working as a freelance translator for about ten years and had so much work that he simply couldn’t keep up. I was working in finance at a state-owned company, while Siniša was in the creative industry. One day over coffee, Siniša suggested, ‘Why don’t we join forces and start something of our own?’ And that’s how we got started, with each of us taking on the part we were best at. It all began with that one coffee,” Igor recalls.
People around them were skeptical. “Why open a translation agency when there are already hundreds of them?” and “This isn’t the time to start a business” were comments they heard every day. Instead of giving up, they used that skepticism as a reason to build on solid foundations.
The Blue Room and Three Years Without Pay
Looking at our ever-growing team today, it’s easy to forget how much effort those first steps took. In the beginning, there was no office, no company cars and no new equipment.
“We all worked from home on our own computers. We often met at my place, in a room we affectionately called the ‘Blue Meeting Room.’ We started as a simplified limited liability company with 10 Croatian kuna in the bank. I remember when the first bills started arriving. We had no way to pay them, so we had to lend money to our own company. It was a very difficult time. For the first three years, none of the three of us took a single cent for ourselves. Everything we earned went straight back into growing the business. But that perseverance is what it took to get us where we are today,” Igor says candidly.
The turning point came with our first office on Europska avenija in Osijek and our first employee. That was when it became clear: Sinonim was no longer a side business. It was something that needed our full commitment.
From Five Languages to European Institutions
The agency started with just five languages: English, German, Italian, French and Spanish. Translation and proofreading came first, and when Mario became a court-appointed translator, that opened the door to certified translations.
Today, Sinonim covers more than 60 languages and works with over 150 professionals. Clients across many sectors place their trust in the agency, including major international corporations, institutions and government ministries. What was the key to that growth?
“At first, you compete on speed and lower prices. But clients who come to you purely because of price leave just as quickly. Real stability came when we demonstrated our expertise and implemented rigorous ISO standards. Those certificates aren’t just decorations on the wall. They assure clients that every project follows a clearly defined process, from the initial request through translation by a qualified professional who meets specific experience requirements to mandatory proofreading and a final quality check,” Igor explains.
Our Clients Led the Way to Multilingual Marketing
We didn’t wake up one morning and decide to go into marketing. The transition happened naturally, driven by market needs we were paying close attention to.
As our clients grew and began exporting, we noticed that simply translating their documentation was no longer enough. They needed ad copy, social media posts, website localization and campaign adaptation. And they kept running into the same chaos: one agency for advertising, another for the website, then the texts sent to us for translation.
“Juggling five different parties wastes too much time and energy, and worst of all, the meaning of the message gets lost. When you explain the same brief three times to different people, miscommunication is inevitable. Our solution was simple: we brought everything under one roof. We set up a marketing department, hired new talent and brought them together with experienced translators. That’s how our approach to multilingual marketing came about.”
By solving real problems for our clients every day, we naturally established ourselves as the first agency in Croatia to offer a full range of multilingual marketing services.
Whether you’re entering a new market or looking to attract international customers and guests to your business, we offer everything in one place. Instead of you having to coordinate several agencies, our translators and marketers work together at the same table, developing strategies, adapting the tone and creating campaigns that feel natural to audiences in other languages.
Twelve Years Later, People Still Come First
As we celebrate with 12 candles on the cake, ask Igor what makes him proudest today and his answer won’t be the financial reports or the upcoming move to a larger office.
“I’m proudest of the people: our growing team, everyone we work with and the fact that we’ve stayed down-to-earth and approachable throughout it all. Many of our clients and collaborators have been with us for more than ten years, and some of those relationships have grown into real friendships.”
To mark the anniversary, Igor offers entrepreneurs who are just starting out some advice that goes beyond marketing slogans:
“Whatever business you’re going into, what matters most is perseverance and belief in what you do. There will be times when you question yourself, when people tell you it’s the wrong time or that the market is saturated. Listen to your clients, adapt and build trust step by step. Tools and trends will change. Today, we’re talking about artificial intelligence and multilingual marketing. Tomorrow, it will be something else. But human connection will always matter. If you stay consistent, know your craft and truly care about people, the results will follow.”
The Next Chapter
Twelve years, hundreds of clients, more than 150 collaborators and countless stories told in 60 languages later, we feel like we’re only just getting started.
Thank you to all the clients, translators, collaborators and friends who are part of this story, some of whom have been with us since those first meetings in the Blue Room.
