Then: a directory
A listing for the community to browse. Waiting to be found.
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Naša priča · Our story
BABO started as a directory to help our community find professionals. After a long hiatus and a lot of change, we came back with a different approach: a professional network where Balkan business owners across the US and Canada grow together.
BABO (Bosnian-American Business Owners Inc.) launched with a simple goal: help our community find its own professionals. Realtors, lawyers, contractors, truckers, restaurants. Many entrepreneurs signed up and looked forward to what it could become.
We'll be honest: we weren't able to deliver what we hoped. A directory needs constant upkeep, and listings alone didn't bring our members the growth they were looking for. Then the economy changed. Costs went up, the way people find and choose businesses changed, and we stepped back to rethink.
A directory helps people find you once. A network helps you grow every day.
The business owners who did best weren't the ones with the best listing. They were the ones who knew other owners, people who sent them referrals, partnered on jobs, shared what worked and picked up the phone when they needed help. That's what our community has always been good at. It just never had the right tool.
So BABO is now a professional network, powered by Ryfa Network. Instead of waiting to be found, professionals across the US and Canada build a digital business card, start and join networking groups, chat directly, and run private teams for their boards, offices and referral circles.
We also opened the doors wider. BABO now stands for Balkan-American Business Owners: Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, Albanian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Slovenian and Bulgarian owners who already share neighbourhoods, customers and job sites. Every community keeps its own identity, and their businesses grow together.
Thank you for believing in BABO. This is the version we wish we'd started with. Create your free card, start your city's group, and let's build it together this time.
The BABO team
What changed
A listing for the community to browse. Waiting to be found.
Professionals connecting, referring and partnering with each other.
One community.
Eight communities across the US and Canada, growing together.
Pitanja i odgovori · FAQ
Because a directory only helped people find businesses. It didn't help businesses grow. Our owners told us what really moved the needle was knowing each other: referrals, partnerships, someone to call. A professional network does that. A list doesn't.
BABO is now a network for professionals and business owners, not a public directory. If you're a professional, join Ryfa and the BABO groups for your city and community, and you'll be connected with the people you'd want to refer and be referred by.
Because that's how our communities actually live and work. Bosnian owners hire Croatian tilers, Serbian truckers use Albanian mechanics, and Macedonian bakers cater Bulgarian weddings. Being one network makes every member more valuable to the others.
The listing form and directory were retired. Create a free Ryfa card instead. It's yours, you control it, and you can share it anywhere.
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