On Wednesday, 18 March 2026, a lecture entitled “SPIKAM as a Form of Self-Employment” was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek as part of the FUZ&JA Science Popularisation Project. The lecture was given by Sandra Naletilić, owner of SPIKAM and a graduate in English Language and Literature and Croatian Language and Literature, who used her own experience to demonstrate how entrepreneurship can create opportunities within the humanities.
The introductory part of the lecture focused on explaining the connection between education in the humanities and entrepreneurship. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that entrepreneurship involves working with people, with communication, building trust, empathy and understanding clients’ individual needs among its key elements. In addition to respecting these important aspects of entrepreneurship, the speaker highlighted the connection between teaching methodology and an individualised approach, which makes it possible to transform knowledge into a service that enables clients to monitor their progress effectively. The speaker identified flexibility, the quality of relationships with clients and their experiences as the foundations of her business’s success and as measures of the quality of this approach.
The central part of the lecture focused on presenting SPIKAM and its services. The business focuses on lifelong language learning through individual and group programmes and offers a wide range of services, from English language courses and preparation for the State Matura examinations to various workshops for children and STEM activities. Its diverse clientele, ranging from preschool children to retirees, further highlights the need for an individualised approach adapted to each client’s age, goals and interests. This approach was identified as a key distinguishing feature of the business, in which every client is treated as a separate project. Particular emphasis was placed on developing self-confidence and communication skills, while language itself is approached as a learning process rather than a means of assessment through tests.
After presenting the business, the speaker devoted part of her lecture to business development and sustainability. She highlighted the importance of achieving a so-called “critical mass” of clients, which can be reached through several means: word-of-mouth recommendations, marketing, social media, investment in education and keeping up with market trends.
In the concluding part of the lecture, the speaker drew on her own entrepreneurial experience to provide a realistic insight into self-employment opportunities. Her lecture demonstrated that a clear vision, appropriate competencies and strategic thinking can enable an innovative approach to entrepreneurship. The lecture concluded with interesting follow-up questions about the services offered by the business, as well as questions concerning every stage of the process of establishing it.
Ivana Duvnjak
Member of the FUZ&JA Organising Team