Corby entrepreneur and new author offers prizes hidden in between paperbacks' pages

A Corby entrepreneur and documentary film maker has now turned his hand to writing an inspirational book with a twist - ten of the paperbacks will contain hidden prizes for lucky readers.

Lazar Vuković, the maker of ‘Boycie in Belgrade,’ wanted to share his business brain and entrepreneurial zeal in a Willy Wonka golden ticket meets Alan Sugar's Apprentice style event.

Within the pages of Make It Happen! his soon-to-be-published guide to business, Mr Vuković has hidden ten Make It Happen! cards with the finders winning access to a business start-up package, including a brand new website designed and developed, branding created and a team of digital marketing experts to hand.

One winner will get the chance to gain full access into the life of the successful entrepreneur.

Mr Vuković said: "Full access will mean - one hundred per cent access all areas to my companies and resources and a 12-month one-on-one mentorship programme to help make your business idea a reality.

"Make It Happen! explores my childhood, the pressures of being a son to a preacher, and my experiences of being a bride 'seller' at just six-years-old.

"It tells how my childhood experiences introduced me to the mindset of how business works. It also explores in-depth business experiences later on in my career such as advising world leaders, meeting John Challis and proposing a business seed to him, and looks into why being ‘a jack of all trades’ can sometimes pay off."

Mr Vuković said: "The road to becoming a successful entrepreneur hasn’t been easy, and I have made many mistakes, but ‘Make It Happen!’ delves into the real truths about becoming successful, acting on business ideas and learning from your mistakes."

Divided into three sections, the self-help book is designed to allow reflection and insight into the business world but Mr Vuković promises it to have readers 'laughing out loud'.

He said: "Not everything in business has to be serious after all."

Born in Corby in 1986 to parents Jelica and Vido, who were of Yugoslav origin, Mr Vuković's business acumen started at Hazel Leys and Queen Elizabeth School where he would sell sweets to personalised cassette tapes at lunch breaks. He went on to study an accounting and finance degree at DeMontfort University in Leicester

In October 2020, he launched his film Boycie in Belgrade in Serbian cinemas, a documentary following actor John Challis, who played used-car salesman Boycie in BBC TV's Only Fools and Horses, on a whistle-stop tour to Serbia.

His mother was a church choir singer and his father a highly respected preacher often referred to as ‘the main man’.

He said: "I still live in Corby. I've always had a dual identity. My dad was the rector of the Serbian Orthodox Church. I'm proud to be from Corby, there's something special about it.

"Corby has a brilliant Serbian community, with a Serbian Orthodox Church that acted as a social network for me - before the big World Wide Web came into play.

"I had many embarrassing experiences being brought up by Serbian parents, mainly because of the language and my friends finding it bizarre that I could speak two languages - one to his parents and one to them."

One Serbian custom Lazar experienced was 'selling' a bride - his cousin.

He added: “My cousin said, 'well, you better get a lot of money for me'. At this point I’m sure I must have felt numb and gave a blank expression."

Published on March 29, the book priced at £9.99 can be pre-ordered by clicking here or from Amazon as an eBook, audiobook or paperback.