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EUROPÄISCHE UNIONEuropäischer Sozialfonds
Support for self-employmentHelping new businesses in the Federal State of Brandenburg
European Social Fund – Investing In Your Future
This publication is supported by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the Family with funding from the European Social Fund and the Federal State of Brandenburg.
Federal State of BrandenburgMinistry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the Family
Public RelationsHeinrich-Mann-Allee 10314473 Potsdamwww.masf.brandenburg.de
www.esf.brandenburg.de
Editors: PID Arbeiten für Wissenschaft und Öffentlichkeit GbR Regine Hebestreit, Bernd GeisenLayout: BELLOT Agentur für Kommunikation und Gestaltung GmbHPhotos: Juliane Schünke, Fotolia.de, ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg GmbH Printing: Druckerei Arnold
Circulation: 500 copies
November 2011
Supp
ort f
or s
elf-
empl
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ent –
Hel
ping
new
bus
ines
ses
in th
e Fe
dera
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burg
Europäischer Sozialfonds im Land Brandenburg
5S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Contents
Foreword 6
Supporting new businesses – Creating jobs 8
Regional business mentoring service – urban district of Cottbus 14
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Dahme-Spreewald 18
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Elbe-Elster 24
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Oberhavel 28
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz 34
Regional business mentoring service – state capital Potsdam 38
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Potsdam-Mittelmark 46
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Prignitz 50
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Spree-Neiße 54
Business mentoring service for migrants 58
Start-up support service at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) 62
Start-up support service at the University of Potsdamand the Konrad Wolf Academy for Film and Television (HFF) in Potsdam-Babelsberg 66
Start-up support service at Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences 70
“Innovation Require Courage” (“Innovationen brauchen Mut” – IbM) 74
“Young companies” start-up workshop 80
“Enterprise” start-up workshop 84
Business succession advice centres 88
Directory 92
7S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
This has motivated us to continue on this course, pushing onwards towards new challenges. Our employment market
policies are effective with unemployment falling considerably and economic power increasing. And yet too many people
are still out of work. Establishing new businesses therefore remains an important means of creating work, encourag-
ing women and men, young people, students and other (highly) qualified people to take this step, and of giving them
prospects for a future here in Brandenburg.
It was with this aim in mind that, in 2010, the comprehensive, tailored network of support was given a still more effec-
tive structure via the provisions of a “directive on new businesses”. This has created greater overall transparency for
the support work and avoided the duplicating of activities. Its provisions include specific advice and training on starting
a new business and coaching on business succession. And in summer 2011 we extended the “Innovative Start-ups”
grant programme – launched two years previously for new entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas – until 2013,
thus opening more new doors for innovative ideas in future-orientated sectors.
With this wide range of support measures, Brandenburg is well on the way to creating more new jobs and effectively
countering market turbulence. And thanks to the teams from the business mentoring services, with their professional
knowledge and practical experience, a firm base has been established which gives direction, support and encourage-
ment to those wanting to start up their own businesses. Ten years on, the “pilots” still have much ahead of them when
it comes to further expanding the “market of opportunities” and helping new entrepreneurs to steer their ships safely
into harbour. In the future many more Brandenburgers with new businesses will have the opportunity to discover the
truth of the German proverb: “Your own bread nourishes the best.” A discovery that will be good for them and good
for Brandenburg!
Günter Baaske
Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the Family
Federal State of Brandenburg
Dear readers
A ship with a pilot on board can be sure of reaching the harbour safely. A
pilot is a navigator, steering skilfully and assuredly around hazardous rocks.
Business mentoring services (“pilot services” in German) provide security on
the often perilous journey to successful self-employment. In Brandenburg
business mentoring services have been operating successfully for the last
ten years providing advice to almost 14,000 prospective entrepreneurs and
enabling some 9,700 of them, among them almost 3,900 women, to set up
their own businesses.
The foundation of these competence centres in 2001 was the logical conti-
nuation of a targeted policy for job creation with campaigns aimed at pro-
moting new businesses. Since the 1990s, the Federal State of Branden-
burg has been using ESF and State funding to support unemployed people
wanting to start their own businesses. This has given many people the opportunity to re-establish themselves in the
working world after a period of unemployment. It has also opened up prospects for creating new jobs that could con-
tribute to economic recovery in the wake of profound structural changes for the State as a whole with a campaign that
has improved the climate for new businesses and restored Brandenburg’s appeal as a business location.
The goal was clear and there were funding schemes and guidelines in place. So it was a matter of motivating people
and inspiring them to embark on the “adventure of self-employment”. The vast majority were in their fields, well-qualified
and full of ideas, although they had no experience of being self-employed. This is where the “pilots” from the regional
business mentoring services stepped in to help with training and advice. They specialise in the close interlinking of a
range of EU subsidies and customised support tailored to the needs of the target group. With this expertise they sup-
port those who come to them with a sound business plan, while encouraging others on their journey towards that point
– and beyond. They help to manage and cushion the risks involved making their support available not only before and
during the first phase, but also through the often difficult phase that followed. This has helped to ensure that business
ideas grow into sustainable enterprises. The business mentoring services established in all rural and urban districts
have long since become a key component in the state-wide “Brandenburg new businesses network”. The service pro-
vided is regularly evaluated for its impact and success, and has been expanded and reorganised for greater efficiency.
A specialised, state-wide business mentoring service for migrants and start-up support services at all universities
accompany the 18 regional business mentoring services. Over and above these, there are “start-up workshops” for
young people up to the age of 27 who have already completed a vocational training course, together with the “Innova-
tion Require Courage” project for innovative new businesses, and centres offering advice on business succession. This
structure makes a real difference to the climate for new businesses: with a self-employment rate of 12.3 per cent, and
almost 33 per cent of businesses run by women, we are above the German average.
Foreword
6 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
9S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
ing to bring an end to their joblessness through self-
employment.
1998–2000: regional campaigns aimed at pro-
moting new businesses
Support for new, previously unemployed entrepreneurs
was adapted accordingly, with the focus now on train-
ing. The goal was to enable prospective entrepreneurs
to develop a viable business idea and a sound and con-
vincing business plan. In order to make this provision
available comprehensively across the whole of Branden-
burg, regional stakeholders, already experienced in the
training of new entrepreneurs, were brought on board.
In particular, these included the chambers of commerce
and industry, local business development organisations,
educational institutions and centres for technology and
new businesses.
The MASGF developed this approach further in collabo-
ration with the State Agency for Structure and Employ-
ment in Brandenburg GmbH (LASA) and the consult-
ants BBJ Service. With funding from the MASGF and
the ESF, it was then implemented in selected regions
between 1998 and 2000 as part of the pilot project
“Regional Start-up Offensive”. These regions included
the rural districts of Elbe-Elster, Oberspreewald-Lausitz,
Oberhavel, Spree-Neiße and Potsdam-Mittelmark, as
well as the urban districts of Brandenburg an der Havel
and Cottbus.
The core aim of the pilot project was to demonstrate
how regional stakeholders could put in place an effec-
tive and adaptable range of coaching, advice and train-
ing provisions for new, previously unemployed entre-
preneurs, and to show what potential exists locally for
involving further regional stakeholders such as financial
institutions, the Employment Agencies and universities.
The subsequent evaluation of the project confirmed its
value. Among other things, useful findings were made in
relation to quality assurance and enhancement of advice
and coaching. The individual regions had also began to
gain initial experience in fostering a positive climate for
new businesses, and in doing so had created effective
publicity with the involvement of the regional media. The
evaluators recommended providing support centres
for new entrepreneurs in every rural and urban district,
and establishing regional new business networks there
made up of local stakeholders.
2001: the first business mentoring services are
founded
In 2001, on the basis of the experience gained from the
“Regionale Gründungsoffensiven” pilot project, the MAS-
GF and the Federal State of Brandenburg’s Ministry of
Economics developed a joint support programme aimed
at providing advice and training to new entrepreneurs in
the phases both before and after the launching of a new
business.1 Organisations such as the chambers of com-
merce and industry, chambers of skilled crafts, centres for
technology and new businesses, and business develop-
ment organisations in each of the 14 rural districts and four
urban districts were then free to bid every two years as ser-
vice providers for the regional business mentoring service.
Between the launch of the support programme in 2001
and the end of 2009, more than 11,400 prospective en-
trepreneurs were provided with advice.2 8,437 of these
(among them 3,363 women) went on to start their own
business, representing a start-up rate of 74 per cent.
2009: current support provision
Since 2001, the MASF has continued to expand the
support provided, and developed additional provisions
for particular target groups and new business ventures
alongside the business mentoring services in the rural
and urban districts. The current “Directive of the Ministry
1 See the directive “Joint Support for New Businesses by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the Family and the Ministry of Economics”, of 11 December 2001.2 Figures from the regional business mentoring services, business mentoring services for migrants, and universities.
The Federal State of Brandenburg has a long tradition of
supporting self-employment. For ten years now, region-
al business mentoring services have existed in every ru-
ral and urban district. They were founded at the initiative
of the then Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and
the Family (MASGF), and are financed with funding from
the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Federal State
of Brandenburg.
With a comprehensive, tailored programme of training
and advice, these business mentoring services have
since become a central point of contact for new entre-
preneurs seeking to bring an end to their unemployment
by becoming self-employed. The many links within the
regional business promotion network have helped to
foster a positive climate for new businesses in their re-
gion, with new entrepreneurs supported by the business
mentoring services benefitting from these links. The re-
gional business mentoring services have since been
augmented with additional schemes with which the pre-
sent-day Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Women and
the Family (MASF) hopes to accommodate the particu-
lar needs of people with a migrant background, young
entrepreneurs and innovative business ventures.
1991–1997: how it all began…
The MASGF began giving support to unemployed indi-
viduals in the 1990s. At that time, shortly after the fall of
the Berlin Wall, self-employment was the only avenue
available to most of them for re-establishing themselves
in the working world. With the closure of the People’s
Enterprises (VEB) and Agricultural Production Co-op-
eratives (LPG), unemployment in Brandenburg had in-
creased rapidly. Only new businesses would create new
jobs, but not enough investors could be found to meet
the need. This made it all the more important to motivate
local people to consider self-employment. Many former
job holders had training and experience that made them
highly skilled in their field. In this respect, they already
had a foundation for sustainable business ideas. But un-
like Saxony, for example, Brandenburg had no tradition
of entrepreneurship on which to draw. At the same time,
reunification had provided many people with their first
opportunity to start a business of their own, something
which had been far less possible in the GDR. Structures
and support provisions thus needed to be created to
make the necessary business training and initial assis-
tance available.
At that time, the MASGF saw self-employment as a
promising means for bringing an end to the unemploy-
ment of many and also for creating additional jobs. A
specially developed programme of support envisaged
a range of training and consultancy provisions, as well
as a subsidy aimed at investments and operating funds.
Towards the end of the 1990s, the landscape shifted
with the redistribution of responsibilities the Branden-
burg local government: financial support for investments
and operating funds was now to be administered by the
Federal State of Brandenburg’s Ministry of Economics,
within the framework of its development programmes.
The MASGF, meanwhile, remained responsible for pro-
viding business training and advice to individuals seek-
Supporting new businesses – creating jobs
8 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
1 1S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
staff of the start-up support services advise prospec-
tive entrepreneurs with concrete business ideas, and
support their progress into business. Individuals inter-
ested in starting their own business are offered coach-
ing and training tailored to meet their individual needs.
Most start-up support services focus primarily on group
ventures and complex business ideas, as there is a sig-
nificantly greater need for advice in this area than in that
of micro-businesses. New business ventures of this kind
are of particular significance to regional economic devel-
opment in Brandenburg.
The start-up support services contribute significantly
to the new business networks at their respective uni-
versities. They maintain links with stakeholders outside
the universities, with external research institutions and
companies, and collaborate with expert new business
advisers.
Support provided:
A variety of provisions at the universities, comparable in
part to those provided by the business mentoring ser-
vices
Contact:
On-site agencies at the universities
(see addresses from p. 92 onwards)
“InnovatIon requIre CouraGe” ProJeCt
For:
Prospective entrepreneurs and new entrepreneurs (in
their first three years of business) with innovative busi-
ness ideas. In particular, these include technology-inten-
sive sectors, the cultural and creative industries, innova-
tive knowledge-based services and ventures involving
innovative technological products or processes with in-
terdisciplinary links to the cultural and creative industries
and/or sectors such as social welfare, further education,
tourism or crafts. New business ventures are deemed
innovative if, for example, new products are created,
new processes employed, or new sales channels or
marketing tools are used for existing products or pro-
cesses. Innovative business ideas possess particularly
great potential for development and job creation.
Concept:
Support begins with an analysis of the new business
idea. The prospective entrepreneurs receive individually
tailored coaching, and are mentored by external experts.
In addition, support is provided by the IbM agencies.
The ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg GmbH, for example,
makes its own sector competence teams available and
provides access to network partners such as Business
Angels Berlin-Brandenburg. The provision of supervi-
sors for individual ventures is an additional guarantee for
the quality and goal orientation of the coaching process.
The pool of IbM advisers consists of recognised con-
sulting and coaching experts with extensive practical
experience and personal networks. A key feature of the
pool is its transparency and commitment to co-opera-
tion, with a regular exchange of experiences between
the members. IbM’s approach focuses on the develop-
ment of professional business plans and sound busi-
ness models, on market positioning, and on laying the
foundations for consistency, reliability and quality in cus-
tomer and business partner relationships. Further areas
of focus are a forward-looking human resources policy
and a realistic business strategy, and last but not least
the acquisition of business skills. This is aimed in par-
“thanks to the support provided to the
business mentoring services by the MaSF,
reliable and competent contact people
have now been available to new entrepre-
neurs in all rural districts for more than 10
years. the continuity of this support has
enabled the business mentoring services
to become a firm fixture on the new busi-
ness landscape in Brandenburg.”
Henning Kloth,
responsible for new businesses and business
mentoring services at the LASA Brandenburg
GmbH from 1991 to 2007
of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the Family (MASF)
on the Support of Training and Coaching Measures
for New Businesses and Business Successions in the
Federal State of Brandenburg” of 30 December 2009
specifies the following range of provisions for new en-
trepreneurs:
reGIonaL BuSIneSS MentorInG ServICeS
For:
Individuals interested in starting their own business, es-
pecially those who are currently unemployed, and busi-
ness owners in their first year of self-employment who
have received support from the regional business men-
toring services while preparing to launch their business
Concept:
The business mentors support prospective entrepre-
neurs in the planning of their business venture, during the
launch of the business and throughout its first year, work-
ing in collaboration with a pool of external consultants
and coaches. They are also active in new local business
networks.
Support provided:
1. Detailed initial meeting
2. Assessment centre evaluates the business idea and
assesses personal business competencies
3. Development of a roadmap for launching of new
business
4. Coaching and training by experienced experts in all
aspects of starting a new business
5. Help with all questions arising after the new busi-
ness has been launched
Contact:
Locally in all rural and urban districts
(see addresses from p. 92 onwards)
BuSIneSS MentorInG ServICe For MIGrantS
For:
Individuals with a migrant background interested in
starting their own business, and business owners in
their first year of self-employment who have received
support from the regional business mentoring services
while preparing to launch their business
Concept:
The business mentoring service for migrants works in
the same way as the regional business mentoring ser-
vices. It also offers advice specifically tailored to the tar-
get group which takes into consideration socio-cultural
differences and work experience as well as language
skills.
Support provided:
See regional business mentoring services
Contact:
Business mentoring service for migrants
(see addresses from p. 92 onwards)
Start-uP SuPPort ServICeS at unIverSItIeS
For:
Students, graduates (up to five years after graduation)
and academic staff (with the exception of tenured pro-
fessors) who are interested in starting their own busi-
ness
Concept:
The start-up support services based at Brandenburg
universities take into consideration the particular pro-
file of each respective university. Thus, the technically
orientated universities have a different range of provi-
sions available from the broader-focused University of
Potsdam or the Konrad Wolf Academy for Film and
Television (HFF) in Potsdam-Babelsberg, for example.
The support provided by the start-up support services
dovetails with the other support provisions in place at
the universities, such as teaching entrepreneurship. The
1 0 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
1 3S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
BuSIneSS SuCCeSSIon aDvICe CentreS
For:
Individuals planning to take over a business and entre-
preneurs who are preparing to transfer their business to
a successor
Concept:
The business succession advice centres act as media-
tors in the business succession process. The goal is to
balance the often differing interests of the current owner
of the business and the successor, and to contribute
to a successful transfer of the business. Particular at-
tention is paid to identifying women who are interested
in taking over a business as potential successors, and
linking them with suitable businesses.
Support provided:
1. Business check conducted to establish whether the
business is suitable for transferral
2. Support provided for current owner of the business
and successor (mediation throughout the succes-
sion process)
3. Training/coaching provided for the current owner
and successor
Contact:
Local business succession advice centres
(see addresses from p. 92 onwards)
aDDItIonaL eXPerIMentaL SCHeMeS
Since 2011, new entrepreneurs have also been able
to benefit from so-called “additional experimental
schemes”. Agencies already implementing one of the
above-detailed support schemes are eligible for ad-
ditional funding for innovative new approaches which
improve or further develop the mentoring, coaching
and training services provided in the Federal State of
Brandenburg. These schemes may relate to target
groups which have so far received no support, such as
mature entrepreneurs, people with disabilities, people in
long-term unemployment, or freelancers. Or they may
focus on particular types of new businesses, such as
team ventures, people restarting after bankruptcy, or the
networking of individual entrepreneurs. Current projects
focus on social entrepreneurship and on new business-
es started by migrants at universities.
Further information
LASA Brandenburg GmbH
www.lasa-brandenburg.de
Innovationen brauchen Mut (IbM)
www.innovationen-brauchen-mut.de
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the Family
(MASF)
www.masf.brandenburg.de
ticular at meeting the requirements for start-up financ-
ing for the future business and laying the foundations
for healthy growth.
Support provided:
1. Analysis of the new business idea and identification
of necessary support measures (pre-coaching)
2. Individually tailored coaching and advice from ex-
ternal experts
3. Supervision
4. Group coaching sessions for individual target groups
Contact:
ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg GmbH and the Institut
für Berufsforschung und Unternehmensplanung Me-
dien e. V. (IBF)
(see addresses from p. 92 onwards)
Start-uP WorKSHoPS For YounG PeoPLe
For:
Young people up to the age of 27 (and in exceptional
circumstances up to the age of 30) who have completed
a vocational training course and are unemployed or at
risk of becoming unemployed.
Concept:
Start-up workshops can be likened to incubators. They
provide space for working, training and communication,
and all the equipment necessary for preparing to start a
business. The prospective entrepreneurs are mentored
in groups and/or individually throughout the entire start-
up process. As a rule, socio-pedagogical considerations
are also addressed. They may also be given help in pur-
suing alternative work prospects. Suitable instruments
(microcredits) are facilitated for the provision of start-up
financing. External partners and mentors are particularly
helpful in procuring first orders. The start-up workshops
are extremely well-networked, and collaborate with local
businesses, institutions and initiatives, as well as with
former clients.
Support provided:
1. Assessment centre aimed at evaluating the business
idea and the personal qualities of the prospective
entrepreneur
2. Conceptual phase, development of a business
concept, training (tax, law, sales training, market-
ing etc.), generally in a group with other prospective
entrepreneurs or in the form of individual training or
coaching
3. Final presentation of results
Contact:
Local start-up workshops
(see addresses from p. 92 onwards)
1 2 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Help with customer acquisition
The Cottbus business mentors pay particular attention
to the marketing strategy of new entrepreneurs be-
fore the actual launch of their business. But as Andrea
Behrends points out some clients still abandon the sug-
gestions of their mentors once their business begins, or
that customer acquisition simply falls by the wayside in
the day-to-day running of the business. When this hap-
pens, the business mentoring service refers its clients
to the national coaching programme “Gründercoaching
Deutschland” and to specialists from the large network
of local advisers.
In the experience of the Cottbus mentors, though, dif-
ficulty finding customers or holding one’s own against
competitors is in no way connected to inadequate tech-
nical competency. That is always good, says Andrea
Behrends, and it has to be, or the new entrepreneurs in
question would never have been selected for the busi-
ness mentoring service after their initial meeting or the
assessment centre: “Anyone who wants to stand up to
their competitors in the market must excel in their own
field.”
IHK-Bildungszentrum Cottbus GmbH
Andrea Behrends
Goethestraße 1 a
03046 Cottbus
Phone: 0355 3652705
Internet: www.ihk-bildungszentrum-cottbus.de
co
tt
Bu
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1 5
Help and advice on all aspects of business manage-
ment is what the regional business mentoring service
in Cottbus sees as its principal task and also its core
competence. And this is no surprise, because although
the agency that provides the service – the IHK training
centre – is a subsidiary of the local chamber of com-
merce and industry, the IHK training centre itself is a
medium-sized enterprise that has been through all the
usual ups and downs of a business. Its staff know how
the market works and they have adapted consistently to
its demands with the advice and training that they offer.
Good preconditions
“The preconditions for new businesses in Cottbus are
good, or at least better than in some rural areas,” says
Andrea Behrends, project manager at the IHK training
centre. “As long as a location has large enough target
markets – and Cottbus does – the situation is good. We
also benefit from the advantages that a town of this size
has to offer, by which I mean the infrastructure, the in-
stitutions, the companies based here. They are ideal for
new businesses, especially service sector ones.” And
it is those that are most popular with the prospective
entrepreneurs who come to the Cottbus business men-
toring service for help. Construction work, landscape
design, facility management and increasingly also spa-
and health-related services top the list. And along with
retail and online businesses, freelance occupations are
also on the increase: lecturers, architects, construction
engineers and artists who have recognised their entre-
preneurial shortcomings and want to correct them.
Despite its relative size, though, Cottbus is not always
large enough, claims Andrea Behrends: “In a place like
this with a population of less than 100,000, competition
in the service sector is inevitably harsh. New entrepre-
neurs run the risk of never even getting the opportunity
to try out their business idea. Price takes precedence
over quality, and unless they have enough staying pow-
er to set themselves apart from their competitors and
tap into new target markets, they often find themselves
in difficulties.”
Regional business mentoring service – urban district of Cottbus
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
M
1 4
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
What would you have had liked to have more
time for?
The ordering and delivery times for the equipment and
shop fittings were very tight. And there wasn’t much time
for talking to suppliers or arranging contracts either. I had
to fit my salesroom out professionally in accordance with
the regulations, of course. In the end, all the equipment
arrived the day before I was due to open. There’s that say-
ing that the workmen should be going out the back as the
guests are coming in at the front, and that’s pretty much
the way it was.
What support did you go to the business men-
toring service for?
I knew what I wanted when I went to the business men-
toring service, because I already had a business idea.
I needed support with the formalities to do with my in-
complete training. And I had to get to grips with things
that I’d never had anything to do with before. I had to
make a cash budget for my business plan, for example.
The business mentoring service was a really big help to
me with all these tasks.
and have you been able to create any new jobs
or apprentice positions since you started the
business?
We’re planning to offer apprentice positions once we’ve
got through the first five years of business and achieved
a stable basis. And we’re looking for suitable staff at the
moment.
What advice would you give to other new entre-
preneurs?
They should be clear about the fact that the concept of
free time no longer exists. So if you’re starting your own
business you definitely need the support of your friends
and family.
It’s also important to look for help from organisations
that are familiar with the formalities of starting a new
business, both in terms of business management and of
dealing with banks. It’s best to approach several banks,
not just one, and to use a guarantor bank and enquire
about start-up loans. The business mentoring service is
very helpful with that. The staff will tell you which insti-
tutions you can go to for support, and where you can
apply.
Sandra Dietz
„Sehen + Verstehen – Ihr Blickpunkt Sandra Dietz“
Cottbus
www.sehenverstehen.com
Foundation: 2009
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Cottbus
Service provider: IHK-Bildungszentrum Cottbus
co
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Bu
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1 7
Ms. Dietz, you are an optician and your busi-
ness partner sells hearing aids. However, you
don’t have a joint business, do you?
No, we operate as two independent businesses under
one roof. The hearing aids are my partner’s area, and I
came on board with the ophthalmic optics nine months
later, in June 2009. First, of course, I had to do a lot
of newspaper and radio advertising, but it paid off: this
year we’re celebrating our third anniversary and we have
over 900 customers. Our youngest customer is two and
a half years old, and our oldest is 92.
and why did you decide to become self-em-
ployed in the first place?
Customer service really matters to me. When customers
come to us, they get what they need and not whatever I
might want to sell them. If I worked for a larger company
I’d be under pressure to achieve certain sales targets by
selling more expensive lenses and frames. In that kind of
company the sales figures matter more than individual
customer needs. And that’s why I decided to become
self-employed when I lost my previous job.
as a self-employed optician you need to be
qualified. Was this the case when you started
your business?
No, I was made redundant by my previous employer
part-way through my training. I still had another year to
go. But I was able to get special authorisation to start
my business even though I wasn’t fully qualified.
I didn’t have enough capital either, but luckily I was
able to get a start-up loan from the KfW banking group
through my own bank. It all had to happen very quickly,
it would have been nice to have had more preparation
time.
“If you’re starting your own business you definitely need the support of your friends and family.”
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Good networking
One explanation for this success is undoubtedly the fact
that the district as a whole is committed to supporting
new businesses. This shows itself not least in the nu-
merous business and advice networks supported by
the business development organisation, and to which
the business mentoring service refers its fledgling en-
trepreneurs. Here, they are given further help and learn
how to find their way around the market and operate as
business owners. In Marion Fender’s view, this practical
support is essential because “We can talk all we like be-
forehand, and use countless case studies and role plays
to give our clients a better understanding of entrepre-
neurship, but when they launch their own businesses
and reality kicks in, it can be pretty tough. The new en-
trepreneurs really need support at that point too.”
Furthermore, the Dahme-Spreewald business mentors
offer their clients the opportunity, among other things,
to take part in large conventions held four times a year
which deal in depth with common business manage-
ment problems such as taxation law, human resources
management and statutory regulations. Alongside this
more theoretical tuition, the mentors also provide very
practical help, for example by finding favourably priced
business premises for new entrepreneurs to rent.
Small loans for new business ventures
The district also offers financial support to new entrepre-
neurs with its own small loans scheme. Marion Fender
explains: “Banks are often reluctant to provide small
loans of 2,000 or 3,000 euros because the handling
costs are off-putting. So in October 2007 we introduced
our own scheme offering loans of up to 10,000 euros.
This was approved by the district council and we are
responsible for the implementation. As I said, we adapt
to new market challenges so that we are always able to
respond quickly to new challenges.”
regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
Dahme-Spreewald mbH
Marion Fender
Freiheitstraße 120
15745 Wildau
Phone: 03375 523830
Internet: www.wfg-lds.de
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The rural district of Dahme-Spreewald is described on
the web as one of the Federal State of Brandenburg’s
prime business locations, with beautiful, richly wooded
and watered countryside making it a perfect place for
living and leisure. The regional business development
organisation anticipates that the already considerable
demand for services is likely to increase further as a re-
sult of the construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
But the challenges this will pose to the Dahme-Spree-
wald business mentoring service are not exceptional,
and much the same as those faced by all the other busi-
ness mentoring services, says Marion Fender of the Re-
gional Economic Promotion, Dahme-Spreewald GmbH,
the agency that provides the business mentoring ser-
vice. “We do what we can, just as the others do. The
directive calls on us to support people over the age of
27, who are unemployed or at risk of becoming unem-
ployed, with practical help and advice for their new busi-
ness venture. So we deal with questions such as: What
can I expect from self-employment? What is my unique
selling point? How do my personal qualities equip me as
an entrepreneur? What basic business skills do I have?”
Since 2001, some 4,000 prospective entrepreneurs
have been given initial advice by the Dahme-Spreewald
business mentoring service. More than 900 new busi-
nesses are the result of the assessment centres and
mentoring services. And according to a survey con-
ducted last year, 756 of these are still in the market. This
represents a rate of 84 per cent, with an average of 0.5
additional jobs being generated by each new business.
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But despite the help it wasn’t an easy start.
No, it was very difficult to get contracts. If I rang a zoo,
for example, they would say, “Yes, we’re planning a new
elephant compound and your rocks would fit in well.
Why don’t you send us your references?” But I didn’t
have any references because I was only just starting out.
So I couldn’t get any contracts. And without the con-
tracts, of course, I couldn’t provide any references. The
breakthrough finally came when I found customers who
were willing to look at work samples and didn’t insist on
seeing references.
Another challenge was withstanding the cost pressure
from the competition. Some competitors have been
in the market for 20 years and have made a name for
themselves accordingly. But they have their products
made abroad so they can offer much lower prices.
But you have managed to hold your own al-
though your prices are a little higher.
Yes, but in order to keep up we did everything we could
to make our prices as low as possible. Our manage-
ment is very lean, we avoid excessive bureaucracy, and
we try to keep auxiliary costs low. For the first few years
we did the paperwork along the way, or my wife did it
after work. For the first six years she still had a job of her
own, and yet she managed to do all the background
work for the business too. That made an enormous dif-
ference. It’s really important to have the support of your
family, full stop. All in all, the hard work paid off: in the
last few years our turnover has gone up steadily, and we
now have a number of regular customers.
Where are you now?
When I started the business in 2003, we were working
in a dilapidated old workshop 30 kilometres from where
we lived, which made things difficult. Two years ago we
bought our own site in the place where we live. We in-
vested a lot of money in it, fitted the workshop out to suit
our needs, and created good working conditions for our
six employees. That seems like good progress to me.
rené Schneider
Kunstgestein & Zierelemente
Märkische Heide
www.kunstgestein.de
Foundation: 2003
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Dahme-Spreewald
Service provider: Regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
Dahme-Spreewald mbH
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Mr. Schneider, you manufacture artificial rocks.
Who do you make them for?
We manufacture true-to-life rocks, stone slabs and other
decorative items made of glass fibre reinforced concrete
for hotels and spas, amusement parks and zoos. That’s
our main business. We also produce a variety of special
components which are unique in their dimensions, col-
our and shape and custom-made to the specifications
of the customer. We also manufacture kitchen worktops
and other interior-design-related items for kitchen show-
rooms.
that’s quite a jump. Where did you get the idea?
Before I became self-employed, I worked for a com-
pany processing glass fibre reinforced concrete several
years and was responsible for the production. We made
things like the outer shell of Europe’s tallest pyramid, or
the façade of a knight’s castle for an amusement park in
East Germany. We had a lot of quite large contracts. But
then my boss died tragically in an aeroplane crash, so all
his employees lost their jobs overnight. I decided to buy
up all the company equipment and rented a workshop
where I started producing.
How did the Dahme-Spreewald business men-
toring service support you when you were start-
ing your business?
Self-employment was completely uncharted territory
for me, so from that point of view I benefited a lot from
both the assessment centre and the individual advice.
Up till then I’d been on the other side of the fence, so
to speak, as an employee. As a business owner I was
going to have to take on far more responsibility. Now it
was up to me to make sure that the order books were
full, and I had to learn to judge the market as realistically
as possible, and not to overestimate myself. The busi-
ness mentoring service gave me a lot of support in the
transition from employee to business owner.
“The business mentoring service gave me a lot of support in the transition from employee to business owner.”
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of our coach in those cases too. The good thing is that
even now if we have a problem we can ring the mentor-
ing service anytime. And we’re also still in close contact
with our coach.
So you quite quickly came up against the first
obstacles to growth?
Because of our high patient numbers, we have eight
employees, which is quite a lot for a physiotherapy prac-
tice in a rural area. But unfortunately it was – and still
is – difficult to find skilled staff who reflect our business
philosophy. It’s also an organisational challenge: every
additional employee creates extra work, for example,
because there are more prescriptions to be processed.
Holiday and shift plans have to be precisely co-ordinat-
ed. And a larger number of employees also means a
greater need for communication within the team, so we
now hold regular staff meetings. We have to watch out
in all of this that we don’t end up sidelining our own
needs, but try instead to create space for ourselves.
It means that we’re now doing less work with patients
and more organisational work, and investing a lot more
time than we used to in ensuring that the practice runs
smoothly.
the two of you started a business as a team.
Has that proved to be a good decision?
Yes, definitely. It would have been much more difficult on
our own, even just from the point of view of our working
hours. We’re open from 7 am to 8.30 pm You couldn’t
cover that by yourself. And it also means that each of us
can go on holiday for three weeks if we want, without
having to worry that decisions can’t be made in our ab-
sence. And every now and then we get together in the
evening and talk over this and that. It’s just a lot of fun
to do or develop things together, because each person
has different ideas to contribute.
Have you got any advice for other new entre-
preneurs?
You definitely have to stay true to your ideas and follow
your own gut instinct when it comes to implementing
them. You have to be passionate about your thing, but
still open to criticism from outside and willing to make
changes. Then you can really achieve something.
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“You have to stay true to your ideas.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Ms. Patzer, you and your colleague nadine
Fastnacht opened a physiotherapy practice in
2008 and received support from the business
mentoring service.
Yes, we specialise in sports physiotherapy and paediat-
ric physiotherapy. They’re special fields of work that not
all physiotherapy practices offer. But of course we offer
the usual range of physiotherapy services too.
We invested a lot of time and energy in the initial prepa-
rations for starting our business. At that stage, skilled
advisers are incredibly important, so the support we got
from the Dahme-Spreewald business mentoring service
was just what we needed. Although it’s your own will
more than anything else that determines whether or not
you succeed, you don’t always know what bureaucratic
obstacles you might have to overcome. The mentoring
service didn’t do the work for us, but it helped us to
avoid overlooking anything important, and prevented
us from getting into a situation that we wouldn’t have
wanted, simply out of ignorance.
The business developed so well that we soon had to
deal with new questions such as larger premises and
additional staff. We were able to rely on the experience
Doreen Patzer
nadine Fastnacht
PhysioTeam Eichwalde
Patzer & Fastnacht GbR
Eichwalde
www.physioteam-eichwalde.de
Foundation: 2008
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Landkreis Dahme-Spreewald
Service provider: Regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Dahme-Spreewald mbH
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S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
The results are something to be proud of. Since the
mentoring service was launched in 2001, the Elbe-Elster
business mentors have conducted around 300 initial
meetings with prospective entrepreneurs each year. Of
these, 100 were invited to attend an assessment centre,
and 50 finally qualified to receive help with preparations
for starting their own business. To date, that makes a
total of 500 new businesses in the district that the men-
toring service has helped to get off the ground. Some of
the first clients are even at the point of celebrating their
tenth anniversary this year.
There are people of all ages among the new entrepre-
neurs, says Regina Veik, but the majority are aged be-
tween 35 and 50. And depending on whether the pro-
spective entrepreneurs are men or women, the most
popular business ideas come from the areas of crafts-
manship and construction services, or retail, nursing
and healthcare.
Highly skilled new business owners
New entrepreneurs of both sexes need initial help with
topics such as sales planning, profitability prediction, li-
quidity protection and pricing. And once the new busi-
ness has been launched, they also need support in
dealing with challenges such as customer acquisition,
marketing and accounting. “It’s mostly a question of
commercial and managerial know-how”, remarks Regina
Veik. “As far as technical skills are concerned, everyone
who has applied to us for help is very good. And that’s the
be-all and end-all for a new business.”
regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
elbe-elster mbH
Regina Veik
Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 2
04916 Herzberg
Phone: 03535 462670
Internet: www.wfg-elbe-elster.de
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The rural district of Elbe-Elster owes its name not just
to one river but to three: the Elbe, the Black Elster and
the Small Elster. And thanks to a good mix of small and
larger businesses and a wide variety of industrial sec-
tors – suppliers to the automotive industry, wood and
metal processing, tourism and the food industry – the
business mentoring service in the rural district consid-
ers its economic opportunities to be just as varied as
the geography. “Our district is committed to supporting
new businesses”, stresses Regina Veik from the busi-
ness mentoring service in the rural district of Elbe-Elster.
“By that I mean in particular that the business develop-
ment organisation takes every prospective entrepreneur
seriously and considers whether their business idea has
the potential to be workable, sound and sustainable.
This also means giving our opinion openly and hon-
estly, pointing out possible negative outcomes and, if in
doubt, doing our best to prevent new businesses being
launched regardless of the consequences.”
Promoting new businesses from the top
Even Eberhard Stroisch, the district’s Head of Devel-
opment, does not consider himself above the task of
motivating people in the district to consider self-employ-
ment, or of pointing out business opportunities. He goes
on “acquisition tours” himself, spreading the word about
the support provided by the business mentoring ser-
vice. When talking to prospective business owners, he
see illustrating the opportunites and prospects of their
business ideas in the context of the regional economy
as a key task. And he bases his arguments on analysis
and policy recommendations such as the district devel-
opment concept and the Elbe-Elster region’s strategic
marketing concept.
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Elbe-Elster
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How has your business developed in the course
of the five years?
My family is well known locally, so the first customers
arrived on the day I opened for business, and my cus-
tomer base has been growing ever since. The reason
is that there are fewer and fewer tanneries. Tanning is
a dying craft in Germany, so those of us who are still
practising the trade are getting more and more work.
Also, an increasing amount of people are growing tired
of mowing the lawn at the weekend, and are getting
themselves a sheep or two which they eventually have
butchered. And the food scandals have also played a
part. People in rural areas are going back to eating ani-
mals they have raised themselves, because then you
know what you’ve got on your plate. They then bring
the skins to me.
So the business grew steadily from the start really. Even-
tually there came a point where I realised that I couldn’t
manage on my own anymore, so I now employ two
members of staff. My brother works for me fulltime, and
I also have another employee who works weekly on an
hourly basis.
and how do potential customers find out about
what you offer?
The most important thing is my website. That’s how
most customers find their way to me. I made an effort
from the start to ensure that the site was clearly pre-
sented and gave simple information about tanning. Be-
cause lots of people these days don’t really know what
it is. I also advertised on a local radio station in order
to make my business known in southern Brandenburg.
Lots of my potential customers commute to work and
listen to that station in the car. My experience is that if
you advertise sensibly, it does bring in new customers.
What would be your advice to other new entre-
preneurs?
My advice is, “Take the plunge! Talk to the experts from
the new business advice centres or the business men-
toring service. They’ll look at your idea and tell you whe-
ther it’s profitable. And if it makes sense, try it out. It’s
always good to talk to people who know a bit more than
you do.”
Manfred oettrich
Gerberei Manfred Oettrich
Doberlug-Kirchhain
www.gerberei-oettrich.de
Foundation: 2006
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Landkreis Elbe-Elster
Service provider: Regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Elbe-Elster mbH
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Mr. oettrich, you run a tannery. What drew you
to such an unusual occupation?
Tanning is an ancient craft that has been practised here in
Kirchhain for some 400 years. My father, grandfather and
great-grandfather were all tanners here. So when I came
to choose an occupation it was a moot question really.
Having said that, when I finished training I didn’t start
work as a tanner immediately; I spent six years working
for a company that made car trailers. I lost my job during
the steel crisis, and I put the redundancy payment into
the family tannery and became self-employed in 2006.
What does your work as a tanner involve?
I have a small business and work for private customers.
For the most part I cure fur hides, be they sheep, wild
boar, fox or rabbit.
The customers bring me the animal skins, which I treat
with special substances, and then they come back to
collect the tanned hides. Some of my customers are
hunters who have shot their first wild boar and want to
display the skin as a trophy. Or shepherds who have a
farm shop where they sell sheep’s milk, cheese, meat
and wool; to get as much value from the animal as pos-
sible, they sell the skin too.
When you started your business five years ago,
you received support from the elbe-elster re-
gional business development organisation’s
business mentoring service. What did you find
especially helpful?
The assessment centre was particularly helpful in brin-
ging my business knowledge back up to date. Although
I’d taken part in a retraining course in industrial busi-
ness management after reunification in 1993-1995,
and worked in that area too, I hadn’t kept up with the
regulations on social insurance matters such as health
insurance and pensions. The support provided by the
mentoring service was very good altogether, because
when you’re starting your own business you’re very
much preoccupied with organising your work, buying
materials and so on. But accounting, taxes and insu-
rance are important too, and that’s where the mentoring
service can help you to avoid making mistakes. Having
the support of a coach was especially helpful because I
could check straight away whether the ideas I had were
on the right track.
“It’s always good to talk to people who know a bit more than you do.”
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ployment for support by the business mentoring service.”
a good location for new businesses
The business ideas that the mentoring clients set out to
realise are largely service sector ones, aimed both at busi-
nesses (courier services and design or other services in
the technical engineering and IT fields, for example) and
at private customers and households (help with shop-
ping, care for elderly people and facility management, for
example). There is also an increase in the number of new
businesses offering spa- and health-related services, for
which there is a growing market. Oberhavel is one of the
regions on the periphery of Berlin with a growth in popula-
tion that is likely to continue into the future. Communities
connected to the local rail network, in particular, are home
to a large number of people who work in Berlin and often
have a relatively high income. This is a result not least of
the good infrastructure, and of course the proximity to
Berlin.
In Waltraut Krienke’s view, then, the preconditions for new
businesses in the rural district of Oberhavel are excellent,
especially when one also considers that an increasing
amount of businesses are being set up in the south of
the district. The towns of Hennigsdorf, Oranienburg and
Velten have developed into recognised growth centres
with a good record as successful business locations.This
setting also offers perfect conditions for new entrepre-
neurs to find their market niche.
Wirtschafts-, Innovations- und tourismusförderung oberhavel GmbH (WInto)
Waltraut Krienke
Neuendorfstraße 18 a
16761 Hennigsdorf
Phone: 03302 559201
Internet: www.winto-gmbh.de
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Some 3,500 initial meetings since 2001. Plus 550 men-
toring clients and 455 new businesses. At the time of the
business mentoring service’s last survey, approximately
85 per cent of these were still in the market. By their own
assessment, 15 to 20 per cent of them are doing well or
very well, while another 60 to 65 per cent rate their situa-
tion as satisfactory.
“Keeping businesses in the market was an important
quality criterion for our work from the start”, says Waltraut
Krienke, project manager at the Economic, Innovation
and Tourism Promotion, Oberhavel GmbH, the agency
which provides the business mentoring service in the ru-
ral district of Oberhavel. “The sustainability of businesses,
rather than just the start-up rate was important. And this
year the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and the
Family even adopted sustainability as a quality standard
for all business mentoring services.”
How the mentors in Oberhavel equip their new entrepre-
neurs for sustainable business management is no great
secret though. According to Waltraut Krienke, they do
not work any differently to the other business mentoring
services, although they do have one special programme
feature: “We invite all our network partners to attend the
final session of the assessments we run. Then they can
ask the new entrepreneurs questions during the final
presentation and offer tips on new business ventures. So
new entrepreneurs who are in need of outside capital, for
example, might get to know their future bank adviser and
can get advice in advance on the things they should pay
particular attention to when they’re applying for a loan.”
Developing support provisions for people in
long-term unemployment
The Oberhavel business mentoring service has also pio-
neered the development of support provisions for peo-
ple in long-term unemployment.3 This came as a result
of the realisation that many people receiving long-term
unemployment benefits could not make use of the sup-
port provided by the mentoring service because they did
not meet the requirements. As Waltraut Krienke explains,
“What then developed from this, four years ago, were our
ideas workshop and our pre-start-up seminar – a new
project designed to prepare people in long-term unem-
Regional business mentoring service – rural district of Oberhavel
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3 The project was developed within the framework of the “Regionalbudget”,
which is supported by the MASF with funding from the ESF.
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
In the course of your business career you have
made use of support from external advisers on
many occasions. What conclusions have you
drawn?
I’ve always taken the line that although outside advice
is important, at the end of the day I bear all the respon-
sibility as the owner of the business. And I’m sure that
this has been a factor in our success. It means I have
to make sure that I have enough knowledge to chal-
lenge the recommendations of the advisers if necessary.
It’s happened to me in the past that I’ve received really
bad advice. And that’s something that a business owner
needs to be able to recognise. It’s a fallacy to imagine
you can delegate the whole question of business ex-
pertise to advisers. As an entrepreneur and the owner
of a new business, you have to concern yourself with
everything that is relevant to running that business. It’s
important to make use of advice from others, but the
decisions you have to make afterwards are ones that
nobody else can make for you. So you have to have
some sound basic knowledge. Unfortunately, though, all
this has a downside too.
and what is that?
In my experience, as a new business owner you need
the audacity of ignorance. You have to jump in at the
deep end. But if you stand there on the diving board
and think everything through in detail, with all the pos-
sible consequences, the chances are you’ll never jump.
There are certain things I know I’d never do the same
way now because I have a different perspective on the
risks involved. So a certain degree of ignorance is defi-
nitely necessary at the beginning. But there have to be
certain limits: you must never put your home or family
at risk.
What other advice would you give to new entre-
preneurs?
What I really recommend is to look beyond your own
horizon and try to view the market from the perspective
of the customer. I often have new entrepreneurs com-
ing to me and saying, “Listen, I’ve opened this shop,
it really looks good, come and have a look at it. I just
can’t understand why business is so slow.” And then
I walk around the shop with them and say, “Who did
you actually make this shop for? For yourself or for your
customers?” A lot of people simply don’t realise that the
product has to please the customer first and foremost,
not necessarily the business owner.
It’s also very important to acknowledge the social re-
sponsibility that you have as a business owner. Reports
in the media talk a lot about the social commitment of
large companies, but people often overlook the fact that
family businesses and medium-sized enterprises in par-
ticular take on a great deal of social responsibility. As a
business owner, this is something you should concern
yourself with right from the start. It comes with the terri-
tory when you’re running a business.
thomas Schwarz, Dirk Isert,
Heinz ritter, Bernd-rainer vogt
Dreieck Gebäudedienste GmbH
Neuruppin
www.dreieck.com
Foundation: 1994
Advised by: LASA Brandenburg GmbH
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Dirk Isert and Thomas Schwarz
Mr. Schwarz, you have been self-employed for
17 years, have a staff of over 1,000 and provide
training to 20 apprentices. When you and your
colleague first started your business, you had
both been unemployed for over a year. Did you
ever imagine that you would be so successful?
We hoped, of course, that we would succeed at realising
our vision and eventually be able to provide facility man-
agement services. But we started very small indeed, of-
fering traditional cleaning services, until my business part-
ner Heinz Ritter got his master craftsman’s diploma from
the chamber of skilled crafts, which you needed if you
wanted to start a commercial cleaning business. Then we
were able to expand our range of services. Now we truly
have realised our vision, and offer comprehensive facil-
ity management. This includes, for example, landscape
gardening, janitor services, snow-clearing services in win-
ter and technical services such as lift maintenance or the
servicing of heating systems. But we also provide secu-
rity services, office services and catering. Our custom-
ers include businesses and public authorities, primarily in
the East German federal states but also in North-Rhine-
Westphalia and Hessia.
and you’ve received quite a lot of recognition as
an entrepreneur.
Yes, in March 2001 we were included in the Top 100
Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises in Germany,
and awarded first prize as 2001 New Business of the
Year in Germany. Then not long afterwards, in 2005, we
received the Grand Prize for Small and Medium Enter-
prises. That’s something we’re very proud of, of course.
In the 1990s, the business mentoring servic-
es hadn’t yet been founded. However, you did
receive support from the LaSa Brandenburg
GmbH.
That’s right. I received support from the LASA as a previ-
ously unemployed new business owner. It was 10,000
DM as a subsidy towards living expenses, which pro-
vided some security for my family. Without that money
I don’t think I would have become self-employed. We
used the 3,000 DM of funding available for start-up ad-
vice to pay for advice from a tax consultant.
“As a new business owner you need the audacity of ignorance.”
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What obstacles did you have to overcome when
you were starting your business?
I had a lot of problems with the banks. To start with I
wanted to buy a piece of land and build a workshop
on it. It would have meant an investment of 2.5 million
euros. The adviser at the first bank told me I should rent
a workshop and buy the equipment instead. And so I
went to another bank. They liked my idea and pursued
it. We negotiated with them for nearly nine months, and
by the end of the year all I needed was one final sig-
nature from the bank. But I didn’t get it, probably be-
cause of the financial crisis. Then in January 2009 I was
told that the bank wouldn’t be able to back my project.
By that point I had already spent a lot of money on the
ground survey that the bank had asked for, so it was a
really heavy blow.
What happened next?
I was lucky enough to be offered the use of a 500
square metre warehouse by a former customer. I put
all my savings into it, fitted it out and started producing
with a spray booth I’d bought. So many orders came
in that I was able to employ more people. We ran two
shifts in the first booth because it was the only way to
get everything done. After about a year our landlord of-
fered me a fairly modern building on the same site. I was
able to install much larger surface-coating equipment
there, which would help us to stay competitive. But it
was going to cost a six-figure sum. So I went back to
the first bank, whose adviser had previously told me I
should rent a workshop instead of buying one. He had
at least made it clear from the start that they weren’t
going to back my venture, and hadn’t strung me along.
Now I was able to show them that we were generating
an excellent turnover, even in the small workshop, and
just over a week later the loan was approved.
Your business has grown very quickly. How did
you cope with the sudden increase in workload
in relation to human resources and company or-
ganisation?
We really were hiring new people every other month.
After six months there were eight of us already, and I
now have 18 people here. We’re still looking for more
staff and will probably settle at 22. The work I do now
is very similar to what I used to do as an employee. My
responsibilities as a managing director are new, but I’m
a confident person and I enjoy new challenges, so that’s
not a problem.
torsten March
mbc March Beschichtungscenter GmbH
Hennigsdorf
www.mbc-infoweb.de
Foundation: 2009
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Oberhavel
Service provider: Wirtschafts-, Innovations- und Tourismus-
förderung Oberhavel GmbH (WInTO)
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Mr. March, you started an industrial painting
business. What is it that you paint, and who for?
Industrial painting includes not only painting but also
powder coating and repainting, as well as the pre-treat-
ment process, for example, the chemical degreasing
and industrial blasting. We work for rail vehicle manu-
facturers and also for metal engineering companies that
produce fencing systems or vehicles and need a pow-
der coating or surface on their metal components. We
also provide services for private customers – if some-
body wants to have their bicycle frame repainted, for
example.
Where did you get your business idea?
My background is in the industrial paint industry and I
had a senior position in a company for eight years. Then
I lost my job in 2008 and became self-employed im-
mediately after that. I let the customers know, because
I’d built up good relationships with them over the years.
And the fact that I got positive feedback from all of
them gave me a lot of encouragement, of course. The
Employment Agency referred me on to the Economic,
Innovation and Tourism Promotion, Oberhavel GmbH,
– WInTO – for help with the preparations for starting
my business. My business idea was rated eligible for
support at the assessment centre, so I was allocated a
coach. And then we got down to work.
What kind of support did you get from the
coach?
It was an incredible piece of luck for me to be offered
that coach. I can’t praise the WInTO highly enough for
their support. The coach helped me in all sorts of ways.
He came with me to the bank, because that was new
territory for me. Then he helped me to install a computer
programme so that I could manage my business data
and produce my price quotations. And I couldn’t have
written the business plan without his help either. Even
now we’re still in touch. I’m convinced that the main rea-
son my business has developed so successfully is that I
got the know-how I needed from my coach.
“I’m convinced that the main reason my business has developed so successfully is that I got the know-how I needed from my coach.”
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Support from regional network for business
mentoring service and new entrepreneurs
The regional network, predominantly made up of com-
panies, authorities and advice centres, provides excel-
lent support for the business mentoring service and
hence the new entrepreneurs. Covering many areas,
this substantial network is of great benefit to founders
setting up businesses in many different sectors. The
largest number of start-ups has been recorded in the
service industry, including computer services, office ser-
vices, health and spa services, senior citizen care and
household-related services. Small trade is dominated
by construction service providers, painters, interior
decorators, cleaners, bespoke tailors, alteration tailors,
bicycle and car mechanics, hairdressers, beauticians
and photographers. Irrespective of the sector, Gerlinde
Michaelis has found that, during the pre-start-up stage,
the highest demand for advice tends to be in connec-
tion with the preparation of business plans, the acquisi-
tion and updating of commercial and economic exper-
tise, familiarisation with marketing skills and addressing
the question of commercial and personal security. The
qualifications involved are not exclusively gained via the
business mentoring service but also with the help of net-
work partners, in particular the chamber of industry and
commerce and the chamber of crafts.
For Gerlinde Michaelis, it is very important that all new
entrepreneurs help keep the network concept growing.
“The start-up network is being expanded with the aim of
offering new companies more support beyond the start-
up phase. This should encourage young entrepreneurs
to communicate with each other and to hook up with
other networks. In concentrating entirely on their daily
operations, many founders lose sight of their compa-
nies’ strategic development. To prevent this from hap-
pening, they need the assistance of the business men-
toring service as well as the network partners.”
3 5
The district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz, for decades
known as a brown coal mining area, has now devel-
oped into a diverse industrial and economic region. In
Westlausitz, for example, the chemical industry, electri-
cal engineering, metal processing, renewable energy
and services predominate. Tourism also plays an impor-
tant role, not only in Spreewald but also in the new lake
district that is currently being created by the flooding of
abandoned pit mines. “Overall, the district offers com-
panies favourable conditions and development potential
as well as a climate conducive to the establishment of
new businesses. The region’s 32 large industrial and
commercial estates comprising of around 360 compa-
nies which employ 7,000 people are evidence of this”,
says Gerlinde Michaelis, head of the business mentoring
service offered by the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district.
Since 2007, this service has been provided by WEQUA
GmbH.
The business mentoring service has made an essential
contribution to the region’s brisk economic activity: be-
tween March 2007 and June 2011, a total of 550 po-
tential new entrepreneurs visited the service’s premises.
Having participated in the assessment programme and
undergone intensive one-on-one coaching, 251 found-
ers, most of them aged between 30 and 50, set up their
own business. 40 percent of them are women. Even
more remarkable is the fact that 80 percent of the busi-
nesses are still going strong.
Close ties with the economy
According to Gerlinde Michaelis, this is mainly due to
close ties with the economy: “Over the years, WEQUA’s
activities have brought us in contact with numerous
companies in the region. We put our budding entre-
preneurs in touch with these companies as early as the
pre-start-up phase. Not only do they find out how the
companies were originally set up, they also establish im-
portant business contacts at an early stage and get an
opportunity to exchange experiences.” However, aside
from close ties with companies, Gerlinde Michaelis is
convinced that the success of the business mentoring
service is also due to close cooperation with the cham-
ber of industry and commerce, the Employment Agen-
cy, the Job Centre, the district authorities and further
cooperation partners.
Regional business mentoring service provided by the district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Wequa Wirtschaftsentwicklungs- und qualifizierungsgesellschaft mbH
Gerlinde Michaelis
Am Werk 8
01979 Lauchhammer
Phone: 03574 46762243
Internet: www.wequa.de
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now looking after more children, I have been in a posi-
tion to take on further staff. At present, I employ 15 nurs-
ery teachers and seven technical staff plus two trainees.
You‘re now the director and the managing di-
rector of the day care centre. How does that
feel?
I was already working long hours before the change. But
managing my own business means even longer hours.
A lot of new tasks have been added to my work load:
talks with the authorities and staff, recruitment of new
staff, quarterly classification and reporting of the chil-
dren’s progress, bookkeeping, etc. A schedule has to
be prepared in order to get all these things done. These
days the responsibility for my staff and the children is
much greater. I have to think long and hard before taking
my decisions. My working hours have also changed. As
a self-employed person, one works a lot harder, there is
no denying that. I often work later in the evenings and
even at the weekends. Nevertheless, I would do it all
again, even with the ups and downs.
What have you learned from managing your own
business?
One must have the necessary technical expertise. As a
boss, I cannot simply bury myself in the office. I always
take an active role in the different care groups and work
alongside my staff – that way I don‘t lose touch. Work-
ing in the education sector, it is particularly important to
be aware of all of the legal provisions and administrative
requirements. Filling in application forms takes up a lot
of my time, which can be quite tiresome. It is important
to keep the door open so the staff can see why I some-
times have to sit at my desk for two or three days in a
row. This helps us to get through difficult times. It is also
important to have good friends and a supportive family
to give encouragement when times get difficult.
3 7
Ms. Fischer-neumann, you have taken over a
day care centre from a public agency.
What gave you the idea?
I have been working in this day care centre since 1999,
first as a nursery teacher and, since 2002, as director. In
2008, the opportunity to take over the day care centre
arose and I went for it. Today, we look after 167 children.
I also run a project for older children, providing care by
the hour. All in all, the centre is doing very well.
When preparing to take over the day care cen-
tre, you consulted the business mentoring ser-
vice. How would you rate the support you re-
ceived?
I received excellent support. A whole week of training
was devoted to bookkeeping, financial planning and
presentation techniques. Thanks to my experience as
director of the day care centre, I already had a certain
amount of the knowledge I needed to prepare my busi-
ness plan, but the business mentoring service offered
me another perspective on the matter. After the busi-
ness was established, I was put in touch with a business
mentor who helped me with the entrepreneurial aspects
and offered me encouragement when the going was
tough. I‘m still in contact with the business mentoring
service, I can give them a call if any questions arise.
on taking over the day care centre, you also
took over the staff. From colleague to boss –
how did that work out?
It went very well, we‘re all happy. I had talked to every-
body before the change to ensure that the whole team
was behind me. The team has actually expanded. When
I took over, we had 11 nursery teachers. Since we are
“There were lots of ups and downs but I would do it again.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
annett Fischer-neumann
Kita Kleeblatt
Schwarzheide
www.kitakleeblatt.schwarzheide.de
Übernahme: März 2008
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Oberspreewald-Lausitz
Service provider: WEQUA – Wirtschaftsentwicklungs- und Qualifizierungsgesellschaft mbH
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The town of Potsdam also offers a further advisory ser-
vice, the ‘Start-up Forum Potsdam’, an active, wide-
spread network consisting of more than 20 players in
the start-up field capable of providing highly specialised
advice. The business mentoring service also plays a role
in its capacity as host and co-organiser of the Gründer-
forum’s quarterly start-up meeting.
Coaching – the male and female perspective
Since March 2007, Ralf Krüger and his colleagues have
hosted 700 initial consulting sessions. Of the 274 po-
tential entrepreneurs that took part in assessment pro-
grammes at 29 different centres, 195 actually went on
to set up their own business. Coaching is one of the
essential tools that the business mentoring service uses
to help its clients to prepare their individual start-up
concepts and strategies. The mentors at the Potsdam
business mentoring service have all had their own ex-
perience in this matter. Ralf Krüger comments: “For a
start, there has been a continuous rise in the number of
new businesses being set up by women. Since March
2007, the percentage of women among the start-ups
we have been involved with has risen to well over the
50 per cent mark. Women are more open to the idea of
being coached, and the rising numbers of women tak-
ing an interest in our coaching service are a reflection of
that. In comparison to some of the men, they appreciate
coaching a lot more. In general, men seem to be a lot
less open to suggestion. I suspect that the other busi-
ness mentoring services have had similar experiences.”
technologie- und Gewerbezentren Potsdam GmbH
Ralf Krüger
David-Gilly-Straße 1
14469 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 20018999
Internet: www.lotsendienst-potsdam.de
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Thanks to its economic strength, consistent population
growth and a per capita income that is among the high-
est in eastern Germany, Potsdam is in an exceptional
position. And these are not the only outstanding aspects
about Potsdam. The new entrepreneurs accompa-
nied by Ralf Krüger and his colleagues at the Potsdam
business mentoring service are distinctly different from
those in other areas. Many of the people seeking advice
and assistance have a university degree. According to
Ralf Krüger, project manager at the Potsdam business
mentoring service, the general educational background
tends to be somewhat more academic. There are hardly
any small traders, perhaps only one or two start-ups per
year. Instead, a very high percentage of the new busi-
nesses is established by professionals. The Technology
and Commerce Centre Potsdam GmbH, which took
over the Potsdam business mentoring service in 2007,
states that 60 percent of new businesses are set up
by professionals, including different kinds of engineers,
alternative practitioners, doctors, physiotherapists,
coaches and consultants with a variety of target groups.
However, Ralf Krüger insists that the Potsdam busi-
ness mentoring service does not compete with Startup
Navigator, its counterpart provided by the universities
in Brandenburg: “Graduates are entitled to consult the
university-run Startup Navigator service up till five years
after the start of their business. This means that the new
entrepreneurs coming to us have passed this deadline
and have already gained some experience in the busi-
ness world, which is definitely of advantage to a new
start-up.“
Combining theory and practice
Nevertheless, the combination of work experience and
university qualification is not always enough to guaran-
tee a successful start-up. During the preparation of their
business plans, participants are encouraged to bring
their theoretical ideas into line with the practical aspects
of their intended business. According to Ralf Krüger, the
business mentoring service aims to help clients devel-
op a coherent proposal, establish a suitable customer
structure and come up with a sensible marketing plan.
In many cases, once a business has been established,
distribution becomes the key factor. It can be a sobering
experience when the expected success fails to material-
ise. This is the point when the initial approach needs to
be re-examined and revised.
Regional business mentoring service provided by the state capital of Potsdam
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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cerned. When we started out, we had virtually no com-
mercial experience. The business mentoring service has
been very helpful in terms of giving us a good grounding
in fundamental commercial skills. We decided to out-
source the bookkeeping to someone who knows more
about it than we do. We did the same for technical sup-
port and press relations. Nevertheless, we keep an eye
on the whole thing to make sure nothing falls by the
wayside.
Has there been any initial success?
Since establishing our business in October 2010, we
have been expanding our range continuously, and we
are now at the point where we are breaking even, so,
our monthly costs are covered. To me that is quite an
achievement. As yet, we do not make a living from the
shop but we are confident that the business will con-
tinue to grow. The development our business has taken
is very encouraging, particularly since we had significant
financing problems at the beginning. The small savings
we had were not enough. The banks weren’t of any help
as they rarely finance online shops. As yet, they can’t
assess the market properly. That forced us to borrow
money privately – which was the largest obstacle we
had to overcome.
What advice would you give to other new start-
ups?
An external mentor should examine the business idea
and help to assess its feasibility. Also, one should never
lose faith. We could have given up when the banks re-
fused to finance us. But we continued to believe in our
idea and can now proudly look back on what we have
achieved.
alexandra Klatt
Sebastian Bockrandt
Kizuco Bockrandt & Klatt GbR
Potsdam
www.kizuco.de
Foundation: 2010
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst –
Landeshauptstadt Potsdam
Service provider: Technologie- und Gewerbezentren
Potsdam GmbH
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Ms. Klatt, you and your colleague Sebastian
Bockrandt run an online design store. What
products do you offer?
Our online shop sells designer goods made by young
designer labels in Berlin and Brandenburg. In doing so,
we provide a platform for young designers who have not
yet made a name for themselves. We offer a wide range
of goods including everything from postcards to tables.
Ceramic goods sell all year round, while other products
tend to be more seasonal. Lamp sales, for example, are
highest in autumn and winter. We are also in the process
of preparing a fashion line which will be available in the
near future.
Where did the idea come from?
While Sebastian and I were studying design at the Pots-
dam University of Applied Sciences, we noticed that the
design market is very much centred in Berlin. Designer
goods created in Brandenburg and the surrounding re-
gion are often overlooked. Our aim is to change that.
Among other things, we have established a network
of Brandenburg-based crafts enterprises, all of which
are capable of realising design concepts. Putting these
craftspeople in touch with the young designers has
proved to be quite successful. Some of the designers
whose products we sell in our shop now prefer to work
with local craftspeople.
You set up your business with a partner. How do
you divide your responsibilities?
My partner is a product designer and I am a commu-
nications designer, so together we cover most of the
important areas. This works very well, even where en-
trepreneurial and commercial responsibilities are con-
“Never lose faith.”
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Does this mean that customer acquisition is your
main problem?
As regards ecological construction, this did pose a
problem at the start. In the early stages, we had one
single client who came to us solely for advice. We sub-
sequently prepared the preliminary design for an eco-
logical building which was to be constructed at a car-
penters. At the beginning, all of our larger-scale projects
demanded conventional architectural services and the
clients were mainly acquired through networking. Con-
tacts dating from before our self-employment came in
handy at this point. Networking is crucial in terms of
acquiring new clients. Nowadays, we also design eco-
logical buildings. Parallel to our daily operations, we are
actively working towards raising our clients’ awareness
of ecological construction issues. This is a market seg-
ment that is set to grow.
Have you had any initial success?
We have been recording a steady increase in turnover
since we set up the business. In the first year, we were
only able to survive thanks to the start-up allowance paid
by the Employment Agency. Since then, things have
been on the up and up and our projects are becoming
more interesting. At the beginning we were redevelop-
ing warehouses. Now, we build upmarket one-family
or multi-family houses in Berlin-Dahlem – which is a lot
more stimulating. Every small step is an achievement
and we are celebrating a new one at the moment: the
move to our own office. Before that, we were working
from home. Since 2010, we have also been employing
a temporary freelancer, and now we have so much work
on the horizon that the plan is to team up with an archi-
tectural firm who we are on friendly terms with.
You set up your business without taking out a
loan. How did you manage that?
We expanded our business step-by-step and managed
to avoid getting into serious debt. We made do with
what we had and grew slowly from there. That’s some-
thing I would recommend to other new entrepreneurs.
Also, you shouldn’t undersell yourself. That’s something
our business mentor emphasized again and again. At
the beginning, we tried offering our clients a free service,
for example giving a free estimate, in order to be award-
ed the project. But the clients ended up contracting us
only for the free service and didn’t take it any further.
These days, when a client approaches us, we calculate
the costs of the redevelopment or construction but then
charge for the calculation, offering to offset the charge
against our fee if a subsequent contract is concluded.
Claus Wittram-regenhardt
tobias Gammelin
GRÜNHAUSARCHITEKTEN
Büro für gesundes und ökologisches Bauen
Potsdam
www.gruenhaus-architekten.de
Foundation: 2009
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst –
Landeshauptstadt Potsdam
Service provider: Technologie- und Gründerzentren Potsdam GmbH
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Mr. Wittram-regenhardt, you and your business
partner have set up an ecological architecture
company. What do you do exactly?
We design ecological and healthy buildings, for fami-
lies and institutional and commercial clients. Essentially,
we utilise natural materials, such as wood, adobe and
mineral paints and avoid using any toxic substances in
our buildings. This promotes a healthy indoor climate,
which is not only important for people with allergies;
it raises the quality of life for everyone living or work-
ing in the building. By avoiding electrosmog we create
healthy sleeping environments. Ecological construction
also means using sustainable materials. For external in-
sulation purposes, for example, we recommend using
mineral materials, renewable materials or recycable ma-
terials which do not create any disposal problems if the
building needs to be demolished in the future. However,
very few clients think that far ahead.
How did the Potsdam business mentoring ser-
vice assist you with your start-up preparation?
I completed the programme at the assessment centre
and was assigned a business mentor. This was a great
help to us in terms of choosing our location. During this
time, we also thought long and hard about the aim of
our enterprise and our personal business perspectives:
What is it we want to achieve? What services shall we
offer? How shall we distinguish ourselves from other
architectural firms? What type of marketing strategy
shall we adopt?
You decided to locate your firm in Potsdam. Did
you carry out any local market research?
Yes, we looked into whether anyone else was already
offering the same services. In the process, we re-
searched all construction activities on the go in Pots-
dam. As it turned out, it was not so easy to break into
the ecological construction segment. There is as yet lit-
tle awareness of ecological building concepts and the
problems associated with harmful substances among
clients. Although everybody talks about environmental
protection, good intentions tend to be swiftly forgotten
once people have to reach into their pockets.
“We expanded step-by-step and avoided getting into serious debt”
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How did the business mentoring service help
you?
I particularly benefited from the four-day assessment
centre programme which helped me determine whether
or not my business idea was feasible and whether I was
suited to setting up my own business. I was made aware
of subjects that I wouldn’t have thought of myself, such
as tax, insurance, marketing and organisation. The fea-
sibility of my turnover expectations was also assessed.
What challenges did you overcome while prepar-
ing to launch your own business?
The financing was the biggest challenge. I was lucky to
have enough savings to buy the necessary instruments
and to pay for the training. Once the business was up
and running, I invested all of my income in the ‘Musikgar-
ten’, buying further instruments, music books and CDs.
Customer acquisition turned out to be more difficult than
expected. The business mentoring service had helped
me do the research and I knew there was a market for
my business. The challenge was how to develop adver-
tising capable of reaching my target group. Now, I run
regular advertisements in all of the media that specifically
address parents, I put ads up in day care centres and
hand out business cards. I am also considering distribut-
ing postcards around paediatrician practices and phar-
macies.
What have you achieved so far?
My greatest achievement is the fact that I now generate
my monthly target turnover. All of my courses are fully
booked. There are more customers contacting me than I
have places for. I also had an enquiry from the local music
school asking me to run courses on their premises. At the
moment, I can’t fit this into my schedule but working with
a music school would be a great thing to do in the future
once my two children are a bit older.
How do you cope with self-employment and the
associated financial insecurity?
That is something I had to get used to. I have been running
my own business since December 2009. Before that I had
always been employed, so self-employment was totally new
terrain for me. I started thinking things through in advance.
For example, lessons which I have to cancel due to sick-
ness, I make up for in the holidays. That is in my contract.
All in all, with organising everything myself – from website
administration to tax, contracts and bookkeeping - I do have
the impression that I have become more confident.
What advice would you give to other new start-
ups?
Don’t get discouraged by initial setbacks. Always view
criticism in a positive light, see it rather as food for thought
to help you improve your business idea. I would also say,
don’t set up a business unless you are entirely convinced
about it and love the concept. The main thing is to have
faith and remain confident. That’s essential.
4 5
Ms. Butterbach, you run a ‘Musikgarten’ in Pots-
dam. What services do you offer?
‘Musikgarten’ is an early childhood music education pro-
gramme for children up to the age of five. Originally from
the USA, the concept took root in Germany in the 1990s.
The programme aims to help children develop a love of
music from a very early age and to promote family bond-
ing.
Adults also get hands-on experience with music. I re-
ceived a licence from the Institute for Elementary Music
Education after attending a number of seminars and
qualifying as a ‘Musikgarten’ teacher. I have also com-
mitted myself to attending regular advanced training ses-
sions. This means that I am entitled to use the ‘Musikgar-
ten’ name and logo and to offer my own programme. In
practical terms, I use simple percussion instruments in
my courses, such as claves, shakers, bells or drums. I
also introduce new instruments to the children, such as
the recorder, djembe, keyboard or guitar.
You have a degree in psychology. How did you
come to set up a ‘Musikgarten’?
When I moved from Munich to Potsdam in 2007, I was
not sure what I would do here. Unfortunately the local
market for psychologists is rather limited. I had been
searching for employment for a year when someone told
me about the ‘Musikgarten’ concept. After attending one
of their courses in Berlin, the programme appealed to me
and I discovered that there were some overlaps with psy-
chology.
“The most important thing is to have faith in your idea, remain optimistic and confident.“
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
eva Butterbach
Musikgarten
Potsdam
www.musikgarten-potsdam.de
Foundation: 2009
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst – Landeshauptstadt Potsdam
Service provider: Technologie und Gewerbezentren Potsdam GmbH
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Start-ups in rural areas require special advice
To ensure that things do indeed work out, the mentors
acquaint their clients at an early enough stage with the
unique conditions new businesses should expect to
encounter in rural areas. “Long distances, for example,
mean that more time is needed and there are higher
transport costs; this has to be considered in the plan-
ning”, explains Wessels. As groups of potential custom-
ers in the catchment areas may be small and have limit-
ed buying power, how one approaches target groups
needs to be carefully considered. The coaches assigned
to new entrepreneurs are also expected to take rural
conditions into account. Wessels continues: “It is im-
portant to connect with our potential entrepreneurs on
both an emotional and intellectual level. We have to get
the message through that though every start-up repre-
sents a challenge entailing certain risks, it also offers a
wealth of opportunities. Asking budding entrepreneurs
to merely write down their business concepts is by no
means enough. The family must be taken into account
during the coaching process to jointly assess how the
business will affect them. Not all mentors are capable of
handling these matters.”
Diverse start-up concepts
What is my target group? How do I reach it? What is
a realistic turnover? How do I ensure a steady flow of
orders? The answers to these as well as other ques-
tions are all covered in the context of the regular start-up
consultations, regardless of whether a new business is
to be located in or close to a town or in a rural area. New
entrepreneurs also face legal challenges: What goods
or services may a company offer, which are prohibited?
Among the start-up concepts, the service sector fea-
tures strongly, followed by the professions, handicrafts
and retailing. “Business ideas span a wide range, from
business consultancy in or around towns, telecommu-
nications and information technology in both towns and
country, to mobile pedicure and special spa services in
rural areas,” states Klaus Wessels.
technologie- und Gründerzentrum „Fläming“ GmbH
Klaus Wessels
Brücker Landstraße 22 b
14806 Bad Belzig
Phone: 033841 65152
Internet: www.tgz-belzig.depo
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Covering more than 2,500 square kilometres, the district
of Potsdam-Mittelmark is the third largest in Germany.
Unevenly populated, this rural district offers a wide range
of new business opportunities: tourism-related business
concepts work well in the more rural areas while techno-
logical concepts can tap into the large supply of quali-
fied scientific staff in and around Berlin and Potsdam.
Today, the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark has excellent
road and rail transport connections. According to start-
up mentor Klaus Wessels, however, the gap between
the economic standard in the heart of the district and
that around Berlin or Potsdam is quite considerable.
The same is true for the predominant attitude towards
life. “Let me put it this way”, Wessels explains, “some
start-up concepts would never find a market in the rural
areas! Nevertheless, these areas have a certain potential
that the city can’t offer. Sometimes, new entrepreneurs
in the rural areas don’t give enough thought to how dif-
ferent the framework conditions are, hoping that things
will somehow just work out.”
Regional business mentoring service provided by the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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So your customers’ wishes matter to you?
Yes, they do. My customers have more or less made
LandLust Körzin what it is today. Although I believe that
you shouldn’t lose sight of your own objectives, you
should always keep the needs of the customer in mind.
We now have customers who return regularly because
our menu changes weekly and they like the personal
touch. We are on friendly terms with our customers and
keep in touch with each other.
as your business grew, was it difficult to find and
retain suitable staff?
That was by no means an easy process. I started off do-
ing most things myself, working both in the kitchen and
the service area. Now I can hold my own in all areas and
nobody can challenge me in any situation. I believe the
friendly working environment really makes a difference
to my staff. I want my staff to be fit and healthy. They
are paid well and I offer good working conditions. That
aspect is very important to me and it also helps create a
good working atmosphere.
What motivates you?
Many people just work to earn money, but that doesn’t
necessarily make them happy. You should love what
you do and not forget that work should be fun and give
you a sense of fulfilment. It is also crucial that your fam-
ily supports the business. If you’re working a 60-hour
week, you are going to miss out on a lot and there is
no way around that. You should also avoid falling into a
rut. These are fast-moving times, and you have to move
with them and remain open to change.
ulrike Laun
LandLust Körzin
Körzin
www.landlust-koerzin.de
Foundation: 2006
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Potsdam-Mittelmark
Service provider: Technologie- und Gründerzentrum „Fläming“ GmbH
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Ms. Laun, you run an establishment called
LandLust Körzin. Can you tell me a bit about it?
Well, it’s a restaurant offering a regional menu and a
shop that sells regional products ranging from toys to
foodstuffs such as cheese, sausages, ham, jams, bread
and wine. I established LandLust after I had a work ac-
cident and couldn’t continue in my original job. My em-
ployer wasn’t able to offer an alternative either. At the
time, it was rather hard since I’am an active kind of per-
son and like to work. I started off producing all kinds of
stuff from pumpkins and that gave me the idea to open
a shop in Körzin offering regional products.
What support did you receive for your start-up?
I had the business idea but didn’t know how to put it into
action. The business mentoring service came to my at-
tention at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and
I then applied for a place on their assessment centre
programme. That proved to be really helpful in terms of
rethinking my business idea and coming up with a de-
tailed plan. The plan was clear in my head but I couldn’t
have got it down on paper without the help of my men-
tor, especially the liquidity and profitability aspects of it.
So everything went smoothly for you?
Not quite, I had a lot of red tape to contend with: I had to
deal with the public construction authority in connection
with my building applications; with the office for pub-
lic order, the tax office, etc. I gave myself a push every
day and that helped me get through. I really wanted to
achieve my aim and had to toughen up and be ready to
fight for it, again and again.
How has LandLust developed since its estab-
lishment?
Very well, actually! We now employ four full-time staff.
The business has changed though: Originally, LandLust
was exclusively a retail business, then, I added a small
restaurant, which has since become a lot bigger. As with
the shop, the food is mostly sourced regionally and is
almost entirely organic. The customers really appreci-
ate that.
“Our customers made LandLust Körzin what it is.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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Close ties with rWK Prignitz
The Prignitz business mentoring service also maintains
close ties with the players involved in the RWK Prignitz,
which includes the municipalities of Perleberg, Witten-
berge and Karstädt. New entrepreneurs can take ad-
vantage of the momentum generated by developing
companies. They can also learn from these companies’
experience or fit their own plans in with the overall re-
gional plan. The business mentoring service keeps them
up-to-date regarding the regional plan which predomi-
nantly focuses on tourism. “As much as 70 percent of
the district‘s land is used for agricultural purposes”,
explains Sandra Balkow. “At the same time, with less
than 40 people per square kilometre, the population is
rather small. This opens up a variety of opportunities
in the tourism field.” Although services, at 40 percent,
are at the top of the start-up hit list, there is a lot of
common ground between the services and tourism sec-
tors. With the assistance of the business mentoring ser-
vice, numerous B&Bs, restaurants and snack bars have
been set up, mostly along the cycle routes. A number
of tradespersons (30 percent) and non-qualified peo-
ple (15 percent) also benefit from tourism: with a lot of
modernisation being carried out, predominantly by new
arrivals from Berlin and the old federal states – bricklay-
ers, tilers, paviours and mosaicists have a great deal of
work.
a favourable location for new start-ups
Which jobs require a diploma and which don’t? How
can management analysis help me? How does time
management work? The answers to these and many
other questions are part of the typical stock-in-trade of
the Prignitz business mentoring service. Sandra Balkow
has no doubt that the service will soon be assisting fur-
ther commercial and professional newcomers to the
area. “The location is favourable – we are situated mid-
way between Hamburg and Berlin. The intercity train
also stops here. I am sure the population figures are go-
ing to rise – just today I had the first midwife asking for
advice on settling in the region.”
technologie- und Gewerbezentrum (tGW)
Prignitz GmbH
Sandra Balkow
Laborstraße 1
19322 Wittenberge
Phone: 03877 984275
Internet: www.tgw-prignitz.de
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“The main feature of the district of Prignitz is its size”,
emphasises start-up mentor Sandra Balkow who works
as project manager at the business mentoring service
run by Technologie- und Gewerbezentrum (TGW) Prig-
nitz GmbH. At over 2,000 square kilometres, this dis-
trict located in the far north-west of Brandenburg is one
of the largest in the Federal State. Its border coincides
with those of the federal states of Sachsen-Anhalt,
Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern along
two-thirds of its length. The district is also home to the
Prignitz regional growth centre (RWK Prignitz), which is
the heart of the district’s economic power offering busi-
nesses the ideal location for successful development.
There are numerous start-up opportunities for new en-
trepreneurs and a highly committed Prignitz business
mentoring service to assist them.
Crossing borders
According to Sandra Balkow, it is important for found-
ers of new businesses to see the bigger picture. Many
don’t think beyond their immediate vicinity and allow
their vision to be restricted by borders such as the Elbe
river which separates Sachsen-Anhalt from large parts
of Prignitz. “We encourage our budding entrepreneurs
to think beyond borders and to exploit the proximity of
the other federal states. Potential customers also live
on the other side of the state border. We help our cli-
ents identify this potential.” The close ties TGW Prignitz
GmbH maintains with scientific institutions and univer-
sities represent a further valuable commodity. Via the
Prignitz regional transfer office located in the Technolo-
gie- und Gewerbezentrum, contacts with the Branden-
burg universities and universities of applied sciences,
e.g. FH Brandenburg, are particularly close. There is a
focus on initiating knowledge-based start-ups and the
subsequent support of young enterprises.
Regional business mentoring service provided by the district of Prignitz
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potential customers and present my services to them. Of
course, I also maintain a website so customers can find
me online. Three to four times a year, I organise events. All
of this is essential in order to keep business turning over.
Just opening the shop door and putting three little flower
pots out would not get me anywhere.
What assistance did the business mentoring
service provide?
Without the business mentoring service, I probably
wouldn’t have set up my own business. And if I had
done so, it wouldn’t have been as successful as it is
now. The three-day assessment centre programme,
during which my business idea was put to the acid test,
was particularly helpful. I also found out a lot of practical
information, for example which applications had to be
filed. Once you have completed the three-day seminar,
you have a clear idea about whether you fulfil the re-
quirements for setting up a business or not. Some po-
tential entrepreneurs were advised against going ahead
with their concept. Recently, just two years on, the busi-
ness mentoring service nominated me entrepreneur of
the year. I was, of course, very proud of this achieve-
ment and asked the head of the mentoring service and
my personal coach to accompany me to the awards
ceremony at the state chancellery where minister presi-
dent Matthias Platzeck presented me with the award.
are there any aspects regarding your business
on which you still need advice?
Yes, tax and time management. I am a single mother. To-
gether with my coach, I prepared a schedule that allows
my children and I to spend time together. My shop is
open from 7.30 am to 12 pm. Lessons at my children‘s
school end at noon but the children stay on until 2 pm
for lunch, to do their homework and attend extracur-
ricular activities. At 2 pm, I collect them and we decide
the programme for the rest of the day. The time between
12 and 2 pm I spend discussing orders with my hotel
and restaurant customers, meeting business partners
and making phone calls. At 5 pm, I close the shop and
spend time with my children. At 8 pm, when they are
in bed, I do my bookkeeping. The shop is closed on
Mondays and I devote that day to my children. Though
everything runs to a tight schedule, the atmosphere is
a lot more harmonious than it was when I was working
at home.
You are still in contact with the mentoring ser-
vice. Is there a particular reason for this?
My business has grown so much that there are not
enough hours in the day to deal with it. These days, I
supply eight restaurants and I am considering employ-
ing somebody on a part-time basis. This is an area the
business mentoring service can help me with. I am also
considering attending a seminar that focuses on the
testing and development of staff management skills.
While I would like my employees to have a pleasant
working environment, the work still needs to be done.
That is something that requires good staff management
skills.
What recommendations do you have for other
new entrepreneurs?
Running your business should be something that you
enjoy rather than something that merely brings in mon-
ey. Unless your business motivation is fuelled by passion
and love, you will not be able to cope with the 18-hour
days that you sometimes have to work. I would also
strongly advise against rushing in without first obtaining
professional advice.
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“Everything runs to a tight schedule, but the atmosphere is much more harmonious than when I was working at home.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Ms. ulrich, you manage your own flower shop.
What is it that makes it special?
My business is based on three pillars: the first pillar con-
sists of the sale of seasonal and unusual flowers. The
second pillar comprises wedding and event floristry. The
third pillar is based on the sale of accessories. I inten-
tionally located my business here in Lenzen. It is true
that the region is lacking in terms of infrastructure but,
on the positive side, I have more or less no competition.
And I advertise beyond the region’s borders. This con-
cept has worked out very well for me.
Does this mean that some of your customers
are located outside the region in Lower Saxony
and Mecklenburg?
That’s right, Lenzen is located in the western part of
Brandenburg, on the Elbe river. The border with Lower-
Saxony is three kilometres from here and the border
with Mecklenburg-Vorpommern five kilometres. A loca-
tion like that is just right for cross-border advertising.
Customers don’t even mind having to travel to my shop
to collect their orders. They enjoy the atmosphere in the
shop. At present, I have artichokes and lavender from
France and sunflowers from Germany. I always offer
those plants for sale which are currently in bloom.
Did you carry out any market research to see
whether there were enough customers around?
Yes, initially I set up the business as a sideline, selling flow-
ers from my terrace at home. Over a period of a year-and-
a-half working in this way, I found that there were enough
customers to set up a business. Word of mouth advertis-
ing worked well for me. It reached a stage where my ter-
race became so jam-packed that I could no longer serve
my customers properly. That’s when I moved to a small
shop. Aside from cross-border advertising, I also contact
Constanze ulrich
Petite Fleur
Lenzen
www.petitefleur-constanzeulrich.de
Foundation: 2008
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Prignitz
Service provider: Technologie- und Gewerbe-
zentrum (TGW) Prignitz GmbH
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S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
quality of consultancy services takes top priority
According to Bernd Kruczek, for each start-up, the quality
of the consultancy services is a crucial factor: “This is a
key issue which cannot be emphasised enough. We are a
member of the VDG, the Association of German Start-Up
Initiatives (Verband Deutscher Gründungsinitiativen e. V.).
Having been involved in the preparation of the association’s
consultancy standards, we expect our external coaches
to adhere to them. We also advise our mentors to obtain
a respective certificate.” Operating in line with these con-
sultancy standards, the Spree-Neiße business mentoring
service has, from the outset, placed quality before quantity.
“This means that our staff put a lot of effort into ascertain-
ing whether new entrepreneurs and their business ideas
really have the potential to succeed. High-quality consult-
ing also means that mentors may actually advise against
a particular project.” The figures bear this out: Of the ap-
proximately 270 businesses launched with the help of the
Spree-Neiße business mentoring service, 80 percent are
still trading, among them unusual start-ups such as a ro-
deo ranch, a soup bar and a rock climbing centre. In its
advertising, the latter proudly refers to the fact that it was
founded with the assistance of the Spree-Neiße business
mentoring service and subsequently won an award in a
start-up competition.
Centrum für Innovation und technologie GmbH
Bernd Kruczek
Inselstraße 30/31
03149 Forst (Lausitz)
Phone: 03562 6924117
Internet: www.cit-wfg.de
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A brief summary of the district: the number of SMEs
in the paper, food, plastics/chemicals and metal indus-
tries is growing. Located just outside Berlin’s commuter
belt with the Spreewald nature reserve on its doorstep,
the district has a history of surface mining and lignite-
fired power plants. There are plenty of promising start-
up opportunities in the district, a fact that is confirmed
by Bernd Kruczek, project manager at the Spree-Neiße
business mentoring service provided by the Centre for
Innovation and Technology GmbH: “Just think of the
Spreewald health and spa region and the range of tour-
istic opportunities it has to offer. There is no doubt that
the demand is there. A wealth of opportunities awaits
new founders in the tourism, health and spa sectors.
One must remember, of course, that the success or
failure of a new business ultimately depends on the in-
dividual entrepreneur.” In this respect, the advice and
assistance offered by the Spree-Neiße business men-
toring service can prove invaluable. Since 2000, its staff
has given advice to approximately 340 potential entre-
preneurs between the ages of 45 and 65. Questions re-
garding commercial and marketing issues, both before
and after the start-up, tend to predominate. Currently
the trend among start-ups is towards people-oriented
services, in particular those in the health sector. This in-
cludes physiotherapists and speech therapists as well
as other alternative practitioners. Commercial services
are less prevalent in the region and businesses in the
processing trade are few and far between.
Regional business mentoring service provided by the district of Spree-Neiße
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You launched your business in the spring. How
has it been going so far?
It is hard to believe how much demand there is for my
animals considering I haven‘t done any advertising. Re-
cently, a woman running an online shop in the UK asked
me to work with her. I am thrilled to be getting so much
positive feedback from my customers. That really keeps
me motivated. Having said that, managing my custom-
ers is quite a challenge. The number of e-mails I receive
which all have to be answered is phenomenal. Some
collectors also start discussing private matters and that
is an area where I have to find a cut-off point, I work 12
hours a day as it is.
Which particular aspect has played a crucial
role in the success of your business?
The most important thing for me was to have a dream,
a vision that inspired me to keep going. In 2006, when
I started making bears, I had a dream of one day mak-
ing a living from my hobby, even if it was a completely
unrealistic one. Without this vision I couldn’t have seen
the whole thing through. I would advise everyone to
familiarise themselves with the Internet, it represents a
huge global market. For my business, the Internet is ab-
solutely essential.
Simone Marthaler
SimaBears
Kolkwitz
www.simabears.de
Foundation: 2011
Advised by: Regionaler Lotsendienst Landkreis
Spree-Neiße
Service provider: Centrum für Innovation und
Technologie GmbH
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Ms. Marthaler, you make designer stuffed ani-
mals. What exactly are they?
My animals are not cuddly toys for children but collec-
tor’s items made from upmarket materials such as mo-
hair and high-quality plush fabrics. Bears feature most
strongly among my range. I produce them at home and
sell them on the Internet, either via my website or via
dedicated online market places. Many of my customers
are collectors in the old Federal States, but I also deal
with buyers from all over the world, for example Australia
and the UK.
Did you have any entrepreneurial experience
before setting up your business?
No, self-employment was completely new territory for
me. I am a single mother with four children, the young-
est of which is only five. Returning to full-time employ-
ment was not really an option for me. My friends were
constantly encouraging me to turn my hobby into a
business. After receiving a lot of positive feedback on a
designer bear forum, I finally took the plunge and started
making stuffed animals on a professional basis.
You consulted the Spree-neiße business men-
toring service before setting up your business.
What assistance did you receive?
All in all the support was excellent. For example, it was
helpful for me to see how the other participants per-
ceived my business concept. My group consisted most-
ly of men, all of whom had very solid business ideas
in mind. When they heard about my artistic business
concept, it was obvious that they didn’t really take it
seriously. That put some doubt in my head. The men-
tor then suggested that I should bring some of my de-
signer animals along to the next session. When I did so,
the group, which had indeed been assuming that I had
been talking about conventional cuddly toys, became
really enthusiastic. They then viewed my business con-
cept in a totally different light and started taking it seri-
ously. It was my product that convinced them.
“I had a dream, a vision that inspired me to keep going.”
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needs-based consulting
This is all the more remarkable considering that most of
the founders have set up small businesses, such as re-
tail shops, restaurants or basic services, in crisis-prone
sectors. Crafts that do not require registration are also
prevalent among the start-ups, especially in the con-
struction sector. The fact that so many businesses are
still surviving is not least due to the needs-based advice
being offered by the mentoring service. Julia Lexow-
Kapp explains: “Our clients primarily need information
about German regulations, procedures and administra-
tive structures. We provide potential entrepreneurs with
all the necessary information and addresses. One other
important issue is that of qualifications. Many potential
business founders come up against a brick wall because
their foreign qualifications are not recognised in Germa-
ny and they don’t know what they need to do in order
to receive this recognition. Intercultural skills also play
a crucial role. A Vietnamese person setting up a retail
shop, for example, needs to know what form of address
his German customers are likely to expect.” The con-
sultancy approach adopted by the business mentoring
service for migrants is the same as at the other business
mentoring services in the Federal State of Brandenburg.
After the initial consultancy session, potential founders
take part in the assessment centre programme. Those
that make it through the assessment stage are then as-
signed a personal coach. Follow-up support during the
first six months of business is of vital importance and
the advantages of networking with other start-ups and
entrepreneurs cannot be overemphasized.” She contin-
ues: “With this in mind, we support the establishment of
ethnic business associations which promote network-
ing between start-ups and entrepreneurs in their own
mother tongue. It has come to our attention that our tar-
get group is particularly active on social media platforms
and we therefore intend to set up a Facebook group
with the aim of spreading information about our services
further. The business mentoring service for migrants
has been a great success and the number of clients,
predominantly aged between 30 and 50, is increasing
steadily. And, what’s more, the number of female busi-
ness founders is also on the rise.”
iq consult gGmbH
Julia Lexow-Kapp
Schiffbauergasse 7
14467 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 6207944
Internet: www.iq-consult.com
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Whether Polish, Georgian, Russian or Vietnamese, the
role played by new entrepreneurs from countries outside
of Germany is an important one for the Federal State of
Brandenburg. In 2010, founders with a foreign passport
made up as much as 11 percent of all business regis-
trations. That many of them are successful in the long
run is not least due to the business mentoring service
for migrants. In the past, founders with a foreign back-
ground frequently had to close their businesses due to
insufficient knowledge of the entrepreneurial framework
conditions in Germany. With the aim of placing migrants’
business ventures on a more stable footing, a business
mentoring service for migrants, with its head office in
Potsdam, was therefore established on 1 March 2004.
Migrants all over the Federal State of Brandenburg are
entitled to make use of this service.
Working with migrant networks
Julia Lexow-Kapp, head of the migrant mentoring ser-
vice explains why, before 2004, German-language advi-
sory services as provided by the Chambers of Industry
and Commerce or the Chambers of Crafts proved to
be inadequate and thus had to be supplemented with
a special service for founders with an immigration back-
ground: “It was difficult to reach this target group via
the regular advisory services or the German-language
media. Once we had set up our mentoring service, our
first step was to contact migrant networks and business
associations with an immigration background. We also
took on mentors with a foreign background and enrolled
the help of successful entrepreneurs of immigrant origin.
These acted as multipliers and news of the services be-
ing offered by our business mentors began to spread.”
The response has been very positive. Since 2004, ap-
proximately 1,000 initial consultation sessions have re-
sulted in 250 successful business start-ups. And, what’s
more, half of these enterprises are still going strong.
Business mentoring service for migrants
5 8 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
How did you find your first customer?
Through personal contacts. My first customer was an
acquaintance who needed carpet laid throughout his
entire house. This customer recommended me to other
people he knew. That’s how it all started. I took on jobs
all over Germany, from Cologne to Hinterzarten – I was
constantly on the road. That took up a lot of my time,
but at the beginning you have to be prepared to put in
the extra hours.
the business mentoring service helped you set
up your business, what kind of support did you
receive?
It was all new for me. I had little idea of the business as-
pects of setting up an enterprise. The mentor assigned
to me gave me a lot of important information, which was
very helpful. I learned about taking legal provisions, tax
and bookkeeping. Now, I have three permanent em-
ployees and the business is going well. Still, I have to
keep canvassing for new customers all the time. After
all, my employees expect their wages at the end of the
month and I have to pay for supplies in order to manu-
facture my products.
Which advice would you give to new business
founders?
Customer acquisition is the key factor: seek and you
shall find, as they say. Potential entrepreneurs with a
foreign background should prepare their product or ser-
vice portfolio in their mother language and have it pro-
fessionally translated. Also, one should send out 50 to
100 sales letters a day to potential customers and follow
them up, maybe offering a personal meeting to present
the company and its services. I recommend getting out
there once a week and personally approaching potential
customers. That’s really important.
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“I recommend getting out there once a week and personally approaching potential customers. That’s really important.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Mr. Skalt, you are a certified floorer offering floor
covering services and products. What do these
consist of?
We design floors with parquet or prefinished parquet and
use sand and level out sub-surfaces in preparation for
flooring. We also manufacture car mats, stairwell cover-
ing, bath mats and bedside carpets. Last year, I bought an
embroidery machine with a new line of business in mind.
Now we can embroider hats, shirts, cloths or horse blan-
kets. Our range of products is quite diverse and we have
a wide spectrum of customers, from private individuals to
car dealers and property management companies.
How did you get through the initial phase?
It was a very exhausting time. I was on unemployment
benefit and it was very difficult to explain to the authori-
ties why I wanted to start my own business and needed
government assistance. At the beginning I wasn’t earn-
ing much and still had to buy equipment for the busi-
ness. I didn’t have any business premises to receive
my customers. My tools were being stored in the cellar.
At the time, I didn’t even have a linking machine. There
were many things I didn’t have, and that includes cus-
tomers.
Michael Skalt
SKALTTEX e. K.
Frankfurt (Oder)
www.skalttex.de
Foundation: 2005
Advised by: Lotsendienst für Migrantinnen und Migranten
Service provider: iq consult gGmbH
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Start-up fever among Polish students is spreading
KOWA has also found that Polish students are a lot more
motivated than their German counterparts when it comes
to setting up a business. “In Poland, people are more likely
to try things out, they don’t spend so much time mulling
things over and finally dismissing them as people in Ger-
many tend to do. Polish people simply forge ahead and
see what happens. If it works, they continue, if not they
try something else.” This attitude is quite contagious, for
example when the start-up service manages to bring
German and Polish would-be entrepreneurs together for
cross-border projects which often prove to be quite suc-
cessful. Many sustainable business ideas develop as a
result of the degree programmes taught at Viadrina, es-
pecially in the fields of business and cultural studies. Ex-
amples consist of a German-Polish business consultancy
firm, an agency for scientific evaluation or services combin-
ing culture with tourism such as historic travel services in
Germany and Poland. Start-ups in the wholesale or retail
trade benefit from the proximity of the border, and as much
as 16 percent of all start-ups that have been supported by
KOWA to date are trading firms.
Self-employment as a career choice
Many students start setting up a small business in the first
semesters, aiming to turn something they are interested
in into a long-term occupation. Surprisingly, business
students who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs
sometimes give up rather quickly once they realise how
much work is involved. They often end up going for regular
employment in a middle-management position. In con-
trast, the cultural science students tend to stick at it, not
least since their chances of regular employment are slim.
Arne Meyer-Haake explains: “Many don’t understand that
they are actually involved in something that could have en-
trepreneurial potential. The vocabulary they use is entirely
different, they do not identify with terms such as ‘entrepre-
neurship’ or ‘self-employment’; instead they tend to refer
to ‘projects’. This means that we have to explain to them
what a project is, what its long-term potential is, the tasks
that are associated with it, how financing can be secured,
and that they should stick with it for the long-term. They
suddenly realise that it’s not necessary to apply anywhere
and that they can take the initiative themselves. This leads
them to discover an alternative career option – that of the
entrepreneur.” Given this background, KOWA has found
that good business mentors need to be able to under-
stand students and their life situation. Factual knowledge
aside, it is personal coaching that proves to be the decisive
factor when it comes to determining the most effective ap-
proach and establishing a successful network.
6 3
The name says it all: Approximately one quarter of the stu-
dents at the European University Viadrina have a foreign
passport, most of them are from nearby Poland or other
European countries. With teaching premises, faculties and
lectures located on both sides of the German-Polish bor-
der in Frankfurt and Słubice, the university’s location is also
something exceptional. According to Arne Meyer-Haake,
who works for KOWA, the Unit for Co-operation between
Science and the Working World (Kooperationsstelle Wis-
senschaft und Arbeitswelt (KOWA), the institution that
provides the start-up service at the Viadrina University in
Frankfurt (Oder), the fact that there is such a large num-
ber of different nationalities present at Viadrina University
poses quite a challenge for the start-up support service.
“Many of the students know very little about Germany as
a business location and even less about Brandenburg, in
contrast, say, to the neighbouring town of Słubice. While
most of them believe that tax paid by start-ups and small
companies are substantially more favourable in Słubice
than in Brandenburg, the opposite is actually the case.”
Start-up support service at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
europa-universität viadrina Frankfurt (oder)
Kooperationsstelle Wissenschaft und Arbeitswelt e. V. (KOWA)
Arne Meyer-Haake, Dr. Ramona Alt
Postfach 1786
15207 Frankfurt (Oder)
Phone: 0335 55345902
Internet: www.kowa-ffo.de
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S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
is registered in my name only, I still work with the same
colleagues. As freelance tour guides they also work for
other travel agencies.
are you already in the black?
Yes, but only just. My business does not have mass
commercial appeal. It attracts individuals only. I don’t
have a standardised programme and therefore can’t or-
ganise more than 20 or 30 of these personalised trips
per year. As the preparations for each trip are rather
time-consuming, this workload keeps me pretty busy.
Which successes have you chalked up so far?
I’ve had the pleasure of organising many wonderful trips
and putting together numerous intriguing family histo-
ries. The jobs have been largely successful and have
brought a lot of happiness to many people. The loss of
their homeland 65 years ago was a traumatic experi-
ence for those involved, and it is often helpful to revisit
their old home and meet the people who now live there.
The inhabitants on the Polish side are often pleased
to meet the former German owners, particularly when
there is no claim for restitution, although such claims
have no chance of success anyway. Every job, trip and
even the research are all special – a moving experience.
Which advice would you give to friends and ac-
quaintances who want to set up a business?
Take courage and jump in at the deep end regardless of
official obstacles. Staying power is the key, particularly
when you have an unusual business idea. It can take
several years to get established on the market. Finan-
cially speaking, I haven’t got beyond the start-up phase,
and in terms of my business concept, I am still experi-
menting and developing ideas.
Matthias Diefenbach
Heimatreise
Frankfurt (Oder)
www.heimatreise.de
Foundation: 2008
Advised by: Gründungsservice an der
Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Service provider: Kooperationsstelle Wissenschaft und
Arbeitswelt e. V. (KOWA)
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Mr. Diefenbach, you run a travel agency offering
specialist services.
Yes, we organise trips for people wishing to travel to
places connected with their family history. These desti-
nations are all located east of the Oder and Neiße rivers
in the former German eastern territories, today western
Poland and Kaliningrad. Our customers are mostly pri-
vate individuals from Germany or other European coun-
tries and also the USA and Australia. They want to revisit
the land of their childhood or their ancestors’ home-
lands and have a look at their old houses or schools.
Where possible we inform the current inhabitants of
the impending trip and encourage dialogue between
the former and present inhabitants. We also carry out
genealogical research, including family histories during
National Socialist times. This research involves both lo-
cal work and consulting archives in Poland. We also of-
fer themed walks in the neighbouring towns of Frankfurt
and Słubice and organise excursions to the region that
was once host to a number of summer resorts popular
with Berliners – a region that had been all but forgotten
for over 70 years. I am talking about former Ostbranden-
burg, today known as Lubusz voivodship.
What gave you the idea for the business?
While studying cultural sciences and cultural history at
the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), my
colleagues and I originally conceived and developed
the idea in the context of a student project. At the time,
we were working with an association, the subsequently
named Institute for Applied History (Institut für ange-
wandte Geschichte), on the development of new ap-
proaches to historical themes, in particular those relat-
ing to the German-Polish border region. While working
on the project, we discovered that there was a lot of de-
mand for personally supported and well-organised trips
to the old homeland. There were various legal and or-
ganisational obstacles preventing the association from
offering these trips on a commercial basis, which is why
we developed this idea into a business concept. This is
the business concept on which I have based my enter-
prise. The start-up service provided by KOWA Frankfurt
(Oder) offered invaluable assistance. If the staff hadn’t
convinced me that it was indeed a good idea to offer
these trips on a commercial basis, I wouldn’t have had
the courage myself to do it. The start-up service also put
me in touch with a business consultant with specialist
knowledge of the travel industry. Though the business
“Staying power is the key, particularly when you have an unusual business idea.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
place at the moment, with new companies setting up and
creating clusters that attract each other. That is especially
noticeable in the media industry here in Potsdam. How-
ever, I’d like to see software, chemicals and biotechnology
developing in the same way, so that we can hold on to our
start-up founders here in this region.”
the team is what counts
Many of the founders of start-ups who come to BIEM
Startup Navigator are still studying or are about to com-
plete their degrees. Their aim is to be making their first
profit from their companies by the time they are finished
with studying. Babette Grothe also welcomes alumni
who have been earning salaries and now want to be
self-employed. “They already have professional experi-
ence, which puts them in an excellent position as far
as starting up their own companies is concerned. Ide-
ally we can bring them together with start-up founders
whose working lives haven’t yet taken off. Putting the
right team together is essential, especially for highly
specialised scientists. Start-up teams whose mem-
bers don’t have any practical experience mainly tend
to go about things in a rather naive way. Our advice
to them from the outset is to postpone their projects.”
But whether or not they have professional experience,
everyone interested in a start-up who contacts BIEM
Startup Navigator is screened. “Together with the con-
sultants, we always look at three areas – the entrepre-
neur’s personality, their start-up project, and finally the
company’s business environment.” Following on from
this, the Development Center supports the participants
in fine-tuning their business ideas. Unlike many other
consultation agencies, the Startup Navigator continues
to accompany new entrepreneurs over a period of three
to eighteen months, during which they receive constant
advice on such general topics as drawing up a busi-
ness plan as well as more specialised matters such as
planning the marketing of specific software. But even
before the start-up founders get to the stage of seri-
ously tackling their projects, the BIEM Navigators are on
hand with events for students such as managing start-
ups and innovation. The university’s own career service
also benefits from the start-up information events run by
our staff there.
quantity without losing quality
Although the range of services offered for start-up
founders in Potsdam is so extensive, BIEM nonetheless
insists on a high level of quality. As Babette Grothe says,
“We operate a system of selection for both our consult-
ants and our start-up projects. It’s like good wine; qual-
ity depends on a great many factors as well as on a
certain maturity.” Of the two hundred start-ups at the
University of Potsdam and the HFF that have applied for
assistance from the BIEM Startup Navigator since 2007,
164 have received individual advice resulting to date in
ninety start-ups.
6 7
The start-up service at the University of Potsdam and the Konrad Wolf Academy for Film and Television (HFF) in Potsdam-Babelsberg
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Software development, information and communications
technology, life sciences, commerce and other services
are among the most popular sectors for start-ups with
students, graduates and staff of the University of Pots-
dam, while most start-up projects from the Konrad Wolf
Academy for Film and Television (HFF) take place in the
media and creative industries. These start-ups are sup-
ported by the BIEM Startup Navigator of the Branden-
burg Institute for Business Start-Ups and Medium-Sized
Enterprise Development (BIEM). BIEM is run jointly by
the Brandenburg colleges of higher education and the
ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg GmbH. It is backed by
the colleges’ own career services and Potsdam Transfer,
the university transfer agency, as well as BIEM’s extensive
network of regional entrepreneurs and investors. The var-
ied range of consultation services on offer at the Potsdam
campus and the close relations between companies and
higher education institutions are a great advantage, not
only for those starting up their own businesses, but also
for firms, as Babette Grothe of BIEM Startup Navigator
points out: “The region is becoming increasingly interest-
ing for innovative firms. There is a lot of movement taking
BIeM e. v. (Brandenburgisches Institut für existenzgründung und Mittelstandsförderung)
Babette Grothe
BIEM Startup Navigator für die Universität Potsdam und
die Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen (HFF) „Konrad Wolf“ Potsdam-Babelsberg
Am Neuen Palais 10
14469 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 9771720
Internet: www.startup-navigator.de
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You started off relatively small. Do you think it’s
worth making a business plan anyway?
I think so, yes. When you put your business plan down
on paper, a few things become clear, especially things
like marketing, or planning income and expenditures. So
I really do think it’s a good idea to take the trouble, even
if it’s just not to muddle up all the figures going round
your head.
In principle, your business began very success-
fully, didn’t it?
Yes, my practice got off to a really good start, so much
so that I was able to take on a full-time assistant in the
first year. She was joined at the beginning of this year
by a freelance assistant, and I’ll shortly be taking on an-
other therapist. What’s more, we’re going to be moving
to larger premises soon.
What would be your advice to other people
starting their own businesses?
I’d definitely advise anyone to take advantage of coach-
ing and to make sure that the chemistry is right between
the coach and yourself. Starting up a business is a very
personal thing, and a coach’s job is primarily to provide
support and criticism for the business idea and in the
preparation stage of the start-up, and to make sugges-
tions. That’s not always easy to accept. It’s also very
important to talk to the people you’d like to be working
with in the future. In my case, they were paediatricians
and neurologists, as well as nursing and childcare insti-
tutions. In my view, a personal conversation can do so
much more than just a letter or an e-mail.
Dr. Lydia Pelzer
Logopädiepraxis
Nauen
www.logopaedie-pelzer.de
Foundation: 2010
Advised by: Gründungsservice an der Universität
Potsdam
Service provider: Brandenburgisches Institut für
Existenzgründung und Mittelstandsförderung
(BIEM e. V.)
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Dr. Pelzer, you have a doctorate in patholinguis-
tics and set up your own speech therapy prac-
tice in 2010. What were your reasons for doing
that?
During and after my doctorate, I was working in a
speech and language therapy practice in Potsdam. I en-
joyed that a lot, but what I always really wanted was to
set up something of my own and be my own boss. After
I had my two children I thought now is the right time
to start up my own practice. So last year I opened my
own speech therapy practice, where I offer therapy for
children and adults who suffer from language disorders,
speech impediments and dysphagia such as language
development disorders, stuttering, dyslexia, language
disorders following brain damage and so on.
Before you started your practice you had sup-
port from the start-up service at the university
of Potsdam.
Yes, a friend of mine told me about the start-up service,
and I started by taking part in a selection process at
an Assessment Center. Essentially, this was about pre-
senting your own business idea and showing how much
business and entrepreneurial expertise you already pos-
sessed. In return, participants were given information on
business management and other tips on time manage-
ment, marketing and personal presentation. That helped
me a lot. The second stage was about finding a suitable
coach. There was a choice between several corporate
consultants. However, in the end I decided on a consult-
ant I had got on with really well from the outset and who
had already had experience of helping start-ups in the
medical sector as well as being involved in advertising,
marketing and communication for several years. Overall
I’d say I benefited a great deal from her coaching, es-
pecially where things like drawing up my business plan,
talking to banks and designing advertising and my own
website were concerned.
“I’d definitely advise anyone to take advantage of coaching”
6 8 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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7 1S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
three-stage support programme
In Professor Sievers’ experience, it is the open-minded-
ness of his fellow professors which instigates many of
the technically sophisticated start-ups. They motivate
their students to develop business ideas, and intro-
duce them even at that stage to the start-up service
provided by the Brandenburg University of Applied Sci-
ences. Startup Navigator Thomas Rau, for instance,
even teaches a few business and computer science
classes himself. Ideally, students interested in starting a
business who then approach the Startup Navigator take
part in a three-stage support programme. In the first
step, staff look at whether the business idea has any
chance at all in the marketplace. “We work as a sort of
preliminary filter, and we’ll often advise start-up found-
ers who aren’t really ready yet to wait a bit.” Once that
first hurdle has been overcome, there is the Assessment
Center, which assesses the participants’ business ideas
for strengths and weaknesses. “If you’re given the go-
ahead here”, continues Professor Sievers, “we’ll arrange
a coach for you to give you individual advice. That’s the
second filter.”
“this is where I’m studying, this is where I’m
starting my business!”
New entrepreneurs can also get support from the City of
Brandenburg’s own local Technology and Start-Up Cen-
tre, which even provides premises for business founders
from the university rent-free for up to one year. “In this
respect, the support provided by the City is really good,”
says Professor Sievers. “What hurts us a bit and makes
us sad is that especially the media people usually tend
to go off to Potsdam or Berlin. It’s not that they’re try-
ing to avoid the competition, it’s rather the case that
they are attracted to where the competition is. They
give each other a boost. That’s understandable, and it’s
something we can’t provide here in Brandenburg, unfor-
tunately. That’s the problem we have.” And it’s one that
the guidance staff at the Brandenburg University of Ap-
plied Sciences are trying to solve, not least by appealing
to their start-up founders with slogans like “This is where
I’m studying, this is where I’m starting my business!”,
from the university start-up centre’s website.
BIeM e. v. (Brandenburgisches Institut für existenzgründung und Mittelstandsförderung)
Prof. Dr. Hubertus Sievers
BIEM Startup Navigator für die Fachhochschule Brandenburg
Magdeburger Straße 50
14770 Brandenburg an der Havel
Phone: 03381 355242
Internet: www.gruendung-fhb.de
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Many entrepreneurs who start up their own businesses
are recruited from the media and information technology
fields, especially business and computer science. So it
makes sense that IT software development and servic-
es, audio-visual media development, creation of picture
and film material and support for web-based business
processes are right at the top of the list of business ide-
as. Professor Hubertus Sievers, who is in charge of the
start-up services (Startup Navigators) at BIEM goes on
to explain “It’s obvious that start-ups in these areas are
much easier than in, say, the mechanical engineering
industry, because the initial investment is much lower.
That’s a criterion that we shouldn’t underestimate.”
The good news is that the number of start-ups by gradu-
ates of the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences
is steadily going up. On the other hand, start-ups by re-
search assistants are rarer, more a matter of “pot luck”,
according to Prof. Sievers. “Since 2004 we’ve advised
208 pre-graduation students whose first career choice
is to start their own businesses, as well as people who
have already graduated. 135 of them have gone on to
be their own bosses. What has become clear is that our
start-up founders don’t need any great specialist sup-
port. What they don’t have are the basics of business
management and an idea of what steps a start-up in-
volves. The advice we give naturally covers financial and
tax matters as well. Another very big topic is customer
acquisition and marketing.”
But Prof. Sievers does not see a lack of professional and
life experience as an obstacle to starting up your own
business. “The business ideas brought to us are often
things that don’t exist yet in practice. It’s not that hav-
ing limited professional experience is a problem in itself,
although of course, a bit more life experience would help
them avoid making mistakes. We are constantly see-
ing how our company founders undergo a leap in their
personal development when they start their own busi-
nesses. It happens quite quickly.”
The start-up service at the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences
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What successes have you had to date?
In the relatively short time of one or two years we’ve al-
ready managed to get ourselves a good reputation with
public sector clients such as higher education colleges.
We’ve been able to acquire these contracts without do-
ing a lot of advertising, just on the basis of our good
reputation and through recommendation. But in the
meantime we are also taking part in tenders and doing
some marketing. Because our company has grown a
bit – we have two employees now – we need to gener-
ate more business.
You also work as a coach with the start-up ser-
vice yourself now. What advice do you give your
new business founders?
We advise business start-up founders who come to the
start-up service. But we’re also accredited consultants
with the KfW Bankengruppe, which provides credit to
German companies. From this cooperation, we learn
important things for our work. For instance, it’s impor-
tant to draw up a proper business plan and set yourself
a deadline. Time and again I see start-ups just about
managing to keep their heads above the water and not
noticing, even after two or three years, that their busi-
ness ideas are still not working. That’s when you have
to be able to draw a line before it’s too late and you
get into debt. That’s the point at which some start-ups
take on too much financial risk. At any rate, you should
take full advantage of the grants available from the State
of Brandenburg as well as from the federal government
and use these aids to prepare the start-up thoroughly.
And the most important thing, of course, is advice. You
can avoid a lot of mistakes if you get thorough and good
advice and put what’s recommended into practice.
Marko Schröter
Wido Widlewski (not in the company anymore)
websimplex GbR
Lübbenau/Spreewald
www.websimplex.de
Foundation: 2004
Advised by: Gründungsservice an der Fachhochschule Brandenburg
Service provider: Brandenburgisches Institut für Existenzgründung und Mittelstandsförderung (BIEM e. V.)
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Mr Schröter, you and your colleague founded
your company, websimplex, in 2004. What do
you offer?
We provide websites with an editing system – a Web
Content Management System, or WCMS – so that our
clients can add content to their websites without having
to be able to programme themselves. They log in and
can then add or modify text, navigation items, films or
images as they wish. When we started our business,
WCMSs were a relatively new thing, but they’ve become
standard now. This also means that we’ve shifted our
focus. Most of what we do nowadays is developing ad-
ditional modules for specific tasks and integrating them
into existing WCMSs. One example is applications for
databases used in call centres.
How did you arrive at this business idea?
My founding partner, who has since left the company,
and I were students at the Brandenburg University of
Applied Sciences. By chance we had the opportunity of
creating a website for the university, which gave us the
idea of offering the same service to other companies
and institutions. My partner at the time was a computer
scientist, and I’m in business management, so we com-
plemented each other well and were able to share all
the tasks between ourselves in an optimal way. As well
as that, I had already programmed websites for tourism
firms while I was at school in the Spreewald, so I already
had a customer base of around a hundred clients and a
good reputation in the region. I brought my clients with
me into the company, which gave us a foundation that
enabled us to survive the first year.
In spite of having such an excellent basis to
start from, you still sought out support from the
start-up service provided by the Brandenburg
university of applied Sciences.
Yes. Even though I had enjoyed success with the com-
pany I ran while I was still at school, I still didn’t have the
necessary entrepreneurial professionalism. And that’s
precisely what the coach arranged for us through the
guidance service with some intensive ‘extra tuition’.
What was especially helpful were the practical tips you
don’t learn in the classroom, like which company form
to choose and how to deal with tax – for instance, what
you can do in the first year to minimise the tax burden.
“It’s important to draw up a proper business plan and set yourself a deadline”
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Since IbM started in 2006, it has supported 150 start-
up projects involving more than three hundred people
throughout the state of Brandenburg. Some eighty per
cent of these are in the marketplace or in the market-
entry phase, and more than 250 jobs have already been
created, with the trend pointing upwards due to these
companies’ above-average potential for growth.
Short-term aim: attracting start-up captital
According to Ulrich Ruh, experience shows that “the de-
velopment of entrepreneurial skills is a foremost concern
for consultation and coaching. Many start-up founders
think that the route from the idea to the product is easier
than it actually is. Hurdles to market entry are often un-
derestimated and not clearly recognised. Regardless of
how new and important the start-up idea is, every innova-
tive entrepreneur is under enormous pressure. Anybody
starting up a company has to stay innovative and the
proper groundwork has to be laid here too.” In the end
everything has to be right – the founding team, the busi-
ness concept, the business model, access to the mar-
ket and the prospects for growth. Only then will start-up
founders have a good chance of convincing lenders to
provide them with the necessary start-up captital.
Zukunftsagentur Brandenburg GmbH
Ulrich Ruh, Torsten Böttcher
Steinstraße 104–106
14480 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 6603162
Internet: www.zab-brandenburg.de
IBF Institut Berufsforschung und
unternehmensplanung Medien e. v.
Wolfgang Flieger
Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 82
14469 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 20165815
Internet: www.innovationen-brauchen-mut.de
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Continuing to support the dynamics of innovative start-
ups is something that is very important for Brandenburg,
not only demographically, but also in terms of its econo-
my and employment policy. It is essential to generate a
significant increase in start-ups from the scientific com-
munity as well as from existing companies. It is also vital
to support innovative start-ups to make Brandenburg an
attractive location for young companies. “That’s why our
target group also includes people with innovative ideas
from technologically-oriented sectors, including those in
the media and creative sector, tourism, handcraft and
social services who want to start up companies. We sup-
port start-up founders, who have chosen Brandenburg
as the location for their future businesses, from all over
Germany and abroad”, says Ulrich Ruh of Brandenburg’s
state agency for future development ZukunftsAgentur
Brandenburg (ZAB). Together with the Institute for Ca-
reer Research and Company Planning Media (IBF), the
ZAB promotes the project “Innovation Require Courage”,
which helps to realise complex and innovative projects by
complementing the services provided by local guidance
services throughout the federal state as well as the start-
up services at the state’s colleges of higher education.
advice and coaching for innovative start-ups
“With IbM we offer start-up founders individually-tailored
advice and coaching to help them successfully put their
ideas and concepts into practice. The programme of-
fers an individual and modular approach, starting with an
analysis of the start-up project before moving on to in-
dividualised, topic-centred coaching and advice process
with highly-specialised external experts. Together with
our network partners, we are able to integrate our inside
knowledge and experience as an economic development
agency into this process, which means that we are able
to make as rounded a support programme as possible
available to our start-up founders,” says Ulrich Ruh.
Most start-ups are in the information and communica-
tions technology sectors, as well as health and life sci-
ences, followed by new energies and green technologies.
In the creative sector we are increasingly seeing interdis-
ciplinary projects jointly with other sectors, often with a
technological orientation, for example, the use of new
technical solutions in audio, film and television produc-
tion.
“Innovation Require Courage” (“Innovationen brauchen Mut” – IbM)
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cost planning and controlling; it was also about innova-
tion management with new projects. It was also impor-
tant to have a coach who was at home in the medical
technology sector and life sciences as a whole, and one
who was also good with controlling and liquidity plan-
ning. That is particularly important at the beginning.
Nevertheless, getting financing for our machinery was a
huge challenge. There are clear and sensible regulations
governing the testing of certain medical products, which
can only be complied with using certain test procedures
and testing equipment, and that meant that a very big
investment was needed.
and what about acquiring customers?
We focus on close collaboration and individually-tailored
solutions for our customers. In spite of a lot of intensive
commitment and good ideas on our part, it took time
before the customers saw the potential of a small com-
pany and the order books started filling up. However,
since Christian Abicht and I both come from the implant
industry, we have a good network of contacts who have
helped us. Everyone on the ‘scene’ knows each other
and we all meet up regularly at the important confer-
ences and trade fairs.
Does accreditation now mean you are successful?
Yes, accreditation by the Central Health Protection Of-
fice of the Federal States is quite an important milestone
for a test lab. It’s a bit like certification for a company
and involves complying with laboratory regulations. You
have to implement a quality management system and
demonstrate that you can actually carry out the test pro-
cedures you’re offering in the proper way.
All in all I’d say that we’re happy with the way the com-
pany has developed. It’s gone well. We’ve been con-
stantly adding new orders over the past few years,
which has meant that we’ve been able to take on two
fulltime staff.
How should founders of start-ups set about
achieving their entrepreneurial goals?
They should set themselves goals that are achievable.
That means they shouldn’t set their goals too high. For
acquiring customers, we’ve found that it’s better to talk
to potential customers in person. Admittedly, we did
once do a mail shot and send out letters by post with
flyers to companies we knew, but the response wasn’t
particularly good. Face-to-face communication, wheth-
er it’s at a trade fair or on the phone, is far more effective.
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“Getting started didn’t just involve cost planning and controlling; it was also about innovation management.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Ms. raudszus, you and your two colleagues
founded a test laboratory for medicinal prod-
ucts. Where did the idea come from?
Originally I studied sports equipment technology, an en-
gineering subject combined with sport science. I did an
internship at a biomedical lab in Portland, Oregon, and
wrote my masters thesis there. After that it seemed obvi-
ous to carry on working in the field of medical technology
and medical products, and I started work in the R+D de-
partment of a big implant manufacturer. That was when I
met Steffen Vater. We often talked about testing materials
and the development and market potential of that sector
of the industry, so at some point the idea came up that
we could do something like that ourselves. We wanted to
put our own ideas into practice, and as a small company
to work closely with customers and the marketplace.
Then we were joined by Christian Abicht and the three of
us took the big step.
What advisory services did you use?
We got a lot of support from the “Innovation Require
Courage” run by the ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg
GmbH. Our aim was to get established in the field of
new testing methods. Getting started didn’t just involve
Katrin raudszus, Christian abicht, Steffen vater
Questmed GmbH
Kleinmachnow
www.questmed.de
Foundation: 2008
Advised by: Innovationen brauchen Mut (IbM)
Service provider: ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg GmbH
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by law to landscape and plant those areas of land. So
the demand is there. For acquiring clients I benefit from
the many contacts I made during my many years of vol-
untary work and my professional career. For example,
a big electricity supplier has commissioned me to land-
scape the waste dumps from open-pit mines. So over-
all, the demand is very good and of course I’d like to ex-
pand, while continuing to work regionally and locally. I’m
no expert on indigenous plants in Bavaria or Hessen,
but I’d be very pleased if other biologists or landscape
gardeners were to put my idea into practice there.
What support did you get when you were start-
ing up your business?
The business mentoring service of the Spree-Neisse
District recommended that I should take part in the
“Innovation Require Courage” programme and referred
me to the ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg. IbM has a
pool of hand-picked advisers who have specific expe-
rience in coaching individuals with innovative start-up
ideas. That’s important, because the risk of a start-up
failing is far greater with innovative ideas. The IbM staff
at ZAB GmbH gave me a lot of support, for instance, by
arranging a coach for me who gave me the idea of de-
veloping more start-up ideas from the existing start-up –
which makes a lot of sense and adds a great deal to my
business aims. When I get that far, I’m sure I’ll ask IbM
for help again. What really helped me was formulating
my business idea – that is, writing down what was in my
head in a logical way. We did that together. My business
plan is already more than fifty pages long.
What advice would you give to other people
starting up their own businesses?
You should stick with your business idea, but also take
advantage of the help available, which covers a lot of
things like finance, the market situation and what grants
and subsidies are available from where. When you’re
starting up your own company, you’re very busy and
don’t have time to deal with everything. The great thing
about IbM is that you have your very own coach and
don’t have to sit in a seminar with a lot of different peo-
ple who all have their own business ideas. The support I
get from my coach really is tailored to my own individual
needs.
Christina Grätz
Nagola RE GmbH
Jänschwalde
www.nagolare.de
Foundation: 2011
Advised by: Innovationen brauchen Mut (IbM)
Service provider: ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg GmbH
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Ms. Grätz, you’re a biologist and have your own
company that provides vegetation cover for
open spaces. that’s a completely new business
idea.
That’s right. I plant spaces in the open landscape out-
side agricultural and forestry land and built-up areas
with what’s known as indigenous materials. These are
now required under the new Natural Conservation Act.
The reason for this is that seeds from other regions, let’s
say Northern Germany, aren’t adapted to this locale,
and that can harm biological diversity. Let’s take the
sticky catchfly, Lychnis viscaria, for example. It grows
in both Lausitz and Mecklenburg. But the plants in
these two regions are not genetically identical. If seeds
from Mecklenburg were to be sown here, the DNA of
the plants would be mixed, which would mean that the
identity of the Lausitz sticky catchfly would be altered
and destroyed. So the aim of natural conservation is to
retain the biological and typical regional diversity of wild
plants. One way of doing that is regularly mowing dry
meadows, wetlands and heathland with a rich diversity
of species. Voluntary natural conservation groups can
no longer afford to do that. Another way is to plant lo-
cally indigenous species on derelict land and so-called
compensatory areas to enhance the diversity of species.
and with your idea you can do both?
A lot of research has already been done in this area, and
against the background of the current scientific debate,
I wondered whether it might be possible to get some fi-
nancial benefit from creating green areas myself. It used
to be the case that an area with a rich variety of species
would be mown and the clippings would be disposed
of, which you’d have to pay for. But what I’ve done here
is lease various pieces of land here in Lausitz that are lo-
cated in a clearly defined natural area. The plots have a
certain growth of wild plants which I normally mow once
a year. Then I spread out the mowing with their seeds in
their natural environment but in a different location. That
could be perhaps derelict land, a land rehabilitation area
or maybe an area of land set aside as compensation for
building development. In this way, the genetic make-up
and plant communities typical for a given area can be
retained.
So how do you earn your money from that?
When construction work is being done, whether it’s road
building, coal mining, dyke construction or whatever, ar-
eas of landscape are destroyed in the process, while
other areas are created at the same time. Local authori-
ties, the State of Brandenburg or companies are obliged
“When you’re starting up your own company you’re very busy and don’t have the time to deal with everything.”
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The next stage, for those who successfully complete
the introductory Assessment Centre Programme, is the
concept phase, where participants are able to hone
their business ideas and learn to avoid mistakes. This
concept phase is specific to the work of the start-up
workshops and is what distinguishes them from the “big
brother” approach of the business mentoring service.
Alexander Möller explains, “A maximum of eight par-
ticipants work together on a certain area, doing market
research, for example. Then they try to relate their find-
ings to their own business ideas. This allows them to
exchange and discuss ideas among themselves. In this
way they improve their communication skills. They con-
stantly have to present their findings to each other, and
enables their colleagues to reveal possible mistakes in
concepts that they themselves have missed.”
a practical approach is helpful
It goes without saying that the topics dealt with in the
workshop phase focus on typical knowledge deficits,
such as bookkeeping, accounting, price calculation,
etc. What Alexander Möller and his colleagues take
especially seriously, though, is a practical approach,
especially where customer contact is concerned. “At
the end of the day, everything depends on how you
present what you’re trying to sell. It’s that that deter-
mines whether you reach a potential customer in the
first place. Right at the start of the workshop phase a
marketing professional shows our participants how to
focus on the core of what they’re offering. And this little
blast of practical reality has an especially positive effect:
after the first three days people grasp that it’s all about
selling your product. Until that’s understood no location
analysis or analysis of the competition will do you much
good. The benefit for the customer must be clear. If you
don’t know what you want to do and who you want to
sell it to, you won’t have a chance.”
StIC Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft
Märkisch-oderland mbH
Projekt „young companies“
Alexander Möller
Garzauer Chaussee 1 a
15344 Strausberg
Phone: 03341 335213
Internet: www.young-companies.de
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“young companies” is aimed unemployed people, or
those facing unemployment, with vocational training un-
der the age of 28, who live in the State of Brandenburg
and are interested in becoming self-employed. This is a
project run by the business development company STIC
Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft Märkisch-Oderland, and
it provides support and assistance at eight locations
– three start-up workshops in Eberswalde, Strausberg
and Frankfurt (Oder); and five advice centres in Pren-
zlau, Schwedt on the Oder, Bernau, Fürstenwalde and
Eisenhüttenstadt.
According to Alexander Möller, Project Leader with STIC
Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft, it makes a lot of sense to
offer a comprehensive service specifically for young peo-
ple wanting to start up their own businesses throughout
the region: “All the time we see that a young person has
different needs than a fifty-year-old when it comes to
advice. We often notice that even on the very first day
in the Assessment Center, when participants introduce
themselves briefly – a lot of young people find that very
difficult. This is probably down to their lack of life expe-
rience, so a large amount of our work involves social
education.” Since 2005, the staff at “young companies”
have provided support for in all 717 young adults want-
ing to start their own businesses. 422 of those have
actually gone on to become self-employed, and what’s
more, 78 % of the very first start-ups are still in business
today. Many recent start-ups have been in craft trades,
with their founders working as self-employed tile layers,
carpenters, painters or hairdressers; and there is also a
strong upsurge in the fitness and well-being sector.
Business management and social education
One reason for this record of success is the combination
of business management and social education support.
Each Assessment Center, for instance, has two trainers
and while one is looking at how much prospective busi-
ness founders already know about business manage-
ment and their business ideas specifically in terms of the
sector and the market, the other looks at their personali-
ties. Do candidates have the right kind of personality to
be self-employed and what is their family background?
An initial expert evaluation determines the likely success
of the business idea and what still remains to be ironed
out.
The “young companies” start-up workshop
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to talk about our experiences. We also provide support
for young people starting their own businesses.
Were there any hurdles to overcome on your
path to self-employment?
The start was difficult. It took three or four months until
the first customer to buy a tractor actually came along.
We’re talking about big sums of money here, upwards
of 8,000 euros. It’s not enough just to push a brochure
into the customer’s hand. You have to buy the tractor in
advance, and you have to demonstrate the tractor and
explain all the features. That needs capital up front. But
I found out that nobody’s going to lend you any money
if you’re a new entrepreneur with no starting capital and
no references. None of the grants and subsidies avail-
able were suitable for my project. So I had to invest
my whole savings to buy my first tractor. I bridged the
run-up phase out of my own pocket and converted the
premises bit by bit. It was only after the first six months
or so, when I could show that there was something hap-
pening with my business, and was able to put facts and
figures on the table, that I finally got my first loan to buy
more machines.
Was the lack of finance the only hurdle?
It was the reason for other obstacles. For instance, the
lack of necessary cash meant I wasn’t able to complete
my certificate in the run-up to starting the business,
which would have been helpful. I’m having to do it in
my spare time now, and that’s a really big challenge. I
don’t need the qualification to sell the machinery, but
I do need it for the workshop. So now I’ve taken on
someone who has the qualification. Once I have my cer-
tificate, I’ll be able to take on an apprentice as well.
How has your business developed since the
start-up?
I started up the business in July 2008 and I’ve sold thirty
or forty machines so far. As well as that, there’s a grow-
ing number of workshop customers. I’m really pleased
to see that the customers keep coming back and a cus-
tomer base is slowly building up.
But there are lean spells as well. That’s a seasonal thing,
to do with holidays. It’s just difficult to plan the business
in advance. Last year, for instance, I sold a certain ma-
chine and thought I’d be able to sell another one or two
of them the next year, but that hasn’t worked out. It’s a
bit like poker.
What advice would you give to other people
starting up their own businesses?
You should take good care of your customers. It’s im-
portant to be open and honest with them and explain
your products to them clearly. The customer can tell
when they’re getting good advice. That means that I
don’t just sell tractors to my customers - I call on them
every now and again to ask whether everything’s all
right, and maybe take them some promotional gifts. Or
I’ll invite them for a coffee and show them new products
or try out new machines. That’s vital – you have to keep
the customer interested.
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Mr. Hofmann, you are machinery dealer for
farmers and local authorities. You also have
your own workshop. How did that come about?
I was crazy about tractors, even as a boy, especially at
my granddad’s small farm in the school holidays. Later
on, I trained as a vehicle mechanic and worked as a
manager in a workshop. At some point it occurred to me
that I could make a living from being self-employed. So I
did some research to find out which tractor manufacturer
didn’t yet have a presence in this region, and got in touch
with them. That’s how I began selling local authorities,
construction machinery and agricultural machinery. Ag-
ricultural machinery means machinery and tractors used
by farmers, whereas local authority equipment is used
by road maintenance departments for mowing verges,
street cleaning, clearing snow, things like that.
You attended the “young companies” start-up
workshop in Strausberg. How did they help you?
They gave me the basic knowledge I needed to start my
own business, things like which applications I needed to
fill in, what requirements had to be met for my start-up
and whether the location was okay, etc. I did a market
survey as well. In all, I spent three or four months in the
start-up workshop and was able to establish really good
contacts with other people starting their own business-
es as well as with the teachers and advisers. I’m still in
touch with them now, and we meet up from time to time
“The customer can tell when they’re getting good advice.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Frank Hofmann
Land- & Kommunaltechnik
Flieth-Stegelitz
www.kubota-hofmann.de
Foundation: 2008
Advised by: Gründungswerkstatt „young companies“
Service provider: STIC Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft Märkisch-Oderland mbH
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to get away from their families first, which often leads
to various problems of its own. Some of them have de-
clared personal insolvency or had frequent changes of
school; come from broken homes and haven’t yet found
any way into their working lives. They see being self-
employed as a chance to develop their own ideas and of
making a living from them.” They are provided with sup-
port for an average of four or five months. A few begin
getting their businesses started after just three weeks,
but others need a year before they are ready.
Microfinance for young new entrepreneurs
If the young new entrepreneurs need finance, the body
sponsoring the enterprise workshop, iq consult, offers
them its own microfinance. “We have our own fund from
which we can provide a loan of up to 5,000 euros. We
have had this fund since 2000 and make our decisions
with a committee of experts about which start-up pro-
ject should receive the money. We can also waive repay-
ment of the loans. This may be necessary due to over-
indebtedness or if the business idea fails to take off and
the individual is forced into personal insolvency or has
fallen back on Welfare benefits.” However, according to
Thorsten Jahnke, the overwhelming majority of young
entrepreneurs always pay back their loans on time.
iq consult gGmbh
Thorsten Jahnke
Schiffbauergasse 7
14467 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 6207944
Internet: www.iq-consult.com/enterprise
Weitere Standorte: Oranienburg, Neuruppin und Pritzwalk
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“A lot of people think that if they’ve got three friends who
think their idea’s great, then it’s an idea they can earn a
lot of money with. But first it’s a matter of finding out who
your customers are and how to approach them,” says
Thorsten Jahnke, who often has to bring young adults
back down to earth before they are ready to start-up
their own businesses. He is the Director of ‘enterprise’,
one the three start-up workshops in the Federal State of
Brandenburg. The clients who come to ‘enterprise’ are
aged between 18 to 27, living in north-west and south-
west Brandenburg, and in the process of starting their
own businesses. The only requirements are that they
must be unemployed or facing unemployment and that
they have completed a course of vocational training.
What‘s on offer for young adults
The sponsoring body, iq consult, began a pilot project in
1999. It was so successful that the Ministry of Labour of
the Federal State of Brandenburg increased its funding
and initiated the founding of the start-up workshops in
2005. Since the start of the pilot scheme, some 1,000
prospective entrepreneurs have been trained and ad-
vised by “enterprise” Brandenburg. Four hundred of
them have started their own businesses in almost every
sector imaginable - from mobile hairdressing to caretak-
er services, from media services to animal psychology.
Around 70 per cent of the companies founded since
early 2000 are still in business. Thorsten Jahnke thinks
that this success record is due to the special way the
start-up workshops are conceived: “We talk to young
people in the places they live. We go into youth clubs
and offer information events, with formats young people
can better relate to, like, an open day at the Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.” If there are two or three
would-be entrepreneurs, who indicate interest but find
it difficult to get to one of the workshop locations, the
enterprise staff will even travel to them and conduct
workshops and advice sessions locally, in a youth club,
for instance.
Support with social education
One difference to other ‘conventional’ advice centres is
in the content. Firstly, while the same advice and qualifi-
cations are offered in developing business plans, market
analysis, turnover planning, etc., the start-up workshops
also provide social education. “That’s because young
people haven’t yet established themselves in life to the
extent that people have who’ve been already working
for several years have. They are often young people
who have ideas and want to do something, but need
The “enterprise” start-up workshop
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Were there any other hurdles?
We looked and drove around a lot to find a suitable lo-
cation for a workshop for a long time. Then there was
all the official business, the bureaucracy, and fitting out
the workshop. We’d already obtained some quotes,
but even so, it took quite a while before everything was
ready. Of course that’s all part and parcel of the run-up
phase; if anyone had told me I’d need a year before
I could start working, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Concept, business plan, financial plan, that all takes a
lot of time. I’d never dealt with things like that before; it
was all new territory for me.
Has your business developed in the way you’d
imagined since then?
Yes. There was a quiet patch over Christmas, but since
February the workshop has been full the whole time.
There’s at least one car every day. When we opened
the workshop in the summer of 2010, we thought we’d
be working for the local car showrooms to begin with.
But the way it happened was exactly the opposite. The
private customers came to us right from the very begin-
ning. Now we have personal contacts with the staff at
the workshops of local showrooms. Reliability is a cru-
cial factor for a good working relationship. My custom-
ers know that I’ll be there straight away if they call and
that I get work done when I say I will.
How did you acquire your customers?
We printed flyers, had visiting-card-sized adverts in the
papers and even had a small article in the newspaper.
The flyers paid off best, though. The newspaper articles
had no effect at all, really. We’ve got a website as well,
but what works best is word-of-mouth recommenda-
tion: for every two customers we’ve had, we get one
new customer.
What’s your assessment of your experience so
far?
You mustn’t give up, even if things aren’t going right. If
a building block you need for getting to the next stage
is missing – stay with it. Once this building block is in
place, the following steps might happen really quickly.
We’re reaping the reward now of a year of stress. I’d
never have thought we’d need a whole year to set up
our business.
Kai Miethling
Mandy röbke
Der LackKai GbR
Oranienburg
www.derlackkai.de
Foundation: 2010
Advised by: Gründungswerkstatt „enterprise“
Service provider: iq consult gGmbH
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8 7
Mr. Miethling, what does a paint doctor do?
I repair slight paint damage and scratches on cars. It’s
also known as smart repair. My colleagues and I also
offer car preparation, that is, we clean cars and touch
up the paintwork. I’m a trained car painter and had my
business idea when I applied for a job with a paint doc-
tor in Berlin. I took a look around the company for a
couple of hours and thought, I can do this too. The more
I toyed with the idea and looked into what was involved,
the more clearly I felt that starting my own business was
what I wanted to do.
How much support did you get in preparing to
start your business?
I went from being unemployed to self-employed. To get
a grant from the Labour Agency I had to attend a semi-
nar for people starting their own businesses, and that’s
where I heard about the “enterprise” start-up workshop
and the opportunity to get advice from business con-
sultants. We fulfilled the requirements at the time; we
were under 28 and lived in the State of Brandenburg. So
my partner, Mandy Röbke, and I registered there.
The staff at “enterprise” gave us support from start to
finish and answered all our questions. They drew up the
business and financial plan with us and helped with reg-
istering at the tax office. And they made it possible for us
to get microfinance as well. All of that was a great help.
We’d never have managed on our own.
Did you have problems with finance?
Yes, it was very difficult to get finance. We only needed
six thousand euros, but the banks made it very clear
that a million would be less of a problem than the effort
for such a small amount. So then the “enterprise” staff
saw to it that we got a loan from GLS Bank under the
Microcredit Germany scheme. Once we’d submitted all
the necessary paperwork and “enterprise” had submit-
ted an assessment of our business idea’s prospects for
success the finance finally came through.
“You mustn’t give up, even if things aren’t going right.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
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8 6
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
80 companies each year. All of them have one thing in
common – their owners are getting old – and this means
adapting to the idea that their life’s work will have to be
handed over to a successor if it’s not to close complete-
ly. Sylvia Seelig says, “I often tell them to get it sorted
out in good time. Life could look very different tomorrow.
They always look at me quite aghast, because after all
I’m quite a bit younger - but you can see that they’re
turning it over in their minds.”
Finding the right successor
If a successor can’t be found from within the family
or the company, then an external candidate most be
found; a new entrepreneur who is willing and able to
take on an existing firm. It’s an attractive idea, as the
staff, premises, turnover and customers are already
there. This may sound like an easy job, but it’s an as-
sumption that Sylvia Seelig refutes: “It’s not that simple.
A successor is taking on a huge responsibility, especially
as far as preserving the jobs involved is concerned. So
anyone who takes over a firm not only has to be prop-
erly qualified both on the technical side and in business
terms with a thorough knowledge of the industry, but
they must also have management experience.” One
place where Sylvia Seelig looks for business successors
is the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, because
ex-service personnel have leadership experience, and
most of them have a degree or a further education quali-
fication as well.
Getting entrepreneurs and successors talking
to each other.
Sylvia Seelig’s most important job is to bring entrepre-
neurs together with suitable successors, something
which needs a lot of sensitive handling. So when the
two sides meet for the first time, Sylvia Seelig takes on
the role of the neutral moderator favouring neither one
side nor the other. The actual process of taking over
the firm starts when the two sides have reached agree-
ment, but it can take quite some time, depending on
how quickly the successor manages to establish him
or herself in the company. In this phase, Sylvia Seelig’s
job mainly involves finding advisers and coaches to pre-
pare both the successor and the elderly business owner
for their new roles. But above all she stays on the ball
and stays in touch. “I keep on asking where any sticking
points are and where help may be needed. That’s the
crucial thing.”
8 9
Business succession advice centres
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
The question as to who is going to step into the boss’s
shoes, carry on running the company and keep its
workforce employed has existential importance in the
East Brandenburg region. Sylvia Seelig, who is respon-
sible for at the advice centre in the East Brandenburg re-
gional Chamber of Crafts and Trades in Frankfurt (Oder)
explains, “If there are grown-up children in the family, a
decision has to be made about whether they are willing
and able to take over the helm. If not, then that raises
the question as to whether one of the employees is up
to it. If nobody’s interested in taking over the succes-
sion, the company closes and the workers are left high
and dry.“ Since 2007, Sylvia Seeling has assisted in
around a hundred cases of business succession and
advised more than five hundred successors and elderly
entrepreneurs.
Making entrepreneurs aware of the problem
In most cases, the companies helped by the business
succession advice centre are small trade firms such
as metalworking and car repair firms or stonemasons,
bricklayers or carpenters. An entrepreneur looking for
a successor to run their company might call her, but
most frequently it is Sylvia Seelig who makes the first
approach. She travels a great deal, visiting some 70 to
Bildungszentrum der
Handwerkskammer Frankfurt (oder) – region ostbrandenburg
Sylvia Seelig
Spiekerstraße 11
15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
Phone: 0335 5554245
Internet: www.hwk-ff.de
M
oS
tB
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Bu
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8 8
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
So what was it that attracted you to taking over
the firm?
The independence is definitely what attracted me most.
That was very important to me. And I wanted to do a
few things better as an employer that I hadn’t under-
stood or that I’d seen differently when I was an em-
ployee. And I managed to do that. My staff are hap-
pier, and the customers are satisfied as well. We have a
relatively good working climate, it’s not as strained, and
I’ve brought my co-workers on board in making a lot of
decisions. There have been various projects where I’ve
asked them beforehand whether we should take the job
on at all. In other words, I’ve more or less let them share
the decision-making process. That’s mainly about the
great distances we have to travel as roofers. I make a
lot of effort to get jobs close to home and not to take
on so many orders from outside, because the staff have
families and they want to finish work on time. So far I’ve
managed to do that quite well.
When you’re taking over a company, you obvi-
ously have to think about finance. Did you ob-
tain any grants or subsidies?
I’m getting a grant for my training course, but apart from
that, I haven’t taken out any loans or applied for any
other grants or subsidies. I’m paying the purchase price
for the company in instalments from current income,
which assumes, of course, that there’s enough money
coming in. If there is, then I’d definitely recommend do-
ing it this way, because loans aren’t just a burden on
the firm, but for you personally as well. You worry too
much about how you’re going to make the monthly re-
payments. In my case, I don’t have those worries, so I
can concentrate completely on the business and give it
my full attention.
Maik Wambeck
Sommer & Herzog Dachbau GmbH
Frankfurt (Oder)
www.sommer-herzog-dachbau.de
Übernahme: 2010
Advised by: Beratungsstelle für die Unternehmens-
nachfolge
Service provider: Bildungszentrum der Handwerkskammer
Frankfurt (Oder) – Region Ostbrandenburg
Fr
an
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od
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9 1
Mr. Wambeck, you took over your roofing firm
from your former boss. How did that come
about?
My boss had to give the firm up for age and health rea-
sons. Since I’d been employed here for many years, he
asked me if I’d be interested in taking over. I made some
enquiries about the advantages and disadvantages of
being self-employed in terms of my health insurance
and pension, and in the end decided to do it.
What help and support did you get from the
business succession advice centre when you
were taking over the firm?
Well, of course, I had a lot of questions about what could
do, what legal procedures could I expect and what re-
sponsibilities I would have to take on. I was concerned
about the entrepreneurial risk involved as well. What
would I do if the business didn’t go as well as I’d hoped?
What could I do to cover myself and what grants and
subsidies are available? How could I get a bit of security?
I had the typical worries anyone has when they’re starting
up a business. But I had the feeling I was being taken re-
ally good care of at the business succession advice cen-
tre, and I got a lot of advice about everything.
Did your former boss prepare you for your new
role as a successor?
Yes, he took me through everything very carefully before
hanging the company over to me. We both got advice
from the business succession advice centre at that time.
After all, my boss needed to know the best way to show
me the ropes. But then it went really well - he was re-
ally very accommodating and let me take control from
the very first day in every respect – with his support,
of course. We’re still in touch now. I go to him with any
problems or questions I have. So, in principle, I’ve got
permanent support and assistance, although I still work
very closely with the Frankfurt (Oder) Chamber of Crafts
and Trades for the East Brandenburg region.
So were there any difficulties during the transi-
tion?
There was a problem with the exemption, because I
haven’t got the necessary qualification. It was all sup-
posed to happen very quickly, but because of all the le-
gal requirements and regulations, the Chamber of Crafts
and Trades didn’t play along as quickly as we wanted.
I had to have a lot of patience and perseverance to get
hold of a temporary exemption permit. Then it worked.
I started a training course straight away, and in the first
exams qualified for an exemption permit.
“I’ve brought my co-workers on board.”
S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
F
9 0
9 3S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
oberhavel
Wirtschafts-, Innovations- und tourismus-
förderung oberhavel GmbH (WInto)
Neuendorfstraße 18 a · 16761 Hennigsdorf
Waltraut Krienke
Phone: 03302 559201
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.winto-gmbh.de
oberspreewald-Lausitz
Wequa Wirtschaftsentwicklungs- und
qualifzierungsgesellschaft mbH
Am Werk 8 · 01979 Lauchhammer
Gerlinde Michaelis
Phone: 03574 46762243
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.wequa.de
oder-Spree
IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH ostbrandenburg
Reinheimer Straße 18 b · 15517 Fürstenwalde
Ines Lehmann
Phone: 03361 3654950
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ihk-projekt.de
ostprignitz-ruppin
technologie- und Gründerzentrum oPr GmbH
Alt Ruppiner Allee 40 · 16816 Neuruppin
Frederik Otto
Phone: 03391 446352
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.tgz-neuruppin.de
Potsdam
technologie- und Gewerbezentren Potsdam GmbH
David-Gilly-Straße 1 · 14469 Potsdam
Ralf Krüger
Phone: 0331 20018999
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.lotsendienst-potsdam.de
Potsdam-Mittelmark
technologie- und Gründerzentrum „Fläming“ GmbH
Brücker Landstraße 22 b · 14806 Bad Belzig
Klaus Wessels
Phone: 033841 65152
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.tgz-belzig.de
Prignitz
technologie- und Gewerbezentrum (tGW)
Prignitz GmbH
Laborstraße 1 · 19322 Wittenberge
Sandra Balkow
Phone: 03877 984275
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.tgw-prignitz.de/
regionaler-gruenderlotsendienst-prignitz.html
Spree-neiße
Centrum für Innovation und technologie GmbH
Inselstraße 30/31 · 03149 Forst (Lausitz)
Bernd Kruczek, Frau Breitenfeld
Phone: 03562 6924117/-8
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.cit-wfg.de/start
reGIonaL BuSIneSS MentorInG ServICeS
2010–2013
Barnim
IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH
ostbrandenburg
Heegermühler Straße 64 · 16225 Eberswalde
Birgit Delph
Phone: 03334 253736
Funk: 0160 8940382
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ihk-projekt.de
Brandenburg a. d. H.
technologie und Gründerzentrum Brandenburg
an der Havel GmbH
Friedrich-Franz-Straße 19 · 14770 Brandenburg a. d. H.
Monika Kretschmer
Phone: 03381 381630
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.tgz-brb.de
Cottbus
IHK-Bildungszentrum Cottbus GmbH
Goethestraße 1 a · 03046 Cottbus
Andrea Behrends, Jörg Fabiunke
Phone: 0355 3652705
E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ihk-bildungszentrum-cottbus.de
Dahme-Spreewald
regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
Dahme-Spreewald mbH
Freiheitsstraße 120 · 15745 Wildau
Marion Fender
Phone: 03375 523830
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.wfg-lds.de
elbe-elster
regionale Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
elbe-elster mbH
Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 2 · 04916 Herzberg
Regina Veik
Phone: 03535 462670
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.wfg-elbe-elster.de/existenzgruendung
Frankfurt (oder)
IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH ostbrandenburg
Puschkinstraße 12 b · 15236 Frankfurt (Oder)
Kerstin Schubert
Phone: 0335 56212150
Funk: 0160 90629946
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ihk-projekt.de
Havelland
arbeitsförderungsgesellschaft Premnitz mbH
Dunckerplatz 21 a · 14712 Rathenow
Beate Kämmerling
Phone: 03385 495050
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.lotsendienst.standort-premnitz.de
Märkisch-oderland
StIC Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft
Märkisch-oderland mbH
Garzauer Chaussee 1 a · 15344 Strausberg
Thomas Seibt
Phone: 03341 335227
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.lotsendienst.net
Addresses
9 2 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
9 5S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
“InnovatIon requIre CouraGe”
(“InnovatIonen BrauCHen Mut” – IBM)
Institut für Berufsforschung und
unternehmensplanung Medien e. v. (IBF)
Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 82 · 14469 Potsdam
Wolfgang Flieger
Phone: 0331 2016580
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ibf-institut.de
Zukunftsagentur Brandenburg GmbH
Steinstraße 104–106 · 14482 Potsdam
Torsten Böttcher
Phone: 0331 6603162
E-Mail: [email protected]
Ulrich Ruh
Phone: 0331 6603285
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.zukunftsagentur-brandenburg.de
www.innovationen-brauchen-mut.de
Start-uP WorKSHoPS For YounG PeoPLe
2010–2013
Cottbus
Puls e. v.
Zukunft Lausitz – Die Gründerwerkstatt
Bahnhofstraße 24 · 03046 Cottbus
Marcel Linge
Phone: 0355 28890792
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.puls-ev.de
Frankfurt (oder)
StIC Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft
Märkisch-oderland mbH „young companies“
Garzauer Chaussee · 15344 Strausberg
Alexander Möller
Phone: 03341 335213
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.young-companies.de
Potsdam
iq consult gGmbH enterprise Brandenburg
Schiffbauergasse 27 a · 14467 Potsdam
Thorsten Jahnke
Phone: 0331 6207944
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.iq-consult.com
oranienburg
iq consult gGmbH enterprise Brandenburg
Stralsunder Straße 8 · 16515 Oranienburg
Thorsten Jahnke
Phone: 03301 201672
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.iq-consult.com
neuruppin
iq consult gGmbH enterprise Brandenburg
c/o IHK neuruppin
Junckerstraße 7 · 16816 Neuruppin
Terminvereinbarung unter: 03301 201672
Internet: www.iq-consult.com
teltow-Fläming
Struktur- und Wirtschaftsförderungsgesell-
schaft des Landkreises teltow-Fläming mbH
Markt 15/16 · 14913 Jüterbog
Steffi Weit
Phone: 03372 4403211
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.swfg.de
uckermark
IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH ostbrandenburg
Grabowstraße 18 · 17291 Prenzlau
Eveline Körber
Phone: 03984 7180945
Funk: 0151 12176871
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ihk-projekt.de
BuSIneSS MentorInG ServICe
For MIGrantS
iq consult gGmbH
Schiffbauergasse 7 · 14467 Potsdam
Julia Lexow-Kapp
Funk: 0176 70355746
E-Mail: [email protected]
Julia Plotz
Funk: 0176 70355745
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.iq-consult.com
Die genannten Ansprechpartnerinnen betreuen
die Standorte in Hennigsdorf, Oranienburg,
Frankfurt (Oder), Cottbus und Brandenburg a. d. H.
9 4 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
9 7S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
Pritzwalk
iq consult gGmbH enterprise Brandenburg
c/o IHK Pritzwalk
Meyenburger Tor 5 · 16928 Pritzwalk
Terminvereinbarung unter: 03301 201672
Internet: www.iq-consult.com
Start-uP ServICeS at tHe unIverSItIeS
2010–2013
Cottbus
Btu Cottbus
unIteC Gesellschaft für Innovationsförderung
und technologietransfer
Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 1 · 03046 Cottbus
Gerd Hiersigk
Phone: 0355 693535
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.tu-cottbus.de/biem
Hochschule Lausitz (FH)
unIteC Gesellschaft für Innovationsförderung
und technologietransfer
Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 2 · 03046 Cottbus
Gerd Hiersigk
Phone: 0355 693535
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.tu-cottbus.de/biem
Frankfurt (oder)
europa-universität viadrina Frankfurt (oder)
Kooperationsstelle Wissenschaft und
arbeitswelt e. v. (KoWa)
Große Scharrnstraße 59 · 15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
Arne Meyer-Haake, Dr. Ramona Alt
Phone: 0335 55345902
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.kowa-ffo.de
Potsdam
universität Potsdam, Standort neues Palais
BIeM (Brandenburgisches Institut für existenz-
gründung und Mittelstandsförderung) e. v.
Am Neuen Palais 10, Haus 9, Raum 0.Z19a
14469 Potsdam
Babette Grothe
Phone: 0331 9771720
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.lotsendienst.com
9 6 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t
universität Potsdam, Standort Babelsberg
BIeM e. v.
Am Park Babelsberg 24, Haus 5 · 14482 Potsdam
Serena Meier-Zeh
Phone: 0331 9771720
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.lotsendienst.com
Fachhochschule Potsdam
BIeM e. v.
Pappelallee 8–9, Haus 4 · 14469 Potsdam
Leona Henß
Phone: 0331 5801064
E-Mail: lotsendienst @fh-potsdam.de
Internet: www.gruendungsservice.com
Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen (HFF)
„Konrad Wolf“
BIeM e. v.
Am Neuen Palais 10, Haus 9, Raum 0.Z19a
14469 Potsdam
Babette Grothe
0331 9771720
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.lotsendienst.com
Brandenburg a. d. H.
GründungsZentrum
Fachhochschule Brandenburg
BIeM e. v.
Magdeburger Straße 50, Haus WWZ/Raum 37
14770 Brandenburg/Havel
Thomas Rau
Phone: 03381 355228
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.gruendung-fhb.de
Prignitz
Präsenzstelle Prignitz der Fachhochschule
Brandenburg in der Bildungsgesellschaft mbH
Pritzwalk BIeM e. v.
c/o Haus der Wirtschaft, Meyerberger Tor 5
16928 Pritzwalk
Daniela Werth
Phone: 03395 764414
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.fh-brandenburg.de/
gruendungszentrum.html
Barnim
Hochschule für nachhaltige entwicklung
eberswalde (FH) BIeM e. v.
Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 28 · 16225 Eberswalde
Robert Schmidt
Phone: 03334 6547458
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.biem-brandenburg.de/
startup-navigator.html
Dahme-Spreewald
tH Wildau BIeM e. v.
Bahnhofstraße · 15745 Wildau
Karin Hartmann
Phone: 03375 508333
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.biem-brandenburg.de/
startup-navigator.html
eXPerIMentaL ProJeCtS
BIeM e. v.
August-Bebel-Straße 89 · 14482 Potsdam
Phone: 0331 9774521
Internet: www.biem-brandenburg.de
BuSIneSS SuCCeSSIon aDvICe CentreS
HWK Cottbus
Altmarkt 17 · 03046 Cottbus
Manja Bonin
Phone: 0355 7835167
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.hwk-cottbus.de
Bildungszentrum der Handwerkskammer
Frankfurt (oder) – region ostbrandenburg
Spiekerstraße 11 · 15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
Sylvia Seelig
Phone: 0335 5554245
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.hwk-ff.de
IHK Potsdam
Breite Straße 2 a–c · 14467 Potsdam
Andreas Lehmann
Phone: 0331 2786167
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.potsdam.ihk24.de
9 8 S u p p o r t F o r S e l F - e m p l o y m e n t