Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders

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Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
Guide for non-German business founders

                       Successful start-ups in Berlin

Overall coordination   The event is financed by the Berlin Senate Department for the Econo-   Cooperation partners
                       my, Technology and Women‘s Issues and the Investitionsbank Berlin
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
2   Foreword

                                 Dear Business Founders,

                                 As future entrepreneurs you will make an important contribution to Germany. Non-German
                                 companies are creating new jobs and therefore providing hundreds of thousands of people
                                 with a livelihood and prospects for their life and families all over Germany and especially in
                                 Berlin.

                                 Through new concepts and start-up projects you enrich the landscape of companies based in
                                 Germany and promote the integration of other cultures in society. This must be encouraged
                                 by preparing and securing start-ups properly. The lack of appropriate information for people
                                 setting up businesses must be remedied using a targeted range of consultancy services with
                                 intercultural expertise. Long-term support is often also required during the strategic planning
                                 phase and people interested in setting up a business should be made more aware of finan-
                                 cing instruments with low capital requirements.

                                 As in previous years, special events for people of foreign origin wishing to set up a business
                                 have been sponsored by the Berlin Senate Department for the Economy, Technology and
                                 Women‘s Issues and realised by select migrant organisations. Over 800 interested parties
                                 received initial information about business start-ups in eight languages at these one-day
                                 seminars. Many of them are now successful entrepreneurs. This brochure offers you an initial
                                 overview as a future entrepreneur. Use this brochure to plan your independence and obtain
                                 more information and advice from your ethnic community‘s business institutions and bodies.
                                 As in past years, we at BWK BildungsWerk in Kreuzberg will share our knowledge and experi-
                                 ence with you beyond these seminars, if required.

                                 We wish you the best of luck in realising your project.

                                 Nihat Sorgeç
                                 Managing Director of BWK BildungsWerk in Kreuzberg GmbH

    Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
Foreword           3

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted that you are interested in this federal state‘s range of consultancy services.
A start-up requires long-term and careful preparation. However, the chances of success are
good: Berlin is still Germany‘s start-up capital. The start-up boom in Berlin continues unabated:
the highest number of start-ups since reunification was recorded in 2010 with roughly 42,700
new companies. In comparison with other federal states Berlin takes first place again with 124
start-ups for every 10,000 inhabitants. What is especially pleasing is that Berlin is also parti-
cularly attractive to people setting up businesses in the technology sector. Roughly 1,860 new
companies emerged last year in the information and communication sector alone.

People from Berlin of non-German origin play a huge part in this start-up boom. Their share of
start-ups has more than doubled in the last few years. Official statistics show over 14,400 new
start-ups by foreigners for 2010. This means that people without a German passport make up
a good third of all people setting up businesses in Berlin. The share of self-employed with a
migration background was even higher, if you do not count the people of non-German origin
with German citizenship setting up businesses.

Being your own boss is a great opportunity for many people. However, you must be well prepa-
red for such a step and aware of the prospects and risks.

Access to comprehensive information is therefore crucial. Berlin will not let you down in this
respect. My company, other public institutions such as the Investitionsbank Berlin, District
Business Development Offices and many other institutions provide you with important informa-
tion and assistance. Added to this are the specific offerings from ethnic business associations
and organisations, some of whom are also involved in the series of seminars for non-German
people setting up businesses. In this brochure you will find a summary of important addresses
for Berlin consultancy services. Please do not hesitate to contact these institutions; they are
there for you.

I wish you the best of luck with implementing your own ideas!

Harald Wolf
Mayor and Senator for the Economy, Technology and Women‘s Issues Berlin

         Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
4   Foreword

                                 Almost 460,000 foreigners from 190 countries currently live in Berlin. Added to these are those
                                 people who already have German citizenship and therefore no longer hold foreign status.

                                 The step towards independence is an important integration and economic policy aspect. Accor-
                                 ding to estimates by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the number of non-German tra-
                                 ders in Berlin is roughly 32,000 in total. The number of self-employed people of Turkish origin
                                 alone is estimated at up to 9,000, according to information from Turkish business associations.
                                 And the propensity for start-ups by these citizens is unceasing. In 2010 alone, 14,457 people
                                 of foreign nationality set up a sole proprietorship in Berlin.

                                 These figures show how important self-employed foreign citizens are for the economy in Berlin.
                                 To encourage entrepreneurs with a migration background, Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) has
                                 been supporting the series of seminars for non-German people setting up businesses for many
                                 years now. In these seminars people receive the basic knowledge needed for their project. The
                                 series also offers participants a great forum for sharing experiences.

                                 The seminars can of course only offer guidance on issues of independence and start-ups. IBB
                                 is at your disposal for more detailed advice about your own livelihood. Anyone who is thinking
                                 about a specific start-up project will find the right contact partner for appropriate financial
                                 advice in our consultancy centre. And if financing is then required we have a broad range of
                                 microcredits, from our start-up programme „Berlin Start“ to our „Berlin Credit“ programme.

                                 I wish anyone setting up a business the best of luck in realising their plans!

                                 Dr. Matthias von Bismarck-Osten
                                 General Representative of Investitionsbank Berlin

    Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
Contents   5

1 General information about foreign enterprise................................................................................6
2 The decision: are you an entrepreneur?.......................................................................................7
  2.1   Motives for independence – a summary from consultancy.....................................................7
  2.2   Personal requirements...........................................................................................................7
  2.3   Specialist knowledge..............................................................................................................7
  2.4   Commercial knowledge..........................................................................................................7
  2.5   Formal requirements for foreign citizens................................................................................8
  2.6   General formal requirements..................................................................................................8

3 Business idea................................................................................................................................10
  3.1   Start-up or product idea........................................................................................................10
  3.2   Start-up options.................................................................................................................... 11
  3.3   Market research: needs and demand................................................................................... 11
  3.3.1 General needs analysis........................................................................................................12
  3.3.2 Sales market analysis...........................................................................................................12
  3.3.3 Analysis of specific competitors............................................................................................12

4 Concept to idea: stages of a business plan................................................................................13
  4.1  Business plan executive summary.......................................................................................13
  4.2  Presentation of start-up idea................................................................................................13
  4.3  Presentation of founder........................................................................................................13
  4.4  Description of offer...............................................................................................................13
  4.5  Location................................................................................................................................14
  4.6  Target group.........................................................................................................................15
  4.7  Market analysis.....................................................................................................................15
  4.8  Competition analysis............................................................................................................15
  4.9  Sales measures....................................................................................................................15
  4.10 Capital requirements............................................................................................................15
  4.11 Liquidity planning..................................................................................................................16
  4.12 Profitability planning.............................................................................................................16

5 Financing a start-up......................................................................................................................17

6 Directory........................................................................................................................................20
  6.1    Addresses for business organisations and institutions.........................................................20
  6.2    Ethnic community addresses and profiles............................................................................21
  Imprint.............................................................................................................................................24
  Bibliography and recommended reading.........................................................................................24

                                                                Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
6        1. General information about foreign enterprise

1. General information about foreign enterprise

Integration is still a hot topic in German       Strong regional concentration (districts with     of all start-ups in Berlin. The self-employed
society. Although it is often overlooked that    a high percentage of foreigners) and strong       quota of people of non-German origin is
migrants have been working in Germany for        sectoral concentration (hospitality and retail)   also significantly above the Berlin average
decades as employees and have therefo-           are typical for niche economy businesses.         of 14.1%. Unlike with Germans, the start-up
re significantly contributed to our levels of    Many successful foreign entrepreneurs, es-        dynamics have not slowed down with foreign
prosperity. In addition, they also make an       pecially in the second and third generation of    citizens; it is just that the start-up environment
important contribution to the national econo-    immigrants, can no longer be attributed to the    has become more difficult. SMEs signifi-
my as business founders and entrepreneurs,       niche economy. Many foreign entrepreneurs         cantly contribute to economic and structural
especially in times of strained economic         are not restricted to customers of their own      development. They respond quickly to new
conditions, by for example creating numerous     nationality; there is also a reorientation to-    technical and economic changes. Small and
new jobs. Above all though, company start-       wards German customers and thus a change          medium-sized enterprises constantly prove
ups contribute to stabilising the situation on   from „niche to market“.                           to be a stabilising factor on the employment
the employment market by creating new jobs.                                                        market, particularly in times of economic
                                                 Today, roughly 470,051 people with non-           weakness. The Federation and Federal State
The number of foreign entrepreneurs in Ger-      German citizenship live in Berlin; this corre-    of Berlin therefore support the foundation of
many has been constantly growing since the       sponds to 13.7% of the population. Appro-         SMEs by providing financial assistance.
start of the 1980s. Out of a foreign working     ximately a quarter of the foreigners officially
population of 3.3 m in total over 431,000        registered come from Turkey (111,285),
self-employed of different nationalities         followed by citizens from Poland (43,700),
mainly work in the retail sector and hospita-    Italy (14,965) and France (13,133). Added to
lity industry and are an important economic      this, are a large number of people who have
factor. This corresponds to a self-employed      become naturalised over the last few years
quota of 9.6%. In the last eight years the       and have therefore only had German citizen-
absolute number of self-employed foreigners      ship for a short time. 62,309 naturalisations
has developed more rapidly than the number       took place in Berlin between 2000 and 2009.
of self-employed Germans. For example,           People of non-German origin are currently
the number of self-employed foreigners           the most zealous company founders in Berlin.
increased by 67% in the period from 2000 to      According to the 2009 start-up index from the
2008, whereas the increase in self-employed      BBB Bürgschaftsbank zu Berlin-Brandenburg
Germans was 20% in the same period.              GmbH, foreign start-ups with a quota of
                                                 239 start-ups for every 10,000 workers lie
Theoretical explanations frequently used for     significantly above German founders with
migrants‘ entrepreneurship include theories      98 start-ups. This means the share of total
that the drive for independence comes from       start-ups has increased from 15% in 2003 to
the cultural values and norms of the countries   almost 33% in 2009. Entrepreneurial spirit is
of origin.                                       especially pronounced in Polish EU citi-
In contrast there are attempts at an expla-      zens, who have the greatest entrepreneurial
nation that give the reason for migrants‘        commitment among non-German nationalities
independence as „market niches“. It is           with a share of almost 34.2%. Start-ups by
assumed that specific demand potential           people of Turkish origin are slightly higher
and therefore market niches result from the      than last year at 13.84%. Over 9,394 busi-
migrants‘ consumer needs that are met by         nesses in total were set up by foreign citizens
self-employed people of the same origin.         in 2009, which corresponds to a 33% share

            Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
2. The decision: are you an entrepreneur?                        7

2. The decision: are you an entrepreneur?

2.1 Motives for independence –                       communication processes, especially 		          ●● How receptive is the market?
a summary from consultancy                           in the development phase, as they               ●● Who are my competitors?
The following arguments are constantly given         generally have to first build up trust.         ●● What direction are current trends moving
as the basic motives for seeking indepen-         ●● Can you motivate staff and partners?              in and what do customers really want?
dence in countless consultations with people         Are you able to accept criticism from           ●● How will the market develop, for example
setting up businesses:                               customers, etc.?                                  over the next ten years?
●● The desire for indepen-		                      ●● Is your family behind the business
   dence and self-realisation                        idea? Will your family have to cope             2.4 Commercial knowledge
●● Asserting one‘s own ideas                         with setbacks, disadvantages and                Specialist requirements include sound com-
●● Recognising a market opportunity                  even financial losses, if applicable?           mercial knowledge. Even if a tax advisor later
●● Greater respect from the pub-                                                                     takes on the accounting, business analysis
   lic and enhanced prestige                      A range of general characteristics are             and tax process, the person setting up the
●● Wanting to do things better than others        continuously mentioned as requirements,            business should at least have solid basic
●● A higher, fairer income 		                     such as                                            knowledge in these areas.
   based on performance                           ●● Willingness to take risks and motivation
●● Frequent problems in current job,              ●● Self-confidence                                 The business founder should also find out
   avoiding the risk of dismissal                 ●● Sense of responsibility                         about the following areas, among others:
●● Looking for a way out of unemployment.         ●● Prepared to work hard                           ●● Administration/organisation
                                                  ●● Staying power                                   ●● Marketing
2.2 Personal requirements                         ●● Charisma and willpower.                         ●● Raising capital
From a commercial law point of view, apart                                                           ●● The company‘s legal form
from a few exceptions, there are no specific      ●● Clarify before the start-up:                    ●● Insurance.
qualifications required to start-up and manage    ●● Whether your family is committed                The following institutions offer courses,
a company. The entrepreneur unequivocally           and 100% behind your project                     workshops and seminars on most topics to
has the authority to issue guidelines within      ●● Who will reliably take over                     do with start-ups and company management.
the company. This is why personal strengths         which jobs at home                               Attending these events is essential for any
and life experience are also required besides     ●● Where you can save time                         business founder:
commercial knowledge, specialist knowledge        ●● Who will be involved in reliable childcare      ●● IHK Berlin [Chamber of Industry
and industry experience.                          ●● How much time you will have to or want             and Commerce Berlin], Handwerks-
                                                    to invest in your home and family after the         kammer Berlin [Chamber of Trade]
Your personal suitability as an entrepre-           start-up.                                        ●● Industry organisations and
neur:                                                                                                   professional associations
●● Are you prepared to take risks in 		           2.3 Specialist knowledge                           ●● Partner organisations from
   terms of commercial prudence?                  Excellent industry knowledge is just as               municipal, regional and national
   Taking a risk also means knowing               important for a person setting up a business          start-up initiatives and networks
   what you are risking something for.            as management experience. You will not get         ●● Adult education
●● Are you open to new ideas?                     anywhere without specialist and industry-          ●● Federal employment offices.
●● Do you have energy and stamina                 related knowledge.
   (physical and mental)? Constant stress
   due to start-up formalities, working through   Do you know what your strengths and
   your first orders and acquisition demands      weaknesses are?
   huge commitment from a business founder.       Specialist requirements include commer-
   Health problems represent a risk, for the      cial (see Section 2.4) and entrepreneurial
   start-up company and also partnerships.        knowledge. Commercial and entrepreneurial
●● Are you enterprising and capable of making     knowledge are essential to successfully sell a
   decisions; can you cope with setbacks?         good product or a professional service in the
●● What is your behaviour like towards other      long-term too.
   people (sociable, outgoing, powers of          The will to constantly face new challenges is
   persuasion)? Anyone who wants to be            also particularly important. A company can
   successful needs a healthy measure of          hardly be managed successfully without a
   communication skills. You have to be able      minimum of specialist qualifications. No-one
   to express yourself in writing and verbally    can keep up with the rapid change these
   so that what you want to communicate           days, let alone draw a profitable use from it
   to someone is received as you intended it.     without at least being willing to participate in
   This also applies to presenting your           further training.
   business idea, giving reasons for a loan
   from the bank and negotiating prices with      The business founder should be able to
   suppliers. People setting up businesses        answer the following industry-related questi-
   have to cope with difficult 			                ons:

                                                            Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
8         2. The decision: are you an entrepreneur?

2.5 Formal requirements for                           or carry out a project, leave to remain is issu-   Find out whether your planned company is a
foreign citizens                                      ed as an „Aufenthaltsbewilligung“ [temporary       trade. In this case you must register with the
The Ausländergesetz [AusIG - German Aliens            leave to remain restricted to a particular         Gewerbeamt [Trade Licensing Office]. For this
Act] regulates which prerequisites foreigners         purpose]. If they are already in Germany and       you need an identity card or passport. The
have to meet to take up and carry out a self-         have leave to remain a self-employed job may       following do not have to be registered with the
employed job.                                         be allowed by changing the basis of the leave      Trade Licensing Office: members of the pro-
                                                      to remain.                                         fessions (e.g. doctors, architects, tax advisors,
Nationals from an EU member state:                    An overriding economic interest or specific lo-    lawyers, artists, authors), scientists or agricultu-
Freedom of establishment and freedom of               cal need must exist with a self-employed job.      ral and forestry jobs. Once you register with the
trade applies within the EU member states:            The immigration authorities will consult the       Trade Licensing Office the following authorities
EU citizens are therefore allowed to set up a         responsible institutions (Chamber of Trade,        are generally informed about you:
business in any member state. They have the           Trade Licensing Office etc.).                      ●● Tax Office
right to be issued with an „Aufenthaltserlaub-                                                           ●● Employers‘ Liability Insurance Association
nis“ [conditional leave to remain] and do not         A self-employed job is allowed if                  ●● State Statistical Office
require a work permit.                                ●● You have unconditional leave to remain or       ●● Chamber of Trade
                                                         unconditional and indefinite leave to remain.     (with trade professions) or
Nationals from the new acceding states:               ●● You are married to a German citizen. After      ●● Chamber of Industry and Commerce
For people from the new states acceding to               three years of marriage you receive 		          ●● Commercial Court.
the EU, the freedom of establishment also                unconditional and indefinite leave to re-
applies to the self-employed since 1st May               main. You can turn self-employed at
2004. Nationals from the new acceding states             any time. If you want to set up a compa-
have the right to carry out a self-employed              ny within the first three years of mar-
job or found and manage a company. They                  riage you must apply to the immigra-
register their company in the same way as                tion authorities.The authorities decide
German nationals. Just like German nationals             for each specific application whether a
they must also fulfil the general requirements           restriction (stamp: „Self-employment
for access to the profession. In addition they           or similar activity not allowed“) is lifted.
must also be capable of doing the planned job         ●● As a stateless person you have leave to
(adequate language skills or presentation of             remain. If your residence is not in Germany
the business concept).                                   you must make an application for self-em
                                                         ployment to the relevant Federal Republic
Nationals from non-EU states:                            of Germany‘s Foreigners‘ Representative
Nationals from non-EU states, who travel into            Board.
the EU for the purpose of a self-employed
job, receive an „Aufenthaltsgenehmigung“              2.6 General formal requirements
[leave to remain] that is generally issued as         Once you have found out whether you meet all
an „Aufenthaltserlaubnis“ [conditional leave to       the requirements according to the Aliens Act,
remain]. If they are only staying in Germany          you can start to prepare the actual start-up.
for a limited period of time, e.g. to build a plant   Formalities also have to be dealt with for this.

             Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
2.The decision: are you an entrepreneur?                          9

Specific permits and evidence are required for       course for employees) by the Chamber of            the Handelsgesetzbuch [HGB - German
certain sectors (e.g. trade card, concessions,       Trade and Commerce.                                Commercial Code] you must register it at
etc.)                                                                                                   the responsible District Court and have this
                                                     Transport industry: The commercial trans-          notarized by a notary.
Trade: You may only manage a trade compa-            port of people by bus, hire car and taxi always
ny if you have passed the examination for the        requires a permit. The licences for personal       Taxes and duties:
master‘s certificate. However, the examina-          transport by bus, hire car and taxi are issued     Please find out about taxes and accounting
tion for the master‘s certificate can also be        by: Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsan-          obligations and how to deal with the Tax Office
replaced by an approved exemption [Art. 8            gelegenheiten Berlin, Puttkamer Straße 16          from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Handwerksordnung - German Craft and Trade            - 18, 10958 Berlin.                                Berlin. The well-prepared brochure „Steuer-
Code]. A person is only permitted to be self-                                                           licher Wegweiser für Unternehmensgründer“
employed in a trade if they are entered in the       Itinerant trade: This includes trades that do      [„Tax Guidance for Company Founders“] (7th
skilled trades register at the local responsible     not have a permanent business premises.            issue 2010) is also available for you there.
Chamber of Trade. All important jobs that            The responsible local authorities (Office of
make up the core of trade must be entered in         Economic Affairs/Trade Licensing Office)           Taxes:
the skilled trades register. So-called „craft-like   issue the required itinerant trade card.           ●● Value added tax
trades“ are an exception to this.                                                                       ●● Income tax
                                                     Freelancers: Anyone who belongs to the             ●● Corporation tax
Industry: Plants with particular influence on        „regulated“ professions (e.g. lawyers, doctors     ●● Church tax
the environment must be approved in ac-              or tax advisors) requires certain approvals.       ●● Wage tax
cordance with the Bundesimmissionsschutz-            The „unregulated“ professions (e.g. artists,       ●● Solidarity tax
gesetz [Federal Immission Control Act].              writers, scientists) do not require a specific     ●● Trade tax
                                                     permit. A specific permit is also required for a   ●● Tax allowances
Retail: Specific certificates of competence          range of other trades (e.g. a check of personal    ●● Other taxes (e.g. property tax)
are required for different areas of retail (milk,    and financial reliability by the Trade Licensing   ●● Annual tax declarations (once a year)
pharmaceuticals or suchlike).                        Office):                                           ●● Grace period
                                                     ●● The provision of gaming devices
Restaurants and hotels: A permit (personal              with the chance of winning, the 		              Social insurance contributions:
license) is required, which you receive from            organisation of other games with the            ●● As the owner and managing partner
the responsible local authorities (Wirtschafts-/        chance of winning, amusement arcades               of a GmbH [Ltd. company] you are not
Gewerbeamt) [Office of Economic Affairs/             ●● Estate agents, investment brokers,                 as a rule liable for social insurance
Trade Licensing Office] after a (one-day)               builders and building supervisors                  contributions. You therefore have to
course at the relevant Chamber of Industry           ●● Auctioneers                                        make arrangements for your pension
and Commerce.                                        ●● Pledgers and pawnbrokers                           provision and health insurance yourself.
                                                     ●● Driving schools                                 ●● As an employer you are obligated to deduct
Security sector: The prerequisites for the           ●● Goods transport, etc.                              social insurance contributions for your
permit issued by the responsible local au-                                                                 staff (as a rule every month). For this
thorities (Office of Economic Affairs/Trade Li-      Depending on the legal form, your company             please get in touch with a health insurance
censing Office) are personal reliability (police     must also be registered in the commercial             company and/or pension insurance
clearance certificate), the required funds and       register at the Amtsgericht [District Court].         company.
assurances and a 40-hour course (24-hour             If your business is a company in terms of

                                                              Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
Successful start-ups in Berlin - Guide for non-German business founders
10        3.The business idea

3.The business idea

3.1 Start-up or product idea                       tant factor is the „increasing age gap“. There     Realising new ideas in old sectors: So-
It all starts with an idea. You must have an       is also evidence of a long-term trend towards      called „old established sectors“ can get into a
idea before you undertake any further steps.       smaller households.                                rut over time. A clever new idea can turn even
It does not matter whether it is the result of a                                                      the most old-fashioned concept into a compe-
targeted search or a coincidence. Very few         Fashions: Fashions are virtually unpredic-         titive business idea. However, it is not always
business ideas are totally new. Many suc-          table, short-lived preferences or behaviours,      easy to come up with these kinds of ideas.
cessful entrepreneurs have simply developed        seasonal highlights. Fashion therefore only
existing products and services or obtained         results in short-term market opportunities.        Using technical developments: Anyone
inspiration from abroad. There are lots of                                                            who recognises innovations early can be
different ways to come up with a promising         Discovering gaps in the market: Even in sa-        almost certain of having a good basis for
business idea: business magazines, political       turated markets there are niches that have not     their concept. But beware: an invention must
magazines, industry directories, publications      been filled yet. You usually require detailed      be marketable, otherwise it is just tinkering.
by specialist publishers or by thinking as a       industry knowledge in order to identify these.     Therefore: market research is essential!
consumer or employee about improving what          Although sometimes „common sense“ or your
is already on offer.                               own experience are enough.                         Profiting from specialisation: Even old
When looking for an idea find out about                                                               well-known business ideas can suddenly gain
current business, technology and social            Copying successful concepts: In other sec-         new impetus with a little twist. Anyone who
developments.                                      tors and countries there are plenty of business    can set themselves apart from the competition
                                                   ideas that have already proved successful.         with their offer or special service is laying the
Recognising new trends: Structural change          These can often be transferred. People who         foundation for business success.
often happens very suddenly. Only those who        copy ideas are often setting up a low-risk
quickly recognise changes and respond to           business. The franchise idea is based on this
them specifically and at the same time sen-        concept.
sitively can profit from them with a business
idea.                                              As a franchisee, you profit from others‘
                                                   expertise in return for payment. Be aware of
Population development: Changes in popu-           potential copyright or other industrial property
lation structures provide important information    right issues.
about market opportunities. The most impor-

            Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
3. The business idea                11

3.2 Start-up options                            the company wants to operate. The market           sources: official statistics, information sources
Having a good idea is one thing but success-    is a dynamic, constantly changing process.         from the Statistische Bundesamt [German
fully implementing it is another! You can       It needs to be continuously reanalysed. No-        Statistical Office] or Statistische Landesämter
●● Develop new products or processes            netheless, the initial analysis with the derived   [State Statistical Offices], information from
●● Exploit new markets or sources               market-entry strategy is the most important        business associations, specialist literature,
●● Work in new forms of organisations, etc.     step for anyone setting up a business. Later       general business press, databases and the
                                                market research and analysis is based on this.     internet. Even with very thorough market
Choose one start-up from the following          You can carry out these analyses as primary        analysis you should assume differences in
options:                                        or secondary research.                             practice. For this reason you should always
●● New start-up                                                                                    seek advice from experts for any action that
●● Takeover of existing business                                                                   is associated with high investment (e.g.
●● Investment in a company                                                                         business consultants, market researchers, tax
●● Self-employment as part of a franchise.                                                         advisors).

3.3 Market research:                            Primary means you carry out the analysis
needs and demand                                yourself by means of personal meetings, inter-
Besides the creation of a product or service    views, surveys, observations, etc. Secondary
what is important for entrepreneurial success   means that you rely on several sources. The
is accurate knowledge of the market in which    following can be considered as external data

                                                          Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
12       3. The business idea

3.3.1 Analysis of general needs                                          3.3.2 Sales market analysis
01 Who are your customers?                                               01 What share of the market and turnover is possible for you (size of
02 Where are your customers?                                                sales area, if applicable buying power, market data)?
03 How do the individual customer segments break down according          02 What is the price level on the sales market?
   to age, gender, income, profession, buying behaviour, private or      03 How expensive is your product/service compared to other similar
   business customers?                                                      offers?
04 Do you already have reference customers? If yes, who? What            04 Are you dependent on major customers?
   short-term and long-term turnover potential is associated with        05 Do you already have contacts to buyers?
   them?
05 Are you dependent on major customers?
06 What needs/problems do your customers have?                           3.3.3 Analysis of specific competitors
07 How do your customers find out about your product/service?            01 Which competitive companies or products are you up against?
08 Are there other developments in „your“ direction?                     02 What are the specific benefits or weaknesses of competitive offers
09 Who are your competitors?                                                compared to what you offer?
10 How much do your products cost from your competitors?                 03 How many competitors exist in your catchment area?
11 Where do they offer their range?                                      04 Which competitors are likely to appear soon (copycat effect)?
12 Why have you decided on this location?                                05 Who is the market leader?
13 How will the location develop in future?                              06 What risks originate from major chain stores, market leaders, etc.
14 How ready is your product/service for the market (risk of launching      (expansion/price policy)?
   onto the market too soon)?                                            07 Compile a summary on: turnover, staff numbers, location, age and
15 What benefits does your product/service offer your customers?            other competitors‘ criteria!
   Why should they buy it?
16 Why have other companies not already had this idea and imple-
   mented it? What market resistance existed/exists?
17 Is there regular or only occasional work (seasonal)?
18 Is there a long-term need for this product/service?
19 Can the product/service be replaced by comparable products/servi-
   ces?

           Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
4.Concept to idea: stages of a business plan                      13

4.Concept to idea: stages of a business plan

Besides the business concept, the business         ●● What product/service do you want to          Define your offer in terms of target groups,
plan includes a description of personal qualifi-      produce or sell?                             summarise this into a product or service
cations, business data, market and competi-        ●● What is special about your offer?            range:
tion analysis, marketing strategy and outline         Start of production/service? Develop-        ●● Are you offering a broad range? (a limited
of future prospects, projected balance sheet,         ment status of your product/service?            selection of several article groups).
projected profit and loss account, capital         ●● Which prerequisites have to be met right     ●● Are you offering a deep range? (a few
requirements and financing plan and liquidity         from the start?                                 article groups in several designs and custo-
forecast.                                          ●● When can the product be marketed?               mised sizes).
                                                   ●● Which development stages are still neces-
4.1 4.1 Business plan executive                       sary for your product?                       Are you a generalist or specialist?
summary                                            ●● When can a pilot series be issued?           Beyond the actual offer you should also offer
A business plan executive summary conveys          ●● Who is carrying out the testing process?     your customers an additional benefit compa-
everything that the reader needs to know           ●● When will the potential patenting process    red to competitors; this could be service offers
about the business plan in a concise form, wit-       be concluded?                                or customer services. Generally, customisa-
hout having to read the whole document. The                                                        tion adapted to individual customers’ wishes
following main business plan section should        4.3 Presentation of founder                     with appropriate flexibility is an advantage.
explain the summary in more detail but with        ●● What qualifications/professional experi-
no surprises. The executive summary is the           ence and if applicable permits do you have?
most important part of a business plan. This is    ●● Do you have detailed industry knowledge?
where you have to grab the reader with your        ●● What commercial knowledge do you have?
idea so that they want to read on. Remember           How do you intend to expand your know-
it is often only the executive summary that is        ledge (courses etc.)?
read. It is good practice for briefly presenting   ●● What are your strengths?
your company (to customers, banks, analysts,       ●● What are your shortcomings? How will you
etc.).                                                compensate for these?

4.2 4.2 Presentation of start-up                   4.4 Presentation of offer
idea                                               Check the novelty value/degree of maturity
Until now you have more or less had a clear        of your offer (product/service):
vision of your start-up idea. By analysing this    ●● Do customers recognise the
idea in your market research you have been            benefits of your offer?
able to highlight the success factors. Now         ●● Is the offer ahead of its time
define your goals and work out your strengths         or already out-of-date?
and weaknesses!

                                                            Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
14         4.Concept to idea: stages of a business plan

Pricing your product:                                  ximity to customers, transport links, quiet or       When choosing your business premises ple-
Your range of offers is directly related to your       central location need to be particularly closely     ase observe valid workplace regulations and
pricing policy. Your mission should be „diffe-         examined for your own start-up.                      guidelines. They specify:
rent to others“ and not „cheaper than others“!                                                              ●● Room dimensions/heights
This does not rule out occasional price con-           Consider the following points when choo-             ●● Room temperatures/ventilation
cessions later. Even if you establish that your        sing your location:                                  ●● Exposure to light /lighting
price is below the market price by means of            ●● Suitable location (central, out of town or in a   ●● Lines of sight
your calculation, as under the circumstances              start-up or commercial centre)                    ●● Traffic routes
costs for business premises and personnel              ●● Proximity to customers                            ●● Toilets, washrooms, recreational rooms and
do not apply yet, you should check whether             ●● Proximity to cooperating companies/orga-             changing rooms
these costs must at least be calculated into              nisations (e.g. suppliers)                        ●● Noise levels.
your sales price. It is likely to be much more         ●● Proximity to competitive companies
difficult to enforce higher prices on customers        ●● Transport links to customers and suppliers        Industry regulations, accident prevention
later on.                                              ●● Adequate parking facilities                       regulations, the emission protection limits of
●● What price strategy is reasonable for your          ●● Good supply of goods, consumables,                the Technical Instructions on Noise Abatement
   company (upper, mid-range, lower price                 energy, etc.                                      (TA Lärm) and Technical Instructions on Air
   bracket)?                                           ●● Proximity to qualified personnel                  Quality (TA Luft) also influence your normal
●● What are major customers‘ price expecta-            ●● Favourable rents                                  operation. You can obtain the regulations
   tions in your sector (retail chains / influential   ●● Official requirements.                            valid for you from the responsible Berufsge-
   production companies)?                                                                                   nossenschaft [Employers‘ Liability Insurance
●● Are customers‘ delivery and payment 		              Ask the responsible urban planning office            Association] and the Gewerbeaufsichtsamt
   terms and conditions to be accepted?                about how the area where you intend to start-        [Trade Supervisory Board].
●● Is your own pricing restricted by                   up your business is identified in the urban
   the recommended retail price?                       development plan. If it is in a commercial or
                                                       industrial area, your start-up is not usually
4.5 Location                                           at risk as a result of building regulations. On
Location plays a crucial part in company suc-          the other hand, if your planned location is in
cess. Depending on the industry and company            a residential or mixed area you should check
size you have to therefore establish which of          whether anything stands in the way of you
the different location factors, for example pro-       setting up your business there.

             Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
4.Concept to idea: stages of the business plan                           15

4.6 Target group                                   It is difficult for people setting up a business,   4.10 Capital requirements
Which target group do you want to offer            who have little or no industry knowledge, to        How much money do you need for your start-
your products/services to?                         obtain information. Therefore use the following     up? How high are your capital or financing
So far you have clearly defined your offer. You    options:                                            requirements? Think very carefully, as good
are now determining your potential custo-          ●● Press publications (business and spe-            financing is the basis for successfully and
mers using target group analysis. Remember             cialist magazines, association news)            securely building up your company. Always
though that your customers, e.g. sales part-       ●● Industry directories (including the Gelbe        talk to an advisor about all financial matters
ners, are not always the same as the actual            Seiten [Yellow Pages])                          (also with the Chamber and in particular with
end consumers/users. The customer is often         ●● Own research: trade fair visits, test            your bank)!
the person that makes the decision to buy!             purchases, company tours
You should clearly define and differentiate        ●● Talks with suppliers, customers, analysis        First of all work out the amount of invest-
between your potential end customers and the           of product range                                ment required:
„decision-makers“.                                 ●● Analysis of catalogues, delivery and pay-        ●● How much money do you need in the long-
                                                       ment terms and conditions, etc.                    term (e.g. land, building, machinery, vehic-
For example, work out in the target group          ●● Internet research.                                  les, etc.)?
analysis:                                                                                              ●● How much money do you need in the short
●● Which target group is being addressed?          4.9 Sales measures                                     to medium-term (e.g. for setting up the first
●● Who belongs to the target group                 Companies try to develop possible customers            materials and goods storage, for outstan-
   (age, income, consumer lifestyle)?              into actual buyers and make a sufficiently high        ding debts and special expenditure in the
●● How does it develop?                            number of potential customers aware of their           start-up phase)?
                                                   new business/product using effective sales          ●● Budget a financial reserve for the
4.7 Market analysis                                measures. All measures aim for the most                unforeseeable!
See section 3.3 „Market research“                  effective impact possible on the market.
                                                   You not only have to react to existing market
4.8 Competition analysis                           conditions but you also have to be proactive
Your competitor is frequently able to cause        yourself! You achieve this using marketing
you problems as a result of their established      measures. Marketing means much more than
market position. Therefore familiarise yourself    just advertising. It is the systematic search for
with the competition situation. Expand on it       and early detection of possible market oppor-
in your project presentation. Identify your com-   tunities. Marketing creates the link between
petitors using the following:                      supply and demand.
●● Number, name and location of competitors
●● Competitors‘ market positions (part of a
   corporate group, chain, individual)
●● Financial performance
●● Range, quality, target group
●● Possible responses (advertising, change of
   assortment, pricing)
●● Influence on suppliers, behaviour towards
   buyers, suppliers, personnel.

                                                             Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
16       4.Concept to idea: stages of the business plan

Investment to establish readiness to perform:                                                4.11 Liquidity planning
Grundstück                                               i.H.v ......................... €   The liquidity plan gives you an overview of
Gebäude                                                  i.H.v ......................... €   your monthly incomings and outgoings. The
Umbaumaßnahmen                                           i.H.v ......................... €   principle of a liquidity plan is quite simple.
Maschinen, Geräte                                        i.H.v ......................... €   Record the time and amount of all your
Geschäfts- bzw. Ladeneinrichtung                         i.H.v ......................... €   incomings and outgoings. You will only remain
Fahrzeug                                                 LH.v . ....................... €    liquid if your total incomings are higher than
Reserve für Folgeinvestitionen und                       i.H.v ......................... €   your total outgoings for each period. If you
Unvorhergesehenes                                        i.H.v ......................... €   establish that you have more outgoings than
Gesamt                                                   i.H.v ........................ €    incomings, for example in the start-up phase,
                                                                                             you must take this lack of liquidity into account
Für die Leistungserstellung notwendiger Kapitalbedarf:                                       in your financing plan.
Roh-, Hilfs- und Betriebsstoffe                          i.H.v ......................... €
Unfertige Erzeugnisse bzw. Leistungen                    LH.v . ....................... €    Pay particular attention to the following:
Fertige Erzeugnisse und Waren                            i.H.v ......................... €   ●● Are your outgoings always lower than your
Forderungen / Außenstände                                i.H.v ......................... €      incomings?
Reserve für besondere Belastung in der Anlaufphase       i.H.v ......................... €   ●● How many days or weeks do you have to
Gesamt                                                   i.H.v ........................ €       pay your suppliers‘ outstanding invoices?
                                                                                             ●● When can you invoice your customers?
Gründungskosten                                                                              ●● When can you actually count on incoming
Beratungen                                               i.H.v ......................... €      payments?
Anmeldungen /Genehmigungen                               LH.v . ....................... €    ●● How high is your monthly or quarterly
Eintragung ins Handelsregister                           i.H.v ......................... €      amount payable (value-added tax minus in
Notar                                                    i.H.v ......................... €      put tax) that has to be paid to the Tax
Gesamt                                                   i.H.v ........................ €       Office?

Kapitaldienst                                                                                4.12 Profitability planning
Zins- und Tilgungskosten                                 i.H.v ......................... €   With the profitability forecast you obtain the
Privatentnahmen                                          i.H.v ......................... €   answer for the first time as to whether there
Gesamter Kapitalbedarf                                   i.H.v ........................ €    will be a plus or minus on the bottom line
                                                                                             of the balance sheet at the end of the first
                                                                                             financial year.

                                                                                             A profitability forecast is generally compiled
                                                                                             for the first three financial years. You must
                                                                                             definitely assume that the figures will not
                                                                                             be one hundred percent correct, as you are
                                                                                             working with projected figures. Your future
                                                                                             lender of capital (banks) also cannot make
                                                                                             any predictions about whether this budget is
                                                                                             right. It is therefore better to budget for the
                                                                                             future cautiously! A projected loss in the first
                                                                                             financial year does not immediately hail the
                                                                                             end of your start-up. However, if you are still
                                                                                             generating a loss in the third financial year,
                                                                                             you should start to give this some thought!

                                                                                             You calculate the profit or loss by subtracting
                                                                                             all the outgoings from the incomings for that
                                                                                             financial year.

           Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
5.Financing a start-up                17

5.Financing a start-up

Based on experience, starting up a self-            the share of bankruptcies is particularly high      working capital and investments. Land, ma-
employed job requires an initial investment         among young companies and people setting            chinery, stock and company takeovers can be
in the majority of cases, whether material          up businesses generally cannot provide suf-         financed with a flexible term. The programme
investment such as machinery or vehicles or         ficient securities to cover the risk. As a result   can also be used for the advance financing
working capital for stock or market-entry costs.    risk surcharges are applied to interest rates.      of orders.
However, people setting up a business can           This in turn does not make bank financing
very rarely cover the capital required for these    very attractive to people setting up busines-       Berlin Start: For start-ups and investments
investments using their own funds, after all        ses as the financial burden will be too high in     in the first three years of self-employment
not everyone saved up a fortune when they           the start-up phase.                                 you can apply for an amount up to EUR
were young or came into a large inheritance.                                                            100,000.00 for the financing of working capital
It is therefore generally the case nowadays         For this reason there is a range of public sup-     and stock and also for company takeovers.
that start-up projects are financed mostly          port programmes for start-ups, which serve          The term is 6 - 10 years. Berlin Start always
using borrowed capital. But what is this and,       the purpose of reducing the banks‘ risks due        issues funds in combination with a bank gua-
more importantly, where does this borrowed          to a lack of securities when financing start-       rantee from BBB Bürgschaftsbank zu Berlin-
capital ideally come from?                          ups and alleviating the financial burden for        Brandenburg GmbH to ease the provision of
                                                    business founders, for example using interest       its own securities.
Financing by your bank                              subsidies and limited repayment deferments.
The first stop in the search for capital often      Besides this, there are grants for certain          Microcredit from the SME fund: You can
takes you to a bank. Some credit institutes         investments or research and development             apply for a credit up to EUR 25,000.00 with
have set up special offers or advice centres        measures. If you plan to claim any grants           a term of 5 years (first six months with no
for people starting up a business. Banks            there are several key features you should pay       repayments) for the co-financing of start-ups
make their credit decision first and foremost       attention to. For example, the location of the      and new companies, company expansion and
based on whether they consider your concept         start-up company or even the industry can be        takeovers, but also for advance financing of
to be plausible and the risk of issuing credit      crucial here. It should also be noted that the      concrete orders. Credit is issued in a simple
can be covered by securities. Credit repre-         grants must generally be applied for before         application procedure and aims for a much
sentatives not only check the business idea,        the start of the project.                           quicker credit decision.
market potential and due care in planning
but also your personal competence as an             Support programmes for business found-              Different prerequisites and procedures apply
entrepreneur, your motivation, creativity and       ers from the Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB)          to the application and approval of IBB funding.
powers of persuasion. Your fortitude in difficult   IBB has a whole range of offers available for       The details for the three examples can be
situations and how you deal with money can          companies in the start-up phase. The support        found on the IBB website:
also be important criteria.                         programmes provide young Berlin companies           www.ibb.de/gruenden.
                                                    with customised loans.
Under purely market economy conditions, the                                                             In general, it should be noted that the loan
financing of start-ups is fraught with problems.    Berlin Kredit: Start-ups and existing com-          usually has to be applied for before the start
They are relatively high risk for banks, as         panies are supported with the financing of          of your project. You can find out whether a

                                                              Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
18        5.Financing a start-up

support programme is right for you and your        KfW Start-up Money: You can finance               ERP regional support programme: You
project, which combinations and alternatives       investments and working capital for start-ups     can profit from this programme as a business
are available and whether you can claim parti-     in Germany using KfW Start-up Money. You          founder, national or foreign industrial com-
cular versions in a personal meeting. You can      can profit from this programme as a business      pany or freelancer. Your company must be in
arrange an individual consultancy meeting          founder, freelancer or small company, if you      majority private ownership and meet the EU
with the IBB‘s Business Support Customer           have been active on the market for less than      Commission‘s criteria for small and medium-
Advice Department by calling the IBB hotline       3 years and your financing requirements for       sized enterprises (SME).
(030/2125-4747).                                   investment and working capital do not exceed
                                                   EUR 50,000.00. Consolidation measures can
You can also obtain an overview of relevant        also be supported within 3 years of starting up
programmes and application procedures eve-         your business.
ry first Thursday in the month from 2.00 pm
to 4.00 pm at an information event. For this       Features:                                         Features:
please register by calling 030/2125 4747 or by     ●● 100 % financing                                ●● Attractive fixed interest rate over 10 years
email to kundenberatung.wirtschaft@ibb.de.         ●● 80 % indemnity against liability for your      ●● Particularly favourable interest rate for
                                                      bank making access to a loan easier              small enterprises (SE)
Support programmes for business found-             ●● Grace period during start-up                   ●● Long terms up to 20 years with up to 5
ers from the KfW Bankengruppe                      ●● Support for a side business too, if it is to     years grace period in the start-up phase
Almost all national state support programmes          become the main source of income in the        ●● Can be combined with other grants
are granted in Germany via the state‘s own            medium-term
KfW Bankengruppe based in Frankfurt. In the        ●● Early repayment possible at any time free      It is important to note with the application for
process it is irrelevant whether the support          of charge                                      the KfW Mittelstandsbank‘s programmes that
is for renewable energies, private housing                                                           these are granted exclusively by regular com-
construction, SMEs or start-ups. For the latter,   KfW Entrepreneur Loan: You can finance            mercial banks. Therefore, if you would like to
support programmes are granted by the KfW          or make up for temporary liquidity shortfalls     apply for credit from KfW Mittelstandsbank
Mittelstandsbank. As already mentioned, the        using the KfW Entrepreneur Loan. The              you have to do this through your own bank.
advantages are a very low interest rate as         financing of start-ups is also possible. The      You must apply for all programmes at your
well as the option of being able to use certain    prerequisite is that your project can expect      own bank before you invest.
support programmes without the bank‘s              sustainable success. For this, you receive
usual securities. Detailed information about       borrowed capital at low interest rates.           Microcredit fund: Business founders can
the individual credit programmes and their                                                           take up microcredits at GLS Bank. Support
conditions can be accessed directly online at      Features:                                         then follows through a micro-finance institute
KfW Mittelstandsbank at the address www.           ●● Particularly favourable interest rate for      of your choice. These offer different focuses
kfw-mittelstandsbank.de. These programmes            small and medium-sized enterprises              and also different language expertise. Target
in particular are of interest to you as business   ●● Up to 20 years fixed interest rate             groups are small new companies that do not
founders.                                          ●● 50 % indemnity against liability for your      receive any credit from their own bank. These
                                                     bank                                            specifically include business founders with a
                                                   ●● Can be combined with other KfW program-        migration background and women.
                                                     mes and public grants

            Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
5.Financing a start-up   19

Features:                                           relevant employment agency or job centre will
●● Short terms: maximum 3 years                     inform you about the more detailed conditions
●● Small sums, after the first few success-         and application requirements. Please note
  ful repayments up to max. EUR 20,000              that you should first talk to your case manager
●● No fees                                          before you register your business!
●● Unscheduled repayments possible
●● 100% of the amount paid out

Financial support by employment agenci-             Equity financing
es and/or job centres                               Innovative and technology-based companies
If you were unemployed before your start-           in particular often require equity financing for
up, the employment agency (for recipients of        establishment and growth. This means that an
unemployment benefit I) or the job centre (for      investor, who is convinced by your business
recipients of unemployment benefit II) will also    idea, acquires a share in your company. Other
support you with your start-up project. You         standard terms are venture or risk capital.
must present the responsible case manager           Venture capital companies that engage in
with a statement about the start-up project by      early phase financing (seed stage, start-
a competent body (viability certificate) as well    up) are particularly interesting for business
as evidence of your personal knowledge and          founders. Venture capital issuers only invest
skills. Recipients of unemployment benefit I        in companies that have high growth potential.
can apply for a start-up grant. The prerequi-       It is expected that your company‘s value and
site is that the right to unemployment benefit      therefore the investor‘s share will increase by
I still exists for at least another 90 days (date   20-50% in a year. The aim of equity capital
of application). The amount of the previously       issuers is to sell their shares in your company
paid amount is still paid for a period of 9         after 3-5 years for the greatest profit possible
months, plus a flat rate of EUR 300 a month         to either the business founders themselves,
that is to be used for social insurance. You        other investors or companies or as part of
can then apply for the flat rate of EUR 300         an initial public offering. For several projects,
only for another six months.                        equity capital is the only sensible option to
                                                    acquire capital for establishment and growth.
Recipients of unemployment benefit II can           They avoid you getting into debt too much
apply for reintegration benefit. The amount         yourself as the investor carries the risk them-
of unemployment benefit II is still paid, plus      selves as the co-owner. There are no interest
50% of this standard benefit and + 10% for          and redemption payments to negatively affect
every other member of the shared household.         your profitability and liquidity. In return, the
The grant term is usually 12 months; however        business founder gives up a share of their
an extension by another 12 months is possi-         company. This also means granting your new
ble. The entitlement ceases if the recipient is     partner certain rights to information and co-
no longer classified as in need of help. Your       determination.

Start-up information online

The most important information that people setting up a business need can also be
found online. We recommend the Federal Ministry of Economics website with general
information about legal issues, the business plan, financing and lots of check lists and
support tools (www.existenzgruender.de).

Information specific to Berlin can be found on the website www.gruenden-in-berlin.
de. Industry specific information that can be found here is supplemented by extensive
databases on Berlin consultancy services and event information. Non-German business
founders can search for offers in their language and institutions and events are featured
that may answer their specific questions.

Information about the German business founder and entrepreneur days can be found at
www.degut.de. Here you can find all relevant information about the business founder
trade fair „degut“. Business founders can visit seminars and workshops here, share
ideas with other people setting up businesses and benefit from the experience of many
consultants and successful entrepreneurs.

                                                              Successful start-ups in Berlin - 2011 Guide ©BWK GmbH
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