The Gründergeist@Münsterland initiative was financially supported by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the EU as a development project until February 2019. With this start-up funding, it continues to mobilise and support people throughout Münsterland who are willing to start a business, from the initial brainstorming to a fully developed business plan. In the last three years, the initiative has facilitated the path to self-employment for many founders. After all, in the early stages of setting up a business, team, network and infrastructure are essential factors for success.
The core of the project is formed by five start-up incubators in the four districts of Münsterland and the city of Münster. Those willing to start a business are professionally accompanied and supported in working on their project idea. The participants deal with questions such as how a vague idea can become a concrete business idea or what it means to be self-employed. What steps does a person interested in starting a business have to take, when and how?
Among other things, the founders' workshops are about specifying the problems, accelerating the brainstorming and the flow of ideas by individuals or groups, broadening the direction of the search and dissolving mental blocks. With the application of creativity techniques, the "Business Model Canvas" and other methods, the business ideas are concretised and developed into a promising business model.
On 18 January 2019, the project culminated in the first regional GRÜNDERGEIST COMPETITION, which awarded the best business plan in Münsterland. Participants of the Gründerschmieden as well as all other potential founders from Münsterland were able to take part. It is planned to continue the competition every two years.
The two-hour workshop is primarily about developing a business plan. Various examples will be used to illustrate the contents and planning calculations in a practical way.
How can industrial property rights such as patents, trade marks and utility models be used to protect technical inventions, the design of new products or the company logo, for example? This initial consultation provides answers to these questions. This is an approximately 30-minute consultation with a patent attorney. Entrepreneurs and people starting up a business who have developed a product or want to protect a logo can ask their questions here. Participation in the consultation day is free of charge, but registration is required.
Many people harbour the desire to become self-employed. Anyone who wants to pursue these plans more concretely should pay attention now: On Monday, 11 December, WESt mbH is offering a free and non-binding online information event on all aspects of starting up and becoming self-employed.
The Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts and NRW.Bank are organising a funding consultation day for companies and business founders in the skilled crafts sector who wish to invest. Consultants from both institutions will discuss the possibilities for funding your investment project with participants in a one-hour one-to-one meeting.
It is essential to make an appointment, as the event will be held as an online seminar.
For business expansions, relocations, restructurings, takeovers or even reorganisations, there are interesting financing and support products from the state and federal government. The IHK Nord Westfalen, together with experts from NRW.BANK and Bürgschaftsbank NRW, provides information on this in personal discussions that end with specific recommendations for action.
The support and advisory services are aimed at existing companies and potential successors who have specific capital requirements and want to know more about a sustainable financing structure. Start-up projects with capital requirements of more than 150,000 euros are also in the right place here.