Innovation Policy and environmental concerns / Supporting
Business Start-ups:
From start-up to company succession
"Join – act – win“: This is how the Gießen-Friedberg Chamber of
Industry and Commerce (CIC) invites all its members to take part in
the Chamber’s activities and to make a difference. It is our goal
to let as many companies as possible benefit from our services, so
they can increase their own benefits.
What role does the division ‘Innovation Policy and
environmental concerns / Supporting Business Start-ups’ of the CIC
Gießen-Friedberg play in all this? And how can you contribute to
make a difference?
The Gießen-FriedbergCIC´s business areas ‚Innovation Policy and
environmental concerns / Supporting Business Start-ups’ accompany
their member companies’ whole lifecycle. May it be issues
concerning start-up or development and growth of a company,
technological development or company succession – the CIC offers a
great number of cash value support and information to its member
companies.
Start-up well prepared
The CIC offers free-of-charge-mentoring for young start-ups,
committing experienced entrepreneurs from CIC member companies to
help out with their knowledge. Thus, young entrepreneurs obtain
valuable mentoring taking their first steps in business, and the
senior entrepreneur shows how useful ‘joining in’ is.
At some point in time, every businessman took his first steps
towards being self-employed. CIC start-up consultant Mr Franz-Josef
Schnöde knows about the many points to be observed in this process
– and holds available a multitude of crucial information. In his
career at the CIC, Schnöde has already advised thousands of
entrepreneurs starting up their own company. Not every young
entrepreneur already has a sophisticated business concept, and a
great number of them first of all need short-term orientation.
Among information leaflets, brochures, CD-ROM material, information
activities and statements concerning transitional allowance, a
classical initial and further consultation are the trusted
instruments of our start-up support program. At a visit to the
virtual start-up center on the CIC’s homepage, the user interested
in a start-up has information on frequently asked questions
concerning start-up and drafting of a business plan available at
his fingertips. To be well informed is the best asset to stay on
the market with your business. According to a survey by KfW Bank
(i.e. Bank for Reconstruction Loan Corporation), the three most
frequent reasons why young entrepreneurs fail are: insufficient
funding (68.6%), information deficit (61.0%) and lack of
qualification (48.0%).
Profit from the Chamber’s Expertise to guide you through
numerous Support Programs
„Unfortunately start-ups as well as companies
scheming growth investment sometimes only turn to us when they have
already founded a company or when their investment plans already
are in motion“, states Beate Hammerla who is in charge of public
funding programs available for companies. The majority of public
funding programs available, however, require previous application.
Concerning any of these questions the staff of the CIC business
division can offer assistance. The CIC holds available state,
national and even European support programs for entrepreneurs in
all of Germany. Literally speaking, it pays off to be well informed
about support programs and relevant guidelines and regulations when
you take up discussions with your bank.
In the Beginning there is an
Idea
Many companies are not short of innovative ideas
but it is a long way to filing an application for patent, or to
securing the invention by industrial property rights. Therefore,
the CIC Gießen-Friedberg offers special information for inventors.
In an initial informative meeting with a CIC employee, inventors
can often be helped on how to secure industrial property rights.
The Chamber also offers information concerning financial support to
help to take further steps in case an inventor’s idea might be
developed into a product. Every two months, the CIC organizes
consultation hours reserved for issues concerning patent and
invention. Your invention can be presented confidentially to a
patent attorney to check which industrial property right (patent,
brand, utility or design patent) can be applied for and how it can
be enforced. The Chamber assists in giving advice on marketing a
licence or a protected technology. The entire service is free of
charge.
Innovation means Progress
Two years ago – within the framework of the CIC’s technology
committee - more than 40 industrial and technology enterprises in
the region started an intense collaboration. In this network, the
idea that each single entrepreneur can make a difference has become
true. Any party involved in the committee reaps benefits of expert
information and networks, at the same time doing lobbying work for
its own cause.
The CIC
intensely supports activities of technology-oriented enterprises.
Companies cooperating with universities as well as making use
of collective resources are crucial points on top of the Chamber’s
agenda. Our employees try to establish contacts between the persons
in charge in the companies by conducting technology-oriented
workshops. Anyone looking for or offering new technologies can make
use of the Chamber’s Internet platform. At a so-called ‘technology
market’ ideas and projects can be ‘traded’. What is special about
this: everyone’s advertisement at the CIC’s technology market is
free of charge – companies, independent inventors, universities and
non-academic research institutions can offer what they have and ask
for what they need. Furthermore, personal technology and technology
transfer consultancy is also part of the CIC’s portfolio.
Competition or Cooperation?
Cooperation between two single companies can be established at
the CIC’s cooperation forum. The benefits for both companies arise
from the possibility to make use of economization effects that stem
from the collective exercise of business functions without touching
the economic independence of companies involved.
„Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress,
working together is success“ – Henry Ford, the legendary American
tycoon, once summarized this life experience for posterity. His
success proved he was right. What was true for Ford as large-scale
manufacturer more than 100 years ago is by no means a
phase-out model. It is particularly true for today’s small and
medium-sized companies. For that reason, the CIC Gießen-Friedberg
puts special emphasis on intercompany cooperation and networking.
The goal is to support clustering of different sectors of business
in the region. Industry-specific events, theme parties, as well as
support and initiation of regional infrastructural facilities serve
this purpose.
What to do when Crisis looms
A company does not always grow as it could have, had it found
the ideal circumstances. A drop in orders, outstanding accounts on
bulk orders, maybe even wrong company planning – even
well-established companies can suddenly get into trouble. Liquidity
squeezes are the alarm signal. And at that point, at the latest,
the CIC’s ‘round table’ should come into play. This instrument is
designed to help companies facing difficulties to get back on their
feet, and it helps to significantly increase the company’s market
opportunities. The Chamber appoints a project consultant who will
carry out a SWOT analysis in the company under threat. After
reviewing the situation, further steps to help the company will be
discussed with all parties involved. The project consultants are
all experts in the field of business consulting. In the past two
years, more than 59 companies and all in all 400 jobs were saved by
means of the “Round Table”. In the long run, and if forecasts turn
out to be favourable, companies can be supported with the help of
‚turn around counselling’. Costs for business consultant’s services
can be subsidized by 50% upon request.
Timely planning of Succession
Whether it may be for the entrepreneur or for the company owner
‘s successor – important decisions need to be made by all
parties involved when a medium-sized company needs to be
transferred. The future of the company, of the employees, and above
all the entrepreneur’s possibilities and plans are directly related
to the (successful) transfer or takeover of business. Taking
experts’ advice in due time can save the entrepreneur a lot of
money (taxes) and trouble. Usually the parties involved are at odds
with the enterprise’s monetary evaluation during transfer of
business. “What is the real value of the company?” That is the key
question for the party transferring business and the party taking
over. And usually it is the “gut feeling” that answers this
question though there are substantiated mathematical models to
assess the value of a company. The CIC offers counselling and
information on company succession matters.
Transfer of business within a family is a stroke of luck;
usually a successor needs to be found among members of staff or
externally. This is where Germany’s biggest succession exchange
‘nexxt-change’ (www.nexxt-change.org) can be of
great help. Within this exchange, entrepreneurs and start-ups can
connect. Each year, there are about 30,000 companies that cannot
solve transfer of business internally, and almost half of them turn
to ‘nexxt-change’. The exchange and its area-wide network of more
than 700 regional partners render valuable services to ensure
businesses’ continued existence.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry as service
partner for its member companies: it pays off to make a
difference!
Contact:
Beate Hammerla
