Starting up and self-employment

As an experienced educational designer and design thinking coach, I would like to incorporate my experience in the field of entrepreneurship education and provide innovative impulses for teachers and design an exciting workshop program for people interested in founding a company.
I am currently going through a start-up process myself and therefore know first-hand that you may not be entirely sure at the beginning whether an idea actually has the potential to be implemented. But great ideas always start small!
And something can only become something if I start.
I would therefore like to encourage anyone who is interested: Just get in touch and we’ll see together where the journey takes us.

I am the coordinator for start-up support at our university and would like to pass on my knowledge and experience to you and support you with your self-employment or business start-up.
In general, I take care of start-up advice and also the community management of the start-up scene from within the university.

• Start-up consulting
• Mentoring and coaching
• Entrepreneurial mindset work
• Idea generation and validation
• Business Modeling
• Financing options
• Networking with relevant stakeholders

What options do I have for funding and developing my idea?
How do I write a funding application?
We can help you find the right funding for your business idea.
You can find an overview of the programs here:

• EXIST
• EXIST Research Transfer
• EXIST Woman
• WINGS
• KickStart

Workshops, start-up-related courses and qualification programs Discover our comprehensive range of workshops and courses on the topic of start-ups.
We offer practical courses and qualification programs that optimally prepare you for the path to self-employment.
Take a look at our specific offers and get started!

Ready, steady, GO!
– The starting signal for your ideas journey Are you studying or working at the University of Bamberg, the University of Bayreuth, Coburg University of Applied Sciences or Hof University of Applied Sciences and have always wanted to …

• develop innovative solutions to social challenges for the world of tomorrow?
• collaborate with other creative minds from different disciplines and learn from each other?
• work on exciting ideas with business potential?
• find out what constitutes entrepreneurial thinking and action?
• find out what qualities and skills make successful founders and develop your own personality in this direction?
• try out in a protected environment whether self-employment could be a career option for you?

Then our GO! training program is just right for you!
You can find more information here.

A makerspace is an open workshop with the aim of giving people access to various machines and tools.
You can do traditional handicrafts or try out high-tech devices.
Everything is allowed, from recreational tinkering to start-up prototyping.
In the Makerspace you are not alone, but meet others who are enthusiastic about tinkering, inventing and making, who share their knowledge and experience.
The aim is to create an open, helpful and creative community.
You can find more information here: https://www.creapolis-coburg.de/makerspace

Founding can be learned! Our workshops at Coburg University of Applied Sciences are practical, interactive and compact.
Students, employees and alumni receive direct feedback from experienced coaches and their peers in order to further develop their business ideas in a targeted manner.
We teach you the most important entrepreneurial skills that will support you step by step on your path to self-employment.
The skills you acquire are not only valuable for starting your own business, but can also be used in areas such as intrapreneurship, business succession or science.
We offer a mixture of online and face-to-face workshops – some free of charge, others for a small fee.
We can issue a certificate of attendance on request.
Here, too, we are gradually expanding our range and would like to create the right offer for every phase of the start-up process in the future.

Which skills are decisive for professional success in your own company or in an employment relationship? How can students be optimally prepared for the future of the changing world of work?
And how can these knowledge, skills and personality traits be promoted and assessed?
The entrepreneurship education approach offers one way of addressing these questions.
Entrepreneurship education (EE) encompasses educational approaches that aim to promote entrepreneurial thinking and action.
This form of education combines creative and economic aspects to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship and the future world of work. The goals and content of Entrepreneurship Education EE aim to develop important skills such as creativity, a willingness to take risks and a sense of responsibility.
These skills are not only important for starting a business, but also for active participation in social and economic life.
The EE modules can be integrated into various disciplines, so they are not limited to business subjects.
A central aspect of EE is practical application.
Students are encouraged to put their ideas into practice in projects that simulate real business challenges.
This promotes theoretical learning and prepares them for the demands of practice. Implementing entrepreneurship education in your own teaching Coburg University of Applied Sciences is known for its close integration of theory and practice and already offers numerous opportunities for cooperation and transfer.
We see entrepreneurship education as an opportunity and extension to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the future world of work.
If you are a lecturer at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and are interested in integrating entrepreneurship education into your courses or would like to try out new, innovative teaching methods, please contact Elena Friedel(elena.friedel@hs-coburg.de).
As an experienced educational designer, she not only supports you in the development and implementation of concepts, but also offers you the opportunity to help shape your courses as a co-lecturer, e.g. in seminar projects:

• Moderation of design thinking process
• Idea iteration & prototypes with LEGO® Serious Play®
• Pitch training
• Implementation of creativity methods
• How to Start Up

Acquire skills and work on real start-up projects! The GO!
Gründungshub Oberfranken is a joint initiative of the universities of Bayreuth and Bamberg and the universities of Coburg and Hof.
The aim is to promote and network students and employees interested in founding a company and to teach them entrepreneurial skills through workshops, seminars and collaboration on real start-up projects.
You can find out more about the GO! program and how to register here.

Our range of courses to acquire entrepreneurial knowledge and skills! In this section you will find an overview of courses from various faculties and the Studium Generale at Coburg University of Applied Sciences that are related to the topics of entrepreneurship and self-employment.
These courses offer you the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial knowledge and skills that can be useful both in your later professional life and when setting up your own projects.
Participation in these courses and the acquisition of ECTS points must be agreed individually with the respective lecturers.
Find out here about the wide range of courses on offer and discover how you can integrate entrepreneurship into your academic education.

Get to know innovative teaching-learning formats! The ERIC team offers innovative teaching-learning formats on the topics of entrepreneurship and sustainability for students of all disciplines in the Studium Generale and works together with lecturers from various faculties in regular courses on these topics.
Students also have the opportunity to receive the “Sustainable Entrepreneurship Basic & Advanced” certificates.
Courses offered in the coming winter semester https://mycampus.hs-coburg.de/de/service-offer/eric-lehrangebot:

• Co-decide and live healthily – new economic paths to sustainable nutrition!
• Cycle up & Upcycling – Business Model Canvas for start-ups in the field of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)
• Business chief

In this workshop, you will learn about the essential steps and considerations required for a successful business start-up.
We will guide you through the basics of a start-up – from the initial idea to the actual implementation.
You will learn how to develop a business plan, what legal and financial aspects need to be considered and how to reach your target group effectively.
Practical exercises and interactive sessions will give you valuable insights and the tools you need to take a structured approach to your own business idea and make it a success.
Regardless of whether you already have a concrete idea or are simply interested in the topic – this workshop offers you the foundation to take the first step towards self-employment. Take the first step and register – start your start-up with sound knowledge!

Unleash your creativity and get to the heart of your ideas with LEGO® Serious Play®!
In this workshop you will use the innovative LEGO® Serious Play® method to make your concepts tangible and develop them further.
By building and modelling with LEGO® bricks, you will gain new insights and clear structures that will help you organize complex thoughts and concretize your ideas.
Whether you are working on an existing project or developing a completely new idea – this workshop offers you a playful yet effective approach to recognizing challenges, finding solutions and further sharpening your vision.
Together with other participants, you will exchange ideas and receive valuable impulses for the further development of your ideas. Sign up now and discover how LEGO® Serious Play® can take your creativity to the next level!

You have a great idea, but how do you present it convincingly?
In our pitch training, you will learn how to present your business idea or project concisely and effectively in a short space of time.
Whether in front of investors, partners or in a competition – a good pitch is crucial to inspire and convince your audience.
The workshop offers you practical tips and techniques to formulate your message clearly and memorably.
You will learn how to work out your key points, build up suspense and respond confidently to possible questions and objections.
Through targeted feedback and practice sessions, you will become more confident step by step and be able to present your idea with self-assurance. Register now and make your pitch a success!

In this workshop, you will immerse yourself in the world of social entrepreneurship and learn how you can use entrepreneurial approaches to solve social challenges in a sustainable way.
We will teach you the basics of social entrepreneurship and show you how to develop a business idea that is not only economically viable but also socially effective.
You will learn about successful models and best practices and find out how to measure and communicate social impact.
Interactive exercises and practice-oriented case studies will encourage you to develop your own ideas and drive your project forward in a targeted manner.
The workshop provides you with the necessary know-how to make a positive difference in society as a social entrepreneur. Develop your idea for a better world and register now!