Start-up know-how

A well thought-out business plan is a good prerequisite for starting your own business.

In order to better assess your opportunities and recognize the risks, you should plan your project well. To do this, it is helpful to present your project in the form of a business plan. This allows you to identify and analyze any weaknesses in your business model.

You can find information on creating a business plan in the basic information for people interested in setting up a business.

On request, we will also be happy to send you Excel tables as templates for sales and profitability plans and for financial planning.

Checklist for start-ups

You can use the following questions to work out your start-up concept and identify the questions that are still open:

1. personal/professional requirements:

What skills do I have to run a business?
Are my professional qualifications sufficient for my self-employment?
Do I have sufficient business knowledge?
What experience do I have in my company's sector?
What financial obligations do I have?
Can I estimate the time commitment I will have to make and can I reconcile this with my family/other commitments?
Will my family/community support me?

2. start-up concept/market opportunities:

What services/products do I want to offer?
Which customer group/target group do I want to address?
What do I know about my target group?
How will I address/reach my target group?
Do I know the demand for my service/product?
How big is the market for my offer?
What are the market prospects?

3. competitive situation:

Do I know my competitors on the market?
Do I know the prices of my competitors?
What distinguishes me from the competition/what is my unique selling point?
What distribution/sales methods do my competitors use?

4. choice of location:

What requirements must the location meet?
Do I know suitable locations?
Are there enough customers at my location?
What are the transport links like?
What are the total costs (rent and ancillary costs)?

5. rooms/areas:

Do I know the standard market prices for the office space or commercial premises I need?
Have I already found out whether there are municipal facilities (e.g. business parks) where I can rent at a reasonable price?
Do I know of any flexible office solutions?

6. authorizations:

Do I need a special license?
Do I need special permits for my company?

7. legal form:

Do I want to realize my company alone as a one-person business or with partners?
Which legal form is the most suitable for me?

8. profitability forecast:

Have I considered all the costs?
Can I generate sufficient income with my business?
What is my minimum turnover to cover all costs incurred?
Have I calculated my sales prices in line with the market and income?

9. financing/public funding:

Have I already determined my capital requirements?
Is my liquidity secured at all times?
How much equity is available to me?
What collateral can I offer?
How can I obtain the necessary debt capital?
Have I already found out about public subsidies?

10. insurances:

What insurance do I need for my business?
Which private insurances should I consider?
What do I need to consider with my existing social insurance?
What about my pension provision?

11. future prospects:

What goals (medium/long-term) have I set for my company?
What do I need to do and when to achieve these goals?
How do I react to changes in the market?

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