Steinbeis expertise to be showcased at regional startup event
In 2015, Rupert Metzler, the mayor of Hilzingen, a rural community outside Constance, started an initiative for business founders. What started out as an “open surgery” session at the town hall has become so popular and has witnessed such rapid growth in the demand for ongoing advice that it has shifted up a gear. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Housing is now on board alongside Steinbeis. The idea is simple: Steinbeis consultant Winfried Küppers offers an initial consultation at the open surgery session in the town hall and takes note of requirements. Depending on the questions raised, he puts the budding entrepreneur in touch with a specialized Steinbeis Center. In some cases an interdisciplinary approach is adopted.
According to mayor Metzler, “The variety of topics covered by the Business Start-up Steinbeis Consulting Center, the depth of the advice given, and the high level of professionalism are highly valued by individuals, companies, and the community as a whole.” The next step was to run a full-scale Hilzingen Business Founder Day on May 21, 2017. In collaboration with the state ministry, various highlights were planned for entrepreneurs. Aside from expert talks, the event offered the participating institutions (chambers of commerce, universities, and Steinbeis of course) the opportunity to showcase their services and experience. A small number of meeting tables were provided, enabling visitors to talk face-to-face with the experts at the event. The event closed with workshops, where a selection of Steinbeis Centers demonstrated their expertise and answered questions from business founders and young entrepreneurs.
Contact
To see the current agenda for the Hilzingen Business Founder Day go to www.steinbeis-exi.de/events.
Ralf Lauterwasser
Steinbeis Consulting Center Business Start-up (Stuttgart)