Projects
Pre-start-up coaching assessment
Pre-start-up coaching assessment in the "Coaching before start-up" programme
Since 2016, we, Audrey Hoffmann (Managing Director of INA gGmbH, coach and active in adult education for over 25 years) and Ines Wanka (coach, counsellor and mediator), have been supporting founders in Berlin on their first steps towards self-employment in pre-foundation coaching assessments.
The "Coaching vor der Gründung" programme of the Senate Department for Labour, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination (SenASGIVA) offers people who want to start a business the opportunity to qualify for 30 hours of individual coaching as part of a four-day assessment. All questions that arise during a start-up can then be asked there. The coaches provide support in developing the market entry strategy, business and financial plans are drawn up, questions about the unique selling proposition are clarified and work is done on the founder's own personality.
We got to know several hundred founders at the start of their self-employment, stayed in contact with many of them and experienced the ups and downs of the start-up process.
Testimonials
I always wanted to start my own business, the profession I had learnt just wasn't something I was passionate about. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do. I wanted to start a 100 % ecological commercial cleaning company, but how exactly should I do it, what should I start with first? I had so many questions. But I knew I had to do it now, I thought about it every day.
I became more and more interested in what and how you can become self-employed. Then I became aware of the "Coaching before starting up" programme. But you had to do an assessment first.
To be completely honest, I didn't know exactly what an assessment was either. I only knew that if I passed the course, I would get coaching hours. Something like a rigorous exam, that's how I imagined it.
But when I arrived at the appointment, it was completely different. A very relaxed atmosphere, a friendly group and super nice "examiners" – Audrey and Ines introduced themselves and immediately wanted us all to be on first-name terms. I immediately felt very welcome and at ease.
I soon realised that there were very different people in the room with very different ideas for self-employment. They had similar questions and didn't know where to start. They were all in a similar situation. Then I realised – wow – I'm not the first and I immediately wanted to find out more about what the others were doing.
Audrey and Ines explained the first task to us. We had to briefly summarise our idea and present it to the others in one minute. That was the so-called elevator pitch. Everyone else then had to give us brief feedback. It's not as easy as it sounds. I was always afraid to speak in front of strangers, but I had to do it straight away.
Fortunately, it went better than I expected, I presented my idea to an ecological building cleaning company. I listened to the feedback afterwards. It was super precise and very honest and rather positive. It was my first win. I had already learnt two things.
It's not that difficult to talk in front of strangers. I'm better than I think I am.
Germans are the best at giving feedback.
This exercise was very helpful for me because I learnt so much about myself. On the other hand, I also heard ideas from the other participants that I wouldn't have thought of in a hundred lifetimes. That was the first exercise of the first day. Further exercises and days followed.
I thought the assessment course was great right from the start. All the exercises were very interesting, the coaches answered all our questions and we also took various tests. The whole experience was unforgettable.
I can recommend this programme to everyone.
Audrey and Ines are very professional and also very friendly. They are the reason why the assessment courses are so interesting and helpful.
I believe it provided a decisive impetus for my path to self-employment.
I have been Managing Director of Professional eco cleaning for a year now. I have persevered through the coronavirus year, and despite all the difficulties, I am continuing to develop.
I think I'm on the right track, getting closer and closer to my goal.
Thanks for everything INA!
Yours sincerely
Sedat Amish
Christine Müller
Sustainability expert, author, trainer, freelance expert
When I think back to my first (and only) assessment centre at the FrauenTechnikZentrum Berlin e. V. today, in March 2021, shortly before my 50th birthday, it seems to me as if a lot of de ja-vu's are taking place.
A lot has happened in these four-plus years. And yet it still feels like yesterday. In keeping with this feeling, I talked about my AC just last week in my online start-up workshop from 25–26 February 2021 for the Volkshochschule (Vhs) Pankow. Especially because in the course, after explaining the numerical part of the business plan, I also referred to the added value of the elevator pitch for customer acquisition and self-marketing. The elevator pitch was one of the central building blocks in the AC to present your business idea to other people and potential customers.
After the two-day start-up workshop at the end of February, I realised once again: without your own commitment and will, even the best figures won't help.
Motivated by Audrey Hoffmann's request, I took another look at my documents for the AC at the FrauenTechnikZentrum Berlin e. V from 28.11.2016 to 01.12.2016. Audrey herself was one of our trainers at the AC together with Ines Wanka.
The AC was the prerequisite for me to subsequently receive free coaching in the pre-start-up phase from the Berlin Senate as part of the "Coaching services in the pre-start-up phase" funding programme.
In the final assessment of the level of knowledge and skills, Audrey Hoffmann certified "enthusiasm" as my key skill. And that is exactly what I, now in the role of trainer myself, passed on to my participants last week as the most important thing in setting up the company – "enthusiasm". Here is the original quote: "Mrs Müller was one of the most committed participants in the AC. (…) The enthusiasm for her idea and the unconditional will to succeed were present on all AC days."
I didn't realise the self-employment I had originally planned in the AC in 2017, but I remained true to my professional life concept: I am and will remain a self-employed person with heart and soul.
I say that wholeheartedly. Through Corona and Covid 19, I became my own brand CM Christine Müller (https://mueller-christine.de) after more than 20 years of professional experience. Since January 2021, I have been working on my third RESTART as a freelance trainer, lecturer and author for education and sustainability.
PS: To complete the deja vu effect at the end, I should also mention that the coach at my side and my sparring partner, this time financed by myself, is the same one who accompanied me during my second self-employment in 2017.
What was the atmosphere like?
Very nice and friendly atmosphere.
The presentation style was very good. Everything was very varied and interactive and the personal environment was created with many practical examples.
How did the methods help you?
I am glad that I had the chance to take part. You also heard about other ideas and visions. It was very helpful for me to develop/assess a vision for the next 1 – 2 years.
The group work was also good. The role play was particularly good because you could simulate social reality in the game and get an idea of what problems might arise in the future and how you should react spontaneously and confidently.
Did you perceive it as an assessment or rather as, for example, group coaching before the coaching?
I found it more like group coaching than an assessment. The coaches were very personable and thought along with us as a group. When participants asked questions on specific topics, the coaches were always able to shine with examples they had experienced themselves or detailed explanations. Questions were answered in great detail so that everyone could understand the content. The group was small and each person had the chance to present their idea very comfortably.
What has it brought you in terms of your start-up ideas?
Very successful seminar for us as beginners with no experience. We were able to think more clearly after the seminar and plan our first steps more confidently and efficiently.
The programme and the pre-foundation assessment was the best thing that could have happened to me in my pre-foundation phase. For me, it was a stroke of fate that I ended up on this programme.
How did this happy coincidence come about?
I called the start-up centre to enquire about advisory activities and offers. During the phone call, we quickly realised that I already had a lot of knowledge about the actual start-up and was very far advanced in my preparation process. The lady on the phone couldn't offer me any counselling from the founders, but referred me to the pre-start-up coaching and gave me the contact details of ZGS. She asked me to give them a call and enquire there. No sooner said than done! When I called ZGS and described my concerns and my business idea, I was given the green light to take part in the coaching sessions.
I asked for the next best assessment date and was invited to a preliminary interview. After the personal interview at ZGS, I was officially accepted to take part in the assessment.
A few days later, I was sitting in my Zoom call and was super excited. What could I expect? What will the other participants be like? What will the examiners and the tasks be like, etc.?
On the first day of the assessment, I was still reserved and a little shy with my contributions and arguments, which is not in my nature. After all, doing an assessment in front of a PC with strangers and not knowing what criteria would be used for the test was still strange for me at first. The classic exam situation that everyone knows and probably doesn't like.
Before the second day started, I was very determined to rock the act and win, because after all, there was a lot of money and my future existence at stake here and as a female founder I still definitely needed support from experts. So I loosened up and became more active. The environment and the examiners also made it easy for me in terms of my nervousness.
The two examiners, Audrey and Ines, explained the tasks and topics clearly and coherently. As I was already familiar with many of the exam questions from my MBA, I felt confident and was able to get more involved in the group discussions. I felt the same way in the days that followed. Every day we were given interesting tasks that we had to fulfil within a given time frame. The results were then presented and discussed in the group. The day was very well supervised by the examiners and all open questions were answered to our satisfaction.
The atmosphere in the group was constructive, instructive and supportive. We supported and cheered each other up professionally and in terms of content. There was no competitive pressure and no bad atmosphere. As the start-up ideas were all different, we were able to support each other well with the help of the examiners. Ultimately, we were all in the same boat with one goal: to found a company and pass the assessment.
After receiving the funding approval, I was very proud and fulfilled to have passed the programme. My personal feedback on myself and my company was outstanding, which gave me an extra dose of motivation. This process was the first milestone as an entrepreneur in the right direction.
Looking back, I am very grateful for this opportunity that the state of Berlin offers young entrepreneurs. The whole concept is really well organised, from the application and assessment itself to the coaching sessions. The organisers of the programme are professional and structured. As a young entrepreneur, you receive very close guidance and wonderful support.
I can warmly recommend every single aspiring founder to take advantage of this opportunity and follow this path.
