Since 1 November 2008, when the law on company formation in Germany changed, it has been possible for a new business to set up as an Unternehmergesellschaft (UG). That’s a bit of a mouthful. Think of it simply as a regular limited liability company (GmbH) but with a lower barrier to entry. In a nutshell [...]

Do you go to the supermarket without a shopping list? In a single household with average income it may be feasible. But what about shopping for a family of four on a middle to high income? With poor planning, it is likely that you will get 75 percent of what you need based on what [...]

You’re probably familiar with Twitter by now but perhaps the terminology still eludes you? With everyone talking about tweets, retweets and hashtags, it can be slightly daunting for the uninitiated. But it shouldn’t be. Twitter is a simple and free tool for communicating with your online audience and, done right, it can produce an enormous [...]

Many founders are eventually faced with a choice: is it better to finance their future business growth with help from business angels (BAs) or venture capitalists (VCs). The short answer, as so often, is that it depends on individual circumstance. Let’s explore the two options in greater detail. Image: Paul Martin Eldridge One key factor [...]

‘Bootstrapping’ is one of the many buzzwords that flit around the startup scene. This is particularly true in times when investors in new ventures are thin on the ground and what funding there is is only being directed at businesses seen as safe bets to go public or be acquired for gazillions at the exit [...]

Entrepreneurs try to convince venture capitalists that their business idea is a winner in pursuit of start-up capital potentially in the millions. But how do venture capitalists decide which businesses are worth investing in? Olaf Jacobi, a partner at Munich-based VC Target Partners, outlines the steps by which venture capital investors arrive at their decisions, [...]

Imagine that you have finally launched your German web shop after long months of preparation. Your marketing and customer acquisition strategy is spot on. German consumers are beating a path to your unique online offering and salivating at the prospect of buying your products. Success seems guaranteed. Doesn’t it? Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Unfortunately, [...]

If you have a great idea for the German market, or you’ve already set up your business and you’re in the difficult ‘startup’ phase, you are probably one of the majority of entrepreneurs who could do with a little (or a lot) of advice, assistance and cash. You may be in luck. In times of [...]

The idea of making money does not always sit well within the dogma of social media marketing, but businesses are increasingly tapping into social media to reach out to customers, build relationships, market more effectively and ultimately seek a return on their social media investment. Looking at Twitter specifically, there are now plenty of examples [...]

Any soccer fan who followed the recent World Cup can tell you the importance of a penalty kick, which is a direct, stationary kick taken from a distance of twelve yards with only the goalkeeper to block the shot. Penalty kicks are used when a player commits any of the ten “direct free kick fouls” [...]