"Start small, but start"
What was your Master´s program at HECTOR School?
Master of Science in Production and Operations Management
Did your M. Sc. program equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to explore entrepreneurship or start your own venture?
More or less. It will help to learn more about the actual process of starting a business in Germany: taxes, funding, laws, and opportunities for small businesses.
Additionally, it set good bases in finance and accounting, leadership, business model planning, and marketing.
Personally I can approach problems and non-ideal situations with numerical logic. It improved my ability to abstract problems into solvable models.
Can you share any early-stage mistakes or decisions you made with your start-up?
I did the business registration as well as I could by reading internet blogs and books and seeking free advice. I wish I had hired a good tax advisor from the beginning to be sure everything was done correctly from the start.
Have you experienced any significant setbacks or failures during your start-up journey?
When we delivered our first website to a German client, they didn’t like it. Although we had gone through the whole process of identifying what they wanted, the person who attended the meeting wasn’t in charge of deciding.
Could you share a story about how your business developed?
During Covid times, when I was in the middle of my master's studies, I worked as a waiter. I discussed with the restaurant owner the possibility of opening a new line of business so they could sell their products online and then offered them to build their website. I learned and proved that selling is not about offering to everyone but about identifying who really needs your service and helping them get what they need. If your service covers this need, then great. It’s a win-win situation.
How did you bounce back from these failures, and what did you gain from those experiences?
We redid the whole website, but this time made sure to speak to the correct person. This helped greatly as a learning experience, as we have now incorporated it into our workflow to ensure the person who answers the questionnaires and attends the meeting is the person who makes the decision.
What advice would you give to current students and alumni who are considering or involved in start-ups?
If you’re considering it, just start. Small, but start. You don’t need to have everything figured out. There’s a lot of free advice.
And if you’re already involved, don’t feel bad if you don’t have everything figured out yet. Everything unfolds eventually. Just do what you can to help others… and pay your taxes!
Are there specific courses or resources you believe would be valuable for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Registering a business in Germany, different business entities. Tax declarations. How to seek funding and free advice.
With its fast pace and more flexible structure start ups can offer unique opportunities to talented and well rounded students. Learn more about this path.
Explore Entrepreneurial Possibilities
Read through interviews & voices of our HECTOR School alumni on why HECTOR School is unique, and how it fostered their careers.
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Design & operation of production systems and supply chain is undergoing a change which many companies recognize too late. POM teaches the necessary competences, bridging the gap between up-to-date theory and advanced technologies.
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