In total, 12 start-ups and around 25 students took part in the specialist module; they were brought together in a «speed dating» exercise into teams consisting of one start-up and two to three students each. The Vanillaplan team was accompanied by the students Martin Kellerhals, Berkan Patlar and Massimo Racchi.
In classroom teaching the students acquired in-depth theoretical knowledge of the «Business Model Canvas», «consulting as a business analyst» and other topics, in order to advise the start-ups competently in the practical part of the specialist module.
In a first workshop our students, acting in the role of «business analysts», guided us confidently through the analytical part of the semester project. The most important instruments of the analysis were a risk analysis and a SWOT analysis. The results were compiled in written form as well as in a video recording on the «current situation» of our company.
Before the next practical workshop, the students attended further theoretical modules on the topics «coaching and facilitation in a start-up» as well as «systematic customer access & strategic scaling scenarios».
Our students guided us assuredly through the second workshop, this time in the roles of «strategic consultants». They already presented us with initial approaches to company strategy and to the risks. Once again they compiled the results in written form and in video sequences and subsequently discussed them right through to the finale.
The students then swiftly produced their final reports and presented their results orally to the experts from industry and the FHNW as well as to the management of the start-ups.
The result of the consulting was very interesting for Vanillaplan. The consultants' recommendations largely coincided with our own thinking on company expansion. But it was precisely the «outside view» of our consultants that made the decisive difference and created added value for Vanillaplan, which further strengthened us in the ongoing development of our start-up.
A big thank you to everyone involved in this specialist module «Consulting for start-ups».
https://startup-academy.ch/basel/
In August 2019, Vanillaplan AG was asked by Prof. Dr Florian Blumer, lecturer at the School of Business Basel FHNW, whether we would like to take part in a specialist module «Consulting for start-ups», which was organised together with the managing director of the Startup Academy Basel, Markus Fischer.
