The StartupWheel®
A tool for teaching entrepreneurship
with a 360 degree perspective
All entrepreneurs need the same skills.
How can they be taught?
THE STARTUPWHEEL - WHITEPAPER
The StartupWheel generates a 360 degree perspective
- for both the educator and the student
The StartupWheel is a systematic and creative tool for teaching
entrepreneurship. It assists students in making decisions and
taking action when starting a company. It provides us - in the
role of educators - with an overview of all the tasks in such a
process and therefore also the curriculum necessary for the
class. In the StartupWheel these tasks and potential classes
have been divided into four fundamental challenges: creating an
attractive business concept, establishing a sustainable
organization, building long term customer relations and
developing effective business operations. The StartupWheel
provides an overview and prompts action by identifying the most
important areas to work within. There are a total of twenty
development areas that together provide a 360 degree
perspective on what it takes to create a successful company
with potential for growth.
a business plan should not be decided without consideration,
nor does it mean that no sort of planning should take place. In
fact, the Startup Wheel provides many planning tools that
engage students in dialogue, critical thinking and action
planning.
The StartupWheel can be used with a business plan. For
The StartupWheel makes us better educators.
With the StartupWheel, we become better educators. The
Startup Wheel provides a comprehensive framework,
methodology, curriculum and easy to use graphic worksheets.
For students, the structure of the materials enables a clear
learning path and a comprehensive system ensures a much
broader perspective on entrepreneurship and the process of
starting a business. To be a good educator in entrepreneurship
you must be able to work with many types of problems. The
StartupWheel has been developed so that without special
expertise you are nevertheless competent in educating for all
areas of the business development.
Facilities
students who have already written a business plan, the
StartupWheel can be a tool for prioritizing and taking action and
for those who wish to write a business plan, the StartupWheel
can be used as a starting point for the process.
Alternative or supplement to the business plan?
The Startup Wheel is a tool for creating actions. It is designed to
help identify the first decisions that need to be made and the
most pressing actions that need to be carried out. The intention
with the StartupWheel is not to produce a complete and written
business plan for all the areas. However, refraining from writing
© 2009 Growth Company NYC Inc. Version. 1.5.
Side 2 | 8
THE STARTUPWHEEL - WHITEPAPER
The Startup Toolbox has everything
the educator needs for a creative classroom
As educators, a license to the StartupWheel will give us access
to a comprehensive toolbox - the Startup Toolbox - that offers
several different tools for the teaching process. There are four
categories of tools: frameworks, inspirational articles,
worksheets and presentation material. Each of them offer a
special contribution to the teaching process.
have been published in the Danish magazine "The
Entrepreneur." A license to the StartupWheel includes the right
to freely distribute the articles electronically and in print.
Worksheets that lead to action
Frameworks that provide a common language
The first tool consists of 30 frameworks. These frameworks are
simple and visual models that provide an overview of each
theme in the development areas of the StartupWheel. The
frameworks help the educator simplify abstract ideas and
challenges. They help create a common language and shape the
dialogue between the educator and the students.
Inspirational articles that provide understanding
The second tool is a library of 25+ inspirational articles that
cover, in detail, all the areas of the StartupWheel - each article
provides inspiration and simple checklists with specific
suggestions for action. The educator can have the students read
articles prior to class in order for them to be prepared and
ensure a certain awareness level in the classroom. All articles
The third tool in the Startup Toolbox is approximately 80
different worksheets. The worksheets are simply designed 11 by
17 inch sheets that help the entrepreneur make decisions and
produce action plans within each development area of the
StartupWheel. They have the characteristics of a creative
drawing board as the entrepreneur in specific terms can make
notes on which actions need to be carried out right now.
Presentation material that provides structure
The fourth tool is an extensive set of presentation material
which means that the educator will have a full palette of slides
for each development area. These slides integrate with the rest
of the tools and provide a structure for the educator when
teaching. That way, they help the educator use the frameworks,
the articles and the worksheets.
Markedsføringsviften
6 områder at se på i markedsføringen
Inspirationsartikel for vækstvirksomheder
Artikel #18 Version 1.3.
Udviklingsområde: Forretningsmodel (Gult udviklingsområde)
Tema: Indkomstkilder
TRYKSAGER
Visitkort • Brochurer • Foldere • Produktark • Prislister • Plakater • Præsentationer
modeshow, hvor prisen “T-shirt of The Year” blev uddelt.
Her kunne man måske tjene ekstra penge ved at sælge
medlemskontingenter til deltagere, som havde interesse i
at være med i brancheforeningen. Nu er der næppe basis
for en specifik T-shirt brancheforening, men
forretningsmodellen bruges selvfølgelig både i mode- og
tekstilbranchen og i mange andre brancher.
Markedspladsen
ANNONCER
Dagblade • Fagmedier • Magasiner • Håndbøger • Postkort • Outdoor media • TV/radio
DIRECT MARKETING
Direct post • Direct mail • Telemarketing • Kundebesøg
Kortlægning af spillerne i markedet
22 kilder til indkomst
FELT
FORRETNINGSMODEL
Vareproduktion
Ordreproduktion
NYE INDTRÆNGERE
RIVALER
PRODUKTIONSFORRETNING
Outsourcing
Du designer et produkt, men outsourcer hele produktionen til en anden fabrik og
fakturerer kunderne produktionsprisen med tillæg af medgåede omkostninger og en
margin.
Som iværksættere er det ikke tilstrækkeligt, at vi får masser af idéer. Vi skal også kunne
Du producerer og leverer et produkt, som andre har designet, og fakturerer kunderne
Licens produktion
en pris, der også kan dække det beløb, du betaler til licensgiveren.
tjene penge på dem og finde frem til den helt rette forretningsmodel. Men hvilke
Du designer et produkt, men lader andre om at stå for produktion, leverance og salg,
forskellige muligheder har vi for at tjene penge på den gode idé?
Royalty
og fakturerer producenten en royalty på antal producerede eller solgte stk.
‘GODE
KONKURRENTER’
KOLLEGER I ANDRE
MARKEDER
PUBLIKATIONER
Bøger • Artikler • Elektronisk nyhedsbrev • Eget magasin • Rapporter
Andre
spillere
Af David Madié, stifter af og direktør for Growth Company.
Grossist salg
Du indkøber varer fra forskellige producenter og videresælger dem i mindre mængder
til forhandlere, som du fakturerer en pris, der dækker omkostninger til bl.a. lager og
logistik.
Du indgår en agenturaftale om et produkt og sælger en vare som leveres og faktureres
Der er stor forskel på at have en god idé og have en god
Mindst 22 forskellige forretningsmodeller
Agentur (evt. import)
af producenten, og fakturerer producenten en aftalt salgsprovision.
forretningsidé. Forskellen består i, om man har fundet
Når man skal vælge sin forretningsmodel, handler det ikke
Du starter en butik og indkøber varer, som du sælger med en fortjeneste, der bl.a.
frem til en god forretningsmodel for, hvor pengene skal
handel
blot om at finde frem til én enkeltDetail
model
- snarere handler
dækker butiksleje, personale og annonceringsomkostninger.
komme fra, og hvordan der skal tjenes penge på idéen.
det om at finde
frem til flere. De bedste
HANDELSDu lægger dine varer i kommision hos en forhandler og fakturerer først forhandleren,
Begrebet “forretningsmodel” er ikke et hverdagsord, og
forretningsmodeller
er oftest en kombination
Kommision af flere
FORRETNING
når varen er blevet solgt.
det bruges også tit på flere forskellige måder. Den mest
forskellige måder at fakturere kunderne.
enkle måde at forstå en forretningsmodel på kan være at se
Abonnementer og
Du indgår aftaler om løbende eller gentagne leverancer af en vare, og fakturerer
licenssalg
kunderne et fast aftalt beløb pr. måned, kvartal eller år.
på, hvordan en virksomhed skriver
fakturaer. Det er nemlig på
Du koordinerer en leverance til en kunde og viderefakturerer leverancer fra
“De bedste forretningsmodeller er enViderefakturering
kombination af
fakturaens enkelte linjer, det
underleverandører med en fortjeneste, der skal dække håndteringen.
flere
forskellige
måder
at
fakturere
kunderne.”
fremgår, hvad kunderne i sidste
Salg og udleje af
Du sælger synlig reklameplads i forbindelse med din forretning og fakturerer kunden en
ende betaler for, og hvad
reklameplads
kontaktpris (pr. estimeret eksponering) eller en pris efter annoncestørrelse.
forretningen dermed består i. Det kan f.eks. være, at der
For de fleste iværksættere vil det være naturligt at
Du erhverver dig en professionel viden eller en faglig kompetence og fakturerer
sælges enten produkter med en stk. pris og/eller
anvende mindst fem forskellige forretningsmodeller
Timesalg
kunderne efter det tidsforbrug, du anvender på opgaver for dem.
serviceydelser, der faktureres efter timeforbrug. Og måske
samtidigt, og for nogle kan det være en fordel at anvende
Du leverer en ydelse og fakturerer kunden en fast pris for hele ydelsen, eller en pris der
vil det fremgå, at kunden betaler på abonnementvilkår,
op til 10 eller endda helt op til 20Ydelsessalg
forretningsmodeller
er bestemt af det ressourceforbrug, der medgår til leverancen.
eller at der indgår faste priser på bestemte ydelser. Men
samtidigt. Figuren “Kilder til indkomst” på næste side
Du etablerer en organisation eller et netværk og fakturerer deltagerne et
med hvilke forretningsmodeller kan man bedst tjene penge illustrerer 22 eksempler på forskellige forretningsmodeller,
Event salg
medlemskontingent for en periode.
i sin virksomhed?
og der findes sikkert
endnu flere.
SERVICE
FORRETNING
Institutioner
Medier
Organisationer
BESKRIVELSE
Du udvikler, producerer og leverer et produkt samt fakturerer kunderne
produktionsprisen med tillæg af medgåede omkostninger og en margin til fortjenesten.
Du producerer varer på bestilling og fakturerer kunden en individuelt beregnet pris på
hver leverance.
-på de gode idéer
PROMOTION
Merchandize • Messer • Events • Sponsorship • Vareprøver • Product Placement
ONLINE MARKEDSFØRING
Webside • Blog • Webportal • Netværkstjenester • Sociale medier
Finansiel indkomst
Selv som finansiel virksomhed vil man i princippet kunne
tjene penge i T-shirt branchen, selvom det nok hører til
sjældenhederne. Man kunne forestille sig en
udlejningsforretning af dyre designer T-shirts (det findes
for solbriller, tasker og brudekjoler), og man kunne måske
sælge dyre T-shirts med en afdragsordning, hvor man
tjener penge på renteindtægterne fra kreditforretningen,
ligesom forhandlere af fladskærms-TV gør det. Det ville
ANDRE SPILLERE
FINANSIEL
FORRETNING
Kontingenter
Du udvikler et projekt, som kan opnå støtte fra fonde eller offentlige institutioner og
fakturerer disse en aftalt sum, som skal dække alle projektomkostningerne.
Fundraising
Du udvikler et butiks- eller servicekoncept og fakturerer kunderne en franchise fee og
evt. en royalty som en procentsats af den omsætning, de opnår på forretningen.
Franchising
Du investerer i noget udstyr, som du udlejer og fakturerer kunden en lejepris per.
periode.
Udleje og leasing
Du lader dine kunder betale for din vare eller ydelse gennem en afdragsordning og
fakturerer en rentesats på den kredit, kunden løbende har.
Kreditforretning
Du sælger i samarbejde med et forsikringsselskab en forsikring, der medfølger den
vare eller leverance, du giver, og fakturerer kunden en forsikringspræmie.
Forsikringssalg
Du investerer i varer eller aktier og sælger dem efter en periode til en højere pris, der
bl.a. dækker de omkostninger, du har haft i forbindelse med investeringen.
Investering
Du investerer i varer eller aktier og sælger dem efter en periode til en højere pris, der
bl.a. dækker de omkostninger, du har haft i forbindelse med investeringen.
© Copyright 2008 Growth Company ApS. Licenseret til Væksthus SydDanmark.
Mere information på www.growthcompany.dk og www.vhsyddanmark.dk.
© 2009 Startup Company NYC Inc. Version 2.0
Side 3 | 8
THE STARTUPWHEEL - WHITEPAPER
All entrepreneurs need the same skills
- that is why they can be taught
It may sound like a very crude generalization to say that all
entrepreneurs need the same skills. Would a service business
have the same challenges as a production business? Would the
furniture industry have the same needs as the IT-industry? And
how about the differences in the challenges experienced by the
early start-up and the growing company? Of course certain
conditions are different. However, all companies have one thing
in common, they must all develop great products, hire the right
people, get the right clients and be profitable. The StartupWheel
provides an overview of these four fundamental challenges.
To create an attractive business concept
The yellow segment of the StartupWheel holds the
areas to work with to create an attractive business
concept. In a teaching process the educator and the
students would consider issues like: how to design
the company's products and services in relation to certain
customer segments, creating the right business model and how
to relate to the competition. The development areas in the
yellow segment are focused on design and development of the
business idea, product portfolio, business model, customer
portfolio and the company's market position.
To establish a sustainable organization
It is not sufficient for a start-up to have an attractive
business concept. It is also necessary to assemble
the right team of owners, employees and partners
and this is the focus of the second segment, the red
segment, in the StartupWheel. The organization is the
foundation for the future development of the start-up. As
educators we help the students explore questions like: how to
assemble the right owners, how to find the right employees and
how to form the right partnership agreements. The
development areas in the red segment of the StartupWheel
© 2009 Startup Company NYC Inc. Version 2.0
concentrate on designing the internal structure of the start-up
and the focus is on areas like owner group, board, employees,
business processes, partnerships and legal issues.
To build long term customer relations
With an attractive business concept and the right
organizational foundation, the start-up has a strong
basis for development and growth. However, a startup also has to be able to sustain customers and to
develop new customer relations. This is the focus of the
development areas in the green segment of the StartupWheel.
Here the teaching is concerned with how the start-up should
manage the daily business development and how to most
efficiently communicate with current and future customers.
Focus is on the development areas: network, marketing, sales,
public relations and branding.
To develop effective business operations
When the start-up has built the foundation for
creating strong customer relations, the last
challenge is to be able to deliver and to continue to
improve the operations. This last area - business
operations - the blue segment, is about this. Here the educator
and the students delve into how the company can increase its
productivity and how it can obtain positive cash-flow and
finances. The development areas in this segment have to do
with the development of the company's management
accounting, financing, deliveries, IT-systems and facilities.
Side 4 | 8
THE STARTUPWHEEL - WHITEPAPER
Does the StartupWheel include everything?
The StartupWheel’s approach to start-up development and
growth is one of many. One could easily find another structure
possibly with five areas and the headlines for the twenty
development areas could also be changed. For example,
another word for customer portfolio could be customer
segments. However, in a teaching process where the
StartupWheel is used as a tool, it is not so important which
terminology is used. Every educator has their own terms and
use them in their own way. What is more important is whether
the headlines are meaningful to the student during the process.
Over the last five years, the StartupWheel has proven to be very
robust and today more than a thousand entrepreneurs have
used the concept without providing any significant suggestions
for changes in the overall structure.
But where is “Strategy”..?
At first glance it might seem as if the StartupWheel lacks a
number of the key terms typically used when working with
business development - for example terms like "strategy",
"management", "innovation", "quality management" and
"internationalization". However, these terms are in fact present
in every single development area of the StartupWheel. As far as
strategy is concerned, a start-up can have both a product
strategy as well as a communication strategy and a sales
strategy. And when it comes to management, this is also a
discipline that relates to both production management, human
resource management and sales management. Also the term
innovation is not only a discipline concerned with developing
© 2009 Startup Company NYC Inc. Version 2.0
innovative products, as companies should also work on creating
innovative business models, innovative delivery systems and
innovative partnerships. In this way all these terms reach
across the twenty development areas of the StartupWheel and
are included in them all.
STRATEGY
MANAGEMENT
QUALTY MANAGEMENT
INTERNATIONALIZATION
INNOVATION
...
The StartupWheel provides no solutions
Even if the StartupWheel is concerned with most of the issues
related to starting and developing a business, it does not
provide any solutions. First and foremost, the StartupWheel
creates a structure and a common language. On top of that the
Startup Toolbox can be used to clarify which decisions and
actions are essential for the business’ development and growth.
The Startup Wheel is only as useful as the work that the
educator and students are doing together. The Startup Wheel
process, when undertaken with dedication, will provide the
solutions necessary to create a business.
Side 5 | 8
OM VÆKSTHJULET - KONCEPTBESKRIVELSE
The StartupWheel has an opinion about
how to best develop startups
The StartupWheel is more than just a list of tasks and themes.
In itself this would be no more than a list of content in any other
business plan. What sets the StartupWheel apart from other
business development tools is the idea that four key activities
are necessary to grow a start-up: To obtain overview, create
progress, maintain passion and to establish a community.
Overview provides confidence
For an entrepreneur, an overview is necessary. because the lack
of it can be a mental barrier - one that can potentially block the
starting of important activities in the start-up. To have overview
does not only involve having a 360 degrees perspective on your
business, but also that you have overview of all the development
areas in the StartupWheel and understand what they involve.
With its detailed frameworks, the StartupWheel ensures this
insight all the way through the StartupWheel - for the students
and for the educator. Whereby the confidence to take action is
established.
Progress provides a successful experience
It is necessary for entrepreneurs to make decisions that
manifest themselves into concrete action. The danger is that the
entrepreneur spends too much time analyzing - which rarely
leads to real change. With its action-oriented worksheets, the
StartupWheel enables the educator to systematically help the
students in determining the next step and take action on it. This
provides successful experiences that further encourage more
initiatives.
crucial for an entrepreneur to keep up the passion within the
group of owners and other key people. The StartupWheel
supports and strengthens the passion, both by being a creative
and visual tool but also by the wide degrees of freedom in the
way the toolbox is used. When the entrepreneur follows his
energy and intuition there's a much greater likelihood that
passion can be maintained, which will also increase the
productivity so more things are done faster.
OVERVIEW
PROGRESS
PASSION
Community provides competence
To build a company requires a lot of different skills and
resources that no entrepreneur can come up with on his own.
That is why it is important to establish a community of people
around the business, including educators, advisors, employees,
lead user customers or advisory board members. The
StartupWheel encourages the student to create a community in
all development areas. With the right partners, the start-up will
be able to master all twenty development areas of the
StartupWheel.
Passion provides productivity
Passion might be the most important resource in the start-up,
especially when the start-up is young and there is not enough
money, employees and systems to keep it going. This is why it is
© 2009 Startup Company NYC Inc. Version 2.0
Side 6 | 8
COMMUNITY
OM VÆKSTHJULET - KONCEPTBESKRIVELSE
The StartupWheel makes the teaching process
engaging and entrepreneurial
Due to the large degree of freedom in the use of the
StartupWheel, each educator can design their own, individual
learning process when designing their course curriculum.
However, one method that many choose to adopt is as follows:
1st class: 360 degree overview
In the first class, or classes, the educator provides an insight
about the challenges found in the twenty development areas in
the StartupWheel. With the students, the first work sheet is
completed producing a profile of the business idea the student
has chosen to work with. This will give the student an overview
and the opportunity to decide which themes to work on outside
the classroom or focus on for the remaining part of the course.
The 360 degree perspective exercise will most likely also result
in instant inspiration for a number of small research activities
that the student can carry out right after the class. In this way
the student is immediately provided with inspiration to work on
their own.
Following classes: presentations and group work
For the following classes the educator selects which areas of
the StartupWheel to cover in the course. Normally this will be
5-10 of the 20 development areas, depending on the length of
the course.
In each class the educator will make a presentation using
the StartupWheel presentation materials for the specific topic.
Following this, the students will be given a number of
worksheets that can either be worked on in the classroom
individually or as group work. Some educators also use the
worksheets as assignments for the students to work on before
the next class.
Included in the StartupWheel materials are inspirational
articles and subject-matter frameworks. Some educators
© 2009 Startup Company NYC Inc. Version 2.0
choose to provide the inspirational articles and the frameworks
to the students prior to the class for preparation, while others
prefer to hand it out after the class to allow the teaching to
provide new and interesting knowledge and insights for the
students.
Working on projects with action-based learning
The StartupWheel exercise and assignments takes an actionbased approach to learning. The activities go beyond an
academic approach of having the students discuss the models
and their alternative applications. The worksheets encourage
the students to use the tools to work on business cases in a
way, which is as close as possible to the process of real-life
entrepreneurs, which the StartupWheel is originally developed
for. This enables the educator to have the students bring their
practical experience (or empirical studies) back into the
classroom, and have the learning process include the
relationship between the models and theories introduced and
the implications of practical application.
Final Panel Presentation
At the end of a course, using the StartupWheel Methodology
some educators schedule a panel session in the curriculum. In
this panel session, the students present the current status and
challenges of their business to a panel that can include outside
participants like experienced entrepreneurs, bankers,
accountants, or people with specific experience the industries in
which the students have crafted their projects. Knowing their
work will be judged from a real-life perspective encourages the
students further to have a practical approach and thereby
obtain a real entrepreneurial experience from the course.
Side 7 | 8
THE STARTUPWHEEL - WHITEPAPER
How to obtain a license for the StartupWheel
- and which license is right one for your institution?
Over one hundred educators and business advisors today use
the StartupWheel. It is being used in several different types of
institutions and companies, who help start-ups develop and
grow. The StartupWheel is now used in a number of different
countries including Sweden, Netherlands, The United States,
Greenland and in Denmark where more than one thousand
students, entrepreneurs and start-ups have worked with the
StartupWheel in the process of building a business.
About Startup Company
Get a license for unlimited use of the StartupWheel and
the Toolbox
Further information
As an educator, you can obtain a license for the StartupWheel
by participating in a two-day seminar where you will be certified
in using the StartupWheel, together with other educators. At
this seminar you will receive the binder with all the worksheets
and you will be provided access to the StartupWheel online
where all parts of the Toolbox have been made digitally
available. During those two days you will be introduced and
trained in using the tools of the StartupWheel and its
methodology, and you will get the opportunity to network and
exchange experiences with other educators.
Startup Company is a consultant company that specializes in
advising start-ups. We have years of international experience in
helping companies create platforms for growth - a task that
requires developing your mindset as well as your business.
Startup Company was founded in 2003 by David Madié and has
the subsidiaries Growth Company and Export Company..
For further information about the StartupWheel and the license
agreements, contact Startup Company.
153 Roebling St., Suite 4W
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Telephone: 1 (917) 741-0061
Fax: 1 (646) 395-1540
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.startupcompanyinc.com
Different types of license for different needs
The Startup Toolbox contains materials customized to the
various target groups you work with as an educator. Currently, it
is possible to obtain licenses to three different versions of the
Startup Toolbox:
•
•
•
•
The Startup Toolbox for Colleges and Universities
The Startup Toolbox for Community Colleges
The Startup Toolbox for Technical Colleges
The Startup Toolbox for Social Entrepreneurship
Contact us for further information about which version of the
StartupWheel is right for your needs as an educator.
© 2009 Startup Company NYC Inc. Version 2.0
Side 8 | 8