Success stories

New entrepreneur:
Laura Piórkowska (Poland)
Age: 28
Company name: Wellify (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Health, beauty and social services

Host entrepreneur:
Dr. Christoph U. Eichel (Germany)
Age: 39
Company name: Result Group GmbH Global Risk and Crisis Management / www.result-group.com (3 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

 

Laura Piórkowska, a New Entrepreneur from Poland, participated in an exchange with Dr. Christoph Eichel, a Host Entrepreneur from Germany and CEO of Result Group GmbH -a leading consulting firm for global risk and crisis management. Laura had discovered the programme through the recommendation of a friend who had participated in the exchange himself and told her about the value it had given him in growing his first business. For both entrepreneurs, the exchange was an opportunity to learn from each other. Christoph gained the perspective of a young, ambitious entrepreneur with fresh ideas that were extremely useful in updating his company's marketing and sales strategy. Laura, on the other hand, got the unique opportunity to work with a seasoned entrepreneur with know-how and vast international experience. She was guided during the six months to use Christoph's knowledge and experience to formulate a better plan for her business, increasing the chances of its success.

During the exchange, Laura and Christoph worked on an improved marketing and sales strategy. They also considered new marketing trends, tools and promotions and reviewed the respective benefits for both companies. Even though physical meetings were not possible due to COVID -19 and the corresponding restrictions, Laura used Christoph's introductions to expand her network via online meetings. And ultimately, their network expanded as a result of the collaboration. In addition, both entrepreneurs discussed expansion opportunities for Christoph's business and researched new markets. The exchange also strengthened both entrepreneurs' business network by creating a strong relationship with another country that may be useful in the future.

Laura developed "hard skills" that are useful for her company, but also "soft skills" that are crucial for a future leader. The result of the exchange was a marketing and sales strategy with an action plan, a timeline for the next few months and a proposal for an international expansion plan. Laura learned how to use key tools necessary for strategy implementation to test the effectiveness of actions against established metrics and iterate as needed. Laura also gained insight into operating in the German market and established relationships with companies that matched her target customer profile. Overall, Christoph was an invaluable mentor to Laura - in terms of the marketing and sales plan, but also in terms of other business areas such as management hiring processes and the importance of business adaptations. Christoph, in turn, expanded his knowledge of new marketing trends and tools and defined target groups for new marketing activities. This also led to an updated and more automated sales process.

For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:

New entrepreneur's contact point:
Polish Agency for Enterpise Development (Warsaw, Poland)

Host entrepreneur's contact point:
Baden-Württemberg International (Stuttgart, Germany)

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