Startup coaching in English, with an AVGS voucher.
You want to start a business in Germany, and German is not your first language? With an activation and placement voucher (AVGS) from the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter, we work on your project in English until the plan holds up when someone checks it.
You already have your voucher?
Then get in touch. In the first call we talk about your project, and I take care of the coordination with the training provider. You do not have to find a provider yourself.
No voucher yet?
The voucher is issued by your placement officer at their own discretion. Get in touch anyway: we discuss how to present your project at the appointment. How the procedure works
Request a first call
Half an hour, by video or phone, in English. I usually reply within two working days.
Finding your way in the German system
Which office decides what, and in which order? What does a German business plan need to contain, and what do the people reviewing it look for? I explain each step in plain English.
Documents for German authorities are prepared in German, as they have to be. We go through them together, so you know exactly what you are submitting and can answer questions about it yourself.
What you have in your hands at the end
- A business model where it is clear who pays, for what, and why from you
- A financial plan with revenue, costs, liquidity and what you live on in the first year
- A business plan in the form German banks and review bodies expect, also as the basis for an application for the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss)
- A plan for your first customers, because a plan without a sales route is only a document
- An honest assessment of whether your project holds up, even when it is uncomfortable
How it works
First call, half an hour. You tell me what you are planning and where you stand. We find out whether the project is a good fit.
Coordination with the provider. I take care of it. You receive the details of the programme to show your placement officer.
Wait for approval. We start as soon as the approval of the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter is in writing.
Coaching. Sessions of two to three hours, by video or in Munich. In between you work on your documents and I give written feedback. At the end the plan is checked against the numbers before you show it to anyone.
Why work with me
- I have founded a company myself. As co-founder and COO of a hardware startup, from prototype to series production, financed through a crowdfunding campaign of 1.06 million US dollars.
- Engineering and numbers. German engineering degree (Diplom-Ingenieur FH) and an Executive MBA from the Technical University of Munich.
- Consultant since 2021 for startups, business plans and financial plans, including an engagement held entirely in English.
- Host since 2019 of a monthly meetup on founding and financing in Munich.
I suit you particularly well if you come from a technical profession or want to develop and manufacture a product. What I have worked on
Questions about the voucher
Am I sure to get the voucher?
No. The voucher is a discretionary benefit. Whether you receive one, for what scope and period, is decided by your placement officer alone.
What does the coaching cost me?
If your placement officer has approved your participation in writing beforehand, the programme costs you nothing. The provider invoices the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter. Travel and childcare costs are clarified separately before the start.
Are you a training provider?
No. The programme is run by a training provider approved under AZAV, which invoices the agency. I am the coach who works with you, and I take care of the coordination with the provider.
Do I need to speak German?
Not for the coaching; it can take place entirely in English. Appointments at the agency and official documents are generally in German. We prepare for them together.
How many hours does the coaching cover?
The voucher sets the framework. How we divide the hours, we decide after the first call, depending on how far your project already is.
Do you issue the statement for the start-up grant?
No. The statement on viability for the Gründungszuschuss is issued by a competent body, for example the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the Chamber of Crafts. In the coaching we prepare the business plan you present there.
Is it possible without a voucher?
Yes. Then you engage me directly and receive an offer with a fixed scope in advance. More about startup coaching
A first call costs you half an hour. If I am not the right person, I will tell you.
Status: October 2026. Binding is the information of the Federal Employment Agency on the voucher (in German).