Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

ELFS Student pre-assignments

1.Interviews with 3 entrepreneurs

 Students conduct interviews with 3 entrepreneurs in their own
field.
 Questionnaire ready to be used
2. Preliminary business plan
 Business idea from a circular economy perspective
 Business environment analysis
3. Entrepreneurship test
 Existing test

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

1. Interviews with 3 entrepreneurs

Students interview 3 entrepreneur in their own field, preferably one traditional

business model, one “crazy” and one focusing on sustainable
development/circular economy.

Questionnaire:

1. Background and facts of the business (founded?, turnower? etc=)

2. Why did you become an entrepreneur

3. Possibilities and changes in the local business environment?

4. In your opinion, what are the characteristics of an entrepreneur in your

field?

5. How do you take in consideration ecological matters and circular

economy?

6. What is the market situation, new trends in your field of business?

7. What are the aspects a new entrepreneur should consider in your field?

2. Preliminary business plan

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

 Students make a preliminary business idea to develop further during the

workshop weeks.
 Link to business plan:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceiaP7zEspRs__ZcFGyMJyR6rd
RKyKyLq7CTSFp3HCI/edit?usp=sharing

13 vragen pre-assignment 3

Refers to Pre-assignment 2

 What is the situation in market in chosen qualifications’ sectors?

 Market analysis carried out: labour market/employment ⬄

entrepreneurship; change in sectors’ situation.

 Short description per country and qualification by students

 Comparison and possible ideas / innovation from other countries’

presentations. Summarising discussion in qualification based groups (4
countries): short pp-presentation of summary built in three groups.

 Presentations of three summaries: => any innovation that might be

adaptable for other qualification-groups’ NT-groups. (e.g. hair and
beauty have in NL something that promotes small business launching
=> is this adaptable for media sector.) OR: can FI –media students
make use of NL hair and beauty –market analysis?

 Students check the market situation from viewpoints of ”sustainable

development” and ”circular economy”

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

3.Entrepreneurship test

3.1 Students take an entrepreneurship test:

 https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-toolkit/
business-assessments/pages/entrepreneurial-potential-self-
assessment.aspx

3.2 Students reflect on their own abilities to become an

entrepreneur

Comparison to general national level ENT-

expectations (=> National summaries to be
compared in Q-based groups and between all
groups). Are there differences in
entrepreneurship
pre-requisites/characteritics between
countries / qualification?

parison to general national level ENT-

expectations (=> National summaries to be
compared in Q-based groups and between all
groups). Are there differences in
entrepreneurship

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

pre-requisites/characteritics between
countries / qualification?
Comparison to general national level ENT-
expectations (=> National summaries to be
compared in Q-based groups and between all
groups). Are there differences in
entrepreneurship
pre-requisites/characteritics between
countries / qualification?
Comparison to general national level ENT-expectations (=>
National summaries to be compared in Q-based groups and
between all groups). Are there differences in entrepreneurship pre-
requisites/characteritics between countries / qualification?

Comparison to general national level ENT-

expectations (=> National summaries to be
compared in Q-based groups and between all
groups). Are there differences in
entrepreneurship

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

pre-requisites/characteritics between
countries / qualification?

PRE-ASSIGNMENT 3: Business idea

Own name:
Own country:

Bring your own business idea to the workshop week by answering the questions below
and giving the idea thorough thoughts. The business ideas must include the concepts of
circular economy1 and sustainable development2. Ask your teacher for advice on these
topics. Business ideas from beauty&hair, AV&media and textile will be presented and
mixed during the workshop weeks.

The objective of the business idea is to give structure and clarify the idea, and to organise
the concept. One objective is also to give an overall view whether the business idea will be

1 https://create.piktochart.com/output/8042544-rcbc-circular-economy-infographic

2https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/12/519172-sustainable-development-goals-kick-start-new-year
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

profitable, what are the success factors. The business idea is a tool for the entrepreneur
oneself it also acts as a tool for external evaluators of the plan.

Please remember to include circular economy and sustainable development as a key

component in your business idea! Also prepare to hold a short presentation (3-5min) of
your business idea at the workshop week.

13 questions for your business idea

1. Name of the company and brief description of the business idea (max. 3 sentences).

2. How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

3. What are your personal knowledge and capabilities for becoming an entrepreneur?

4. What service(s) or product(s) do you offer/manufacture? What is unique about your

product and/or services?

5. To whom do you sell products, who are your clients? What are client’s problems or
needs, why does the client need the products or services? Target groups and smaller
segments of clientele.

6. How do you market and advertise your business?

7. Economics and cost of products

What does it cost to start the business?
What is the price for products and/or services?

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

8. Business environmental, networks and competitors?

9. Location, permices and type of business (Ltd etc.)?

10. Do you use a bookkeeper or other external services?

11. Do you work locally or nationally? Is it possible to make the idea into international
business?

12. How do you take into account sustainable development and circular economy?

13. From where could you get help to start a business in your home country?

Characteristics demanded from an entrepreneur (refers to pre-

assignment 3)

Enthusiastic and trusts in one’s own idea and professional competence

Innovative, can create unique ideas
Energetic, hardworking, resolute, goal-oriented
Strongly motivated to succeed in the business, to show off / be an ace, high
dem
and level for ones own performance
Independent, spontaneous, good coping skills (ability to control by one’s own
actions whatever is happening to oneself or the company)
Ability to stand/endure uncertain circumstances – also to try and test
uncertain solutions for challenges
Ability and readiness to take premeditated risks, enjoys adventures
Goal-orientation and perseverance
Social skills, interaction, and networking skills
Thinking and reasoning is rational by nature

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

Factors motivating to become an entrepreneur (refers to pre-

assignment 3)

To be one’s own boss

One can be define one’s own work, duties and schedules
One can actualise oneself’s ideas how to provide services in best possible
way by shaping the service according to one’s own wishes and ideals so that
the quality and contents are on required level
Has a possibility to be economically successful, to prosper with one’s
ownbusiness
Can employ others if this increases profits and makes business more
lucrative and appealing

TOOLS:

PRE-ASSIGNMENT 1: Interviews with 3 entrepreneurs

Make interviews with three different entrepreneurs in your own field according
to the questionnaire below.

Own name:

Background information
Name of company
Country and city
Name of person interviewed
Branch

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

Founded (year)
Turnover
Internet page

Becoming an entrepreneur
 What was your motivation to start your business?
 What are the characteristics of an successful entrepreneur in your field?
 Did you find a market niche?

Starting the business

 Did you start your business from zero or was it an established
company?
 Did you start your business on your own or with partners?
 How did you finance your business when you started?
 What was the added value of your business for your clients when you
started? Has it changed?

Local business environment

 What possibilities and challenges do you see in the local business
environment?
 Do you see any changes, e.g. new trends in your branch in the last
couple of years?
 Do you work together with other companies from your own field or some
other field?
 Would you do something different if you would start your business
again?
 Do you think your business could grow international?

Sustainable development and circular economy

 How do you take in consideration ecological matters and circular
economy?
 What are your criteria for choosing materials?
 From the start until now, how have you made your business more
ecologically sustainable?
 What concrete steps have you taken to make your business more
ecologically sustainable? How can you also profit from it?

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

 Do you have any future plans to improve sustainability in your

company?

Greetings to new entrepreneurs

 What are the aspects a new entrepreneur should consider in your field?
 Threats? Possibilities? Advice? Encouragement?

PRE-ASSIGNMENT 2: Entrepreneurship test

Describe your abilities to become an entrepreneur by 1) answering the

questions below, 2) Making a SWOT-analysis and 3) Taking the
entrepreneurship test in the link below.

Own name:
Own country:

a) Questions on entrepreneurship

1. What are your values and goals in life?

2. Why would you like to become an entrepreneur? What motivates you?

3. When you meet a problem, what skills do you use to resolve it?

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

4. What kind of people or network do you have in your life that could
support your entrepreneurship?

5. What makes you give up?

b) SWOT-analysis

Describe your own personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

for becoming an entrepreneur. You can find tips in this Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXXHqM6RzZQ

Strengths Weaknesses

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

Opportunities Threats

c) Entrepreneurial test

Take the following entrepreneurship test and answer honestly in all questions.
https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-toolkit/business-
assessments/pages/entrepreneurial-potential-self-assessment.aspx

Copyright of the test: Business Development Bank of Canada.

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

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Erasmus+ Entrepreneurial Learning for Future Sustainability (ELFS)

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