Product, Business Model and Stakeholder Management - Our Hero Teams Become Social Entrepreneurs

After a solid foundation was laid with the first workshop on the topic of "Team" at the end of June, the second workshop of this year's competition round "Heroes of Upper Franconia" took place on Friday, 8 July 2022. Under the working title "Product, Business Models and Stakeholder Management", the ten hero teams, which qualified for Phase 1 - Further Development and Networking of the competition during the selection process, dealt intensively with the economic aspects of their commitment. Among other things, questions about the value of the product, the financing of their own project and the customers and users were examined. As initiators, the Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung , in cooperation with the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the University of Bayreuth As the initiators, , in cooperation with the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Bayreuth, trained the participants in entrepreneurial understanding and offered them real added value in keeping with this year's motto "Creating Impact for Upper Franconia". Well prepared for the following coaching phase, in which the hero teams will have to implement the contents of the first and second workshop in the project under guidance, the participants can look forward to the third and final workshop on the topic of impact on 24 September 2022.

Entrepreneurial know-how for sustainable social commitment

Under the theme "Product, Business Models and Stakeholder Management", everything revolved around entrepreneurial understanding. "The economic aspect is also becoming increasingly important for social projects! Only those who deal with essential points such as the value of the product, the financing of their own project as well as the customers and users at an early stage can survive in the long term. In this way, social projects also benefit from entrepreneurial thinking," says Prof. Dr. Eva Jakob. In addition to developing an understanding of how the project works and thus the business model, the hero teams also dealt with their stakeholders in the second workshop. Even if at first glance social commitment and entrepreneurial thinking have little in common, it became clear to the participating volunteers in the course of the workshop how indispensable these topics are for their projects:

"If I have learned anything in my many years of involvement, it is that even a social project cannot exist without economic thinking."
- Ulrich Kuhlmann, SiSoNetzWeidenberg e.V.

"Volunteer work must be put on a sound footing. Without finances, without a toolkit and a plan, we can't move forward. Only if we have a business plan can we exist in the long term." - Barbara Geyer, Initiative LiebenswertesKulmbach e.V.

"If we do not think about these issues, we will not be able to exist in the long term. We have to deal with it and do this conceptual work, because social engagement also costs and needs a financial background. The workshop gave us some initial ideas for a solid business model, now we have to implement them." - Ulrike Schuhmachere, Bambus Bildung e.V.

"We can only have an impact on our target group if we have first done the groundwork and dealt with the financing, our offer, our various interest groups and thus our business model. That is basic work."
- Bernadette Sauerschell, Lacrima/Johanniter Unfallhilfe RV Oberfrankene.V.

The coaching and work phase of Heroes of the Homeland Upper Franconia 2022 is now starting.

Even though the third workshop will not take place until 24 September 2022, the teams will not be taking a summer break, but will be entering the coaching and work phase. Now it's time to implement the contents of workshops one and two: Restructuring, further development, trying out ideas, throwing them out, collecting feedback and finally finding the master (or heroine) plan for their own project.

Heroes of the homeland Upper Franconia 2022: These are our hero teams

- Geschwister-Gummi-Stiftung/TüftlerTreff (Kulmbach)

- Initiative Liebenswertes Kulmbach e.V. (Kulmbach)

- Make Skateboarding Social Again (Kulmbach)

- Musikverein Stadtsteinach e.V. (Kulmbach)

- Institute for Innovative Education gGmbH/Makerspace(Bamberg)

- SiSoNetz Weidenberg e.V. (Bayreuth)

- Verein Bayreuther Sportkegler e.V. (Bayreuth)

- Bambus Bildung e.V. (Wunsiedel)

- Caritsverband für Stadt und Landkreis Hofe.V./Flexible Family and Educational Counselling (Hof)

- Johanniter Unfallhilfe RegionalverbandOberfranken/Lacrima (supraregional commitment)

The team presentations of all participating hero teams can be found on the "Helden der Heimat Oberfranken" Facebook page.