Workshop Title
The learner is expected to identify the potential of a business idea
The learner is expected to identify the potential of a business ideas
- Duration: 4 hours
The learner is expected to be able to understand the importance of a business idea, knows about methods and tools applied within the ideation process and in the business concept development.
The learner should be able to:
- Identify the importance of a business idea and business concept
- Describe and apply methods for business idea generation and business concept development
- List and apply tools for developing ideas with teammates
In addition, the learning will be able to describe the principles of a winning business concept and develop the most relevant aspects of a business concept.
This workshop focuses on the idea generation in a first step and will then continue with the conceptualization of a business idea = business concept. It is important to understand the importance of getting a business idea/concept right from the beginning to avoid failure and ensure success. Further, tools on how to develop such a concept idea will be presented throughout the workshop.
The workshop includes 2 activities of high intensity and is paired with individual or group exercises – the decision on how to implement the workshop can be made by either the trainer or the learner. The main aim is that trainees will come up with a business idea to solve a problem according to the design thinking procedure. Further, the business idea generation shall be kept slim and efficient to be then able in a second step to describe a business concept and know the most important aspects.
It needs to be clearly communicated to the learners that this workshop can only give a first insight into the topics and more self-studying and elaboration needs to be done at a later stage.
This workshop aims at familiarizing VET students with the concept of ideation, so coming up with a business idea. A business idea is the very beginning with a business development process. Therefore, trainees will not only get an insight into the first phase of the business development but also into the second one which is the business concept.
In the beginning, there will be an introduction to the termini of idea and concept and the trainer needs to explain the difference in detail as both terms are often used as for the same. Further, there will be an introduction to design thinking. Throughout this introduction the main principles as well as the major steps will be discussed in detail. Within this first part of the workshop, trainees will have the chance to come up with potential business ideas for the existing regional priorities – this might be green energy, improvement of critical infrastructure, sustainability issues, etc. The trainer needs to guide the trainees through this whole ideation process and needs to strongly focus on the idea that is going to be developed. It is essential that the trainees understand the process to distinguish between the individual steps.
Further, the whole design thinking process will be gone through to give the trainees a complete and comprehensive overview. Once the trainees have completed this task, more work will be done on the elaboration of a business concept. This is to get a first understanding of the most essential component of such a concept and to understand the most essential information that is needed to get the most essential stakeholders on board for further development.
This workshop includes theoretical input sessions combined with practical exercises. It is one of the big challenges in teaching and education to balance both and to ensure that trainees follow the theoretical sessions to be able to implement also the practical ones.
Experiential workshops may entail a form of resistance by the participants as, in order to be successful, their active participation is required. Thus, if the participants are a bit distant, a couple of ice breaking activities may be required, however every experienced trainer know how to deal worth such situations. Furthermore, some concepts presented may need more details in order for the participants to achieve the learning outcomes and that is why the additional resources are provided by the partnership.
In addition, challenges might be connected to the topic itself and identifying a potential problem and coming up with a business idea to solve it. Innovative thinking is critical in this step as well as the willingness of trainees to think outside of the box.
Step by step instructions for the preparation and implementation of the workshop
The trainer should start with an introduction to the workshop, presenting the learning outcomes and giving a short introduction overview.
Introduction to the terms “idea & concept” as well as design thinking process
Step 1: Make a short introduction to the concept of an idea and the one of a concept. Explain in detail how the idea and the concept are interlinked with each other but also how they differ from each other. Further, please give an introduction to design thinking and the principles connected. In this first step it is also important to discuss the core questions to be answered in design thinking.
Step 2: Introduction to the five (5) steps of the design thinking process.
Step 3: First, it is important that trainers give a certain frame for the process, meaning a certain problem statement to which solutions/business ideas are generated. Possible scenarios can be, very recent ones, dependency on oil and gas and energy switch, shortages in the regional supply chain, sustainability measures to boost local tourism and create awareness, … Certainly these are not limits but suggestions. If trainees, already have an own idea, it is certainly also possible to continue working with this idea.
Step 4: Focusing on the ideation process, the trainers should work on elaborating a business idea together with the trainees to solve the problem declared within the beginning. There are many options – trainees could be working on an individual basis but it is also possible that students work in teams on the creation of specific business ideas. It is important that when it comes to the idea generation that trainees focus on business ideas that can positively influence the local society.
In order to start the ideation process, first trainers should introduce to idea generating methods, introduce them to the trainees and let the trainees use them to come up with potential ideas.
Students now have 45 minutes to use the techniques presented in the first place to come up with a couple of ideas for potential businesses. Afterwards each trainee or team of trainees should present their outcomes to other mates and feedback should be given by the trainer as well as by the other trainees. Trainees then have the time to adapt their ideas to continue working with them.
Step 5: Feedback will be given by the trainer to fine-tune the ideas on which the second activity is highly dependent. Within this final step it is also important to make trainees aware that not every business idea is a good one that will be followed but also innovation can only be generated if thinking outside of the box happens.
What is a business concept, what are the major components and how can it be developed?
Step 1: The trainer will give an introduction to the business concept and its major components in detail. In order to do so, there are a couple of slides provided but in addition to that there are also education videos provided from Strategyzr which explain the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition canvas which are essential elements of a business concept – video links within the presentation.
Step 2: Trainers will be showing possible tools for developing a business concept focusing on online collaboration tools and a prepared Word template. It is important to show the tools to the trainees and also give them the opportunity to try them out by themselves. All these tools shared are for idea sharing, decision-making and collaborative knowledge sharing.
Step 3: Trainers are encouraged to use the word template, explain it once more in detail and the let the trainees work together in groups to develop the business concept. It is important that the concept is based on the idea generated before. The trainer will be supporting as a coach. Students shall work in the timeframe given and shall discuss with the trainer throughout the development process. Certainly, this can only be a first draft of a business concept but shall give the students some ideas.
Resources
Training rooms, pens, paper, flipchart, colorful markers, sticky notes, projector, template printed in A3
Generally, trainers should be initiating discussions and through these discussions making sure that learners fully understand all concepts before applying them.
Videos incorporated shall support the trainer with enforcing discussions.
