FAQ for Founders
Where can I get help if I want to start up?
First of all, we recommend that you read the information provided on the website on various topics such as patent law. If you have any questions on specific topics, simply contact the start-up consulting service. We will be happy to answer your questions by phone or e-mail, or we can make an appointment for a consultation. Of course, the consultations are free of charge and confidential.
Can I also take advantage of the start-up consultation if I am not studying or working at the University of Bayreuth?
Primarily, the start-up consulting is aimed at students and employees of the University of Bayreuth. But we also address external inquiries and are happy to help. Here you can find our start-up advisors.
We are connected with network partners and will refer you to them depending on your start-up idea. These include, for example, the chambers of commerce:
- Dr. Dirk Haid (Handwerkskammer Oberfranken)
- Matthias Keefer (IHK Oberfranken)
- With respect to start-ups in the creative industries (including film and music, games, design, performing arts, etc.), we would be happy to put you in touch with Bayern-kreativ, which also offers consulting appointments in Bayreuth. More information about the creative industries, the services offered, and points of contact can be found here.
How can I apply for a foundation semester?
You can find out more about the process for applying for a foundation semester here.
What is the basic procedure for setting up a company?
Ideally, you will have worked out the business idea in advance and can have the complete business concept or, if necessary, individual parts such as the brand, patents, etc. checked. In order to present the business idea to investors and others, a business plan or a pitch/read deck can be prepared. The planning ultimately determines whether the idea is feasible and whether (sufficient) profits can be generated. If you need start-up capital, you should make sure early on that you get "the right capital" (e.g. business angels, banks, etc.).
Only then do you move on to legal incorporation. Tradesmen register with the trade office. Freelancers inform the tax office informally that you will be active. In both cases, you receive a questionnaire from the tax office. You have to fill in this questionnaire and you will receive a tax number. This number is very important. Without the tax number you can not issue an invoice, because it must be indicated on the invoice. The imprint on the homepage must also indicate a tax number. We would be happy to discuss this and all other steps in a personal consultation. Please contact gruendungsberatung@uni-bayreuth.de.
What events are offered on the topic of start-ups?
An overview of the teaching and networking events offered on the topic of start-ups in this semester can be found here: Our events
Is it possible to participate in the teaching and networking events offered even if you do not study or work at the University of Bayreuth?
Our courses are usually only for students of the University of Bayreuth - but in many cases participation is also possible for external students. Furthermore, external students are always very welcome at our networking events and social events!
Where can I find offerings for non-MBA students on the topic of start-ups?
In our event overview you can find out about upcoming events, which are usually not exclusively aimed at business administration majors, but are explicitly open to many other disciplines: Our events.
What funding opportunities are there for founders?
The funding programmes Flügge-Bayern, EXIST-Gründerstipendium and EXIST-Forschungstransfer are particularly suitable for founders at the University of Bayreuth. Applications are submitted via the University. The requirements to be met are complex. During our consultations, we will check whether a funding programme is suitable for you.
You can find out more about the funding programmes here:
- Start-up support and foundation scholarships
- www.exist.de
- www.fluegge-bayern.de
It is especially important that you have not yet founded a company in these funding programmess, as funding for companies is not legally permissible!
Which form of business is the most favorable for me?
This is a common question and not always easy to answer. If you are founding alone, you can register as a sole proprietor. If you want to limit your liability, you can also register as a corporation, such as a UG (Unternehmergesellschaft) or GmbH.
If you are founding as a group, there is, for example, the civil law partnership (GbR) in which everyone is fully liable or also the corporations (e.g. UG or GmbH).
Which form you choose is crucial. The tax burden, the accounting effort, and the liability depend on it. These points also play a role in the business plan. Since the business form should fit the business idea, the team, etc. very individually and no form can be recommended across the board, we are happy to help here in the personal consultations.
Where can I find out whether my idea is already protected as a patent or whether the company name I have chosen has already been registered as a trademark?
There are different types of property rights. Technical property rights (patents and utility models), trademarks, and designs are registered with the DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office) and can be searched there. To do this, you need to know which property right you are looking for.
On the page of the DPMA there is the tab Search. There you will find information about the databases (DPMAregister and DPMA) and the links to the databases. The databases usually have simple and self-explanatory search functions.
If you did not get any search hits, there may either be an error in your search or there are no entries. If the search was successful, you can take a look at the results. If you have any questions, Andreas Kokott from the start-up consulting service will be happy to help you.
If you need a more comprehensive and free research after this preliminary search for security reasons, we recommend you contact Mr. Harald Rietsch of Bayern-Innovativ.
If you have any other questions not listed in the FAQs, please feel free to send us a message to the following e-mail address: gruendungsberatung@uni-bayreuth.de