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Student: Writing a Business Plan for Starting a Business in Germany?

Frage

I am on a study visa in Germany and doing my Master degree in Computer Science. Right now, I have a work permit with only 80 hours/month allowed alongside studies. I have created an adult entertainment pay per view website that can be used by adult producers as well as viewers from all over the world and producer will earn a specific percent per sale of their video. The outcome depends on the number of producers registered with my website, which I am not sure yet, also there are several similar modelled websites out there with only slight differences, so how should I write a promising business plan? Who can help in this? Are there any support programmes?

Antwort

www.make-it-in-germany.com provides international professionals with information on working and living in Germany. Detailed information on studying or setting up a business are also available on “Make it in Germany”.

Before starting your own business, you should clear up if your residence status enables you to establish such an activity. Since you are a foreign student in Germany, you are holding a residence permit for the purpose of studying according to §16 Residence Act. If it is so, you are allowed to work 120 full or 240 half days during the year [http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/training-learning/study/five-steps-to-studying-in-germany/settling-in] without the need for approval by the competent authority, the Federal Employment Agency.

Taking up a self-employed activity while studying in Germany is also possible under the Residence Act (§ 21 (6) Aufenthaltsgesetz). However, the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) must authorize the self-employed activity separately. The work must not hinder the success of the study. It should therefore be within the time limits for a dependent employment (this means 120 full or 240 half days). If you want to start a full-time self-employed activity, you will hardly get an approval. (Source: BMI, BAMF, DAAD)

For personal advice, you can also contact the hotline “Working and Living in Germany” under the telephone number +49 30 1815 - 1111. The service is provided in German and English and is free of charge.

There are many public information centers, which will advise you as you set up your own business. On the Startup Portal, under “advice and information”, you will find the contact information of regional and national information centers for entrepreneurs with a migrant background. There are also special further training offers to learn the basics of bookkeeping and accounting, for example. Some courses are also concerned with special startup topics, too, such as writing up a business plan. There are many organisations offering further training courses all over Germany. Especially the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Chambers of Crafts (HWK) will offer seminars on founding your own business near you.

More step by step information regarding setting up a business in Germany are available on the website "Make it in Germany".

We wish you all the best for your future plans.

* Please note:
The information presented here is a general service offering. Only the German missions and the foreigners’ authorities are responsible for the issuance of visa resp. residence permits. For further questions, please contact directly the respective authority.

Source: Justina Alichniewicz
Kompetenzfeld Bildung, Zuwanderung und Innovation
Projekt „Make it in Germany“
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e.V.
November 2018

Notes from the editor:

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