Archiv der Kategorie: Allgemein

Hannah in Galicia – Month 5

Winter in Galicia. I tried to write a lot and put all my thoughts and ideas to paper. However, I also had the longing to just enjoy the silence, slowness and peaceful time here. So much has happened in the past weeks that it is difficult to grasp it sometimes. The Erasmus+ funds have given me the opportunity to really learn a lot about Galicia, entrepreneurship here, the potential of my project and even get it started and acquainted in the most beautiful way. Dennis is the best host in the world as he opened up so many doors for me, connected me with great people, shared important insights. All of this I want to collect in a document as part of my reflections from this time. Let’s see if I will find the time for it this month.

The highlights of January was a small workshop with the school kids from here about permaculture and the first annual meeting of The Foundry, where I could participate in! This gave me an even greater insight into the organizational structures, the processes in place to facilitate the meeting and the happenings and plans for the upcoming year. Dennis and I have already planned some events together, and might even join forces in another project that will be happening here, but that’s still in the very beginning of the ideation process. So I might be able to tell more about it in my next report.

I have spent a lot of time this month on my financial plan for my project, looking at feasible fundings, further crowdfunding options or creating attractive investor incentives to support my project. Let’s see what will come out of it but I am confident as I have received so much positive feedback for it! Oh and I also went to an Xunta Galicia event around sustainable construction and opportunities for entrepreneurs, where we were welcomed with open arms, which was another highlight as it connected me further to the Galician ecosystem.

Hannah in Galicia – Month 4

 

This was a great month. Galicia feels like something very homey already. The people I met, the nature around me, the project here, it all feels familiar already and like it’s coming together nicely. We did a bioconstruction workshop at the place where my project will be evolving and my project and its vision to renovate a stone house into a learning center became more graspable and concrete as I learned that it is actually possible to do. Building with wood, stone, clay and calk is so beautiful. The photo below was from the workshop with the bioconstruction teachers.

Dennis has helped me immensely to learn so many things about the region, the construction industry and possibilities, has connected me to his network and so on. We have done a small workshop together around permaculture and food forests and will be doing another one in January. The Foundry also hosted a little Christmas market with an exhibition of art from children that are part of a school project at the Foundry.

There will also be the annual association assembly in January that I will be participating in. To do that I have decided to become an associate in the Foundry, which I am very happy about, as I will stay in Galicia. That also allows me to co-create with the Foundry and be more involved in it in the future, partner up with our project, do cool things together and so on. 😊 I am looking forward to spending the holidays here with everyone and celebrate the many things happening in the past months in my project and in the process of this Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs stay. Merry Christmas!

Hannah in Galicia – Month 3

 

I have now, more or less, arrived at the half of my stay in Galicia.

It really feels like a very productive time here, as I am not only learning so much from Dennis and the Foundry, but also progressing a lot in my project. The highlight is that we (meaning I and my sister, who is doing the project with me) took the decision to officially found the legal entity of our project here in Galicia, a non-profit organisation (in Spanish: organización sin fines de lucro). We called it “Pouqiño a pouqiño”, in English “step by step” inspired by the Galician mentality to not rush it but rather go with the flow and take small continuous steps towards the vision. This feels like the official start of a big commitment, but amazing as it is exactly what we have always wanted. Now things are getting more concrete. Of course, this was a lot of bureaucratic work and still is. However, I find the Spanish bureaucracy more straight forward than the German one, so that’s a plus :-D.

On top of that, we are working a lot on our financial strategy, our business model right now, where I receive lots of ideas from Dennis as well, which is great.

In the Foundry always happen so many things, that it is impossible to write about everything. The latest highlight was the creation of a geoglyph out of turnip greens, that also attracted the local press. You can read about the project here (but it’s in Spanish) https://www.elprogreso.es/articulo/a-marina/geoglifo-grelos-marina/202311141333161708133.html. The Foundry continues to be a thriving place with many cultural and educational events happening and I continue to be deeply inspired by it as well as its visionary: Dennis 😊. This Sunday is a public exhibition of the geoglyph and art from school students that use the Foundry as their creative classroom, which I am looking forward to. Grateful for this Erasmus opportunity.

Hannah in Galicia – month 2

 

The second month here in Galicia is almost over and a lot has happened – in my project and the Foundry.

Working with Dennis is great, he is very open to show me everything and takes his time to go in depth with certain topics, we get lost in conversations quite often. He also has taken me to community events around the area. My favourite one was a rewilding activity for the eucalyptus monocultures. I learned a lot about the ecosystems including eucalyptus monocultures here as well as the economic and social problems and opportunities connected to them. It’s a complex topic, but it really is crazy how eucalyptus has overtaken the forests here.

The time here has really propelled my research for my project too when it comes to house renovation planning, prices and the legal conditions. Inspired from Dennis and my new environments, I also gained new ideas for future events, community building activities and educational offers for my learning center. The best thing is that I have come to learn about all legal entity possibilities for my project and believe to have found the best option for it’s thyme and our learning center, the “Hope Hub”.  I have researched about the steps to found a non-profit Spanish association, which is what we will probably create.

It feels like it will be all coming together slowly – and I am only here for two months, I cannot wait to spend more time learning, progressing, planning and implementing next steps for my project. Furthermore, the next weeks look interesting as Dennis and I are talking about teaming up for some first events together.

Next to all the project developments, we have had some crazy weather, 2 weeks of pure sunshine and 30 degrees, which allowed me to spend some more time by the beach, in the water and visiting some more places by the beautiful coast and forests. I also started “ice-bathing” in the mountain water river, which is already quite cold. The picture shows the spot where I mostly go to which is close to where I live – it’s so beautiful! Now it’s raining and stormy again, let’s see what November will bring!

Jonas in Las Palmas – last month

In the fourth and final month of my participation in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program in Gran Canaria, I can look back with pride on the significant progress and achievements I have made in my entrepreneurial journey.

This month I have fully devoted myself to the creation and management of an online community for The Investor University. The goal of the project was to transform an existing group of students and members into a thriving and interactive community where they could share valuable insights and information about investment strategies.

With the guidance and support of my host entrepreneur, I successfully developed a long-term strategy for managing the online community. I worked to understand the needs and expectations of the platform’s users, assess their responses and satisfaction, and make the necessary improvements to enhance the user experience and increase engagement.

One of the key aspects of the project was the use of Discord, a communication platform, for community management. I learned the features and functions of Discord and, with HE’s guidance, created a content plan and scheduled regular posts to keep the community engaged. Through continuous changes, activities, and multimedia content, I ensured that the community remained active and grew.

During this month, I also honed my marketing skills and learned effective strategies to promote the online platform and build a strong user base. The HE provided me with valuable insights into user interactions and activities, which helped me plan new courses and tools to effectively meet their needs.

The experience of managing the online community was invaluable, and I gained skills in customer service, data analysis, content creation, and social media management. I also improved my image and video editing skills, which will be useful for future marketing efforts.

Overall, my participation in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program in Gran Canaria was a life changing experience. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be surrounded by experienced entrepreneurs and experts who guided and inspired me on this journey.
Now, as I approach the end of the program, I am excited and confident to start my entrepreneurial journey with a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience. I am determined to apply everything I have learned to successfully start and run my own business, and I look forward to making a meaningful contribution to the entrepreneurial community. The Erasmus program was the steppingstone I needed to achieve my dreams, and I will always cherish this transformative experience.

Jonas in Las Palmas – month 3

In the third month of my participation in the „Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs“ program in Gran Canaria, I have experienced a remarkable development. My skills and knowledge as a young entrepreneur have developed and I feel increasingly confident and competent in my role.

This month I have focused intensively on implementing my business idea. With the help of the experienced entrepreneurs and experts on site, I have refined my business model and adapted it to the requirements of the market. Through their valuable advice and constructive feedback, I was able to further develop my ideas and concretize my plans.

By actively contributing to new ideas and processes, my creative side is strengthened and improved. Through the increasing responsibility I can make more decisions on my own and I learn to deal with the consequences.

The inspiring atmosphere here in Gran Canaria has further fueled my creativity and innovation. The beauty of the island and the pleasant climate contribute to the fact that I feel motivated and full of energy every day. Being able to relax on the beautiful beaches after work or take advantage of the wide range of leisure activities on offer has helped me find a healthy balance between work and leisure.

With each passing day, my enthusiasm for my entrepreneurial journey grows and I firmly believe that after completing the Erasmus program, I will be well prepared to successfully start and run my own business.

Entrepreneurship4All

Liebe Unternehmer,

wir laden Sie ein, Entrepreneurship4All zu entdecken – die neue E-Learning-Plattform der Europäischen Kommission! Entrepreneruship4all ist kostenlos und umfasst Kurse zu vier Kompetenzbereichen: Unternehmertum, Digitales, Finanzen und Nachhaltigkeit.

Die Plattform unterteilt sich in drei Lernstufen: Anfänger, Mittelstufe und Fortgeschrittene. Für jede Stufe gibt es ab dem 24. April Zoom-Sitzungen, für die Sie sich kostenlos anmelden können. Treten Sie der Plattform jetzt bei, um Ihre Unternehmerkompetenzen zu stärken!

 

Dear Entrepreneurs,

we invite you to discover Entrepreneurship4All – the European Commission’s new e-learning platform! Entrepreneruship4all is free of charge and includes courses on four competence areas: Entrepreneurship, Digital, Finance and Sustainability.

The platform is divided into three learning levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. For each level, there will be Zoom sessions from 24 April for which you can register for free. Join the platform now to strengthen your entrepreneurial skills!