PTMBA 2020 Foundations of Entrepreneurship

The course investigates the process of starting a new company from the perspective of an entrepreneur. It provides participants with a theoretical background on entrepreneurship, gives practical advice and knowledge on how to start a company, and discusses the preparation of business plans. We especially focus on three steps of the entrepreneurial journey: opportunity recognition, resource acquisition, and implementation. In addition, the course also looks at the challenges in later stages of the entrepreneurial process, e.g. managing fast growth and realizing a profitable exit.

Students understand the major challenges in the process of creating a new company. They learn how to write convincing business plans. Students are enabled to acquire the necessary resources to start their own company. They learn how to raise capital, how to recruit employees, and how to get partners for their new venture.

Spinelli, Stephen/Adams, Robert (2016): New Venture Creation, Entrepreneurship For The 21st Century, Tenth Edition, Boston Witt, Peter/Brachtendorf, German (2006): Staged Financing of Start-ups, in: Financial Markets and Portfolio Management 20, No. 2, 185-203.Witt, Peter/Rode, Verena (2005): Corporate Brand Building in Start-ups, in: Journal of Enterprising Culture 13, No. 3, 271-292.Witt, Peter/Schroeter, Andreas/Merz, Christin (2008): Entrepreneurial resource acquisition via personal networks: an empirical study of German start-ups, in: The Service Industries Journal 28, No. 7-8, 953-971.

Lectures, class discussion, case studies

exam (50%) and two case studies (50%)

90