- AVGS coaching
- AVGS start-up coaching
AVGS start-up coaching
BusinessWeg Program: Content, Process, and 120 Teaching Units
“BusinessWeg – Gründercoaching” (start-up coaching) is a program certified under AZAV for preparing people for self-employment. The legal basis is § 45 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 4 SGB III. The program provider is UW Unternehmensweg GmbH in Leverkusen, with provider approval Z-000392-2. The program itself is certified under approval number Z-000482-2, and the program number of the Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) is 315/79/24. This page describes what happens in the program itself: modules, process, scope, requirements, and limits. You can read how to apply for the Activation and Placement Voucher (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein, AVGS) and redeem it with us on the AVGS coaching page.
What the Program Is
BusinessWeg is one-on-one coaching. In individual sessions, you work with your consultant on your own project, not in a group and not on case studies. The program is delivered online, so it does not depend on where you live. At the end of the program, you hold your own documents: a business concept, a business plan, and a financial plan in a version you can present to your Employment Agency, a bank, or a qualified body (fachkundige Stelle).
Provider and consulting are two separate organizations. UW Unternehmensweg GmbH is the certified provider and bills the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) for the program. The coaching itself is delivered by the consultants of UW Unternehmensweg GmbH.
The modules
We decide together in the first session which modules you go through. What counts is your project and the scope approved in the voucher.
- Sharpening your business idea, target group, and positioning
- Market and competitor analysis
- Business plan: structure, chapters, wording
- Financial and liquidity plan, capital requirements, cost calculation
- Funding and financing: start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss), entry allowance (Einstiegsgeld), KfW programs
- Legal form, registrations, insurance
- Marketing, sales, and winning your first customers
- The basics of accounting and taxes
- Preparing for meetings with the bank, the Employment Agency, and the qualified body
The process in five steps
- Initial consultation. We clarify your project, your consulting needs, and whether an AVGS is an option for you. The conversation takes 30 minutes and is free and non-binding.
- Application. You apply for the voucher with your caseworker. We prepare you for this conversation and put together the details on the provider and the program for you.
- Redeeming. Once you have the approved voucher, you register with UW Unternehmensweg GmbH using it. The voucher must be approved in writing before the first coaching session.
- Coaching. The sessions take place online, usually weekly, spread over several weeks. Between sessions, you work on your documents, and we comment and correct.
- Completion. You receive a certificate of participation for the content you completed, along with your finished documents.
Duration and scope
The program comprises up to 120 teaching units. One teaching unit lasts 45 minutes. The Employment Agency or the Jobcenter decides how many units are approved for you, and the number is stated in your voucher. The units are spread flexibly over several weeks so that you can work on your concept between sessions.
Requirements
You need an AVGS approved in writing by your Employment Agency or Jobcenter. The AVGS for start-up coaching is a discretionary benefit (Ermessensleistung); a legal entitlement under § 45 para. 7 SGB III exists after six weeks of unemployment only for a voucher for private job placement. Whether start-up coaching is approved is decided case by case by the Employment Agency or the Jobcenter. A further requirement is a serious start-up project that you want to work on in the coaching. Technically, you need a computer with a camera, a microphone, and a stable internet connection. No prior knowledge of business administration is required.
What the program does not provide
The expert opinion for the start-up grant (fachkundige Stellungnahme) is not part of the teaching units. If you need it, it is included as required in coaching with more than 20 teaching units: Pavel Deuble (Unternehmenswerk) reviews your plan and issues it if your project is viable. More under viability certificate.
The program is also not legal advice or tax advice. We explain connections and prepare decisions; binding information on contract, corporate, or tax questions is provided by lawyers and tax advisors.
And it is not a promise of money: participating does not create any entitlement to the AVGS or to a later start-up grant. Both are discretionary benefits of the Federal Employment Agency.
Applying for the voucher and starting coaching
This page describes the program. If you want to know whether you will get an AVGS, what it costs, and how to apply for it, the AVGS coaching page takes you further. There you will find the requirements, the route through the Employment Agency and Jobcenter, and the appointment for the free 30-minute initial consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About AVGS Start-Up Coaching
Does AVGS start-up coaching also work for a side business?
Yes, in two cases. First: you are registered as unemployed and already carry out self-employed work of less than 15 hours per week. Under § 138 para. 3 SGB III, you are still considered unemployed, and the coaching prepares the switch to self-employment as your main occupation. Second: you are employed, at risk of unemployment, and want to start a business. The Employment Agency generally does not fund a pure side business alongside secure employment; for that there is start-up coaching as a self-payer. Whether an AVGS is issued is decided at the discretion of your placement specialist.
About the author
Pavel Deuble
Start-up consultant & BAFA-registered business consultant · Owner of Unternehmenswerk
Pavel Deuble is the owner of unternehmenswerk and managing director of UW Unternehmensweg GmbH. He is listed in the BAFA register of consultants (consultant ID 191790); the AVGS programs run through the AZAV-certified UW Unternehmensweg GmbH (provider approval Z-000392-2). Since 2018 more than 750 business plans, 4.88 out of 5 on ProvenExpert from 92 reviews.
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