- 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.
Who the program is for
- You are unemployed or at risk of unemployment and have a business idea that can be made concrete.
- You want to test or prepare whether self-employment is a realistic way into work for you.
- Your business, professional and digital background can vary widely; the one-on-one coaching adapts to you.
Participation is not possible if a project is clearly not permissible, is not seriously pursued, or the minimum technical requirements for online coaching are missing.
Getting started: checking suitability and needs
Before the modules begin, we clarify together:
- your voucher: funding goal, period, delivery format and approved scope,
- your business idea, your motivation, your professional and business knowledge, and how much time you can commit,
- any permits you need, your capital requirements and recognizable risks,
- your equipment: device, camera and microphone, internet access and a quiet place to work.
This results in a written goal agreement with your focus areas and the plan for your modules.
The modules
The program is divided into ten modules. We decide together in the first session which modules you go through and how much time each one gets. What counts is your project and the scope approved in the voucher.
Module 1: Checking suitability and planning goals (6 units)
We look at you as a founder: your starting point, your skills and possible risks. The module ends with a goal agreement, and we check that your equipment works for online coaching.
Module 2: Business idea and business model (14 units)
What value do you offer, with which product or service, for which customer groups? You work out how your business makes money and whether it can be implemented this way.
Module 3: Market, competition and positioning (14 units)
You gather market data, describe your target groups and competitors, set your pricing logic and positioning, and test your idea against reality.
Module 4: Business plan: the written part (18 units)
You write the chapters about yourself as an entrepreneur, your offer, market and organization, opportunities and risks, and your milestones.
Module 5: Financial planning and profitability (20 units)
Capital requirements, revenue planning, costs, profitability, liquidity and break-even, plus scenarios in case things go more slowly than planned.
Module 6: Financing and funding (10 units)
Equity and debt, the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss), how banks assess a loan, which documents they want to see, and how to prepare for the financing meeting.
Module 7: Law, taxes and protection (10 units)
Guidance on legal form, taxes and bookkeeping, permits and insurance. Binding legal and tax advice remains with the professionals authorized to provide it.
Module 8: Marketing and sales (14 units)
Marketing goals, suitable channels and content, customer acquisition, a clear sales process and the key figures that show you what works.
Module 9: Organization and leadership (8 units)
Processes, time planning, external service providers, controlling and handling risks in day-to-day operations.
Module 10: Implementation, completion and next steps (6 units)
Your implementation plan, open points, a joint final assessment and the question of what support you still need afterwards.
The hours apply to the full version with 120 teaching units of 45 minutes each. If your voucher covers fewer units, we select the modules according to your needs and set priorities; the goal of the program stays the same.
Which scope suits you
- 20 to 30 units: a clearly defined question, for example whether your figures add up, or individual parts of your planning.
- 40 to 80 units: several core modules, usually focusing on the business plan or financial planning, chosen according to your needs.
- 81 to 120 units: comprehensive preparation for your start-up if you need more support. We document the higher need in a traceable way.
How we work in the coaching
All sessions are one-on-one and take place live online. Throughout each 45-minute unit you are directly connected with your coach; tasks you complete between sessions do not count as teaching units. We work with guiding questions, worksheets and calculation exercises, edit your documents together, play through scenarios and plan how you will put the results into practice. We schedule sessions to fit your circumstances. If the technology fails, only the time actually worked together counts, and the rest is made up. Nothing is recorded without your documented consent.
What you can do at the end
- You can realistically assess whether your business idea is viable.
- You know your target group, your competition, your pricing logic and your most important sales channels.
- You have a structured business plan or a solid interim version.
- You understand your capital requirements, revenue, costs, profitability and liquidity.
- You know the key legal, tax and insurance questions and when you need authorized professional advice.
- You have a concrete implementation plan with milestones or, if starting a business is not the right fit, a well-founded alternative path into work.
How we record your progress
Every unit is documented with date, duration, content, result and assignment. Along the way, we review the status of your goals together and adjust the plan. At the end there is a final assessment with your results, the next steps and your feedback. If the program ends early, for example because you start a job or your business, we record that as well and inform the responsible offices.
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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