A Customer Relationship Management tool (CRM tool) is your startup’s commercial control board. It becomes key when designing and managing your customer journeys and they help you close as many customers as you can and lets you automate parts of your sales efforts.

Contacting potential and existing customers is a hazzle, so getting the most of it is key to any startup. When using CRM tools, you take a structured and strategic approach to managing and analyzing customer interactions, making the most of all your customer interactions. At the same time, it becomes a treasure trove of data to support your business case to investors, funding applications and financial forecasting in your startup.

CRM-systems come in many different shapes and sizes. In this workshop we will cover CRM-systems from a basic spreadsheet to dedicated CRM-software and build-it-yourself with NoCode/LowCode tools.

We will cover the pros and cons of different methods and help you assess which CRM-system is the best fit for your startup and help you get started.

YOU WILL GET

 

• An understanding of why startups use CRM – even early stage
• Introductions to 3 types of implementable CRM tools
• Hacks and tips to how to get started for free

Have you considered that you are the most valuable asset in your startup? Think about it – who will drive your business if you can’t?

In this workshop, we will explore various aspects of entrepreneurial well-being to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities your startup faces if you risk overwork or burnout.

We will examine different hypotheses about well-being and identify measures you can take to navigate ex. high demands, heavy workload, and change.

YOU WILL GET

 

• An understanding of the importance of well-being.
• Your own assessment of unhealthy working habits.
• Identification of more sustainable practices and the possibility to begin the initial work towards mitigating risk.
• Time to engage in reflection and share knowledge with fellow entrepreneurs.

Mastering your startup’s financial future

Financially sound operations are key to any startup that wants to be in the market for the long run. However, accurately predicting a startup’s future financial standing presents a challenging task.

Ever wondered:

• Will our startup ever achieve profitability?
• When could we potentially run out of cash?
• Do we need investment or alternative cash sources? And if so, how much and when?

In this workshop, you’ll acquire the essential skills to craft your own cash flow statement and forecast your financial trajectory.

Who should you attend?
This workshop is tailored for startups that anticipate incurring development costs before reaching profitability. No prior financial expertise is necessary – all you need are basic Excel skills and a positive attitude.

YOU WILL GET

• A Financial Forecast Excel spreadsheet to start plotting your numbers and foresee your startup’s financial future.
• A Cash Flow Excel spreadsheet that keeps you informed about potential cash shortages.

If you’re exploring sources of funding, be sure to check out our “Finding the right funding for your startup ” workshop

Do you want to understand the pros and cons of the various funding sources?

Join our workshop and get an understanding of what various cash providers require in terms of deliveries and ownership in your startup. We will focus on easy understandable terms; hence anyone can join.

The goal of the workshop is that you are able to navigate the funding landscape and make a plan for your funding journey.

We will cover sources such as:

• Bootstrapping
• FFF (friends, family and fools)
• Case competitions
• Soft funding
• Grants for science-backed projects’
• Accelerators and incubators
• Business angel networks
• Banks
• Crowdfunding
• Sales and customer cooperation’s as a financial driver
• Venture Capital

YOU WILL GET

• An overview of the various funding sources
• An understanding of the pros and cons. for each funding source
• Inspiration for your own “funding journey” for your startup

 

We negotiate every day – even in situations where we don’t think we negotiate. We negotiate with suppliers and customers as well as with colleagues, family and friends.

Knowing what you want and how to ask for it is a highly valuable skill needed to succeed in negotiations. But as an inexperienced entrepreneur you might find it surprisingly difficult to ask for what you want. Be it in relation to customers, investors or other people who engage with your startup.

The goal of this workshop is to make you more efficient in “getting what you want” and at the same time maintaining good relationships. This will help you attract much needed resources such as practical help from other people and better deals with your suppliers.

YOU WILL GET

• Become a better negotiator
• Learn about Thompson’s 10 pie-slizing strategies
• Hands-on exercises

Also check out the other negotiation workshop "Realize win-win potentials in negotiations"

Are you seeking private investors? Prepare yourself to navigate the funding process with confidence.

Securing private funding for the first time often raises important questions:

• What type of investor should we contact, how and when?
• How much equity should we offer and at what valuation?
• What ticks the boxes for private investors?
• At this workshop we equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to raise private capital successfully

YOU WILL GET

• An intro to investor types, funding rounds and types of investments.
• A Cap-table Excel spreadsheet to plan future ownership distribution.
• Expert tips to make you irresistibly appealing to investors

If you’re exploring alternative funding avenues like public soft funding, be sure to check out our “Finding the right funding for your startup ” workshop

OM WORKSHOPPEN
Kooperativer og demokratiske virksomheder overgår ofte traditionelle virksomheder i forhold til stabilitet, produktivitet, jobtilfredshed og trivsel på arbejdspladsen. Dette skyldes måden, hvorpå virksomhederne organiserer sig, når det både kommer til, hvordan man træffer beslutninger, investerer og fordeler arbejdsbyrden.

Generelt kendetegnes kooperativer og demokratiske virksomheder nemlig ved, at de bygger deres forretningsmodel på sociale og demokratiske principper. Dette medfører ejerskab og medbestemmelse – for (for)brugere, medarbejdere og/eller producenter.

Er du nysgerrig på at få et overblik over, hvad der udgør en kooperativ og demokratisk forretningsmodel, hvordan kooperative og demokratiske virksomheder fungerer og kan se ud, og hvorfor de er en succes? Så skal du komme til denne workshop.

Som en del af workshoppen vil du få viden og vejledning om:

 

• Forskellige kooperative og demokratiske forretningsmodeller
• Fordele og udfordringer ved disse modeller
• Hvad der skal til for at starte en kooperativ eller demokratisk virksomhed

The best negotiations are not about give and take, but rather about creating a better deal for both parties. The workshop tunes in on how both you and your counterpart(s) can create win-win situations, and you will learn how you can take the lead in such negotiations processes.

The goal of this workshop is to make you a more successful negotiator. This will help you get better deals and develop your business smoother and more efficiently.

YOU WILL GET

• Become a better negotiator
• Learn about the Harvard Method
• Hands-on exercises

Also check out the other negotiation workshop "Get what you want in negotiations"

Famous entrepreneur Mark Cuban got known for his phrase ‘sales cure all’. This is true in many ways, not least because sales boost your confidence and validate your business. But how do you go about strategy, tactics, and activities with the end goal of closing deals?

In this workshop, we cover the full sales cycle. From prospecting the ideal customer profile to contacting, building the relation, and utilizing the opportunity. We cover aspects of true value creation, customer-driven success, pitfalls, and not least closure of the sale.

The workshop centers on strategy as the overarching guiding principle. Within this strategy, we delve into the essential techniques to navigate common challenges within the sales cycle and day-to-day operations.

We believe that sales skills are essential and game-changing to any startup at any stage in any type of business, and you will get to know that any type of personality can practice sales.

In the workshop we will be using both theory and real-world examples to support the learning outcome of the workshop, and there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss.

YOU WILL GET

 

• A framework: from contact to closure
• Simple implementable tools to use in your startup
• A tool to keep structure of prospect dialogues

Join our workshop to harness the full potential of your story and your brand.

Your brand is your story. It’s the sum of all the impressions you leave: Your product, customer service, communication, appearance, and more. Every startup has a story, and we’re here to help you make it shine.

In this workshop, you’ll focus on your strengths and motivations, and learn how to use them strategically to grow.

Why attend?

 

• Turn your purpose and values into a business asset
• Discover tools to integrate your core values into your business strategy.
• Get simple tools for compelling storytelling that will captivate your audience.
• Being clear about your purpose, values, and unique selling points is a powerful way to build a meaningful story that stands out.

How do you know if your idea is a “good” one? And what are the first steps you can take to develop it further?

"Mature Your Idea” is a 2-hour workshop designed to help you dive deeper into your concept and explore its potential for growth. Together, we’ll uncover the core of your idea and gain insight into why it matters—to you and to others.

What you will gain

• A stronger understanding of the problem your idea addresses.
• Greater clarity on your idea’s potential.
• The tools to turn a spark of inspiration into a clear concept description.

Dates, location and signup!

13 December 2024
Time: 09:00-11:00 PM
Place: 1741-113 Conference room, The Kitchen, Universitetsbyen 14, 8000 Aarhus C
Signup: https://events.au.dk/matureyouridea-december

This 3-part workshop series will help you develop your idea through a deeper understanding of what problem you are solving for your customers, the solution you provide and how you differentiate from your competitors.

Throughout the workshops you will use/learn hands-on tools on prototyping, pitching and how your network can be your strongest asset.

REQUIREMENTS

The Startup Essentials workshops are open exclusively to members of The Kitchen.

Please note - The Startup Essentials workshops are mandatory for all. We expect a significant part of your founder team to participate in all three workshops.

Workshop 1/3: The problem 
Why are you the right person to do this?
Why start with the problem?
Do you really  know who your customers are?

Workshop 2/3: Your solution:  
How does your solution fit?
Can you predict the future?
How do you fake it till you make it?

Workshop 3/3: Your position 
How different are you really?
What is the most dangerous sentence in the English language?
Why should you communicate your value?

YOU WILL GET   

• Tools to help you validate your business idea
• Tools and inspiration to utilise your network
• Tools to start prototyping
• A "Go do" attitude 😉

---

January 

Workshop 1:  15 January 9.00-12.00 

Workshop 2:  22 January 09.00-12.00 

Workshop 3: 29 Januar 09.00-12.00 

SIGN UP: HERE

February/March

Workshop 1:  18 February 9.00-12.00 

Workshop 2:  25 February 12.30-15.30 

Workshop 3:  4 March 9.00-12.00 

SIGN UP: HERE

March/April

Workshop 1:  18 March 9.00-12.00 

Workshop 2:  25 March 12.30-15.30 

Workshop 3:  1 April 9.00-12.00 

SIGN UP: HERE

May

Workshop 1:  13 May 12.30-15.30 

Workshop 2:  21 May 9.00 - 12.00 

Workshop 3:  27 May 9.00-12.00 

SIGN UP: HERE

Having a well-tuned pitch deck is necessary for any startup that wants to communicate with the surrounding ecosystem. This could be public soft-funding providers (Innofounder, Innobooster, Vækstfonden etcetera), private investors, or anyone else who is interested in your business.

Pitch Week is an intense, week-long work zone where you and your team will get in contact with relevant people and conduct desktop research to improve your data and to build a clear and convincing pitch deck.

Throughout the week, your team will meet with business developers from The Kitchen and with other startups for mutual feedback. In our experience, all startups improve their pitch dramatically over the course of the week. And not only does your pitch improve, so does your entire business case.

Pitch Week ends on Friday afternoon with you pitching in front of a panel of investors and other entrepreneurs.

Key takeaways

• A convincing 10-minute pitch deck
• Experience pitching to investors and other stakeholders
• An improved business case

Program

November 4: 10.00-12.00
November 5: 09.00-11.00
November 7: 09.00-12.00
November 8: 12.00-14.30

 

Requirements

Pitch Week is open exclusively to members of The Kitchen. Please consult your business developer before you sign up to Pitch Week.

---

Sign up

Sign up here