IO3 E-GUIDE

Brief Summary of the E-Guide (IO3)

The E-guide is the third Output (IO3) of the Startup EU Academy project.

It consists of three chapters: E-Commerce, Social Entrepreneurship, Innovation and aims to equip young startuppers with a solid foundation of knowledge and practices, in their very first steps, while offering inspiration and ideas and the possible places to look for them.  In some chapters, additional material for perusal is given, either in the form of videos and podcasts or book and article suggestions. At the end of each chapter there are assessment activities, which contribute to the deeper understanding of the concepts and the methods presented. In the next steps of the project, the partnership will ask for the contribution of young startuppers, by providing their feedback for the Guide. Their opinion will be valuable in order to adjust the E-Guide to their needs, for facilitating their learning procedure and as a result a more effective management of their own startup.

The first chapter of the E-Guide is dedicated to E-commerce. The E-commerce chapter includes tangible methods and ideas for young startuppers. It includes guidelines for implementing a market research about competitors, the current trends in e-commerce for differentiate your company from others. At the same time, simple instructions for Initial Brand Development are provided as well as trends to follow.  The content of the website is a crucial part which is presented in detail, combined with the Security.

The second chapter of the E-Guide is dedicated to Social Entrepreneurship.               Considering that Entrepreneurship itself is a broad concept, the partnership decided to specify this chapter to Social Entrepreneurship. In addition, Social Entrepreneurship includes values and ethical aspects which could inspire a young startupper and become differentiated from the masses of conventional entrepreneurs. This chapter includes the initial concept and definitions of Social Entrepreneurship, it provides reasons for choosing this type instead of another and describes the traits of a Social Entrepreneur. A special sub chapter is devoted to the models of Social Entrepreneurship. Additionally, the Business Model Canvas is explained thoroughly, as a tool for facilitating the development of a Business Model. Special attention is also given to the Value Proposition Canvas since Social Enterprises are designated mostly because of the value they provide to society. As a result, Social Impact is one of the final subchapters.  At the end of this Chapter, there are several lists with related material for further perusal and research.                                                                  

The third and final chapter of the E-Guide is dedicated to Innovation.

This chapter will induct young start uppers to the world of Innovation. Concepts, structures and types of innovation are presented here.  Creative thinking and the types of innovation are only some of the most crucial parts developed at this chapter. There are also several questions available as a supporting tool for assisting the innovation’s managing and evaluation procedure.

The main sub chapters are:

• Short Introduction to Innovation
• Types of Innovation
• Managing and Evaluating Innovation
• Exploiting Innovation
• Innovation Ecosystem