On Monday, December 8th, the Social Impulse Hub hosted its second module of the Business Skills program at Salinenstraße 34 in Erfurt, marking the second workshop of the Social Impulse Academy: the Business Model Workshop. Facilitated by Sophia Lick, Pitch Coach and founder of MindLeague, the session guided participants through a comprehensive introduction to business model thinking, an essential step in shaping early-stage ideas into structured, viable ventures.
The afternoon opened with a brief pre-test for participants who had not completed it earlier, designed to assess their current understanding of business models and where their start-ups stood in the development process. This was followed by a round of introductions in which participants shared their business ideas and reflected on previous experiences with business model frameworks. The exercise set an open and collaborative tone for the workshop, allowing everyone to understand the diversity of ideas in the room and learn from one another’s perspectives.
Sophia then launched the main workshop with an insightful introduction to the Business Model Canvas (BMC)—a strategic framework widely used to visualize, test, and refine business concepts. The BMC provided participants with a clear and structured approach to mapping out the essential elements of their ventures through its nine building blocks:
- Customer Segments – Identifying who they are serving
- Value Proposition – Understanding which customer pains or needs they are addressing
- Customer Relationships – Outlining how they build and maintain interactions with their users
- Channels – Determining how their product or service will reach the customer
- Key Activities – Defining the core actions required to operate
- Key Resources – Identifying what is needed to run and grow the business
- Key Partners – Recognizing who will support or collaborate in the process
- Revenue Streams – Exploring how the business will earn money
- Cost Structure – Listing the essential costs it will incur
With the framework in hand, participants moved into individual work, applying the nine elements to their own business ideas. This quiet working time encouraged deep reflection and allowed them to examine the internal logic of their ventures.
The second half of the workshop shifted to peer feedback, where participants exchanged their BMC drafts with one another. These conversations proved highly valuable with participants challenging assumptions, questioning uncertainties, and offering constructive suggestions. The peer exchange also highlighted shared challenges among early-stage founders, from identifying clear customer groups to shaping realistic revenue models.
Throughout the session, the atmosphere was focused yet collaborative. Participants noted that the structured approach of the Business Model Canvas helped them see their ideas more clearly and identify the gaps they still needed to address. For some, it sparked new clarity about who their customers truly are; for others, it opened the door to refining their value propositions or reconsidering partnerships.
By the end of the workshop, each participant left with a more developed business model and actionable insights to further shape their ideas. As the Social Impulse Academy progresses over the coming months, workshops like these play a crucial role in equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the structure, confidence, and peer support needed to build impactful and sustainable ventures in Central Europe.
The project has been co-funded under the Interreg Central Europe program of the European Union through the project “TASK4ISI” – Transnational Action to advance SKills and competences FOR Inclusive entrepreneurship and Social Innovation.
