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Schools for Entrepreneurs as a basis for building networks

"In retrospect, the network was the important thing that I carried with me from the School for Young Entrepreneurs [Jungunternehmerschule]." Heinz Zürcher spells out in words what many others might also have felt: More often than not, networking in the school for entrepreneurs proves to be nearly, if not sometimes more important than the contents of the course itself - and often these contacts do actually translate into good business opportunities or successful new ventures.

For example, Fargate AG: In 1992, Heinz Zürcher met Daniel Isler at the School for Young Entrepreneurs in Olten [Jungunternehmerschule Olten] (now called Jungunternehmerschule Schweiz). Four years later, the two of them founded the pilot enterprise, Tozai Group AG, to support export projects from Switzerland to Japan. The results were remarkable: In the year 1998, the Zurich-based Fargate AG was established from this company, as a sort of export bridge to far-off countries for Swiss SME's.

Today, Fargate has seven permanent employees and seven project managers in Zurich, together with 120 local partners in around 30 countries working for it. Moreover, the young entrepreneurs could convince an equally prominent and moneyed financier, Christoph Ringier of their concept. The share capital of the start-up has, in the meanwhile, gone up to five million Swiss Francs.

This is how Fargate functions: The enterprise evaluates the market potential of the client's products in the desired country of export, works out a strategy for them and immediately sets about implementing it with the help of its local satellites. It normally takes anything between 3 to 9 months till the actual breakthrough is achieved. However, this co-operation does not end with the launching of the product in the foreign market: Fargate continues to assist its partner and guarantees personal contacts at the local level. Of course, there is also an element of self-interest involved in this: Payment for Fargate's services is contingent on the turnover of the partner. By the way: The network from the School for Entrepreneurs is alive and kicking even today. The most recent example of this is Yolanda Ubico of Salis: She was in the same class and project group as Heinz Zürcher - and since the beginning of this year she has also joined Fargate.

Jürg Sigerist