Successful founder: Jana Lewe successfully manages Fass-Schmiede GmbH & Co. KG in Iserlohn. (Photo: © private / Jana Lewe)
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women in crafts - Theme specials
July 2023
Jana Lewe founded the company as a side business in August 2012. At the time, she had no idea or plan that she would one day run a company for furniture and decorations made from used wine barrels with 14 employees.
Their niche product and the right instinct ensured that Jana Lewe was soon confronted with ever-increasing demand. In 2013, she finally exchanged her Full-time job versus self-employment. The learned Master automotive mechatronics technician studied after her Master of Business Administration and consistently pursued her dream of becoming her own boss. Her dream came true and today the entrepreneur successfully leads the Fass-Schmiede GmbH & Co. KG in Iserlohn.
The wine barrels are imported in large numbers from Spain and France and are sold here Furniture and decorations refurbished. Customers decide for themselves whether they want a finished copy find appealing or a individual production Jana Lewe offers a total of over 60 products in her online shop. The spectrum ranges from garden furniture, about wine cabinets, coffee tables, Ice bath barrels up to dog basket.
The coronavirus pandemic led to private households, in particular, beautifying their homes and gardens. This boom continues to this day and has resulted in the team growing significantly, with Jana Lewe now offering both commercial and skilled trades training.
Ultimately, the company’s growth also led to the decision new warehouses and workshops The loan for the new building was secured by the Guarantee Bank with an 80% guarantee. A solar system was also installed on the roof of the new production facility to generate some of the energy required for production from renewable sources.
Operations management
Operations management
The Chambers of Crafts in Germany - Koblenz Chamber of Crafts
Jana Lewe has the Importance of social media for your online shop recognized and invests a lot of time and effort into online marketing. With success: Over 6.500 Instagram followers keeps you up to date and provides insights behind the scenes. The regular Blog posts on the website provide a lot of additional information on the use, processing, care and recycling of old barrels.
"The exchange with our community is very important to us. It allows us to learn directly how our products are being received and used. Faster feedback is hard to achieve through other channels. And it reduces our return rate because we actively address frequently asked questions directly on our blog or social media channels."
Quote"We think that's fantastic! In addition to her professional expertise and outstanding business model, Ms. Lewe particularly impressed us with her commitment. Nicole Meurer, Corporate Customer Advisor at Bürgschaftsbank NRW
Jana Lewe shares her experiences with others and encourages women in particular to do the same. Award from Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in the course of the initiative "WOMEN companies" as Role model entrepreneur In 2020, Jana Lewe Lectures e.g. at universities and shows possible Paths to self-employment In addition, she founded the women entrepreneurs network "PAULA" and advises women in their region who want to become self-employed.
She is also involved in the Cliché-Free Initiative and at "We empower girls" – a project of the German Children and Youth Foundation – as Mentor, for one Career and study choices free from gender stereotypesShe can tell the girls from her own experience, as she began her career as a trained automotive mechatronics engineer in a rather male-dominated profession. fassschmiede.de
How a guarantee works - Applicants should know this
✓ Any founder, entrepreneur, or freelancer can apply for a default guarantee. It must be a small or medium-sized business.
✓ You need appropriate personal, commercial and professional qualifications for your field of activity.
✓ A business plan with an economic forecast is required, which proves that the business operations can generate capital service and a reasonable living.
✓ The applications are usually processed through the house bank, but guarantees can also be applied for directly at the guarantee bank (BoB = guarantee without bank). Applications can be made at www.nrw.ermoeglicher.de or via the new financing portal ermoeglicher.de
✓ The maximum guarantee amount is 2 million euros.
✓ Costs: Upon approval, a one-time processing fee (usually 1,5% of the guaranteed loan amount, with a minimum of €400) and an annual guarantee commission are charged. Furthermore, involving the guarantee bank usually results in better loan terms.
✓ Guarantees are available for almost any project and venture, provided the prospects are right. Excluded are restructuring measures, debt restructuring, and measures that are not "eligible" under EU competition rules.
If additional equity capital is required, the Guarantee Bank recommends the involvement of KBG NRW (www.kbg-nrw.de).
Further information on the products of the Bürgschaftsbank can be found at: nrw.ermoeglicher.de
Starting as a part-time job: Every year, 40 percent of all new businesses nationwide start up as part-time jobs.
Business plan: A business plan is required for solid financing.
Application: The first point of contact for applying for a guarantee is your bank.
Your enablers: Financing portal for non-binding inquiries at ermoeglicher.de
Social media: Social media is becoming increasingly popular as a way to stay in touch with customers.
Online trade: There are ready-made solutions for setting up an online business that make it easy to get started.
DHB now also digital!Simply click here and register for the digital DHB!
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