Keski-Suomen Yritysidea advises aspiring entrepreneurs and provides support during the early stages of entrepreneurship

Keski-Suomen Yrityidea's slogan is "courage and realism." According to business development expert Petrikki Tukiainen, both are needed when starting a business, as long as the business is not expected to take off based on mere feelings.

Keski-Suomen Yrityidea's experienced experts help those planning entrepreneurship and those in the early stages of business in Jyväskylä to build their own business. All services offered by Yrityidea are free of charge. The office is located in the center of the city in Crazy Town's premises.

- Those planning to start a business should contact us at an early stage with a low threshold. After that, we will consider how we can best help the customer in building their business. Every aspiring entrepreneur's story is different, emphasizes business development expert Petrikki Tukiainen.

Yrityidea organizes information and training sessions, as well as advice and coaching aimed at developing entrepreneurship skills. Online and group sessions cover basic aspects of entrepreneurship at a general level. For example, the self-employment info provides the skills to become self-employed as a sole trader, professional, or light entrepreneur.

- We start with the basics. For example, why recognizing the customer's need is the foundation of all entrepreneurship, regardless of the business form.

Starting a business is a multifaceted project. When planning has progressed and the customer can present concrete plans for their future business, it's time for personal advice.

- We confidentially review the customer's business idea and plans related to the business. The goal is to clarify the business idea together and consider factors affecting business profitability. We do not make decisions; our task is to walk alongside and provide basic tools for business planning and starting, says Tukiainen.

Yrityidea mainly serves all Jyväskylä residents in planning and starting a business. Services are offered in Finnish and English, and twice a year with interpretation in Russian.

- Immigrants make up about 15 percent of Jyväskylä's customers. It is essential to also consider them in advisory work, as in many cultures, entrepreneurship is a natural way to employ oneself.

Support is needed in the early stages of business

Founded in 2020, K-S Yrityidea is part of the national network of new business centers. According to Tukiainen, the network provides extensive expertise and materials related to the topic, such as the annually updated business start-up guide.

K-S Yrityidea offers its services not only in Jyväskylä but also to many nearby municipalities. Partner municipalities and the services available to their residents can be found on the yrityidea.fi website.

Annually, Yrityidea serves about 500 customers. The service is provided by the Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, which brings its own dimension to the encounters.

- In entrepreneurship, in addition to business skills, expertise related to the services or products being sold is needed. If the need for additional training arises during discussions, we can suggest training organized by Vocational College Gradia, for example. The ideal situation is that the entrepreneur continuously learns new things and actively develops their skills, says Tukiainen.

"Starting a business requires courage and realism," says Petrikki Tukiainen.

Yrityidea's customers come from various life situations. Entrepreneurship can be in the plans of those employed, students, or the unemployed.

- We also serve those who have worked as part-time entrepreneurs for a long time and want to transition to full-time entrepreneurship. In that situation, it is necessary to consider how the business can be grown to be sufficient for full-time entrepreneurship, says Tukiainen.

Since the beginning of 2025, Yrityidea has offered sparring services in addition to start-up advice for companies that have been operating for some time. These can be used by companies that have been operating for up to 18 months and are based in Jyväskylä. Tukiainen appreciates that the city of Jyväskylä enables diverse advisory and support services in the planning and start-up phases of entrepreneurship.

- In sparring, we can review questions that have arisen in the early stages of business. Often, practical business operations bring up issues that were not considered during the planning phase. The view of business profitability also becomes clearer in the early stages of business.

Profitability factors revealed by calculations

Petrikki Tukiainen emphasizes that a business should never be started based on feelings. Plans and calculations made before starting are an important foundation for successful business.

- Building your own business model is essential. It is necessary to understand what kind of demand there is for the services and products offered by the business in the market and what the competitive situation in the industry is. In the early stages of planning, one can consider whether they have special expertise or competitive factors that can help succeed in the competition.

According to Tukiainen, business should not be carried out based on the idea that the entrepreneur is ready to work around the clock. A tough work pace can work for a while, but it will backfire at some point.

- Our task is to help our customers with financial calculations. It is necessary to know what to charge for one's work to make the business profitable.

When the business is established, sales and marketing are needed.

- One cannot think that they will establish a business and wait for customers.

- A good rule of thumb is to discuss your business idea with as many business-savvy experts as possible. The start of business operations should not be endlessly postponed; at some point, one must boldly start to see how their wings carry, encourages Tukiainen.

More information on K-S Yritysidea's website.