Turning ideas into action: entrepreneurship skills in practice

Turning Ideas into Action: Prototyping, Production, and Financial Thinking

Every great business starts as a spark – an idea born from curiosity, frustration, or a bold dream of doing things differently. But what happens next is what truly separates dreamers from doers. Turning Ideas into Action is about taking that first rough idea and shaping it into something real through prototyping, smart production choices, and clear financial thinking. For young aspiring entrepreneurs, this journey is not reserved for “someday” or “when you’re ready” – it starts now. Learning to test ideas early, build simple prototypes, understand costs, and see money as a tool rather than a barrier empowers young entrepreneurs to move faster and think bigger. Entrepreneurship today is hands-on, experimental, and rooted in learning by doing. Mistakes are not failures but data, and action beats perfection every time. If you’re curious about creating value, solving real problems, and turning creativity into something tangible, this is where your entrepreneurial path begins.

The Succeed in Business project workshop (15–16 April 2026, Tampere) brought together participants from Finland, Estonia, and Latvia to explore the foundations of entrepreneurship – from accounting and financial decision-making to prototyping and production. The two-day workshop combined lectures, student-led projects, and expert perspectives, turning theory into practical insights for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs.

Beyond Numbers: Understanding the Purpose of Accounting

In the first lecture, What is Accounting?, senior lecturer Petteri Vilen from TAMK challenged students to look beyond numbers and consider the bigger “why” questions: Why set up a firm? Why become an entrepreneur? Profit matters, but so do value creation, sustainability, freedom, and social impact. He reminded participants that a company is a legal entity with its own capital and responsibilities. From initial setup formalities to bookkeeping, accounting helps entrepreneurs measure profit through income statements and understand company value via balance sheets at a specific point in time. Later in the session, lecturer Sven Rassl encouraged students to reflect on topics such as pricing and how supply and demand interact in the market.

Learning Business Finance Through Real Projects and Dialogue

Proakatemia students brought a fresh and inspiring entrepreneurial perspective to the workshop. Ilias Anezary Abbad, Amelia Ilga and Mare Sãrta presented their Vietnam project and its budget, offering a concrete view of how entrepreneurs manage finances in practice. The budgeting model they used was shared with all participants for future use and can support the development of participants’ own business projects. The session continued with a dialogue circle, where participants discussed financial management challenges, explored solutions together, and reflected on key decisions such as loans versus equity investment. Participants showed strong interest in different business models, and Proakatemia students shared examples from their own ventures. This exchange highlighted the importance of sharing ideas, learning from others, and considering multiple perspectives.

Financing Growth: Long-Term Thinking and Smart Capital Choices

Roope Hänninen from Nordea shared insights on startup and growth financing, emphasizing that sustainable growth is built through long-term planning and consistent effort. He introduced Nordea Speed Dating, a closed matchmaking concept that connects Nordic high-growth startups and scaleups with suitable investors at different stages — from pre-seed to scale-up. Roope also highlighted the benefits of Nordea’s growth loan, which allows founders to avoid early ownership dilution, maintain control of their business, and remain attractive for future investment rounds — all with founder-friendly terms and competitive pricing. For young entrepreneurs, it is important to understand that banks can offer support in various ways, acting as partners and sources of guidance even at the early stages of their journey.

Design Thinking at the Core of Entrepreneurship Learning

To conclude the workshop, TAMK coaches Cristian Burr Raty, Kamil Wojcik, and Mikko Sävilahti guided participants through hands-on exercises based on design thinking and collaborative problem-solving. Working in small groups, participants explored different project themes by developing, prototyping, and refining ideas, while considering concrete pathways from concept to production.