What a year for the w2on team — it will surely be remembered by all involved. Before we reach the beginning of the year to come, let’s rewind through the last year, at least in thought. The last months of 2010 and the first few months from 2011 were packed with team outings (Mallorca, Ski Hut, Denmark), barbeque and poker nights, a 14-day recovery period at the turn of the year as well as the development of plans for an ambitious international project. The mood in the team of web workers was as a result positive and we were ready to tackle 2011 at full speed.

In May 2011, we reached a decision that would shape the remainder of the year. We decided that Leipzig is not the best location for the development of our web-worker team and the innovative business models planned and thus we resolved to relocate the web workers to Berlin by August 1st, 2011. Because the Internet corporation w2on was initially founded in Berlin and we personally supported about 200 start-ups from the city between 2004 and 2007, Berlin has of course always been an option for w2on.

In connection with this relocation, our entire team was cut in half in the second half of the year to 15 full- and part-time employees. Some people had to cancel and some opted against the move to Berlin and stayed in Leipzig. On the basis of the reduced team, once in Berlin, we initially focused on the content and optimization of our current projects. In addition, we have used these last few months to reestablish old contacts in Berlin and to expand our network with new contacts.

After our decision, it was also becoming clear that over the course of 2011 Berlin was indeed developing into the new European center for innovative technology-based business models. More and more web workers, from all parts of Germany and all over the world, were attracted by the daily increasing number of opportunities to develop personally and professionally. This regional concentration of innovative expertise in Berlin is likely just the beginning.

Our most important project in 2011 was supporting about 30,000 founders from Germany on unternehmenswelt.de. With small­business­crowd.com we have taken our first step into the U.S. market, and over the last few weeks in Berlin we have established the personnel structure in order to promote the internationalization in 2012 with native speakers. This and many other tasks (Co-Working Center, off-line support for founders, venture, Zandura) will be more intensively developed in 2012.

The year 2011 has not been an easy experience for the w2on team but a very interesting and busy year. We want to thank all those who have actively supported and facilitated us on our way. We wish all former and current w2on colleagues, business partners and all those who follow our development a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!