Unique selling point

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Unique selling point
German small and medium-sized enterprises

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a particularly important role in our economic and social prosperity. The close relationship between companies and their owners has been a key factor in the success of SMEs for decades and forms the basis for economic success, sustainable growth, and innovation.

In order to maintain the economic performance of small and medium-sized enterprises and the associated jobs in the future, many entrepreneurs are faced with the challenge of planning their succession. However, in view of demographic change, it is becoming increasingly difficult for owner-managed companies to find a suitable successor who will continue and preserve the life's work they have created and the associated value structure of the company.

We place this challenge at the heart of our consulting services and develop solutions for the transfer and preservation of family-run businesses, taking into account the individual characteristics and goals of the entrepreneur.

Our consulting approach

Thanks to our many years of experience, we are familiar with the situation and the different motivations of entrepreneurs. Our consulting services focus on German owner-managed small and medium-sized enterprises. This is where we have expertise and where our focus lies.

Based on our experience, we can create significant added value for entrepreneurs in the following areas in particular thanks to our experience and expertise:

Create transparency

The companies we advise generally do not have the same sophisticated controlling structures as a corporation. Many decisions are made by the entrepreneur based on his or her many years of experience and gut feeling.

However, a company buyer needs a high degree of transparency with regard to the development and current situation of the company. One of our key tasks is to convert company-relevant data into meaningful information in order to provide interested parties with a reliable basis for decision-making.

Mitigate dependencies

In owner-managed SMEs in particular, we repeatedly encounter the issue of "dependence," for example, on the owner, key employees, customers, or suppliers. Dependencies always harbor risks, and buyers (understandably) shy away from risks and factor them negatively into the purchase price. Our task here is to identify the dependency, mitigate it, present it in a less negative light, and propose solutions.

Provide technical and emotional support

The vast majority of our clients sell their companies only once in their lifetime. They are seasoned managers with many years of experience in their day-to-day business, but without any experience in selling a company. In addition, selling one's own company is a particularly emotional challenge.

That is why we are particularly well equipped to guide entrepreneurs through the various emotional phases of the sales process and, drawing on our extensive experience in transaction processes, answer their questions and alleviate their fears at any time.

Separating work and private life

We often see a certain degree of overlap between our clients' private and professional interests and activities. However, in order to value the company appropriately, it is important to present its true earning power and, to this end, to identify and exclude non-operating items. Thanks to our many years of experience, we can easily identify these items and are able to prepare an adjusted calculation.

We advise managing partners on the transfer of ownership, are familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of the various buyer groups, and are therefore able to identify and approach the buyer who best suits the entrepreneur and his or her goals.

Our expertise in transaction processes, market developments, and buyer structures forms the basis for successful business succession. Together with our clients, we develop a long-term strategy for preserving and continuing the respective corporate values—regardless of industry, but with a clear goal: to maintain the performance and success of German SMEs in the future.