A Helping Hand

for SMEs
M e n t o r i n g B u s i n e ss T r a n s f e r
This brochure presents the results of the pilot action “A Helping Hand for SMEs –
Mentoring Business Transfer” financed by the European Commission.

The project activities have been coordinated by EUROCHAMBRES in cooperation with

the Rhône-Alpes Regional Chamber of Commerce and implemented by 33 Chambers of
Commerce in 18 EU Member States.

The project lasted 33 months, from January 2007 until August 2009.

The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Communities.
Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the authors.
Table of contentS
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Results of the pilot action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. Overview of the businesses sampled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.1. Geographical background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2. Date of creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3. Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.4. Economic sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2. Overview of the buyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1. Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2. Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3. Professional status prior to the takeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3. The takeover process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. The difficulties faced by the buyers prior to the mentoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. The mentoring process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6. Conclusion and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
6.1. A service that should be continued at national or regional level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
6.2. Recommendations for entities willing to set up the service in their country or region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Portraits of 10 European buyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Daniel Reiner, Austria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Stanimir Svatovski, Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Alain Capon, France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Burkhard Huhle, Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
André Stascheit, Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Laura Pavan, Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Monica Pedersen, The Netherlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Roxana Carmen Coca, Romania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Jožica Molka, Slovenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Christian Sánchez Amores, Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Project partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
 r d
w o
r e
Fo
Setting up a new firm is not the only way of going into business.
Taking over an existing business is another one.
4 Unfortunately, many small businesses have to close down when
their owner retires or looks for another challenge, since there is
nobody to continue the business. In the European Union, one
in three company directors are expected to retire within the
next decade, affecting an annual average of 690,000 small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and almost 2.8 million jobs.
Successful transfers of companies are therefore essential
for preserving jobs and can have an immediate positive effect
on the European economy.
Thus, in the context of the Small Business Act (SBA), our policy
framework for SMEs, we have looked into the challenges related
to the transfer of businesses. External advice and mentoring
can often be a crucial success factor for business transfer.
This is why, at the initiative of the European Parliament, we
have undertaken a pilot project on the transfer of expertise
through mentoring.
EUROCHAMBRES has implemented the project, working
together with the Chamber network to deliver mentoring services
at regional level and assessing the quality and the impact of the
mentoring provided. Apart from providing support to 890 mentees,
the project has also led to some interesting conclusions.
This project brochure presents a wide variety
of takeovers in 18 countries and summarizes
the outcome of the project. I am confident that
the pilot project will be a source of inspiration
for mentoring schemes at regional and local
level, the front line in promoting transfer of
businesses.
Françoise Le Bail
SME Envoy and Deputy Director General
Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry
European Commission
Delivering business services is part of the DNA of Chambers of
Commerce. As such, Chambers have had a keen interest in the
matter of business transfer for some time and have developed
a variety of services that facilitate smooth transfers.
With this pilot action, “A Helping Hand for SMEs – Mentoring
Business Transfer”, European Chambers have been able to build
on this experience. The project tested on a large scale - across
18 EU countries - a new support scheme to help buyers to
overcome the difficulties they encounter after a business takeover.
Business transfer boosts the growth of existing successful
companies and introduces new ideas and new procedures
which can, in turn, lead to enhanced productivity and economic
performance. It also has an immediate positive impact on
employment, since successfully transferred businesses preserve
more jobs on average than those created by new start-ups .
1
A “Small Business Act” for Europe, COM(2008) 394, 18 June 2008
In this framework, it is
increasingly important to
ensure the continuation of the activity of viable businesses,
assisting them in the long and complex transfer process with
specific structures and appropriate support services.
The implementation of this project has reinforced Chambers’ 5
commitment to facilitating business transfer and it is clear that
the value of preserving viable, established enterprises with growth
potential is even greater during this period of economic crisis.
Chambers welcome the recognition of the value of business
transfer by the European Commission. We call on national
authorities to attach equal importance to business transfer as
to business creation; measures must be delivered to create
a business transfer friendly environment, as recommended in
1
the Small Business Act.
Alessandro Barberis
President
EUROCHAMBRES
 INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Business transfer is an issue of major importance in the European Union, with one in three company owners expected to retire
within the next decade, affecting an annual average of 690,000 small and medium-sized businesses and representing almost 2.8
million jobs.

Although many European countries have put in place various measures to ensure smooth transfers and takeovers of
businesses, the process still involves considerable challenges which lead many of these transactions to fail (more than
20% of transfers in Europe fail within five years).

The European pilot post-takeover mentoring project, ‘A Helping Hand for SMEs – Mentoring Business Transfer’, was unique in
two ways: it covered 18 European countries simultaneously and worked with entrepreneurs after the transfer had taken place.

6 The initial aim of this far-reaching project was to provide free support to 1,000 buyers of small businesses (less than
50 employees) in 18 European countries, each for a ten-day period.

The methodology for providing the mentoring service was as follows:

1. Assessment of the buyer’s needs and co-development of an action plan with the mentee (1/2 day);

2. Tailor-made mentoring programme of 9.5 days allocated freely to cover 1 or more of the 9 topics on offer: marketing and
commerce, accounting, strategic management, human resources, access to finance, technical know-how, legal and fiscal
aspects, IT and supply chain management;

3. Satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the mentoring.

This brochure presents the main results of the pilot action as well as testimonials of ten European entrepreneurs having
successfully participated in the programme.
 Results of the pilot action
7

ResultS of the pilot action

 1. Overview of the businesses sampled

Typical profile of the businesses transferred

A relatively young (created less than ten years ago), small (fewer than 10 employees, less than 100,000 Euros in
turnover) BUSINESS with profits of less than 10%, active in the retail or services sector (cafés, hotels/restaurants
or individual services), operatING locally and ESTABLISHED AS A LIMITED COMPANY or sole proprietorship.

The following paragraphs describe the businesses taken over in terms of country, size, date of
creation and sector of activity.

8
National breakdown of businesses sampled

216
207

185
1.1. Geographical
background

18 European countries took

part in the project. However,
92 4 countries made up almost
80% of the sample alone:
Spain, Italy, France and
30 Romania.
19 18 18 17 17 15 14 13 12 8
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 1.2 Date of creation 1.3. Size

Results of the pilot action

The businesses taken over were The sample was made up
very young. Almost 50% of them predominantly (64.5%) of micro
were less than ten years old. enterprises (i.e. fewer than ten
employees). On average, these
businesses had 4.5 employees.

From 20 to
Before 1960 50 employees
5% 3.8 % From 10 to
Between 1960 19 employees
and 1980 9.2 %
14.5 %

After 2000 No employee

48.2 % 21.4 %
From 1 to
9 employees
64.5 %
Between 1980
and 2000
32.3 %
 Financial services 1.4 %

Agriculture and fisheries 1.7%

Information and communication technology 1.8 %

Sale, maintenance of motor vehicles 2.7 %

Transport, storage 2.8 %

Hotels, cafés and restaurants Construction 2.8 %

1.4. Economic sector 20.4 %
Wholesale, except motor vehicles 3.7 %
10
Hotels, cafés and restaurants
Other business to business services
made up the lion’s share of
(services for companies) 8.1 %
the sample (20.4%). More
generally speaking, services
were overrepresented, whereas Retail trade,
industry accounted for only non-food products Retail trade, food products 10.3 %
11.9% of business transfers. 17.2 %

Other business to consumer services

(services for people) Industry 11.9 %
15.3 %
 Results of the pilot action
2. OVERVIEW OF THE BUYERS

Typical buyer profile

11
A male (59%) employee (47%), aged 40, with a higher education background (53%) made up generally of short and technical
studies (2.5 years). The typical buyer has 14 years of professional experience, during which he haD the opportunity to
manage other employees. It is the buyer’s first takeover (85%) for which he/she had no specific training. In the case
of the 13.5% who have received training, it generally focuseD on legal and fiscal issues as well as accountancy.

The following paragraphs outline the profiles of the 889 buyers who received support throughout the project.

Before 1970
3.8 %
After 1970
2.1. Age
Between 1950 and 1970
49% of the sample was made
up of people under 39; the
Before 1949
under-30s accounted for 17.1%.
After 1970 The buyers’ average age was 40.
49.0 %

Between 1950
and 1970
47.2 %
 2.2. Gender Male
Female
40.2 %
The proportion of male and femaleFemale
entrepreneurs participating in the
scheme was relatively balanced, with the
sample being made up of 60% men and
Male
59.8% 40% women.

Only two countries differed from the

rest of the sample: France, where men
accounted for 76.5% of the buyers and
Spain, where women represented more
than half of the participants (56.7%).

12

Jobless
2.3. Professional status 12.0 %
prior to the takeover

Executive
The majority of buyers were 13.6 %
employees prior to the takeover Employee
51.2%
(51.2%) and 23.2% were already
entrepreneurs. Executives
accounted for 13.6% and job-
seekers for 12%.

Entrepreneur
23.2%
 Results of the pilot action
3. The takeover process

Typical takeover process

13
Takeovers are mainly external (62.2%) and concerN businesses owned by one person (52.2%). The purchasing price Is
lower than 100,000 Euros (71.7%), with the majority of the amount being self-financed.
46.5% of THE buyers receive support from the seller. Where such training is provided, it focusses on the technical and
commercial side of the business.

Former employee
13.3 % External

Family
Type of takeover
Former
External takeovers
External Family
62.2% were the most frequent,
24.5 %
accounting for 62.2%
of the sample. Of those,
three quarters of the
businesses were unknown
to the buyer prior to
the transaction. Family
takeovers came second,
The type of takeover varied greatly from one country to the next. Family transfers accounted for more than half of all cases representing 24.5% of the
in Austria (55.6 %) and in Greece (66.7%), but less than 15% for a core of seven countries, including France and Spain. transactions. Takeovers
by an employee, on the
Takeovers by a former employee were significant in five countries (Bulgaria 20%, Slovakia 31.6%, Slovenia 35.3%, other hand, were rare,
Belgium 37.5% and the Netherlands 38.9%), but were non-existent in seven countries (Austria, Germany, Greece, Latvia, accounting for only 13.3%
Malta, Portugal and the United Kingdom). of the transactions.
 4. The difficulties faced by the buyers PRIOR TO THE MENTORING
The main difficulties faced by the buyers sampled were in the areas of accounting and finance, access to finance, human resources
management, legal, fiscal aspects and strategic management.

These difficulties were more pronounced for women than for men. They were also greater for young buyers with little professional
experience and when the business taken over was a young, sole proprietorship active in the non-food retail sector.

Average perceived level

14 TOPICS
of difficulty out of 10 *

Accounting and finance 6.08

perceived level of difficulty prior to the
Ranking of the nine topics on offer by

Access to finance 5.82

Human resources 5.59
Legal and fiscal aspects 5.58
Strategic management 5.52

Average 5.44
IT systems 5.33
Marketing & commerce 5.26
mentoring

Technical know-how 4.95

Supply chain management 4.45

* 1 (not difficult at all) - 10 (very difficult)

 Results of the pilot action
5. The mentoring process
Each buyer was mentored for ten days. The first half-day was used to identify the buyer’s needs and the remaining 9.5 days were
allocated freely to cover one or more of the nine topics on offer. 15

The three areas of mentoring most selected were: marketing and commerce (26% of the mentoring days provided), accounting
and finance (19%) and strategic management (17%). The least requested topic was supply chain management (2%).

Supply chain management 2 %

Legal and fiscal aspects 4 %

S
Marketing and commerce 26% IT systems 4 %

Technical know-how 5 %
I
Breakdown of days by mentoring topic

L
Access to finance 10 %

A Human resources 13 %
Accounting and finance 19 %

S
Strategic management 17 %

A
 6. Conclusion and recommendations
The European pilot project “A Helping Hand for SMEs – Mentoring Business Transfer” can be considered as a good practice.

It allowed testing on a relatively large scale (18 EU countries) of a new support scheme helping buyers to overcome post-
takeover difficulties through the transfer of knowledge and core competencies essential for business transfers.

6.1. CONCLUSION
16
Such a mentoring service
should be implemented at
national or regional level in
order to adapt the service
to the local specificities in
terms of profile of the mentees
and profile of the business
transferred.
After 33 months of implementation, it can be concluded that the mentoring service should be
continued for the following reasons:
• Business transfer is an issue of major importance in Europe, with one in three company
directors expected to retire within the coming decade in the European Union, potentially
affecting 2.8 million jobs.
• There is a demand for mentoring from the owners of small enterprises.
• The service is innovative: until now, European countries have put in place various measures
essentially geared towards providing support upstream from transactions (i.e. reduction of
administrative, legal, fiscal or regulatory difficulties and support schemes during the transfer
process).

• Both the Chambers of Commerce and the buyers who participated in the project are satisfied:
79% of the Chambers are satisfied with the pilot action and the mentees considered
the mentoring useful with a degree of satisfaction of 1.97 on a scale of 1 (very useful) to
5 (not useful).
6.2. Recommendations
The analysis of the strengths
and weaknesses of the pilot
project enables to shed further
light on the setting up of
similar mentoring schemes.
EUROCHAMBRES and the
Chamber partners recommend
some adaptations in order to
ensure better results.
Results of the pilot action
1. Choice of bodies for the implementation of a mentoring scheme on business
transfer
EUROCHAMBRES and the Chambers of Commerce recommend establishing a public-
private partnership (PPP) for the establishment of a mentoring scheme on business 17
transfer. Such partnership should involve the key players in this field (e.g. public
administrations, Chambers of Commerce, lawyers, accountants, banks, etc…).
A PPP would allow the optimisation of the financing of the service and would pool
a variety of skills.
2. Set-up of the service
Flexibility is key to attracting candidates to the programme and to enabling the buyers
to take part.
• Duration: the reasonable duration of the mentoring should be defined according to
the specific situation of the enterprise and the entrepreneur. It should be flexible,
between 5 and 10 days for instance, and determined by the adviser, together with the
entrepreneur. An initial number of days could be decided during the first session of the
mentoring, which would then be revised if necessary.
• Period to offer the mentoring: a mixed formula (some sessions before and some
after the takeover) is recommended, leaving the possibility to the mentor to decide,
together with the mentee, the appropriate schedule of the sessions according to the
entrepreneur’s specific situation.
• The mentoring should not be restricted to entrepreneurs who have just taken over a company
(i.e. one year), but should target entrepreneurs in their first years (i.e. from one to five years)
after the takeover and those who are about to acquire a company.
• Format: the use of various formats for the mentoring (i.e. plenary sessions on specific
topics, workshops with a small number of entrepreneurs, phone calls and e-learning)
would complement the one-to-one sessions, adding value to the service.
 3. Content of the mentoring

For this project, nine mentoring topics divided into 35 sub-topics were on offer, namely:
accounting, business strategy, financing difficulties, fiscal and legal aspects, human
resource management, IT systems, logistics, marketing and commerce and technical
know-how.

The results of the project reveal that the list of topics on offer should be refined and
reduced. The mentoring should focus primarily on the following four topics: accounting
and finance, strategic management, human resource and access to finance. These areas
18 were considered to be the most problematic by the mentees and were chosen by the
majority of the participants.

This list of core topics could be complemented by “marketing and commerce” which
was the most chosen subject, while noting that it is not an area directly linked to the
difficulties of taking over a business.

“Legal and fiscal aspects” should be dropped from the list of topics on offer as the
buyers often work with a specialist on these aspects, which are generally very specific
and confidential.
 Portraits of 10 European buyers
Portraits of 10 European buyers 19

This section portrays entrepreneurs from ten EU countries who have taken over a small business between
2007 and 2009.

With refreshing openness, these women and men give us insight into the obstacles and challenges that they faced
when taking over the company, the benefits that the project brought to them and their plans for the future. These
real-world examples show the diversity of business transfers and the need for an early, customised support.
 I A
S TR
A U
With guidance comes confidence
In the Austrian city of Voitsberg, 26 year-old Daniel Reiner He also covered topics such as accounting and finance as well as
took over Fleischerei Jöbstl, a butcher’s shop created in 1977.
Before acquiring the ownership of the company in 2007, Daniel
human resource management. “The mentoring helped me to gain
confidence in running my company. It brought me quality support
Daniel
20 had been an employee for five years. in management, financial, accounting and human resources Reiner
matters; competences that will prove invaluable to ensure the
Despite having worked in the meat trade for several years, sustainability of my businesses,” said Daniel of the programme.
Daniel hadn’t enough experience in the administrative field Age: 26
to know how to manage his business efficiently and, in Company name: Fleischerei Jöbstl
particular, its accounting and finance procedures, which Year of take over: 2007
were crucial for the success and viability of the enterprise.
40. Hauptplatz
In addition, he became responsible for two staff members
8570 Voitsberg, Autria
and one apprentice. It was thus essential for him to also gain
Tel: +43 664 54 17 914
knowledge in human resource management in order to provide
reiner.daniel@inode.at
a safe work environment for his employees.

Fortunately, Daniel contacted the Chamber of Commerce of Chamber of Commerce of Styria

Styria, which immediately offered him ten days of individual
mentoring as part of the Mentoring Business Transfer project.
Daniel benefited from the guidance and instruction of several
experts who helped him to create a coherent financial plan and
provided him with key pointers on how to manage his business.
Due to the current economic downturn, Daniel has been obliged Contact person: Dr. Leopold Strobl
to cutback his costs. He is thinking of changing certain products 111-113 Körblergrasse
or selling them to larger food stores or supermarkets 8021 Graz, Austria
to ensure financial sustainability. Tel: +43 316 60 13 57
leopold.strobl@wkstmk.at

U L
B
New company, new programme, new opportunities
In November 2007, Stanimir Svatovski took over Perfect EOOD,
a Bulgarian company established in 1995 specialised in agriculture,
fishing and energy efficiency. As a result of increasing economic
difficulty, Stanimir decided to change the main focus of the
company’s activities by investing in photovoltaic panels to produce
marketable electrical energy that would be used by power
distribution companies of the region. Despite having been an
employee for more than ten years and notwithstanding his higher
education, the 43-year old sought assistance and guidance about
introducing and marketing photovoltaic panels, in addition to
information on legal issues resulting from Perfect EOOD’s new
area of activity.
Through the Mentoring Business Transfer programme,
experts provided Stanimir with explanations on procedural
matters and on the required documents, as well as additional
information on relevant industry bodies from which the new
owner could obtain the required permits and useful advice
on how to develop a new energy company on the local
market. The mentor also gave assistance to Stanimir with
his legal obligations.
R I A
G A
Portraits of 10 European buyers
21
In addition, he was given the opportunity to participate in
a marketing survey carried out by the Enterprise Europe
Network hosted by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce Stanimir
and Industry. The purpose of the survey was to assess
various producers of photovoltaic panels in different
Svatovski
European member states. Experts working on the survey Age: 42
provided Perfect EOOD’s owner with a list of contact details Company name: Perfect EOOD
of companies supplying photovoltaic panels in Europe and Year of take over: 2007
helped him to prepare a request for cooperation in English.
135, Boulevard Tzar Simeon Veliki
In the autumn of 2008, Stanimir participated in a brokerage 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Tel: +35 988 82 02 627
event organised by the Plovdiv Technical Fair, which brought
perfect@orbinet.bg
together companies responsible for implementing energy
efficiency and providing renewable energy sources. Perfect
EOOD held five meetings with potential business partners and Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce
one of these meetings proved successful, resulting in and Industry
a commercial agreement with a German energy company.
As a consequence, Stanimir has now gained sufficient experience Contact person: Mariana Tancheva
and background knowledge to ensure the sustainability of his 9, Iskar street
company. As a next step, he plans to take advantage of the 1058 Sofia, Bulgaria
European Environment Agency’s grant programme opportunities Tel: +35 929 88 34 82
to establish the company firmly on the market. mtancheva@bcci.bg
 C E
A N
F R
From dream to reality
In the French city of Vichy, Alain Capon took over La Trouvillaise, document which covers all staff members from damages
a recently established hotel. The 48-year old man had been
a commercial executive at the company Lineapack for 26 years
caused by occupational hazards. Furthermore, the support
he received from experts in various fields allowed Alain to take
Alain
22 before acquiring the ownership of the hotel in June 2006. a new insurance policy more suitable to his activity, to get
a new loan without interest for the renovation of the hotel, to
Capon
Alain fell in love with the hotel’s surroundings and atmosphere learn about promoting his hotel through the internet and to enrol
and decided to buy La Trouvillaise which, for him, represented his company on www.allier-hotels-restaurants.com, a website Age: 48
Company name: La Trouvillaise
a business with potential. However, Alain faced many challenges promoting typical French hotels and cuisine. In addition,
Year of take over: 2006
at the time of the take-over, namely: managing a staff of three Alain invested in soundproofing and introduced local/regional
employees, finding sufficient funding for the business and products proposed by the Vichy tourism office. 9, Rue Desbret
understanding the numerous requirements and standards which 03200 Vichy, France
had to be met in terms of hygiene and safety regulations. His In the near future, Alain would like to convert the basement and Tel: +33 470 97 95 96
strategy to develop further the activities of the hotel was twofold: revamp the hotel website. ct.hotel.trianon@wanadoo.fr
trying to attract families with young children and modernising the
hotel without excessive costs.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of Moulins-Vichy
Thanks to the Mentoring Business Transfer programme
proposed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
Contact person: Stéphane Mesmacre
Moulins-Vichy, Alain benefited from personal coaching which
17, Cours Jean Jaurès
helped him to understand the importance of safety regulations
03000 Moulins, France
and to obtain the ‘Document Unique’, a legal compulsory
Tel: +33 470 35 40 36
territoire-commerce-tourisme@moulins-vichy.cci.fr
 N Y
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Portraits of 10 European buyers

G

23

Strategic analysis for a successful and

solvent company
In June 2006, Dr. Burkhard Huhle took over ABR GmbH, a company
specialising in the production and distribution of picture frames. The
Since his participation in the Mentoring Business Transfer
programme, Burkhard has formed a subsidiary company that
Burkhard
company, which was created in 1984, had been in deficit since 2001, specialises in interior decorating and gallery renovation. Huhle
largely due to insufficient orders and loss of sales. He has learnt to exploit internet-related market trends and
has increased the number of customers through partnership Age: 52
Despite having been an employee for over eighteen years, Burkhard, and cooperation. Company name: ABR GmbH
aged 52, was quite apprehensive about the task ahead. The Year of take over: 2006
previous owner hadn’t developed appropriate data control tools Despite the effects of the global economic recession, Burkhard
1, Blessingstraße
and procedures. Additionally, he was concerned that excessive has achieved a steady profit through his subsidiary company.
77978 Schuttertal, Germany
change within the company would further damage the business. However, he believes that he must be cautious and monitor his
Tel: +49 782 62 07
expenses carefully during the financial recession with his main huhle@deha-design.de
Burkhard contacted the Chamber of Commerce of Südlicher priority remaining the maintenance and development of a stable
Oberrhein, who provided him with expert help and guidance business.
on how to develop a successful, solvent company. He got to IHK Südlicher Oberrhein
grips with strategic analysis, which helped him set realistic In his own words, “To become owner/manager of a company after
sales targets. Burkhard was advised to implement the having been a consultant for so many years is very rewarding and Contact person: Bernhard Schanze
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to guarantee an a dream come true. With the mentoring programme, I received 31, Lotzbeckstraße
optimal control of tools and data. He also introduced new a good package to be successful”. 77933 Lahr, Germany
administrative procedures and improved production methods. Tel: +49 782 12 70 3640
bernhard.schanze@freiburg.ihk.de
 R Y
G A
U N
H
Support for a good administrative framework
Only four years after its creation in 2004, André Stascheit took
over VIS-CO 2004 Kft, a wholesale company responsible for
the delivery and supply of doors and windows in Budapest. The
40-year old had been an employee in another Hungarian firm for
24
19 years before becoming the owner of VIS-CO 2004 Kft in 2008.
André is now responsible for six employees.
André was advised by a good friend to take over the company
which was said to be running well. He was principally concerned
with sales revenue and price differentials but had not focussed on
the issue of expenses and overheads. He hadn’t read up about
the products, nor did he meet his partners or suppliers. André
didn’t meet his staff before acquiring a share of the ownership
and he had very little knowledge of company or human resource
management. He bought a share of the business in the hope of
earning money and making a speedy profit.
“I realised how unprofessionally I had started this enterprise
during the Mentoring Business Transfer programme”, said André.
With the help of his mentor, Miklós Siska, he was able to see his
company as a complex unit that needed to be well coordinated
and well administered.
He adopted a five year strategic and financial plan and he
equally learnt entrepreneurial skills. In addition, by the end of
the programme, André was able to advise his business partners André
on financing, management and strategic planning and the
crucial importance of his retailers trusting him in his capacity as STASCHEIT
managing director of a wholesale company.
Age: 40
Company name: VIS-CO 2004 Kft
The Mentoring Business Transfer programme benefited André Year of take over: 2008
immensely, not only in terms of administrative skills, but also on
a personal level. It allowed him to feel confident as a Director and 15-19, Futó utca
to start his business activities with clear prospects and realistic 1082 Budapest, Hungary
objectives. André feels optimistic about the future of his company Tel: +36 709 30 45 60
and thanks to a close co-operation with his retailers, he hopes his stascheit@gmail.com
company will become a reliable wholesale business in Hungary
which is able to meet its targets and its customers’ needs. In the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce
space of two years, the Hungarian Director is hoping to buy his and Industry
own head office and warehouse. André also hopes to be able
to provide training for his retailers so they can also learn about
Contact person: Flóra Pálmay
enterprise management and administrative skills. 6-8, Kossuth Lajos tér
1055 Budapest, Hungary
Tel: +36 147 45 143
palmay@mkik.hu
 LY
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Portraits of 10 European buyers

25

Snapshot of a successful photography business

Having spent several years abroad, photographer Laura Pavan
took over Fotostudiocamin, a seven-year old Italian company,
previously owned by Pompei Mirka. Laura had been an employee
Laura
for five years when she decided to go into a partnership with PAVAN
the previous owner in 2007. However, for a variety of reasons,
the partnership never materialised and Laura became head
Age: 36
of Fotostudiocamin at the age of 34. It was difficult, after
Company name: Fotostudiocamin
many years away from Italy, to understand the legal and fiscal Year of take over: 2007
procedures required for Italian businesses.
187/D Via Vigonovese
When Laura took over ownership of the company, she immediately 35127 Padua, Italy
Tel: +39 049 76 08 83
sought help and guidance at the Chamber of Commerce of
info@fotostudiocamin.it
Veneto. She participated in the Mentoring Business Transfer
programme and the guidance she received was very helpful.
Experts promptly answered all her queries and were available to In the near future, Laura plans to expand her business with Unioncamere del Veneto
provide practical guidance and examples from sectoral studies. the support of her clients. In addition, she hopes to buy more
Her initial confusion slowly gave way to an increasingly self- photographic equipment so as to offer more services. Business Contact person: Erica Holland
19/D Via delle Industrie
confident manner. “Thanks to the Mentoring Business Transfer cooperation and personal experience has enabled Laura to realise
30175 Venice, Italy
programme, I learnt how to control my expenses and run which market sectors are prosperous as well as additional areas
Tel: +39 041 09 99 411
a stable and successful business” stated Laura. her husband might consider investing in upon his return to Italy. europa@eurosportelloveneto.it
 Netherlands
The
A sweet beginning with plenty more prospects
The Chocolatefall, a catering service that supplies chocolate, fruits her own workshops and sells dessert wines to go with her
and sweets as well as a rental service that supplies machinery
equipment, principally for chocolate manufacture, to restaurants
sweets. Before April 2008, the Chocolatefall’s main source of
clients were catering companies. Her current client list varies from
Monica
26 and events, was created in 2004. After 15 years of employment in local people to big event management companies. PEDERSEN
another Dutch firm, Monika Pedersen took over, at the age of 38,
Chocolatefall in April 2008 and employed two additional staff. Age: 37
Company name: The Chocolatefall
Monika wanted to change certain aspects of the business Year of take over: 2008
portfolio but she was afraid of damaging her company and
22A, Voorweg
found it quite difficult to choose which products to retain and in
3233 SK Oostvoorne, The Netherlands
which new products and company activities her business should
Tel: +31 614 24 26 77
diversify. With the help of experts, she expanded the scope of
info@thechocolatefall.nl
business activity by supplying sweets and chocolate through her
shop, as well as relying on the retail side of her company. She
wanted to upgrade the company’s products without damaging Kamer van Koophandel Rotterdam
the product balance.
Contact person: Hans Klein Swormink
Thanks to the Mentoring Business Transfer programme, Monika 40, Blaak, Postbox 450
managed to expand her company shortly after acquiring the retail 3000 AL Rotterdam,
business in Brielle. She is now considering of expanding her The Netherlands
business through franchising. Moreover, Monika now organises Tel: +31 104 02 74 94
hklein@rotterdam.kvk.nl
 I A
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Portraits of 10 European buyers

27

A network of specialists, a world of help

In October 2007, Roxana Carmen Coca acquired the travel agency
Turism Acces Tour from her former boss. Having worked for
seventeen years as an entrepreneur, Roxana felt quite confident
about the task ahead. She was going to head a team of two
employees in a four year old company.
However, acquiring the company brought a number of issues to
light. Dealing with all the administrative and legal paperwork, as
well as managing the travel agency itself, meant that she barely
had time to properly interview potential employees. In addition,
the 44-year old owner hoped to expand her agency but couldn’t
find any financial opportunities or grants to do so.
This is when Roxana decided to look for a programme that
would provide wise and timely guidance on the further
development of her company.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Prahova County
offered Roxana the chance to take part in the Mentoring
Business Transfer programme to help her gain knowledge
Roxana
about financing opportunities and acquiring European funds. Carmen Coca
Equally, with the help of specialists, she became familiar
Age: 46
with fiscal and legal regulations, as well as human resources
Company name: Turism Acces Tour Ltd
management. Finally, Roxana signed on to the Chamber’s
Year of take over: 2007
network database, which provided her with information on
upcoming seminars or programmes that could be beneficial 249, Marasesti Street, bl.5A, sc. B, ap.2
for her business. 100276 Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania
Tel: +40 244 40 13 12
accestour@ploiesti.rdsnet.ro
In the near future, Roxana hopes to increase the revenue of her
company by expanding her clientele thanks to new advertising
and business opportunities which she discovered during the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of Prahova County
Mentoring Business Transfer programme. Thanks to Chamber
experts’ advice, she plans to focus the company’s main activities
Contact person: Luana Teodorescu
on business tourism. Roxana believes that the programme was
8, Cuza Voda Street
a successful and inspiring experience, which gave her the
100010 Ploiesti, Romania
opportunity to meet new people and provided her with the expertise Tel: +40 244 51 45 30
to develop and expand her company in a safe and secure manner. externe@cciph.ro
 v enia
S lo
Upgrade to current standards in the construction
sector
In the Slovenian city of Kisovec, Jožica Molka, who had been to create suitable work place conditions for disabled workers.
working as a manager for 19 years, took over the seven-year Finally, Jožica dedicated a lot of time to improve and organise Jožica
old building company Forgrad d.o.o. Not only did Jožica have
responsibility for four employees, she also had to consolidate
company procedures and accounts.
MOLKA
28
the firm’s legal and administrative requirements, which were In the future, the company intends to expand its business
disorganised and out of date, particularly in relation to current activities to eastern European countries such as Croatia, Bosnia Age: 40
legislation regarding the employment of handicapped or and Herzegovina, as well as Serbia. Jožica would like to increase Company name: Forgrad d.o.o
disabled people. her company’s production by 30% and employ three more Year of take over: 2008
workers. Finally, she hopes to reinforce the company’s research
7, Borovniško naselje
Jožica also wanted to develop her knowledge of commercial and development activities, particularly in the field of solar
1412 Kisovec, Slovenia
contracts and to develop a long term marketing strategy with heating systems.
Tel: +48 631 87 96 92
regard to both domestic and foreign markets. Furthermore, she
forgrad.doo@siol.net
wanted to undertake a detailed market analysis, based on her
clients’ interests and needs. Finally, the owner needed to better
promote her company to attract new business opportunities. Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of Slovenia
Thanks to the Mentoring Business Transfer programme proposed
by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Jožica Contact person: Mojca Osojnik
developed a new internal organisational structure for her 13, Dimiceva
company based on applicable labour legislation. In addition, the 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
company received financial grants and loans for training and Tel: +38 615 89 81 01
mojca.osojnik@gzs.si
 A I N
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Portraits of 10 European buyers

29

Modernisation of a family business

In October 2007, student Christian Sánchez Amores and his “In just one year, I have been able to modernise the
friend became co-owners of Cartonajes Sánchez, a family owned management of the company dramatically”, said
Christian
manufacturing company that produces handcrafted objects Christian. The company now produces also cheaper Sánchez Amores
made out of cardboard. The company was founded in 1903 and products of lower specification that can be used for
Christian was the 4th generation to manage the company. With different needs. Hence, Christian has attracted a wider Age: 27
the responsibility for three employees, the 27-year old hoped clientele and modernised his business without damaging Company name: Cartonajes Sánchez
Year of take over: 2007
to adapt the management structure to modern standards. its essential character.
In addition, Christian believed it would be difficult to maintain 19, Nave 2, Calle Vicente Carballal
a handicraft tradition with high quality standards at low cost In the future, Christian plans to establish a Quality 28021 Madrid, Spain
when today’s society prioritises technology and associated Certification process such as ISO and attend marketing fairs Tel: +34 917 97 13 17
cheap labouring/manufacturing methods. to promote the company to foreign investors. He would also contacto@cartonajessanchez.es
like to sell his products in other Spanish towns and establish
As a result, Christian participated in the Mentoring Business a transportation network or partnership which would eventually Chamber of Commerce and
Transfer programme proposed by the Chamber of Commerce allow him to export his products. Industry of Madrid
and Industry of Madrid and found the marketing side of the
programme most interesting. After finishing the programme, Contact person: Isabel Blanco
he produced a website for the company and diversified its 56-58 Calle Ribera del Loira
28042 Madrid, Spain
scope of activities.
Tel: +34 915 38 49 03
isabel.blanco@camaramadrid.es
 Project partners
Coordinator:
EUROCHAMBRES
Ms Typhaine Beaupérin
Tel: +32 2 282 08 80
beauperin@eurochambres.eu
30
Austria
Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark
Mr Leopold Strobl
E-mail: leopold.strobl@wkstmk.at
Tel: +43 316 601 357
Belgium
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie
du Luxembourg belge
Ms Anne-Michèle Barbette
E-mail: am.barbette@ccilb.be
Tel: +32 61 29 30 40
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry
Ms Mariana Tancheva
E-mail: mtancheva@bcci.bg
Tel: +359 298 834 82
France
Chambre Régionale de Commerce
et d’Industrie Auvergne
Ms Michèle Bernard
E-mail: mbernard@auvergne.cci.fr
Tel: +33 4 73 60 46 51
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie
de Paris
Ms Anne Treister
E-mail: atreister@ccip.fr
Tel: +33 1 55 65 32 33
Chambre Régionale de Commerce
et d’Industrie de Rhône-Alpes
Mr Michel Beyet
E-mail: beyet@rhone-alpes.cci.fr
Tel: +32 2 550 02 54
Université de Savoie –
Institut de Recherche en Gestion
et Economie (IREGE)
Mr Christian Picard
E-mail: christian.picard@univ-savoie.fr
Tel: +33 4 50 09 24 40
Ms Catherine Puthod
E-mail: catherine.puthod@univ-savoie.fr
Tel: +33 4 50 09 23 72
Germany
Industrie und Handelskammer zu Schwerin
Ms Angela Preuß
E-mail: preuss@schwerin.ihk.de
Tel: +49 3 85 51 03 201
Industrie- und Handelskammer Südlicher
Oberrhein
Mr Bernhard Schanze
E-mail: Bernhard.Schanze@freiburg.ihk.de
Tel: +49 78 21 2703 690
Greece
Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce
and Industry
Ms Natasha Xarcha
E-mail: nxarcha@gmail.com
Tel: +30 21 03 387 104
Brussels’ office
Ms Eirini Konstantinidou
E-mail: Eirini.Konstantinidou.uhcci@skynet.be
Tel: +32 2 735 99 56
Hungary
Magyar Kereskedelmi És Iparkamara
Ms Flora Pálmay
E-mail: palmay.flora@mkik.hu
Tel: +36 1 474 5143
Italy
Unioncamere – the Italian Association
of Chambers of Commerce, Industry,
Handcraft and Agriculture
Mr Carlo Spagnoli
E-mail: carlo.spagnoli@unioncamere.it
Tel: +39 06 470 43 19
 Kamer van Koophandel Maastricht Slovenia Cambra Oficial de Comerç i Indústria de
Mr Ger Smith Gospodarska Zbornica Slovenije Sabadell
E-mail: gsmith@maastricht.kvk.nl Ms Mojca Osojnik Ms Ester Raventós
Tel: +31 43 350 67 75 E-mail: mojca.osojnik@gzs.si E-mail : eraventos@cambrasabadell.org
Tel: +386 1 58 98 101 Tel : +34 937 451 255
Malta
Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Spain Cámara Oficial de Comercio, Indústria y
Eurosportello Veneto and Industry Cámara de Comercio de Bilbao Navegación de Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Ms Erica Holland Mr Andre Fenech Mr Luis Siles Ms Leonor Herrera Benítez
E-mail: erica.holland@eurosportelloveneto.it E-mail: andre.fenech@maltachamber.org.mt E-mail: luis.siles@camarabilbao.com E-mail lherrera@camaratenerife.com
Tel: +39 041 099 9411 Tel: +356 212 338 73 Tel: +34 94 470 65 10 Tel: +34 922 100 400
Camara de Comercio de Terrassa
Formaper - Special agency of the Milan Poland Cámara Oficial de Comercio, Industria y Ms Anna Pajarón
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Staropolska Izba Przemysłowo-Handlowa Navegación de Cantabria E-mail: apajaron@cambraterrassa.es
Ms Silvia Valentini Mr Jowslaw Bator Ms Isabel Cuesta Rodríguez Tel: +34 93 733 98 33
E-mail: valentini@mi.camcom.it E-mail: j_bator@siph.com.pl E-mail: icuesta@camaracantabria.com
31
Tel: +39 02 8515 5395 Tel: +48 41 3444392 / 29 Tel: +34 942 31 83 05 Cámara de Comercio, Industria y
Navegación de Valencia
Studio Centro Veneto Portugal Cámara Oficial de Comercio e Industria Mr José Tronch
Mr Toni Brunello Câmara de Comércio e Indústria de Madrid E-mail: jtronch@camaravalencia.com
E-mail: toni.brunello@studiocentroveneto.com Portuguesa Ms Isabel Blanco Labajos Tel: +34 96 310 39 00
Tel: +39 0444512733 Mr Joao Paes Cabral E-mail: isabel.blanco@camaramadrid.es
E-mail: jpc@acl.org.pt Tel: +34 91 538 35 00 / 49 03 Camara de Comercio e Industria de
Latvia Tel: +351 21 322 40 58 Zaragoza
Latvijas Tirdzniecıˉ bas un rūmail: pniecıˉ bas Cámara Navarra de Comercio e Industria Ms Elena Nasarre
kamera Romania Ms Silvia Moreno E-mail: enasarre@camarazaragoza.com
Ms Jelena Ponomarjova Chamber of Commerce and Industry E-mail: smoreno@camaranavarra.com Tel: +34 976 30 6227
E-mail: jelena.ponomarjova@chamber.lv of Romania Tel: +34 948 077 070 Mr Mariano Espallargas
Tel: +371 67830811 Ms Mihaela Vasvari Ms Ainara García E-mail: mespa@camarazaragoza.com
E-mail: mihaela.vasvari@gmail.com E-mail: tafalla@camaranavarra.com +34 976 30 6251
The Netherlands Tel: +4021 311 75 34 Tel: +34 948 755 074
Kamer van Koophandel Rotterdam United Kingdom
Mr Hans Klein Swormink Slovakia Cámara Oficial de Comercio, Industria The British Chambers of Commerce
E-mail: hklein@rotterdam.kvk.nl Slovenská obchodná a priemyselná y Navegación de Oviedo Ms Marija Popovic
Tel: +31 104 027494 komora Ms Rosana Suarez E-mail: m.popovic@britishchambers.org.uk
Ms Wendy Hakstege-Hofman Mr Juraj Pala E-mail: rsuarez@camara-ovi.es Tel: +44 2476 472 530
E-mail: wendy@interlynx.nl E-mail: pala@scci.sk Tel: +34 98 520 75 75
Tel: +31 187 487603 Tel: +421 2 5443 3272
EUROCHAMBRES - The Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Chamber House, Avenue des Arts 19 A/D, B – 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 282 08 50 - Fax: +32 2 230 00 38
eurochambres@eurochambres.eu
www.eurochambres.eu