Your perso­nal roadmap to genera­tio­nal change

  • We specia­li­se in assis­ting medium-sized compa­nies in all aspects of corpo­ra­te succes­si­on and M&A.
  • We maximi­se the proba­bi­li­ty of success in corpo­ra­te transac­tions with our know-how.
  • KERN has a profes­sio­nal team of over 25 specia­lists in its partner circle with their own, opera­tio­nal and entre­pre­neu­ri­al experience.
  • We maintain over 6,000 ongoing contacts with prospec­ti­ve buyers in our own databa­se of invest­ment compa­nies, finan­cial inves­tors, VC compa­nies (venture capital), MBI ? candi­da­tes (indivi­du­al buyers), banks and strate­gic investors.
  • Natio­nal­ly and inter­na­tio­nal­ly, we are connec­ted to the most renow­ned networks for the purcha­se and sale of compa­nies. Behind this are a good 300,000 contacts to inves­tors for your successful compa­ny sale.
Seal Best Advisors for Business Succession
Seal Top Business Succession Consulting
Best Advisors - SZ Institute Award
  • A relay runner stands in his starting block and waits for the start signal

    In the DACH region, over 50% of family businesses in all three count­ries are now heading towards business succession

    (Source DIHK Study 2018, IFM-Bonn and KERN Succes­si­on Study 2017 + 2020).

    The pace of ageing of owners and share­hol­ders is incre­asing so rapidly,

    that in 2022 a good 60% will alrea­dy be reached. At the same time, only just under 40% of the possi­ble soluti­ons for business succes­si­on are intra-family genera­tio­nal changes.

    The chall­enge: With the retire­ment of the baby boomers, there is a drama­tic slump in demogra­phic succes­si­on. There is not only a lack of employees at all levels, but also of founders and succes­sors as compa­ny leaders.

    And the econo­mic clima­te is becoming harsher and tends to be more unplea­sant. Gradu­al­ly, but visibly.

    Secure your assets, safeguard your employees’ jobs and start your succes­si­on project!

    If not now, when?

    The right time
  • Screenshot of the KERN Best Consultant and Top Consultant 2019 awards

    Your possi­ble genera­ti­on change within the family requi­res the highest level of profes­sio­na­lism and confi­den­tia­li­ty at the same time. Trust the State­ments from our custo­mers or have a look at one of our Natio­nal coope­ra­ti­on an. Upon request, we will be happy to name speci­fic contact persons who can give you a perso­nal state­ment on our perfor­mance. Check our values for cooperation.

    Referen­ces for your safety
  • Burden or pleasure? Generational change in family businesses

    A successful genera­tio­nal change process can only succeed with the parti­ci­pa­ti­on of all “actors”. In family systems, it can there­fo­re be useful and important to invol­ve not only the family members who will work direct­ly together in the family business in this process, but also other members of your family “system”.

     

    In a confi­den­ti­al setting we can get to know each other and you as the family can then decide for yours­elf whether all the family members concer­ned are open to the process. Each family member checks for themsel­ves whether they are willing to place their trust in us. Only with the common basis of trust can we work successful­ly in the sense of your goals.

     

    From case to case, we act as advisors, coaches, media­tors or facili­ta­tors. Someti­mes in several roles at the same time. We make this trans­pa­rent for you on an ongoing basis.
    And we invite you to read our KERN book “The Art of Letting Go”. You can order your perso­nal copy direct­ly here.

    The start of our cooperation
  • The decision-maker seminar for personal preparation of a company succession

    Your family, trans­fer­or and trans­fe­ree, then develop your perso­nal succes­si­on roadmap together with us. Which topics and tasks should be dealt with in which order in the upcoming process? Do we also need the exper­ti­se of tax experts or lawyers at certain points?

    We show you how the process can be conti­nuous­ly develo­ped and adapt­ed. This “script” is then the basis for the next steps.

     

    Important! As neutral compa­n­ions, we feel commit­ted to the goal of the family and enterprise.

    We pay close atten­ti­on to the contents entrus­ted to us and only possi­bly repro­du­ce them within the persons concer­ned if you express­ly autho­ri­se us to do so. The contents of the perso­nal one-on-one conver­sa­ti­on in the process are there­fo­re always 100% protec­ted and are subject to confi­den­tia­li­ty from our self-image.

  • Man in suit draws plan of coloured arrows and scratches his head questioningly.

    There is no “blueprint” for a genera­tio­nal change in a family business accor­ding to which we would proceed. Within the frame­work of the analy­sis and indivi­du­al discus­sions, a pictu­re emerges for us of the possi­ble proces­ses and sensi­ble inter­ven­ti­ons for a successful genera­tio­nal change process in your family.

    We discuss these options and ideas openly with you. We are also happy to make recom­men­da­ti­ons based on our experi­ence. You then decide on the sequence and imple­men­ta­ti­on of the possi­ble steps. You can inter­rupt the process at any time.

     

     

  • Graphic of a grey toolbox

    The follo­wing is an excerpt of the possi­ble “tools” for your indivi­du­al genera­ti­on change process:

     

    + Indivi­du­al coaching

    + Group coaching

    + Advice

    + Coaching on the job

    + Modera­ti­on

    + Media­ti­on - Conflict Resolution

    + Expert advice on tax and law

  • A hand ticks off items on a list with checkmarks

    A genera­tio­nal change affects three “systems” at once:

    Your family, your compa­ny and also the level of the share­hol­ders (often in perso­nal union with the transferor).

    All three systems have diffe­rent function­al logics and are affec­ted emotio­nal­ly and factual­ly by many contents in parallel.

     

    Here is an excerpt of the possi­ble contents:

    + Taking over tasks

    + Quali­fi­ca­ti­ons / Trainings / Certifications

    + Corpo­ra­te missi­on state­ment / corpo­ra­te culture

    + Leader­ship style

    + Decis­i­on-making and commu­ni­ca­ti­on framework

    + organi­gram

    + Employee involvement

    + share­hol­der agreement

    + Managing direc­tor contract / PPA etc.

    + Will

    + Prenup­ti­al agreement

    + gift ./. sale ./. annui­ty ./. rent

    + Fiscal measures

    + Tempo­ral ideas etc. etc.

  • Provide for tomorrow today

    Indepen­dent of all the previous­ly descri­bed contents and options of your genera­tio­nal change process, we offer a special format for families as a day workshop:

     

    MeinST­ABWECH­SEL is a highly inter­ac­ti­ve workshop for the emotio­nal issues invol­ved in a genera­tio­nal change.

     

    We guide trans­fer­ors and trans­fe­rees sensi­tively into a perso­nal reflec­tion to the life decis­i­ons ahead.

    In a protec­ted setting of the family members concer­ned, you get to know each other even better about perso­nal concerns and motives and can under­stand each other better in all subse­quent steps.

     

    Let yours­elf be surpri­sed by a parti­cu­lar­ly unify­ing frame­work for your family succes­si­on and get a high degree of perso­nal clari­ty about your very perso­nal motives and beliefs.

     

     

     

     

    Workshop MySTAB­WECH­SEL
  • One hand holds an old analogue stopwatch. The stopper is set at 25s

    A final note on the time requi­red for a genera­tio­nal change process: You decide at your own pace and your speci­fic concerns how quick­ly and how inten­si­ve­ly you want us to accom­pa­ny you.

    Are there any concre­te indivi­du­al measu­res that are to be implemented?

    Is multi-year monito­ring with longer inter­vals desired?

    Or do you only need acute support on a speci­fic topic?

    Whate­ver the poten­ti­al need on your part, we agree the time commit­ment with you in advan­ce and can readjust this at any time accor­ding to your wishes.

    And when it comes to TIME, there are no fixed guide­lines or rules. This is decided exclu­si­ve­ly by the trans­fer­or and trans­fe­ree or the family.

  • You have successful­ly achie­ved your goal ? Your succes­si­on for your company(ies) is secured.

    The follo­wing genera­ti­on has taken over the leader­ship and your compa­ny histo­ry conti­nues to be written.

    You have achie­ved something very special as part of your genera­tio­nal change.

    This is no longer the rule in a family business.

     

    You have succee­ded in one of the greatest tasks and challenges in entre­pre­neu­ri­al life!

    [/video]

    Congra­tu­la­ti­ons!
Why does it make sense to accom­pa­ny the intra-family hando­ver?Enthu­si­a­stic custo­mersGetting to know each other perso­nal­lyScript Genera­ti­on ChangeIndivi­du­al conceptsMatching toolsDiver­si­ty of contentCommon clari­tyTime frame

Basic webinar: The five biggest mista­kes in genera­tio­nal change in family businesses

You will learn in detail and with practi­cal examp­les, the causes of problems during a genera­tio­nal change and how you can avoid disputes.