That's where the entrepreneur's shoe hurts

That's where the entrepreneur's shoe hurts

Without profit there’s no point!” is the motto of this year's Obereder business conference at the Gersberg Alm in Salzburg at the end of November. Around 80 accompanied customers arrive, all of them car dealership and workshop owners. The series of lectures deliberately aims to discuss those topics where the entrepreneur's shoes are most painful. Right from the start, management consultant Wolfgang Fuchs takes the plunge. The two core questions of his lecture: "Where do I make money? Where do I lose money?" It is essential to determine exactly that – brutally honest. As an example, he takes the guests on a trip to the bankruptcy of a bakery. A real case that Fuchs accompanied. This involves taking over an outdated business, investment backlogs and entrepreneurial errors. The consultant outlines in a little too much detail which mistakes were made by the operators in which phases. It quickly became clear what Fuchs wanted to show, as he told us in conversation: "The motor vehicle industry has its very special pitfalls. The new car trade has a margin problem and high investments at the same time. It is almost impossible to do without a workshop. And company takeovers are often turning points in the company's history." Where do the problems in some car shops come from? "It's rarely just one measure, one problem. But especially when taking over a business, you have to ask yourself: Does the successor have the caliber to really run the business - even if he comes from your own family?" Here the consultant advises not to spare any costs and to have an external specialist draw up a status quo of the company as part of the handover. “The people handing over often don’t know that there is a backlog of investments, for example, or that the successors don’t know what they are actually taking over,” says Fuchs. The costs for this are not that high, but in relation to the risk it is hardly worth mentioning. "Taking over a business without all the facts and key figures at the table is like driving with a broken fuel gauge. You don't know how far you'll get. Everyone would have it repaired immediately. The same care should be given to the key figures of your own company."

BOAT OF DISPUTE EMPLOYEES

Things get really lively in the conference room when Barbara Weiss, human resources manager of the Denzel Group, and Diane Freiberger, vice-rector of the Kufstein University of Applied Sciences, have the floor. The duo's lecture deals with the question of employees and, specifically, it is about the fact that "the shortage of skilled workers will worsen dramatically. Demographic developments show that capable employees will be able to choose where they work in the future." Freiberger specifies: "The baby boomers - who are now often in management positions - will be retiring in large numbers in the next few years. There are simply not enough successors."

Although some positions could be saved or not filled, the loss of employees is too radical. "In addition, today's career starters are not just concerned about the money. They want to be heard, valued and place significantly higher demands on their employer. It's gotten to the point where applicants ask: What can you offer me? You have to be prepared and prepared for that today. Otherwise it will be incredibly difficult to find good employees," says Weiss. The Denzel group would receive around 8,000 applications a year. Weiss conducts around eight job interviews per day. Nevertheless, finding employees is extremely difficult. "We also evaluate managers based on fluctuation. Even a large group today cannot afford for two salespeople or customer service advisors to quit overnight," says Weiss. There is unrest in the audience. From different directions in the room you can hear approval, but also complaints about how thin the staff is. You can't help but feel as if the entrepreneurs in the room feel like they're more dependent on their employees than ever before. “What should we do?” a lady asks the group. "Position yourself credibly towards your employees. Include them. And show them respect," advises Weiss. Vice-Rector Freiberger adds: “And don’t forget to develop your employees further. Because if you don’t, the employee will develop out of the company.” Hard words, but they are heard.

“Charging for performance is always a question of the right wording.”GERHARD SAGMEISTER, CONSULTANT

ENTERTAINING AND WARNING

Claus Fischer from the Austrian Mint ends day one with a humorous, entertaining lecture about gold. Unfortunately we are no longer allowed to report on this. Day two gets off to a lively start with a lecture by Michael Holub and Gerhard Sagmeister on the topic of key company figures. Holub explains: “If the key figures are no longer correct, the cause often dates back a long time.” Well-intentioned advice such as cushioning when it comes to price information and potential offsetting options are mentioned. The second heated debate arises: “Theoretically, I can charge for everything, but then my customer won't come,” you hear. A classic scenario: The expert or consultant sees potential for additional income based on the numbers, which, according to the audience, can hardly be implemented under the pressure of everyday life. All participants discuss which services can be charged to the customer and how. A consensus is emerging: “Charging for performance is always a question of the right wording,” emphasizes Sagmeister. The series of lectures ends with Gabriele Hausmann from the Institute for Management on how to lead correctly. “Remember: everyone’s darling is nobody’s boss.” Lead to make hot decisions - even if they are unpopular and unpleasant. As a boss, you have to clearly define which tasks I have and which I don't have. “The boss doesn’t have to be an expert,” says Hausmann, but emphasizes that “delegating is an additional task that should be planned for.” In addition, one should not make the mistake of treating family members differently when entrepreneurship. "In the end you have to ask yourself: Does my blood relative perform the same as I expect from another employee? If the answer is no, you as a manager have to take appropriate action." And this brings us full circle to the first lecture by Wolfgang Fuchs: Entrepreneurship means taking risks, weighing up risks but also tackling them and making decisions. Because if you sit idle for too long or do everything the way you've always done it, you're in danger of a rude awakening.