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April 1, 2016
They still often find their way to the top job via a roundabout route. When it comes to finding a successor for their business, tradespeople still too often look to men.
Women have long since proven that they can successfully manage companies, even in commercial and technical professions.
When it comes to choosing a career, young people are shockingly traditional: girls become hairdressers, opticians, goldsmiths, or bakery sales assistants . Boys flock to skilled trades and technical professions . So where will the female successors for the majority of craft businesses come from? So far, they mostly arrive via circuitous routes. Like Fabienne Harter . The 30-year-old is the managing director of Gross-Funk GmbH , a craft business in Schopp, Rhineland-Palatinate, with a respectable 40 employees. Her training? Fabienne Harter completed an apprenticeship as a travel agent.
That she would one day take over her father's company wasn't part of her life plan. In our video , we introduce two female successors in the skilled trades. Of course, she worked in her father's business, especially during her business administration studies, which she decided to pursue after her apprenticeship. The spark ignited at some point. For two years, Fabienne Harter ran the company , which specializes in the development and production of radio remote controls for machines, in tandem with her father. Even today, her father still advises her in the background, "but he doesn't impose himself; I can decide freely."
Photo: © stylephotographs/123RF.com dasssie has no vocational training, was certainly a deciding factor in her decision. "But that doesn't matter for a company of this size; it's much more difficult for smaller businesses because the boss often has to go to the construction site." She relies on her "qualified employees – including master craftsmen – who advise me." Incidentally, her husband is also one of these employees. They rely entirely on role reversal, even when children come along. "My husband is ready for it. Our generation doesn't have so many problems with it." Fabienne Harter also has no problem with asserting herself as a boss in a man's world"I believe that personality plays a bigger role than gender."
Of course, the young entrepreneur sought advice, and after taking over the business, she participated in the experience group "Succession is female", which was organized by "SHE! Rhineland-Palatinate" and the Chamber of Crafts of the Palatinate (see box below) was offered. "I benefited greatly from the exchange and advice," says Harter, admitting: "There's a huge difference whether you're a man or a woman as a boss; the family burden is simply greater for a woman."
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
In 2011, the Rheinhessen Chamber of Skilled Crafts launched the "SHE! Rhineland-Palatinate" project for female founders and young entrepreneurs. It was offered in all Rhineland-Palatinate Chambers of Skilled Crafts and was funded by the state's Ministry of Economic Affairs and with funding from the European Social Fund. By 2013, 500 female successors and young entrepreneurs had received free advice and training. Since 2014, Silke Eichten has been working on securing skilled workers as part of the "Handwerk günstige" project, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. One focus is promoting the potential of women in the skilled crafts sector.
Ute Bodenseh took a different route to the top . The 52-year-old owns an electrical and plumbing company in Hochstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate, and is also her husband's boss. The master craftsman preferred to remain an employee when his father, after much deliberation, decided to hand over the company five years ago. Ute Bodenseh promptly took over the business; the trained wholesale and retail saleswoman had already been handling some of the administrative tasks. Nevertheless, the transition to the top job was initially tough for the business graduate. Now she appreciates the advantages: "I don't have to ask anyone anymore."
First, the business had to be streamlined ; the new owner changed tax advisors twice , attended numerous lectures, sought advice, and also participated in the "SHE!" support group. "The exchange with the other female entrepreneurs was particularly helpful." The effort paid off; sales have since increased.
Photo: © auremar/123RF.com The Employees accept the bossThe fact that she doesn't have a master's degree isn't a problem in Ute Bodenseh's eyes: "It works when you have good people. My husband, for example, handles the tenders." The division of labor obviously suits both of them. "Men prefer working outside on the construction site anyway and don't like to deal with the administrative work," according to the 52-year-old entrepreneur's experience.
For a long time, no one in the village of 2.800 people knew that Ute Bodenseh was the boss of the four journeymen and three apprentices. It wasn't until the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Economic Affairs Eveline Lemke visited the "She!" experience group and a newspaper article appeared about it, the villagers realized that the business is in female hands"In the village, they didn't believe it at first." Today she no longer wants to miss her independenceThis has allowed her to develop personally: "I used to be a wallflower. Today I'm not afraid of anything anymore."
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