When women take over a business

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.

This article is part of the special topic women in crafts

Women have long since proven that they can successfully manage companies, even in commercial and technical professions.

When it comes to choosing a career, the younger generation is shockingly traditional: Girls become hairdressers, opticians, goldsmiths or bakery salespeople. Boys flock to industrial and technical professionsSo where will the successors for the majority of craft businesses come from? So far, they mostly come via indirect routes. Fabienne HarterThe 30-year-old is managing director of Gross-Funk GmbH, a craft company in Schopp, Rhineland-Palatinate, with 40 employees. What is her background? Fabienne Harter completed an apprenticeship as a travel agent.

Taking over a business is not initially part of life planning

That they once In our Video we introduce two successors in the craft industry. Taking over her father's company wasn't part of her life plan. Of course, she did work at her father's company, especially during her business studies, which she decided to pursue after completing her apprenticeship. The spark ignited at some point. Fabienne Harter ran the company in tandem with her father for two years, which specializes in the development and production of radio remote controls for machines. Even today, her father still advises her in the background, "but he doesn't force his hand; I'm free to make my own decisions."

"Personality plays a bigger role than gender"

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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."

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More visibility for women in the trades

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.

Business economist takes over electrical and plumbing business

Another Ute Bodenseh has chosen a detour to the executive chairThe 52-year-old is the owner of an electrical and plumbing company in Hochstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate, and also the boss of her husband. Master craftsman preferred to remain an employee, when his father, after a long struggle, decided to hand over the company five years ago. Ute Bodenseh quickly took over the business, the commercial work had been trained wholesale and retail clerk She'd already done some of this before. Nevertheless, the transition to the top job was initially difficult for the business graduate. She now appreciates the advantages: "I don't need to ask anyone anymore."

First, the To get the business up to scratch, the new boss has twice Changed tax advisor, attended numerous lectures, sought advice, and also participated in the "SHE!" experience group. "Above all, the exchange with other female entrepreneurs helped me a lot." The effort paid off; sales have now increased.

"Men prefer to work outside on the construction site anyway"

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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."