Business succession is of central importance to the success of German small and medium-sized enterprises. By the end of 2028, approximately 106,000 small and medium-sized enterprises will be seeking a successor each year and will often have difficulty finding a suitable candidate. At the same time, the proportion of women taking over a business—at 21 percent—is too low. Highlighting the potential of and for women in business succession, proposing ways to improve the situation, and raising the public profile of role models have been key goals of the VdU from the very beginning.
A successful generational transition in small and medium-sized enterprises is closely linked to the question of how we, as a society, intend to place greater emphasis on the potential of and for women. Women in leadership positions bring new ideas and approaches that are crucial for the further development of companies. They play a key role in the major transformation processes of the German economy, whether in terms of digitalization, sustainable business models, or improving work culture. Female successors, in particular, are increasingly focusing on values-based corporate management, agile work structures, and inclusive leadership cultures that strengthen both the company’s capacity for innovation and its appeal to skilled workers.
The growing participation of women in business succession is therefore not only a matter of gender equality but also an economic necessity. If we want to prepare small and medium-sized enterprises for the future, we must ensure that women play a central role in corporate leadership. However, for more women to choose business succession, they must be better supported. In addition to creating modern framework conditions and further reducing bureaucratic hurdles or misguided tax incentives, what is needed above all is a societal (cultural) shift. This is where we all have a role to play.
To make business succession a career option for women that is not only possible and feasible but also, not least, something worth striving for, it is important to highlight women who have already taken the leap into entrepreneurship. We need more visible role models—and precisely these female entrepreneurs and business successors—in decision-making bodies, on panels, in the media, and in school textbooks. Role models provide guidance and give us the strength to believe in our own abilities. After all, we can only become what we experience and can imagine!
As an association, it is particularly important to us to highlight the diverse ways in which women can successfully take over a family business. The career paths of women taking over family businesses are rarely straightforward—and that is precisely what makes them so inspiring. Women take over businesses in various ways: as a daughter, as a long-time employee, as an external manager, or as part of a team of entrepreneurs. Many of them bring not only a fresh entrepreneurial spirit but also new leadership approaches that challenge traditional structures and drive forward-looking developments. Being an entrepreneur is worthwhile—not only for one’s own growth but also for the further development of society and the economy. From participatory leadership to flexible work models to innovative diversity strategies—female successors actively shape corporate cultures and thus contribute to the sustainable and innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Highlighting such examples is essential to encouraging more women to take the leap into business succession and turn their own ideas into reality.
