Ever greater hurdles for successful company succession

According to the latest KfW SME Succession Monitoring, around 100,000 small and medium-sized enterprises are looking for a successor every year. The dilemma: the increasing number of older business leaders is offset by the decreasing number of interested successors!

The key findings of the study can be summarized as follows:

• Only one in ten employees is under 40 years old
• Low birth rates, lack of aptitude and lack of interest lead to a shortage of young talent
• Around 190,000 SMEs plan to exit the market without a succession plan by the end of 2026

The path to successful succession:

✔ Start the succession process at an early stage
✔ Use external expertise and support
✔ Keep the entrepreneurial task in focus

Together we will master your succession!

KfW Succession Monitoring for SMEs