Thoughts for owner-led businesses
Short articles on management, technology and the European business landscape, written for owners and leaders of small and medium-sized companies.
The quiet handover
Across Europe, hundreds of thousands of owner-led firms will change hands in the next few years. The good ones deserve a plan, not a closing-down sale.
Read more →ArticleAI literacy, without the fear
Europe's AI rules ask companies to help their people understand the tools they use. That is less a burden than a good habit.
Read more →ArticleGood management is a technology too
Before buying new software, it is worth looking at something cheaper that research links strongly to productivity: everyday management practice.
Read more →ArticleQuiet leaders: lessons from the Mittelstand
Many of the world's leading niche manufacturers are medium-sized family firms in small German towns. Their habits travel well.
Read more →ArticleGetting paid on time
Late payment quietly drains Europe's smaller firms. The rules are tightening, but the best protection is still good housekeeping.
Read more →ArticleSustainability questions, simple answers
Europe has narrowed its reporting rules to the largest companies. Smaller suppliers will still be asked questions, and there is now a sensible way to answer them.
Read more →ArticleExperience is an asset
Europe's workforce is getting older. Companies that value experience, by choice and not by pressure, will keep knowledge that others lose.
Read more →Our articles give general information and our own views. Figures are taken from the sources listed with each article and were checked on the date of publication.