The Fenice ProjectEnterprise continuity and competitiveness

Budapest, 24-25th May 2011

Gian Angelo BellatiUnioncamere/Eurosportello del Veneto

(Euro-Info Centre) Venice

Italy

From the Small Business Act Review (23 Feb. 2011, 3.4)Business Transfer in Europe

1/3 of business failures occur in the context of a

business transfer.

From the Small Business Act Review (23 Feb. 2011, 3.4)Business Transfer in Europe

Next decade:

up to 500,000 businesses to be transferred every year

Next decade:

2 million jobs

“It is essential to improve the framework conditions for business

transfers”

From the Small Business Act Review (23 Feb. 2011, 3.4)

The Commission will:

‣ identify best practices to support business transfers

‣ launch a campaign to promote these practices

Member States are invited to: ‣ develop user-friendly marketplaces and databases for

transferable businesses

‣ provide training and support to increase the number of successful business transfers, including communication campaigns to raise awareness on the need to prepare ahead of time for business transfers.

An innovative approach is needed

Governing business transfer is NOT doing business as usual

We need to create a receptive environment by coordinating different kinds of actors with an

ad hoc set of strategies and tactics

One cannot use an oldmap to discover new lands

The Fenice Project starting point

Institutional Insight and

Support

Project Governance

Design and Technical Support

EU funded 2006-2008 Project

The Fenice Project aims and toolsProject overall aim: ‣Setting up in the Veneto region a new Business Renewal Centre

In order to: ‣Transform a potential threat into a promising renovation and competitiveness opportunity

Through:‣a new top-down-top approach in the region‣supported by a creative online and off-line toolbox

The Fenice Business Renewal Centre

Regional Governance 35 Local Partners NetworkTraining of 41 Local Tutors 300+ local mSMEs involved

Vaccination Business owners

previous awareness raising

Bank of Cases38 business transfer

cases systematically classified

CofundingRegional Administration

Unioncamere/Eurosportello StudioCentroVeneto

Toolbox Online and off line

training and assistance toolsfrom EU Good Practices

The Fenice Toolbox: VaccinationAim

In co-operation with Chambers and Trade Associations, to inoculate into micro and small business owners a suitable awareness dose about their business transfer needs.

Action‣To invite Senior and Junior, male and female family members, to ‘awareness evening’ meetings.

‣To assist them in small groups (20 people) by a short confidential self-analysis, done through an European Good Practice.

OutputProvision of personalised profiles and group portrait, allowing the meeting Organiser to conduct a customised follow up.

The Fenice Toolbox: Bank of CasesAim

To build up a reliable business transfer cases collection, described through a standardised grid, allowing for comparison and conformity/non-conformity assessment around 10 Crucial Factors.

Action‣To collect transfer situations, clustering them on the basis of the Crucial Factors.

‣To define some coherent action protocols to be applied to analogous situations.

OutputA practical guide for entrepreneurs and for business transfer experts and consultants, based on exemplars, is available.

Lessons learned

‣ Be impatient

‣ Take improvident shortcuts

‣ Leave somebody behind

‣ Disergard continous monitoring

NOT TO DOs

Lessons learned

‣ Dare to change the status quo

‣ Involve institutional and technical partners since the very beginning

‣ Share with them the final project vision

‣ Rely on innovative EU Good Practices

‣ Keep in touch with the territory

‣ Train, train, train

TO DOs

Lessons learned

Regional LevelAn institution or quasi-institution (e.g. Chamber of commerce) can be the “pivot” to put together a public-private network, pooling some reliable and tested tools, without starting from scratch every time.

Lessons learned

TransferabilitySuch a methodology can be shared across regions and can contribute to build up a solid knowledge base on business transfer throughout Europe.

Start by sponsoring a “teaser” and a convenient “cultural setting”:1.Shortkit free online self-test (http://bit.ly/shortkitEN)

2.Short Tutors training and Vaccination, through Chambers and Business associations.

First steps