Business Transfer as a Strategic Developmental Problem of the Owner-Manager, the Enterprise and the Economy

Abstract

Transfer of ownership and management of an enterprise is a complex process; unsuccessful transfers result in the loss of otherwise viable businesses and the jobs they provide. Many enterprise fail in the transfer phase not because they are not viable but because the transfer has not been sufficiently prepared and realized. Successful business transfers are even more important for preserving jobs and economic growth during the economic crisis when many enterprises fail because of the lost of markets and strategic potentials. Even though the transfer of an enterprise within a family is still a frequent option and this is also true for Slovenia, the number of other transfer options is increasing, also the number of transfers to third parties. Owners-managers as well as supportive institutions have an important role in business transfers. Supportive environment and measures should enable easy and efficient business transfer, stimulate entrepreneurs to start preparing the transfer on time as well as stimulate potential entrepreneurs to think about the possibility to take over an existing enterprise; supportive services such as mentoring, professional consultancy, creation of data bases and marketplaces that provide a platform for bringing together potential buyers and sellers are also needed. In the contribution we present proposals for improving the supportive environment for business transfers in Slovenian which is in comparison to some other EU countries still underdeveloped.