"Which sales targets have the highest priority in your company in 2019?" This is what the management and sales consultancy Peter Schreiber & Partner (PS&P), Ilsfeld near Heilbronn, which specializes in the capital goods industry, wanted to know. For this purpose, it conducted an online survey of sales managers in the DACH region in the 1st quarter of 2019, called Expert Barometer. Each of the 204 participants was able to name three of 13 specified sales targets.

Grant fewer discounts

The expert barometer revealed that the most frequently named sales goal for 2019 is "Achieve better prices, grant fewer discounts" - in other words, achieve a good profit margin (48 percent). In second place comes the goal "Acquire new or competitor customers" (39 percent), just ahead of "Exploit existing markets/customers" (38 percent).

If you compare the 2019 survey results with those of 2016, the last time PS&P conducted an expert barometer with the same question, you will notice: The sales goals "Achieve better prices" and "Acquire new customers" have swapped places. This is mainly due to the fact that in 2019, only 39 percent of respondents named the topic of acquiring new customers as one of their top three sales goals instead of 60 percent previously, while the goal of "achieving better prices" shows a strong increase in importance ( 2016: only 39 percent; 2019: 48 percent).

The price in focus again

Peter Schreiber, owner of PS&P, sees the reason for this in the fact that it was quite easy for the companies to acquire new customers due to the booming markets in the past years. Currently, however, the market environment is "rather difficult" in many sectors, such as the German industrial pillars automotive and mechanical and plant engineering - as evidence of this, only the keywords "trade war between the USA and China", Iran, Brexit and technology change are mentioned here. According to Schreiber, many companies are therefore pursuing manufacturers of industrial and capital goods are currently "pursuing a defensive, consolidating rather than growth-oriented sales strategy". This assumption is supported by the fact that the sales objective "Make greater use of existing markets/customers" also shows a fairly high percentage increase compared with 2016 (from 32 to 38 percent).

Better exploit existing markets

The survey results also partly reveal how the companies intend to achieve the goals of achieving a high profit margin and "Exploit existing markets/customers more fully" - among other things by stepping up sales of spare parts and services. This sales goal was named by 24 percent of the sales chiefs surveyed as one of their top 3 sales goals in 2019 (only 18 percent in 2016).

 In addition, 21 percent want to push "Web aided selling" in B2B sales, i.e., make greater use of customer and company data that is already available or can be generated with the help of modern information and communications technology to win new, follow-up and additional orders.

Make better use of enterprise data

According to Peter Schreiber, this shows that "the trend topics of Big Data and digital transformation do not stop at B2B sales," and they will become all the more important as companies face the need to rethink their sales strategies due to changing market conditions. This is why, Schreiber suspects, companies will increasingly train their employees in the areas of "selling services" and "web aided selling," among others, in the coming years - as they are still largely uncharted territory for many sales employees.

Source: www.schreiber-training.de

The Annual General Meeting kicked off the big anniversary celebration. The election of the new president was an unusual item on the agenda. After 15 years at the helm, Albert Denz had decided to hand over the office to a younger candidate. Albert Denz had been at the helm of the association since its foundation. He was also the initiator and one of the six founding members of the bueroscene.ch.

With the election of Patrick Waldis as the new president of the Swiss Office Furnishings Association, the approximately 80 members present confirmed the entrepreneur who had previously been recommended for election. The 48-year-old from Lucerne has an excellent network in the industry and is the third generation to lead the Waldis Group in Central Switzerland. "With my election as president, I see myself committed to creating even better framework conditions for the office furnishings industry in the future," Waldis said after his election. "I want to continue the legacy of Albert Denz in the best possible way. However, new reforms are to create additional added value for members," Waldis continued.

In the course of the new elections, three more members were newly elected to the board. Danielle Quaile (Managing Director of Girsberger AG), Philipp Babst (Head of Sales at Vitra) and Christian Mehling (one of two Managing Directors of Lista Office Group) complete the new team at the top of bueroszene.ch.

The Swiss office furnishing association bueroszene.ch

The Swiss Office Furnishings Association has 81 active members from all language regions of Switzerland. This makes bueroszene.ch the largest and at the same time the only association of the office furnishing industry in Switzerland. Founded in 2004 by Albert Denz, the association celebrates its 15th anniversary today. The organization has set itself the goal of representing the interests of the industry and its members vis-à-vis politics, business, authorities and the public. In addition, the association aims to prevent the shortage of skilled workers by providing industry-specific training and continuing education. Another important part of the work of bueroszene.ch is the collection of annual industry figures and sales statistics for the Swiss office furnishings industry.

Office furniture market in Switzerland with slight sales increase

Based on the only slight increase in sales of the members of the Swiss Office Furnishings Association of 1% to just under 446 million (office furniture -2%, office chairs +5%), the picture in 2019 is one of a Swiss market that continues to be highly competitive. A particularly marked decline was recorded - as in previous years - in the area of cabinets and carcases. More pleasing, however, were the rising sales figures for retreat zones. Here, contrary to the general trend, a significant increase in sales of 19% was achieved, which mainly relates to the center zone areas. The 28% increase in sales of planning fees gives a clear indication that professional planning expertise is increasingly in demand.

Information: https://www.bueroszene.ch/de

In Raum11, entrepreneurs and decision-makers from SMEs in the Zurich region can now take advantage of interesting offers. Events organized by the Raiffeisen Entrepreneur Center (RUZ) and Raiffeisenbank Zürich impart relevant knowledge and create space for mutual exchange of experience and networking. The RUZ offers entrepreneurs and decision-makers on-site coaching and consulting services. For example, on issues relating to mastering the digital transformation, innovation processes or organizational development.

In addition, Raum11 offers co-working space as well as attractive meeting and event rooms. SMEs can, for example, hold internal training courses or customer events in the modern premises or hold business meetings there. Furthermore, the future lab RAI Lab regularly presents innovations that can be experienced and tried out on site.

"With this unique combination of infrastructure, knowledge and networking, Raiffeisen Zurich contributes to the business development of regional SMEs. In addition, the infrastructure is also available to associations and other organizations, e.g. for board meetings or member events. And the co-working space is also accessible to private individuals," says Andrea Steinmann Mascaro, Raum11 project manager and member of the Raiffeisenbank Zürich bank management, describing Raum11's novel concept.

The offers can be made via the booking platform, www.raum-11.ch, reserved and paid for.

Making a career is more important to female PR professionals than to their male colleagues. This was the finding of the current PR Trend Monitor by news up to date and Factskontor. 130 Swiss PR professionals and managers took part in the survey. To advance their careers, women do more overtime and business trips than men. Conversely, men are more willing to be constantly available and to take work with them on vacation.

Two-thirds of the women surveyed say that careers are important or very important to them (66 percent). Among men, only just over one in two (58 percent) said the same. When it comes to making concessions for their careers, the statements of the female and male survey participants diverge strongly in some cases. Women are more willing to work more hours a week for their careers (50 percent), while men are less willing to compromise on higher weekly working hours (39 percent). Women would also accept more business trips for their careers (40 percent) than their male colleagues (33 percent).

Men, on the other hand, are much more willing to be constantly available for work (69 percent) than women (39 percent). The opinions of women and men also diverge when it comes to work on vacation. While 28 percent of men would take work with them on vacation for their careers, only 19 percent of women would be willing to do so.

The Swiss Ethics Award, organized by the School of Engineering and Economics of the Canton of Vaud (HEIG-VD) and launched for the first time in 2005, is an independent prize to promote ethics, sustainable development and social responsibility projects by companies or public organizations. The aim is that such measures become natural and obvious to everyone. For this purpose, concrete projects are awarded which encourage others to further develop or imitate them.

The winners of this 14th edition are Association rollaid, Magic Tomato and Too Good to Go; their commitment in the fields of ethics, social responsibility and sustainable development was thus honored. The trophy was solemnly handed over to them on May 14, 2019 by Mrs. Cesla Amarelle, Cantonal Councillor of Vaud, Head of the Department of Education, Youth and Culture. Johan Rochel, co-director of the Lab for Innovation Ethics, ethix, gave a short presentation on "Digital transformation: an ethics of transition". The award winners in detail:

Association rollaid - Workshop Rollaid

The aim of the rollaid association is the social and professional integration of young people who work in a recycling workshop where they repair wheelchairs and other items for people with disabilities. Discarded wheelchairs and other accessories for people with disabilities are collected from all over Switzerland and repaired in the workshop in Interlaken. Repairing requires varied craftsmanship specifically suited to the needs of participants in this vocational integration program. The repaired items are delivered to organizations that provide assistance to disabled people in economically disadvantaged countries. For teenagers and young adults, it is good to know that their work is helping people in difficult life situations. In this way, they experience that their commitment is meaningful and valuable.

MagicTomato - online market for fresh and local products

MagicTomato has built a sustainable online food distribution system. The products (vegetables, meat, fish, etc.) come from local producers (100% not industrial), are fresh and are delivered directly to the home within a few hours. This system makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact caused by transport, since the delivery is made by electric cars and cargo bikes and customers no longer have to go to supermarkets. Food waste and plastic packaging are reduced to a minimum and distribution turnover is generated locally. The main goal is to have a positive impact on the company's entire value chain while motivating consumers to use this sustainable solution.

Too Good To Go - Working together against food waste

Too Good To Go has launched a protest movement against food waste, whose first tool is an app that connects restaurants and consumers: Restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, bakeries, etc. sell their unsold food at low prices to individuals by means of "miracle bags". The same individuals can pick up the bags directly from Too Good To Go partners, if possible with their own containers. The goal is to create a community of people who care about the environment and want to contribute to the fight against waste. And so the result is a win-win-win: delicious food at a reduced price, less waste for the businesses, and resource conservation for the environment!

Swiss Ethics Award as a special competition

Unlike other competitions of the same kind, the specificity of this prize is that it is organized by the School of Engineering and Economics of the Canton of Vaud (HEIG-VD), thus ensuring the independence of the organization and awarding of the prize. The Swiss Ethics Prize is also considered an educational project. Each year, students of economics participate in the organization of the event. This task is part of the curriculum. "This idea was part of the original concept! It was about highlighting the students' skills in ethical dossiers and approach. The idea was to propose, under the supervision of a professor, courses of action that would encourage the independence and critical faculties of students to duly appreciate any action, regardless of the field it comes from," said Pierre Zumwald, past president of the jury.

More information: www.prixethique.ch

Crises are a latent risk for every company. They usually occur unexpectedly, can pose an existential threat to organizations and seriously damage their reputation. In other words, a poorly managed crisis can cost a good reputation.

Challenged in crisis situations

In the event of a crisis, managers, in particular, are called upon to the highest degree. However, only those who have specific know-how and are well prepared can lead and decide confidently in such situations. This is not always the case. There is a lack of practice-oriented executive training for successful crisis management in corporate practice. This is shown by the many years of experience of the renowned crisis manager Bettina Zimmermann, CEO of the GU Security & Partner AG (GU Security). The complexity of crisis situations requires a holistic view and approach. Clear, sometimes tough announcements and measures are needed, as well as professional crisis communication - especially with the media and thus the public. In addition, the affected people, with their emotions and needs, have to be taken on board. "A balancing act that requires a wide variety of skills. The KKM's training spectrum covers all facets, from crisis management and crisis communication to the management of a crisis team. This is precisely where we train and empower the participating top executives and make them "fit" for the crisis. Crisis prevention also plays an important role here, because the best crisis is one that doesn't happen in the first place," sums up Bettina Zimmermann.

Close gap

With the Crisis Management Competence Center (KKM) she founded, the sought-after expert wants to close this gap. Within the framework of intensive seminars, top executives receive first-hand practical expertise in crisis management and communication from a team of proven crisis managers. Their broad range of experience is complemented by a top-class advisory board with personalities from business, the military and society. The location of the KKM, which is based in the Lilienberg Entrepreneur Forum has in Ermatingen. An appropriate environment for dealing with this challenging topic. The first seminars will start in October 2019.

Prepared for all eventualities

The KKM management team is made up of proven experts with decades of experience in crisis operations. In addition to founder and crisis manager Bettina Zimmermann, these include security experts Beda Sartory and Marcel Fritsche as well as crisis communications expert Thomas Hobi. Together, they pass on their profound and, above all, field-tested knowledge and vouch for the highest quality.

In the spirit of a learning organization and quality assurance, the KKM is supported by an advisory board chaired by Beda Sartory, with personalities from business, the military and society. The advisory board acts as a sparring partner and source of inspiration in terms of content and strategy. By means of this bundled training competence, the KKM intends to create significantly improved conditions for strengthened crisis prevention as well as more successful crisis management.

Record result in the industrial gases specialist's anniversary year: Messer's consolidated sales rose by around ten percent from 1.232 billion euros in the previous year to 1.350 billion euros in 2018. At the same time, Messer achieved an E-BITDA of 366 million euros. This corresponds to an increase of around 26 percent compared to the previous year. Messer's businesses in China and Vietnam made a significant contribution to this growth, with an increase in sales of around 27 percent and around 18 percent respectively.

New global markets opened up

The highlight of 2018 was the agreement with Linde and Praxair to take over the businesses in the Americas that had to be sold due to antitrust requirements. In March 2019, Messer and its financial partner CVC Capital Partners acquired the majority of Linde's activities in the USA as well as the entire Linde companies in Brazil, Canada and Colombia and the Chilean company from Praxair. As a result, Messer will double its business volume. "We have entered new business areas and markets, invested in growth and security of supply, and focused on the needs of our customers. This path led us to the best financial year in our company's history so far in 2018," says CEO Stefan Messer.

Investing and acting sustainably

Messer Group GmbH's investments in the financial year 2018 amounted to around €240 million and mainly related to the construction of air separation plants in Vietnam and production facilities in Hungary and China. "Through forward-looking investments, we guarantee our autonomy and independence. In this way, we give our employees, business partners and financial partners long-term security in their cooperation," explains Dr. Uwe Bechtolf, Chief Financial Officer of Messer Group GmbH. In Germany, Messer is building a new production plant for air gases in Speyer and a hydrogen production plant in Castrop-Rauxel.

Messer has been publishing an annual sustainability report since 2014 and voluntarily discloses its key figures in the areas of environmental and climate protection, safety, social commitment, sustainable growth, employee and customer orientation. The report is based on the standards of the international Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Source and further information: www.messer.ch

In order to make the best possible use of the technological possibilities of digitization, we still need the working and thinking power as well as the creativity of people. The speakers at the Digital Economic Forum 2019 agreed on this. "I believe that people will continue to be needed," explained Abacus mastermind Claudio Hintermann. Everything has changed in a single generation, he said. However, unlike machines, humans do not continuously evolve and have to learn the same things over and over again, he added. According to Marianne Wildi, CEO of Hypothekenbank Lenzburg, "Many things change and yet many things remain stable. A cool mix of man and machine is a cool future," the banker is convinced.

The sensor technology expert, ETH professor Dr. Robert Riener, was also optimistic that there will still be a lot of potential for human work in the future, despite all the technical developments. He impressively demonstrated how, in movement rehabilitation, robots or exoskeletons help to make movement and thus the healing process more intensive as a supplement to conventional therapy. For Empa Director and ETH Professor Gian-Luca Bona, human creativity is required in the development of new materials. He saw great potential in machine to machine learning in the interplay of various specially trained skills. According to Bona, technology and material development as well as design are closely related and must form a closed loop.

Data leaks, insecure devices and invasive trackers

Another human aspect in the environment of digitalization was highlighted by the German hospital CEO Dr. Nicolas Krämer, whose clinic was the victim of a massive hacker attack in 2016, and Jan Schilliger, one of the co-founders of the ETH start-up SnowHaze. The human factor plays a crucial role in IT security, especially when it comes to not opening spam emails with attachments, appreciated Krämer, who saw the entire healthcare sector facing a real paradigm shift. Schilliger also pointed out how people sometimes negligently undermine data security in their everyday actions, recklessly creating the possibility of a cyberattack. "Data leaks, insecure devices and invasive trackers are everywhere," explained Schilliger, who could have manipulated thousands of connections in a hotspot experiment with visitors during DEF.

Advantage through knowledge

For Valerio Roncone, Head Future Business SIX, the digital changes are fundamental, far-reaching and possibly disruptive. This brings with it increased requirements for security and stability and demands increased attention, Roncone explained. Tino Hellmund, Head Client Service Management SIX, made it clear that in 2027 the new generation "Alpha" would enter the work process, which would hardly have any reference to analog processes anymore. He identified sophisticated chatbots as a suitable means of communicating with these people.

Kevin Sartori, co-founder of Auterion AG, a proven expert in the drone business, was a key advocate of open source software as a global standard, also for drone control, for example. And finally, the internationally awarded German memory trainer Markus Hofmann explained in his short training session how to achieve an edge through knowledge even in a digitalized world by being able to retrieve information faster than others. For the youngest Swiss member of the Council of States, Damian Müller (FDP/LU), it is clear that great efforts are needed for the authorities and politicians to keep up with developments and to recognize and understand the potential of new working worlds.

Unique world of experience

As a novelty at the Digital Economic Forum 2019, a unique world of experience conveyed tangible examples and enabled hands-on experience with new technologies. Developments and products from digitization were ready to be discovered: robots, sensory gloves, communicating with bots, experiencing the power of an exomuscle, a moving simulator with which humans could experience flying, and much more.

More information: www.digitaleconomicforum.ch

Company leaders are well aware of the threat posed by malware and cybercriminals - but they often lack the time and expertise to deal with the issue in depth and set the right course. The "Survival Guide" from security specialist ESET provides a remedy here. This guide leads companies and businesses in six pragmatic steps to secure IT. The free PDF is available on the Security Blog http://www.welivesecurity.de ready for download.

IT security: Well meant is half lost

Caught between full order books, a shortage of skilled workers and bureaucratic requirements, many SMEs have little time for their IT security. While they are the absolute experts in their field, the knowledge needed to secure their network is often lacking. "When the school-age son acts as administrator or the accounting clerk becomes the security officer with a handshake, you immediately know why hackers have targeted this group," says Thomas Uhlemann, security expert at ESET.

"Many companies want a blueprint that they can use to take IT security into their own hands or tell an external service provider exactly what they want. This is exactly what our Survival Guide offers."

6 steps to secure IT

The security experts at ESET have developed a step-by-step system that guides companies to their goal in manageable steps. Using the so-called A-F method, company leaders gain an overview in the first place and then derive the necessary measures and processes:

• ASSESS - Documentation of devices, risks and resources
• BUILD - Establishment of safety guidelines
• CHOOSE - Selection of control mechanisms
• DEPLOY - Introduction of control mechanisms
• EDUCATE - Training of employees, managers and suppliers
• FURTHER - Further documentation, inspection, tests

"Anyone who takes these steps to heart and then selects the appropriate security solutions will increase their security level many times over. Malware protection, encryption and 2-factor authentication transform even the smallest networks into an almost impregnable fortress," Uhlemann summarizes.

Bringing know-how into the company

Understanding IT security as a process is just as elementary as the use of tailored security solutions for the effective protection of corporate data and the entire IT infrastructure. Compared to large enterprises, however, small to medium-sized companies in particular do not have the human resources and thus often do not have the necessary expertise to implement the right IT security technologies and solutions to the required extent and to adapt them to the respective structures. MSP solutions are a promising and highly flexible approach here, in which the entire handling and adaptation of the security solutions used are taken over by specialized system houses.

The survival guide can be downloaded here: https://www.welivesecurity.com/deutsch/2019/05/09/eset-survival-guide-hilft-kmu-aus-der-security-falle/

"What competencies do leaders need to be successful in the age of digitalization?" To find out, the Institute for Leadership Culture in the Digital Age (IFIDZ), Frankfurt, prepared a meta-study for which 61 studies and surveys on the topic of "Leadership & Management" published between 2012 and 2018 were evaluated. The aim of the meta-study was to determine, among other things:

• According to the studies analyzed, what competencies do managers need in the digital age?
• What new competencies are expected of them? And:
• Which competencies have the highest relevance for leadership success?

For this purpose, 61 studies and surveys on the topic of leadership of various types were examined, in which a total of more than 100,000 people participated - mostly managers, but also employees and scientists in some cases. The content of these primary studies was evaluated for the meta-study primarily in a formal-descriptive manner. In other words, the analysis focused on how many studies mention certain competencies as relevant leadership competencies. These competencies were then ranked according to the frequency with which they were mentioned in the meta-study.

Analog and digital leadership skills

In total, the ranking lists 86 leadership competencies that, according to the primary studies, have relevance for leadership success. The competencies mentioned most frequently in absolute terms are:

• Communication skills (57 percent),
• Ability to change (39 percent) and
• Appreciation/employee orientation (33 percent).

However, the study and the competence ranking distinguish between three types of competence.

• "Analog" competencies: They include competencies that were already known and relevant in the "pre-digital age" (e.g., the 1980s) and that have not changed or have changed only marginally in their nature and content.
• "'Analogital' competencies: They include competencies that were already known and relevant in the "pre-digital age", but which have changed significantly in their nature and content as a result of digitization.
• "Digital" skills: They include competencies that either did not exist in the "pre-digital age" or had little significance and only became relevant in the context of digitization.

 The most frequently cited "analogous" competencies in the primary studies are:

• Ability to change (39 percent),
• appreciation (33 percent) and
• Innovation capability (30 percent).

The most commonly cited "analogital" competencies are:

• Communication skills (57 percent)
• Network capability (26 percent) and
• Decision-making ability (25 percent).

The most commonly cited "digital" skills are:

• Transparency orientation (31 percent),
• Digital/IT expertise (28 percent) and
• Heterarchy capability (26 percent).

The perfect manager: A "Master of the Universe"?

According to the IFIDZ, one of the conclusions that can be drawn from the evaluation of the primary studies on which the meta-study is based is as follows: The requirements profile for executives in the digital age appears to be so multi-layered and complex - in view of the 86 competencies named in the primary studies - that the perfect executive appears to be a "master of the universe".

However, this should not be ignored: In the primary studies, the term "competence" is not defined unambiguously. In addition, the competencies (or skills, abilities and personality traits) mentioned are often interrelated and the terminology varies and changes. For example, in the studies published up to 2015, the terms "speed" and "flexibility" are mentioned quite frequently as competencies, whereas in the studies published later, the term "agility" tends to dominate. In addition, the studies sometimes speak of "motivational ability," sometimes of "inspirational ability," and sometimes of associated characteristics such as "being a role model" or "being a visionary" or "being optimistic." Therefore, the conclusion is permissible: Leadership in the digital age is demanding, but not a task that only people with superpowers can master.

People lead people

Another interesting finding, according to IFIDZ, is that the requirements for leadership in the digital age appear to be more "analog" than the digitization of the economy or the business of companies would suggest. Indeed, if one categorizes the 86 competencies in terms of their relationship to digitization, the following picture emerges: Of the 86 competencies, the following can be

• 72 percent as analog,
• 15 percent as analog and
• 13 percent as digital

be classified.

This means that the leadership process is largely analog, even in the digital age, because: People lead people. While digitization has a major impact on work and communication processes, it does not replace the human relationship. Under no circumstances, however, warns IFIDZ, should the importance of "digital and analog skills" be underestimated in light of this fact, because: Of the top 15 competencies, eight, or more than half, have a corresponding character.

For more information about the "Metastudy 2019: Leadership Competencies in the Digital Age", interested parties can visit the IFIDZ website (www.ifidz.de). There, in the "Studies" section, they can also request a management summary of the metastudy free of charge, if desired.

Karin Funk, Managing Director of Allpura, the association of Swiss cleaning companies, declares fair working conditions and compliance with the collective labor agreement, including minimum wages, to be a matter for the boss: "Allpura and our members have no interest whatsoever in violations of the collective labor agreement. Individual black sheep repeatedly bring all other cleaning companies into disrepute. Yet the vast majority of cleaning companies abide by the rules! They are committed to fair working conditions and wages, support employees through training and continuing education, and often pay wages that are higher than the agreed CLA wage."

Change in the cleaning industry

In fact - largely unnoticed by the public - a massive change has been taking place in the Swiss cleaning industry for years. For example, minimum wages have increased by around 25%. Currently, they stand at CHF 3,422 for maintenance cleaners without an apprenticeship, plus a 13th month's pay and sick pay insurance. For commercial cleaners EFZ, i.e. after completing a 3-year apprenticeship, the minimum wage is CHF 4,500 plus 13th month's pay. In addition, compliance with the wages is monitored. The Joint Commission of the Cleaning Industry carries out regular wage inspections. Violations by companies are punished with fines. In addition, employees of cleaning companies, customers and outsiders can report suspected violations to the PK Reinigung at any time.

Fair hourly rates for good work

"The association Allpura and its members strictly reject unfair working conditions such as work on call! But to every order there are two. In the course of the cheap-is-cool mentality, some clients still find a billable hourly rate of CHF 30 reasonable, while for the gardener or electrician, CHF 90 is charged as a matter of course. However, with billable hourly rates of CHF 30, no cleaning company can keep a reasonable budget. Anyone who wants to help cleaners should take a look at the rates paid by their employer or their own household," explains Karin Funk.

Additional income in cleaning secures the existence

Precarious working conditions prevail in some industries. This is the only way Allpura can explain the fact that many people in the cleaning industry are looking for additional income - in addition to their job in another industry. In this respect, the cleaning industry also fulfills an important social and economic task - many people can supplement their poor salaries in another industry thanks to their part-time job in cleaning and thus secure their existence. Karin Funk also emphasizes the integrating role played by the cleaning industry, with its 95% share of migrants: "For many migrants who have not yet mastered the national language, a job in cleaning is the first step towards entering Swiss professional life. This step helps them to integrate better in our country, establish social contacts and gain work experience."

Cleaning - like other crafts - deserves appreciation

The Allpura managing director emphasizes that appreciation should also be a matter of course in the cleaning industry: "Efficient, value-preserving and environmentally friendly cleaning is a craft that needs to be learned. Professional cleaning has nothing to do with cleaning as we all know it privately in our households. Without cleaning staff, hospitals would have to close within a few hours. The modern facades of our cities would become unsightly in no time. Public buildings would no longer represent us, and we would all feel uncomfortable in our workplaces. Already today, many can relate to the fact that their employer saves costs by reducing the cleaning of toilets and offices. We at Allpura also hear time and time again about tenders for contracts that only have the goal of ever cheaper services. But the same always still more cheaply does not go simply," explains Karin radio decidedly.

For Allpura, appreciation is also related to the general conditions of orders. While, as in other industries, there is less and less time available for work in cleaning, price pressure is increasing and margins are shrinking, the challenge for cleaning companies is growing. Demanding higher wages is one side of the coin, but getting customers to pay them is the other.

Source: Allpura

On reaching the age of 70, Dr. oec. Leonhard Fopp has retired from his active role in Continuum AG and handed over the chairmanship of the Board of Directors to Rolf Brunner. He is thus setting a good example to let the next generation "do it" entrepreneurially after a professional handover. Fopp was the founder of Continuum AG in 2003 and subsequently its CEO. As a consultant, he primarily advised family businesses on the topics of succession planning and corporate development. He thus made a significant contribution to the development of the consulting company. In 2013, the company was sold to ZETRA International AG in Zurich and to Rolf Brunner, who has since successfully managed Continuum AG and developed it at its locations in St. Gallen, Zurich and Lenzburg.

The positioning focal points developed by Fopp, such as the "Strategy Quartet2 with its service areas and the modules on "Family Governance", will remain in place and be further intensified. "With Fopp, Continuum AG is saying goodbye to a visionary thinker who has passionately set the course for the company's continued successful future," according to a media release published on the subject.

More information