Contents page 1 — search money, offer growth page 2 — “Smart capital” on page 3 — getting The chemistry right On a page

What is felt for the entrepreneur Christian Nuber as a great Sedative that made his Bank’s nervous to read. Orders to the value of 1.3 million euros, had collected his company BrauKon in the year 2010 at a trade show. For the medium-sized manufacturer of brewery plants with an annual turnover of more then six million euros, it was a good sign: It goes on – despite the financial crisis and the declining thirst for beer business had previously missed to a severe shock.

But BrauKon needed money to take care of all the orders. The house Bank was skeptical: “So you are turning a big fucking wheel,” said the Banker, told Nuber, “but you have to little equity.” This cancellation was the impetus for Nuber, a partnership that should enable the growth. The Bavarian medium-sized company, brought an Investor on Board. The pumped fresh money into the company and helped to ensure that the turnover increased five-fold to today.

Christian Nuber his Banker is now grateful that he has not then approved the loan. Instead, the advised him to contact the Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft. The BayBG is one of the largest German private equity companies for SMEs. For over 40 years, mainly funded innovations and the growth of smaller firms. With a total of 320 million Euro, which is now involved in 500 companies. She often plays the role of silent partner, but also maintains a number of open investments, in which it accepts shares in the company. In the case of the BayBG is also proud to provide the company only with money but also with a lot of Know-how. With a network, namely, experiences of 500 companies and an in-house Research Department for market analysis and competitor monitoring.

Nuber sees the entry of this Investor as a “knight’s blow”, “The lights, Yes, the company carefully before you invest there.” BrauKon brought in better Ratings and a better Standing with the banks. And Nuber have the feeling of a “sparring partner”, to the company’s difficult financing times questions.

Such investors could use much, more and more SMEs – especially in light of the current economic situation, despite the initial economic shock is still a lot of capital needs. There are also countless investment companies – private, semi-public, or those from banks or Family Offices, which were as a Partner of Europe, white Wolfgang Richter, Co-Managing Partner at the law firm Baker Tilly, specialising in advising on such Deals: “The capitalists are sitting on a lot of money, and you want to bring it by, wringing our hands in the market.” Nevertheless, investors and SMEs together were rarely identified Baker Tilly in surveys. Even if the number of Acquisitions, partnerships and mergers in SMEs is increasing: Only every sixth transaction medium-sized investors brought into the house.

This article dates back to the TIME no 13/2019. Here you can read the entire issue.

“The middle class is looking already a lot more opportunities,” says Richter, “but in the case of growth Finance, many think of the classic Bank financing, i.e. borrowing.” In addition, banks have been pushing the medium-sized companies, bonds or securities for industrial investors. “But a number of medium-sized companies don’t want to.”

Private Equity funds (PE) do not enjoy the best reputation, observed the expert Michael Königer of the consulting company, KPMG: “Medium-sized companies often have reservations against Private-Equity investors, because there are a number of negative examples.” Examples where once-healthy companies taken over by financial investors, highly indebted, and then literally squeezed out, there are plenty of. The case of the sanitary ware producer Grohe: The a brought the PE investors, once the nickname “grasshoppers”. Prior to that, many entrepreneurs are afraid of, which is why some of the growth burst dream before it starts. Unnecessarily, many SME consultants, as well as Private-Equity investors had changed.