MittelstandsWiki

Any company wants to seize the opportunities presenting themselves on their respective markets. However, there are no opportunities without risks! Risks cannot be avoided and are in general not something negative. Opportunities and risks just have to be well-balanced against each other, and risks threatening the very existence of a company have to be identified early and eliminated. For this reason there is the need for a systematic process in order to identify and evaluated risks as soon as possible. Also in order to limit the liability of managing directors and to obtain loan capital a well-established risk management process is an important precondition. +++

In small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) there is an ever increasing usage of notebooks equipped with a WLAN adapter which turns on automatically during Windows installation. The possessors of such notebooks are under the threat of air attacks! As was reported by the Pressetext news agency, the discovery of defective WLAN drivers is causing quite a lot of anxiety. David Maynor, a research engineer with Internet Security Systems (ISS) and Jon Ellch, a student at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, not only have found out that quite a lot of WLAN device drivers present several technical security weaknesses, but they also discovered that these weaknesses can be easily exploited by attackers. Important to know: WLAN notebooks may be attacked even if not connected to any network. In fifty percent of cases, notebooks with the WLAN mode not switched off automatically scanned the skies for a suitable network connection. +++

As is reported by Pressetext Deutschland the analysts of the Gartner Group market research and consulting company on the occasion of the Midsize Enterprise Summit in Paris recommended a gradual changeover to the new Windows Vista. A changeover in the course of a hardware change is said to be the most efficient approach. +++

IT solutions and services with a total value of almost 2.3 million Euros were made available this year by sponsors of the »Förderinitiative Mittelstandsprogramm« initiative which represents a sum unprecedented in the initiative´s history (we already reported on this). Each of the 210 main prizes is worth on average 8.500 Euros. +++

The Impulse economic magazine in yesterday´s edition published a ranking of the 100 best franchise systems in Germany. McDonalds is on top of this ranking having scored 90 out of a maximum of 120 points. Second place went to pet food trader Fressnapf getting 88.5 points followed by the second Hamburger fast food chain Burger King with 85.5 points. These three franchise systems provide true success guarantees to young entrepreneurs as was shown by a comprehensive analysis carried out by the Impulse magazine in co-operation with franchise experts Felix Packert, Reinhard Wingral and Prof. Heinz Klandt from the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel. +++

Something which is quite common on a European scale is also gaining ground in the German labour market: temporary works is meeting with increasing acceptance. Although its share of 1.4 percent in the German labour market is still relatively small as compared to other West European countries, it has grown by 10 percent to 9.1 billion Euros in 2005. According to the most recent forecasts by the InterConnection Consulting Group the barrier of ten billion Euros is expected to be taken this year as was announced by the Pressetext news agency. +++

Each year about 80.000 company owners are looking for a successor with the result being more or less satisfying. In many cases even sound companies are liquidated because the search for a successor was not started in time or due to faults in the selection process. +++

An insolvency is one of the worst things which can happen to entrepreneurs. However, insolvencies are »an inseparable part of market happenings«, claims Dr. Jürgen Kaack who is an economic adviser. He is also a graduate physicist, managing director of the STZ-Consulting Group and author of our recent M’Blogdocument »case study of an insolvency«. +++

Until the 30th of June there is still time for small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) to submit applications in order to take part in the »Europe’s 500« competition. At the end of this competition there will be awards for those 500 SMEs which are growing the most and generating most jobs. +++

In spite of the ratification of an accompanying budget law last Friday, which confirmed the VAT increase in Germany, the Federal Association of German economic advisers to SMEs e. V. (BVDMB) calls for support of its plan to get under way a petition against the increase. The association which considers itself as the mouthpiece of small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) and their advisers fears drastic consequences for the German economy, in particular for SMEs. The association calls upon all opponents to a VAT increase to register on the Internet site of the »Du bist deutscher Mittelstand« initiative in order to bring under way the petition. +++