Especially now, when Christmas aperitifs are springing up like mushrooms, a little help with small talk is a great idea. welcome gift. With these 10 small talk tips, you're guaranteed not to spend the aperitif alone in a corner and have fun chatting and networking with strangers.

Tip 1: Daily news

Read the news on the day of the meeting and decide which topics are suitable for small talk. Politics and disasters are known to be no-goes. But you can switch from a negative headline to a lighter topic. Headline 1: Volcanic eruption in Iceland. This event can be linked to the question of whether the person has already been to Iceland and what they particularly liked there? And that brings us to travel, which is a good topic anyway. Headline 2: Son finds his mother after 35 years. For years, he shopped in the bakery that his mother ran. But he didn't know it was his mother. He found out through a genealogist he hired. This is a nice feel-good topic that is ideally suited as a theme.

Tip 2: In-depth questions

People tend to respond with "interesting" or "exciting", but this is often taken as the exact opposite. If you say "exciting", always ask a follow-up question. "How exactly did it happen?" - "How did it make you feel?" And please don't immediately turn the conversation to yourself to say that something similar has already happened to you.

Tip 3: Remember

If you have met the person before, remember the last conversation. Ideally, you will even have taken notes after the meeting. There is no greater appreciation than remembering what a person has said. Few people, e.g. sales people, do this professionally because they know they can score points this way. Why not also remember things privately and then ask about the follow-up to what was said the next time you meet? Get in touch at the right time if you know that your colleague is due to have an eye operation on 19.12.2024 and pass on your good wishes.

Tip 4: Entertain with stories

What were my highlights of the week? What positive, funny or interesting conversations could you entertain your counterpart with? Of course with the counter question "What nice things did you experience at the weekend"? If this story leads to conversation, information or laughter, small talk may soon become smart talk.

Tip 5: Similarities

"People like each other tend to like each other" means that similar people or people with things in common automatically like each other better. You should therefore not move too much on the surface, but go deeper and find out what you have in common. It is a good idea to choose a mixture of interest in the other person and your own stories. Always asking questions seems strained.

Tip 6: Ask for an opinion

Market analyses have shown that young people in particular really appreciate it when we ask them for their opinion. "The following happened to me and I wasn't sure how to react, what would you have done in this situation?" - "Do you think it's right that ...?". Here we are no longer quite in small talk, but rather in deep talk. We are afraid of asking questions that are too direct, but it is precisely these that create tension.

Tip 7: Give, give, give

You should feel better after the small talk than before it. This applies to everyone involved. Give first and then take - is a good principle. During small talk, you give attention, a good feeling, appreciation, entertainment or information. If you are only interested in your own benefit, you will quickly be seen through. People want to give something back if they can do so voluntarily.

Tip 8: Hand out compliments

"I'm always happy when I see you! You radiate so much positivity." - "I can always rely on you, you always arrive on time. That helps me a lot." Such praise makes everyone happy. However, it should come from the heart. If you can't think of any praise, at least show your pleasure at the encounter.

Tip 9: Positive body language

If your inner attitude is "I'm looking forward to the conversation", your body language will automatically change. Look forward to the occasion, to the new acquaintances and then you will also succeed in making small talk.

Tip 10: Show emotions

Introverted people in particular rarely show their feelings. However, even subtle reactions to what the other person is saying motivate them to continue. Adding some gestures and a smile to your own story makes it easier for the listener to follow the narrator.

The last of these small talk tips is probably the most difficult for introverts to implement. Start modestly with the GEGG formula (see box), follow it and you will find that family celebrations, networking events or waiting times in front of the elevator become more interesting, enjoyable and pleasant. Think about what good friendships or long-standing business relationships once began with small talk. Anyone who avoids small talk in silence is missing out on something, even if it's just a tip on where to get the best mulled wine in town.

 

The GEGG formula

• Giving - Attention
• Emotions - show joy
• Stories - Entertaining
• Commonalities - Interests

 

Author:
Susanne Abplanalp is Managing Director of Knigge Today. She organizes seminars on business etiquette, social skills and knowledge of human nature.

www.kniggetoday.ch

On November 26, the SVC (Swiss Venture Club) awarded the Prix SVC Wirtschaftsraum Zürich to exemplary small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for the ninth time. The award ceremony at the Kongresshaus Zurich was hosted by Nik Hartmann and The Blackouts, Switzerland's leading LED show act, provided inspiring entertainment. The event offered over 1,100 guests from business, science, politics and the media inspiring insights into the region's diverse entrepreneurship. Hannes Weibel, OC President of the Prix SVC Zurich Economic Area, emphasized: "Our SMEs are the backbone of the economy and the Zurich region. This evening, we were able to experience and appreciate the impressive innovative spirit of the five outstanding award winners at first hand." Sabine Keller-Busse, Head of UBS Switzerland, also emphasized the importance of SMEs for Switzerland as a business location. "We promise to be there for SMEs," she said in her opening speech. 

Hawa Sliding Solutions: On top of the podium with innovative sliding solutions

Five companies were in the final for the ninth Prix SVC Zurich Economic Area award: Hauenstein AG, Hawa Sliding Solutions AG, Luzi AG, RepRisk AG and Schneider Umwelttechnik AG. In the end, it was Ezequiel di Claudio, CEO of Hawa Sliding Solutions, who lifted the winner's trophy. The company develops and manufactures outstanding sliding solutions combined with a first-class customer experience. With dedication and creativity, it creates the conditions for rethinking spaces and adapting them to the needs of a changing society. The innovative sliding hardware for doors, partition walls and furniture is produced at the Mettmenstetten and Sirnach sites. The company is supported by sales companies in the USA, Dubai and Singapore as well as over 200 sales and specialist partners. More than 250 patents testify to the innovative strength of the Swiss company. Jury president Christopher Blaufelder, Partner at McKinsey & Company Switzerland, praised Hawa Sliding Solutions AG in his laudatory speech: "For almost 60 years, this family-run company has been setting standards in global competition through quality and innovative strength. It shows that sliding doors are far more than just practical building elements. They make entire room sections invisible, transform them into design elements and combine functionality with aesthetics at the highest level."

Schneider Umweltservice AG and RepRisk AG in 2nd and 3rd place

Second place goes to Schneider Umweltservice AG, which has grown into a successful recycling and waste disposal company over four generations. In a supposedly traditional, regional industry, Schneider has embarked on a genuine course for the future: its innovations range from the electrification of its vehicle fleet to ultra-modern recycling processes. Founded in 1905, the company is the leading disposal service provider for all recyclable materials and waste in the economic region of Zurich, Zug and Lucerne.

RepRisk AG, the global market leader in the identification and assessment of business and ESG risks, took bronze. RepRisk uncovers risks that companies do not disclose, such as deforestation, human rights violations and corruption. "We want to make the world a better place," says CEO and co-founder Philipp Aeby. AI is also used in the creation of ESG data. Eighty of the world's leading banks, 17 of the 25 largest investment managers, leading global companies and the world's largest sovereign wealth funds rely on RepRisk's data, which is updated daily.

Diploma ranks for LUZI AG and Hauenstein AG

The third-generation family business LUZI AG, which specializes in the development and production of fragrance creations, was awarded a diploma. As a globally active fragrance house, LUZI AG supplies discerning customers in the perfume, cosmetics and household goods industries.

Hauenstein AG, founded in 1890, was also awarded a diploma. The company, which operates in the "green sector", employs around 180 people in its impressive tree nursery in Rafz and its four garden centers in Rafz, Zurich, Baar and Winterthur. With innovative in-house production of hardy plants and a wide range of products, it serves garden lovers and professionals alike.

The Prix SVC Zurich Economic Area puts successful companies in the public eye

The sponsor and initiator of the Prix SVC is the SVC (Swiss Venture Club), an independent, non-profit association of entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. The award ceremonies as a high-profile activity of the SVC have developed into well-known events throughout Switzerland, which are now held every two years in eight economic regions. The SVC is supported by the strategic Premium Gold Partner UBS, the Gold Partners Emil Frey, Forvis Mazars, IWB, Mobiliar and Swisscom as well as numerous other sponsors. The prize for the Zurich economic region has been awarded since 2006.

Source: www.svc.swiss

Short portraits of the finalists:

• Hawa Sliding Solutions AG
• Schneider Umweltservice AG
• RepRisk AG
• Hauenstein AG
• Luzi AG

It may sound provocative, but it's true: Crises are practically always caused by our own failings or a lack of clarity and consistency. The good thing is that if crises are home-made, you can actively do something about them. There are three decisive levers that every senior leader should know - and implement consistently.

1. systematic market cultivation (or cultivation of the recipients of your service if you do not address an external market)

Many companies stagnate because they reduce their market activities in difficult times. Successful companies do exactly the opposite: they actively work the market, find new customers and strengthen existing relationships. This is less about the product itself and more about what you promise your customers.

Ask yourself: Why should someone buy from you or ask for your services? Regularly review your sales processes and ensure that your team acts actively and strategically - instead of passively waiting for better times.

And even better: work continuously to create fans who will stick with you even in difficult times.

2. clear vision

If there is no vision, the team loses direction. It is indispensable, especially in turbulent times. Without a clear direction, every challenge becomes a problem. A vision gives your company focus, motivates the team and prevents aimless action.

Tip: Communicate your vision regularly. Where do you want to be in three years? Why does your company exist? If your team knows this, they will act more proactively.

3. consistent leadership

Crises are often caused by hesitant or indecisive action. As a leader, you set the pace. This means making decisions clearly and promptly - even when there is uncertainty. Even more important: encourage personal responsibility in your team. You cannot solve everything on your own.

Ask yourself: Am I giving my team the clarity they need to act independently? A lack of responsibility leads to stagnation - and you can't afford that.

Conclusion: Act instead of complain

Crises are indications that something is going wrong - usually in areas that you can influence directly. Use these three levers:

1. Work the market systematically.
2. Communicate a clear vision.
3. Lead consistently and encourage personal responsibility.

Crises are home-made - but that is exactly what gives you the control to prevent them. Make the right adjustments and you will see how quickly things change. Now it's up to you.

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

Those who rely on word of quality getting around so that customers come and buy on their own often have to wait a long time. Too long! Customers assume quality and experience shows that they prefer to talk about negative experiences rather than positive ones. This makes it all the more important for founders to be strong sellers right from the start.

An elementary building block for every business start-up: paying customers

Without turnover, every company is nothing. But especially in the initial euphoria, you think far too much about other things - and lose focus. Almost every founder lives in a tunnel: "Hey, I've got a great idea. Now I'm going to take care of premises, suppliers, etc." One day, everything is ready and the first orders start rolling in. But somehow the business doesn't really take off.

Instead of finally taking care of acquisition and the like, some founders are still in the "wrong movie". They go to networking events to exchange ideas with other founders instead of finally going to where potential customers are. Why is that? Well, it is of course more pleasant to philosophize about experiences and successes than to enter into direct dialogue with potential customers. Because rejection and failure are much more painful for the latter.

Founders who cannot cope with rejection will fail

Many founders have been waiting for years for friends and acquaintances who have promised to place orders or at least give you a good review. Just because someone says "I like your idea" doesn't mean they will buy from you or recommend you. As a founder, you often have to deal with rejection and disappointment.

The interesting question is: Do you take it personally, become emotional and accusatory in the sense of "Why not?", or do you take a sporting view and ask yourself: "Okay, if it can't be done this way, how could it be done differently?" But it is precisely when you are up to your neck in water, for example because you lack liquidity, that (negative) feelings quickly arise. And what happens after the twentieth no? Do you continue acquiring the next day or do you say to yourself "No, I'm not good at acquiring. Then I'll (continue to) hope that the customers will come of their own accord."

Helpful thoughts for founders on dealing with rejection during acquisition

• The customer never rejects you personally as a person, but only your offer to talk.
• A no is part of the statistics - and is part of it. After all, where would customers end up if they always said yes?
• Before making contact, think about why your target customer should agree to your offer.
• Don't end the conversation prematurely. Stay on the ball in an appreciative manner as long as you have the feeling that your customer is skeptical, but you still have opportunities.
• Just because a target customer rejects you once, doesn't mean it's forever. Develop a plan for how you can seek and maintain regular contact.

5 tips for more sales strength with customers, employees and suppliers

• If you don't have clear goals, you are always working for someone else's goals. So ask yourself beforehand what your negotiation goal is.
• Planning is the mental anticipation of the future: some behaviors and (critical) situations that can occur in a negotiation are foreseeable. How do you want to deal with these and what do you want to do specifically?
• Don't say yes if you want to say no. If you find it difficult to say no, then say "I would like to say yes, but I can't yet. I want to think about it and will come back to you tomorrow with an answer".
• Never put too much pressure on yourself: If the negotiation stalls or you are not satisfied with the result so far, then simply make a new appointment. But never agree prematurely!
• Regularly deal with topics such as leadership, sales and marketing. Because if you are well versed in these areas, you will find it much easier to sell yourself and your offer.

 

Author:

The sales trainer Oliver Schumacher is a speech scientist (M.A.) and sets new accents in sales training in a likeable, well-founded manner. The multiple book author is known to many through his numerous videos on YouTube. Before starting his own business in 2009, he worked very successfully for over 10 years in the sales force for a listed manufacturer of branded goods. https://www.oliver-schumacher.de

If you would like to ask Oliver Schumacher your questions about founding a company live online, you will have the chance to do so on 22.11.2024 in an exclusive and free live lecture as part of the start-up week: Founders' Week - How to sell yourself successfully as a founder (oliver-schumacher.de)

On the Friday after OLMA, managers from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) met for "their" day, the Swiss SME Day, for the 21st time. In the once again well-filled Hall 9, Tobi Wolf opened the event with his thoughts and humorous associations on the conference theme, which he recorded using multimedia. People often feel powerless in everyday life, Wolf reported, e.g. as a new father faced with a crying baby who can't be calmed down by anything. However, there are various factors for power: reach in social media, a lot of money or, more recently, data. Tobi Wolf also presented several findings from the annual SME Day study, according to which 6% of the entrepreneurs surveyed feel powerless in a professional context very often and 40% feel powerless at least sometimes. The three most important issues, situations and factors that lead to powerlessness are a shortage of skilled workers, technological changes and changes in the needs of employees. In addition, 44 percent of the SMEs surveyed believe that the balance of power has shifted to their disadvantage. In summary, Tobi Wolf noted that feeling powerless does not have to be synonymous with "being powerless".  

From natural (football) power to artificial intelligence

Then a personality made his appearance who has already been ranked in those Forbes lists of the most powerful people in the world: Josef "Sepp" Blatter, former FIFA President. Visibly aged, he nevertheless recounted with a touch of mischief his career, how he developed Fifa from an SME into a global organization worth billions. When Blatter joined the organization in 1974, Fifa had just 11 employees. He joined as the twelfth man. And this is where the power man Sepp Blatter briefly shone through: He emphasized that he did not want to see himself as a "substitute player" who only intervenes in the game towards the end. According to Blatter, success starts with believing in yourself and your own abilities. He describes how he dealt with the loss of his position in 2015 with the words: "I never resigned, I made my mandate available." And he borrows a quote from Nelson Mandela, who said: "Forgive, but do not forget."

Miriam Meckel and Léa Steinacker, researchers and successful authors, then addressed the question of "how artificial intelligence is changing the world and what we can gain from it". They argued that artificial intelligence should be seen as a basic technology like electricity and less as a threat to people or jobs. We need to learn and practice when to rely on humans and when to rely on AI, and they emphasized: "We decide how we use the technology and we invented it." The two speakers concluded by saying that it remains important to continue to be creative. After all, without enough new real data, generative models would fall into an "autophagic loop" and their quality and diversity would continue to deteriorate.

Global political coffee grounds reading and learning from a profiler

Presenter Fabian Unteregger, who hosted the entire day, talked to Prof. Dr. Claudia Brühwiler, a specialist in US politics, and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schmid, an expert on Russia, about the current political situation in the world. The focus was on the presidential elections in the USA on November 5, 2024 and the situation in Ukraine. In which direction will the balance of power shift? Neither the specialist nor the expert had a conclusive answer. No forecasts are possible for the US elections. However, Claudia Brühwiler said that the initial euphoria surrounding candidate Kamala Harris had fizzled out. Ulrich Schmid, on the other hand, noted that we will probably be confronted with a war of attrition in Ukraine for a long time to come - although the Kremlin is likely to have the longer breath here. What the outcome of the US elections and the armed conflicts in Eastern Europe ultimately mean for entrepreneurs in Switzerland could perhaps have been answered in more detail.

As an experienced profiler and criminal psychologist, Thomas Müller gave advice on how to assess other people and their behavior and in which situations it is best to get to know other people. He highlighted the greatest contradictions of our time and focused in particular on the topic of "resilience". In his experience, this is based on four pillars: the willingness to develop oneself further, the willingness to dare to change one's perspective, the knowledge of how one's own self-esteem is distributed and the open, honest and fair way of communicating. According to Müller, everyone's biggest enemy is their own ego.

Kitro wins startup pitch

For the fifth time, three start-ups presented 10-minute pitches to the audience in the "Inspiration Session" after the lunch break. This year, it was Nicholas Hänny and Robin Gnehm from Nikin, who have been planting a tree for every (textile) product sold for 8 years and now want to create 100 % circular products, Christian Naef from RY3T ONE, who uses waste heat from computing power to heat houses, and Anastasia Hofmann from Kitro, who is trying to solve the problem of food waste in the hospitality industry with artificial intelligence and data. The SME Day guests were most impressed by Kitro's business idea, as the live voting in the hall revealed.

Humorous nuances and exciting "SME talk"

Timo Wopp from Berlin offered a mixture of keynote speech and cabaret, combining juggling with a firework display of humorous content and receiving much applause in return. Among other things, he exposed many coaching wisdoms as empty phrases and created some himself, because: "A little trumpeter doesn't shy away from the fog around the unicorn."

For the second time, there was also the "SME Talk": Fabian Unteregger interviewed Martin Kelterborn and Lea von Bidder (former CEO of Ava) about their very specific experiences with power, powerlessness and entrepreneurship: both spoke authentically about how they gave up power in their (former) companies and in which situations they felt helpless, e.g. in the case of a cybercrime incident, as experienced by Martin Kelterborn. Lea von Bidder, on the other hand, whose highly praised (and thoroughly successful) company Ava ended up with an insolvent investment company, described her greatest strength as the knowledge that you can always do something new. Accordingly, she is now on the road with her new company Expeerly.

More information: www.kmu-tag.ch

 

"No other conference brings Swiss SMEs closer together"


The next Swiss SME Day will take place on Friday, October 24, 2025. The conference has been organized since 2003 by the Swiss Institute for SMEs and Entrepreneurship at the University of St.Gallen (KMU-HSG) and the communications agency alea iacta ag. The Swiss SME Day is under the patronage of the Swiss Trade Association (SGV), economiesuisse, the St.Gallen-Appenzell Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the St.Gallen Cantonal Trade Association. The event is supported by long-standing main sponsors for whom SME issues are very important: Helvetia, Raiffeisen, OBT, ABACUS and Swisscom.

Do you feel that your attempts to keep everything under control often have the opposite effect? You are not alone. In fact, striving for control often leads to loss of control - a lesson that applies not only to pilots, but also to managers.

The example of supersonic airplanes

After the Second World War, American pilots found it difficult to maintain control of their supersonic aircraft at high altitude. Interestingly, it was often the pilots who frantically tried to regain control who failed. Those who accepted the chaos and waited for the aircraft to drop to lower altitudes were able to regain control. What can we learn from this?

Control in leadership: less is more

The lesson can be applied directly to leadership. In stressful situations - when there is uncertainty, time pressure or a lack of trust - many managers tend to exert even more control. However, this often leads to the exact opposite: instead of creating stability, trust decreases, uncertainty increases and the pressure becomes unbearable. 

Less control - better team performance

Here are three examples of situations in which less control brings more success:

• Situation no. 1: Trust instead of control. When trust in a team member dwindles, the natural reaction is to introduce more rules and control mechanisms. But this only increases mistrust. The solution? Less control and more freedom. Trust will give you back more control in the long term.
• Situation no. 2: Uncertainty as an opportunity. In unpredictable markets, many try to introduce detailed processes to tame the chaos. But more control does not lead to stability. Accept the chaos and train your team to react flexibly to new opportunities. Uncertainty offers room for creative ideas.
• Situation no. 3: Time pressure? Let go of control. When under time pressure, managers tend to monitor more closely. But more control increases the pressure. Instead, you should set clear goals for your team and let them go. Give them autonomy instead of monitoring every step. This promotes efficiency and creativity.

Conclusion: Letting go of control to regain control

Less control can often lead to more success. Instead of wanting to have everything under control, you should focus on vision, clear goals and trust. This will allow your team to develop its full potential. So the call to action is: Less control, more success.

When was the last time you consciously relinquished control? Think about where you could give yourself more freedom in order to promote long-term stability and success.

 

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

 

If you would like to travel with SBB as a wheelchair user and require assistance, you can register this in advance. This is now done online via the Customer Center. The "engine" behind the complex registration and reservation process is the platform from ServiceNow. Or the handling of IT ordering processes in a large industrial group: thanks to ServiceNow's solutions, the entire process can be handled digitally.

Xanadu: On the road with AI agents

The company is now taking the next big step, as Dino Minichiello, ServiceNow's Country Manager Switzerland since January 2024, explained at a recent media event. Although digitalization is progressing steadily, it is not yet universal everywhere, especially in industry, according to Minichiello. That is why there is still some growth potential for ServiceNow. Generative AI is also opening up new opportunities. AI is now being used in many companies, but is often isolated to individual fields of application. This is where ServiceNow wants to start with the Xanadu release, namely through the integration of so-called AI agents. These enable round-the-clock productivity on a large scale for numerous use cases, including IT, customer service, procurement, human resources, software development and more. The ServiceNow AI Agents use advanced analytics that are integrated into the Now Platform. They evolve from simple, command-based tasks to deeper, context-based processing, while keeping humans involved to ensure optimal control and transparency, according to the statement. The first AI agent applications for customer service management (CSM) and IT service management (ITSM) will be available from November. These should significantly reduce the processing time of problems and at the same time increase the productivity of service employees. 

New and expanded applications for the retail sector

With the Xanadu version, ServiceNow is massively expanding its GenAI offering, for example into security and threat management, where rapid responses can be crucial for securing IT environments. Now Assist for Security Operations (SecOps) uses AI-supported incident summaries and interactive Q&As to accelerate and streamline workflows and thus combat security threats more quickly. Now Assist for Sourcing and Procurement Operations is another tool that ensures a smooth and simplified order acceptance process. Particularly worth mentioning: Employees can use Now Assist to initiate a purchasing request or access information via a natural language dialog without having to navigate complex systems.

New target groups within organizations can now also be addressed by the enhancements. For example, Retail Operations and Retail Service Management are new solutions available in the Xanadu version that unite the entire ecosystem of a retailer. Retail Operations uses AI and employee self-service to automate and simplify everyday processes for store employees. Seamless integration between different departments enables field service technicians to process support requests faster, and data analytics help managers make intelligent, data-driven decisions. Retail Service Management provides retailers with ServiceNow's customer service management capabilities, allowing customers to submit requests in-store and online for a holistic customer experience, while head office teams resolve support requests from both customers and store colleagues through a single system. 

Partnership with Microsoft

With these solutions, ServiceNow is not only focusing on large companies, but also increasingly on SMEs. The new partnership with Microsoft can play an important role here, especially as their products are already in use in most companies. Microsoft Co-Pilot, for example, is now integrated into the Now Assist Platform. This allows Co-Pilot to forward automated self-service requests from employees - e.g. ordering a new laptop - to Now Assist in Microsoft Teams. Now Assist responds to the requests from Teams in real time and automatically initiates the necessary workflows.

In principle, ServiceNow's solutions are also aimed at all users who are under high regulatory pressure, such as energy service providers, public transport companies and financial service providers. With the aforementioned Now Assist for Sourcing and Procurement, supply chain risks can also be better taken into account, leading to greater compliance with regulations. Overall, ServiceNow sees its new solutions as tools for companies to save costs thanks to digitized processes. Nadia Bischof, responsible for the SME business at ServiceNow Switzerland, put it this way at the media orientation: "Today it's all about saving money with ITno longer about saving in IT".

The innovations mentioned here as part of the Now Platform Xanadu are now available for all customers in the ServiceNow Store. 

It has almost become something of a tradition: The Business Talk, held on the premises of Felfel AG in Zurich by rb Rüttimann consultingOffice for Communication and Management Consulting. Its owner and managing director Barbara Rüttimann created this event to bring together owners and/or managers of SMEs and large companies once a year after work in an informal setting. To differentiate herself from many other similar after-work events, Barbara Rüttimann has come up with something special: "speed speeches" with a maximum speaking time of 10 minutes, presented by the speakers in a "slam poetry" style - not necessarily literary, but with a similar "drive".

Inspiring speed speeches

The format seems to have gone down well, as almost 50 guests once again gathered at Felfel AG's headquarters in Zurich's Binz district. Known for "Good Food at Work", the presenting partner took care of the physical well-being, while Barbara Rüttimann, moderator of the talk, set the pace with her catchphrase-like slam poetry in the introduction. Then the six speakers, who this year were competing for the winner's prize - donated by Emil Frey AG - made their appearance. The motto of this year's event was "Next Generation". Diane Hürlimann, Head of Human Resources at Felfel, spoke about Gen Z and what employers need to do for them today, namely create space for self-realization and development. She said: "People are the key to a successful company; let's treat them as such!" Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation, explained the influence of megatrends on investment themes and warned against short-term hypes. Stefan Fahrländer from Fahrländer & Partner AG dedicated his short presentation to the challenges in spatial planning for future generations with the need to build more densely in cities. Dr. Peter Acél, owner of Dr. Acél & Partner AG, gave a brief insight into the possibilities that already exist for the mobility of the future, which does not only consist of self-driving vehicles. Dominique Zygmont, CEO of the Zurich City Association, quoted the "Kleine Niederdorfoper" and called on the audience to "sell a calf", as the protagonist Heiri did in this cult musical. After all, Zurich has potential and should not become an open-air museum. Finally, Caroline Wüest, Managing Director of sauna manufacturer Klafs AG, made a plea for sauna culture as a form of "digital detox" and an answer to stress and burnout.

Award for most captivating presentation

All speed speeches became a real live experience without any digital support. Similar to slam poetry events, the winner of the speed speaking competition was determined by clapping. In the end, Dominique Zygmont was chosen with great enthusiasm for his captivating presentation. Barbara Rüttimann was also delighted. Once again, she succeeded in inspiring the guests with the program. The next edition of the Business Talk is already being planned for 2025.

Families are characterized by cohesion and consistency. These values are of great importance in personal life, but can be a hindrance in a business context.

Why the family metaphor is problematic

In families, maintaining the status quo often takes precedence over change, while companies rely on flexibility and innovation. In a dynamic economy, companies must constantly adapt in order to remain competitive.

A family is geared towards stability, but a company is about clear goal orientation and measurable success. Companies should therefore be seen more as a performance community in which excellence and determination are paramount. Such a community makes it possible to achieve great goals, because people are prepared to take on challenges.

The characteristics of a joint venture

1. Clear target orientation: The focus is on measurable goals that determine the success of the company. Everyone in the team should know the goals and understand why they are important. Without clear direction, a company quickly loses momentum.
2. Flexibilityät: Structures should be geared towards goals, not personal preferences. A flexible organization adapts quickly to changes and seizes opportunities. In a performance community, everyone is prepared to adapt to the requirements.
3. Compliance with standards: Clear standards and expectations promote a culture of excellence. While indulgence is often practiced in families, in a company everyone needs to know what is acceptable and what is not. Adhering to standards ensures long-term success.
4. Adaptability: Roles and responsibilities must continuously adapt to the requirements of the market. A successful company must continue to develop, while rigid structures lead to stagnation.
5. Focus on results: While families are focused inwards, companies must have an outward impact. Success is measured by the added value the company creates for customers and the market. The performance community looks outwards in order to achieve real results.

Conclusion

A company is not a family, nor should it function like one. As a leader, it is your responsibility to create an environment that fosters excellence. Empathy and collaboration are important, but they must always serve the common goals.

 

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

Unicorn potential, culinary delights from the roof of the world and much more characterized the third episode of the new season of Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz. And there were also tears of joy.

Unicorn or not?

Jonny Burger and Mehmet Ademi from Zurich (ZH) want to take off with their video creation tool Remotion. Their idea is to automatically generate personalized videos of major events such as the Jungfrau Marathon. Each of the 4000 runners then sees themselves in different stages and at the end of the video their running time is animated. The videos are created using a specially developed editor. Remotion collects half a centime in license fees for each video created. With 4000 participants in the Jungfrau Marathon, this amounts to 20 francs. Nevertheless, the company has already generated an annual turnover of 100,000 US dollars, as Remotion's largest customer generates around 400,000 videos per month. 80 customers already rely on the solution, which requires some specialist knowledge to use. With a capital requirement of CHF 500,000 in exchange for 5 % company shares, Jonny and Mehmet now want to provide "additional programming power" for their idea with unicorn potential. However, Jürg Schwarzenbach immediately questioned the high company valuation. "You have to make a few million in turnover," he clarified. And Lukas Speiser put a question mark behind the customer structure: mostly start-ups. While Jürg Schwarzenbach, Roland Brack and Lukas Speiser dropped out, Anja Graf and Felix Bertram made a counter-offer: 500,000 against 10 percent. However, this was not what Jonny and Mehmet wanted and they ultimately rejected the investment.

Investment with tears

Then it was on to the culinary side: German Anne Riewoldt and Tibetan Dechen Jangma from Adliswil (ZH) want to shake up the market with House of Momos, a delivery service for the Tibetan dumplings Momos. Dechen Jangma came to Switzerland as a refugee in 2012 and met Anna Biewoldt. This led to a close friendship and the founding of the momos delivery service in 2021. The dumplings are made by hand according to Tibetan tradition. And the business seems to be going well: a turnover of 4.2 million Swiss francs in 2023 caused the lions to open their eyes and ears. The two founders are in talks with several major customers and need 500,000 Swiss francs for further growth. In return, they offered a 20 percent stake. The lions and lionesses clearly enjoyed the figures presented and the Momos samples. And Anna Riewoldt and Dechen Jangma knew the answers to all the typical investor questions. But initially they were only able to convince Lukas Speiser: he offered 500,000 Swiss francs in return for a 25 percent stake. He believes in the potential, even if he sees a few challenges with the margins. Then things got emotional: overwhelmed by the offer, Anna Riewoldt burst into tears. Felix Betram let his emotions get the better of him and also offered 500,000 francs in exchange for 25 percent. After a brief discussion backstage, the two decided in favor of Lukas Speiser as investor. The other lions congratulated the decision. These were "the founders of hearts", as Jürg Schwarzenbach put it.

Negotiating skills pay off

In their start-up Studyflash, Nikola Bulatovic, Dominik Gebhard and Florin Barbisch from Muri bei Bern are developing AI-generated flashcards that are tailored to students' lectures and courses. They are designed to help students master the learning material more easily in less time. The concept is simple: students upload their lecture notes to the Studyflash platform and the AI uses them to create the flashcards within a short space of time. The service seems to be popular with the target group: Within five months, 20,000 users have already been generated. Further market potential is to be tapped into with an investment of CHF 250,000 in return for a 10 percent stake in the company. Initially, the five lions and the lioness present were not quite "flashed" by the idea. They expressed concerns about copy protection and the low margin. Lukas Speiser liked the case, as he had already launched a business with flashcards when he was a student. However, he remained outside as an investor. Despite his reservations about the figures presented, Felix Bertram made an offer: 250,000 Swiss francs for 40 percent, with the prospect of a reduction to 30 percent if a sales target of 4 million is reached by 2027. "But here's a tip: I wouldn't do it," he added. While Jürg Schwarzenbach was unable to warm to the idea of an investment, Roland Brack and Nicole Buettner agreed to make the three founders a joint offer: CHF 250,000 in exchange for 20 percent. Felix Bertram's offer was out of the question for the three young entrepreneurs, and they countered Nicole Buettner's and Roland Brack's offer with a counter-proposal: CHF 250,000 for 15 percent, which the lions then accepted.

Does successful marketing require an investment?

Robin Horner and Jeffry Dahinden from Schindellegi SZ entered the lions' den with their company Freeways GmbH. These young entrepreneurs are true marketing geniuses: at the age of just 20 and 21, they have generated sales of over CHF 1 million - with a product that has been around for a long time: Nose plasters that make breathing easier. They seem to have struck a nerve, as the two young men have achieved 80 million views on social media with their product in Switzerland alone, and this with a starting capital of just 5,000 francs. The two men's demand came across as correspondingly self-confident: 500,000 francs in exchange for 10 percent of the company. To convince potential investors of their product, Robin and Jeffry pulled out all the stops, including acrobatic ones. And the figures had an even greater impact: The first million in turnover was achieved with 34,000 customers, and the two put the profit margin at 25 percent. Do they still need an investment? This is to be used primarily for marketing. After all, the product itself is not new and hardly differentiates itself from others, except in terms of color and shape. Therefore: "Whoever is the loudest will be heard the most," says Robin Horner. But then the two of them had to drop another bombshell: Freeways is not the only brand they market. Roland Brack made it clear: "This is simply uninvestable". All the other lions agreed with this view and no deal was made. In the end, Robin Horner and Jeffry Dahinden were left without a deal, but they left behind a den of lions that was very impressed by their marketing coup.

A friendly family business

Marie Jane and Marco Eberle from Unterterzen in St.Gallen use onion juice to strengthen the immune system. The miracle bulb has an anti-inflammatory effect. That's why Marie Jane has developed socks with nets into which onion slices can be slipped. They sleep with them and swear by the positive effect. Onion pouches for use on other parts of the body, e.g. ears, are now also available. The two have also devised other herbal mixtures to ensure a good sleeping atmosphere. With an investment of 30,000 Swiss francs in return for 10 percent of the company shares, the aim is now to conquer the DACH market with these products. The lionesses and lions ask many skeptical questions, for example about the market potential. The couple put this at 1 percent of the population, as many people have long been familiar with onions as a household remedy. However, Felix Bertram doubts whether this is enough and sees the product more as a fun gift idea. Lukas Speiser would have liked some more scientific proof of its effectiveness. However, Marie Jane and Marco Eberle were unable to provide this. The answers to the figures were more concrete: the socks have so far generated a turnover of 4,000 francs per year, excluding expenses. With production costs of around two francs and a sales price of just under 18 francs, there would be a considerable margin. In the end, however, there was only a lot of sympathy for the product and the family business. Even a lot of personal conviction is not enough for an investment.

When recruiters recruit investors

Goodbye CV: The job matching app Kanbii from René Lehmann and Carlos Müller (the two other co-founders Robert Onesim and Martina Fornara did not appear on the show) creates a job profile based solely on skills and to a certain extent eliminates prejudices. This means that no personal information is shared before a match is made. The idea is that skills are not tied to specific sectors, as the two of them immediately demonstrated using the profiles of the lionesses and lions present. This means that all five would be suitable investors for Kanbii. On the app itself, job seekers and job providers can find each other by simply swiping left or right. Kanbii needs an investment of 90,000 Swiss francs in exchange for 20 percent of the company shares to get the business off the ground. There are now 1700 users on the platform and 23 jobs have been placed so far. Nicole Büttner was impressed by the solution, but still asked the two of them about the figures. They want to achieve a turnover of 60,000 francs in the first year, double that in the following year and increase it by a further 30 percent in the third year. Lukas Speiser saw too little potential for disruption and dropped out as an investor. Felix Bertram took the same line and also decided not to invest. Tom Zimmermann attested to the founders' great business knowledge, but did not consider the app to be a major game changer and also withdrew. That left Nicole Büttner and Bettina Hein: while the former pulled out despite initially signaling interest ("not ambitious enough sales targets"), Bettina Hein allowed herself to be lured out of the reserve. "I believe that the 'No CV' concept has a future," she said and made an offer: 90,000 francs, but in return for a 25 percent stake in the company. The founders accepted this deal - a "perfect match", it seems.

Conclusion of this program: Again, lots of good ideas, but also the realization that parallel projects or opaque investments are "investor poison". And whether you really have unicorn potential is faster calculated than realized.

You can watch the program here: https://www.oneplus.ch/catalog/1000604

The venue for the first edition of the Greenovation Summit was well chosen: "Cubic", the Bühler Group's innovation center that opened in 2019. In this "nucleus", innovations for the food, animal feed and high-end materials sectors are being worked on every day. This led presenter Mona Vetsch to use the term "Silicon Uzvalley", referring to the often underestimated innovative strength of companies in Eastern Switzerland in general. And it was not without pride that Stefan Scheiber, CEO of Bühler AG, referred in his welcome address to the opportunities his company has to contribute to more sustainable food production with new technological developments.

Challenges in the consumer goods industry

The Greenovation Summit offered a foray into almost all sectors. From the consumer goods industry, Sandra Banholzer, CEO of herbal shampoo manufacturer Rausch AG from Kreuzlingen, reported on the challenge of having to commit to the standards of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) under pressure from major customers. Even though Rausch has long been committed to sustainability, e.g. in terms of packaging materials and economical consumption, the aim now is to explicitly measure the impact of these measures. Or Claude Rieser from Step Zero showed the rocky road to tackling the problem of microplastics caused by the abrasion of synthetic shoe soles with new materials.

It was also about sustainability in tourism. Thomas Kirchhofer, Director of St.Gallen Bodensee Tourismus, sees the strongest lever for change in the transfer of knowledge because a wide variety of stakeholder groups are involved. Christian Klein from The Tschuggen Collection, with the construction of a completely CO2-neutral hotel in Arosa, showed what is technically possible in order to offer guests the comfort they are accustomed to - even if compromises sometimes have to be made, for example when offering out-of-season fruit at the breakfast buffet.

Employee involvement and building for the future

Further topics were covered in four breakout sessions. How to involve employees in the sustainable transformation of a company was one of the questions discussed there. Florian Hoffmann, CEO of tfy-consult, pointed out a common mistake: That employees are only involved once management has decided to implement measures. It is therefore better to involve employees as early as the analysis of the current situation and the definition of the strategy.

The other three breakout sessions focused on the topics of energy, compliance and the construction industry. Andreas Zindel, CEO of Zindel United, sees sustainable material development as the key to enabling "grandchildren-friendly" construction. Among other things, his company has developed a CO2-neutral concrete called KLARK. Maura Hegi, founder of the consulting firm Ecoleader GmbH, pointed out in her session that sustainability requirements should be used to transform them into future-proof corporate goals.

So that less food is lost

One of the biggest levers for achieving the climate targets lies in food, or to be more precise: in more sustainable food production and more conscious consumption. Béatrice Conde-Petit, Sustainability Officer at Bühler AG, explained how, for example, the waste of raw materials can be reduced by making greater use of by-products from grain processing. Bühler is also working in countries of the Global South to establish so-called "food parks". These are factory clusters that concentrate large parts of the food production value chain in a single location in order to reduce unnecessary transportation routes.

Better no sustainability marketing?

Jacqueline Schmid, Head of Sustainability at St.Gallen Kantonalbank, represented the financial sector. What was previously based on a great deal of goodwill and voluntariness has now become an obligation due to regulatory pressure. It was therefore all the more important to have created clean structures from the outset, to focus on the essentials and to have anchored responsibility at all levels, the speaker concluded.

"Sustainability" as a term doesn't work in marketing - and never really has. This is the insight that Johanna Gollnhofer, Director of the Institute for Marketing and Customer Insight at the University of St.Gallen (HSG), shared with the audience. Who is prepared to pay more for a product that is associated with "sacrifice" or "loss of quality"? After all, it is precisely these two terms that have turned a large proportion of consumers into real "sustainability grouches". It would therefore be more effective to simply focus on the customer benefits that can be achieved with sustainability.

Three Greenovation Awards for companies from Eastern Switzerland

The presentation of the Greenovation Award also celebrated a premiere at the end of the event. This award was presented for the three categories "Projects", "Products" and "Services". An expert jury awarded the prize to the following companies:

• Projects" category: Huber Fenster, Herisau, for their project of prefabricated wooden houses in the Ukraine
• Products" category: Nussbaum Matzingen AG for its cans made from recycled aluminum
• Services" category: originate GmbH, St.Gallen, for consulting and measurement services to reduce the ecological footprint of building technology and machinery.

These three award winners, as well as the speakers, showed how many approaches and concrete solutions are available today to actively tackle the required sustainability goals. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve them and to answer the question of who will ultimately have to pay the price - and not just in Silicon Uzvalley.

More information

For the past 20 years, Kurt Mettler, CEO of SIZ Care AG, a company specializing in health, absence and case management, and his team have been holding a conference at which current issues relating to occupational health management are addressed in various presentations. The Zurich-based company has been supporting and advising companies and insurers with customized services for 25 years. SIZ Care now supports people throughout Switzerland who are unable to work on their way back into the world of work.

"Brain training" at the SIZ Care Forum 2024

As we know, a lot has changed in the world of work over the past two decades. Health, leadership and prevention have become more important, as we can see. After all, healthy employees are a valuable asset in all companies. However, each of us is ultimately responsible for our own physical and mental fitness. With this in mind, Barbara Studer, neuroscientist and brain coach, presented a "strengthening program for brain, body and soul". She encouraged the audience not to ignore emotions in the workplace, but to allow them in. "Emotions bring energy, and emotions need to be talked about," said Barbara Studer. If you become more curious about your own emotions, you can use this in a positive way. And there is also a lot of benefit in being curious about other people: Because it is in diverse thinking, so-called neurodiversity, that the real power of innovation lies. But with so much brain activity, we must not neglect relaxation. Multitasking means stress for the brain, which is why it is more beneficial to focus on specific tasks. And Barbara Studer used a few practical exercises to show how mindfulness, movement and music can be used to steer brain activity in the right direction.

Ongoing topic: Mental stress in the workplace

Nevertheless, psychological stress in the workplace is on the rise. Prof. Dr. Andreas Krause from the FHNW Olten spoke about the constructive handling of psychological risks and resources in companies. Using an overview of studies, he showed that psychosocial risks also have a physical impact, e.g. significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to Health Promotion Switzerland, 25 percent of employees report a critical work situation. This means that companies still have a lot to do to improve this situation. Andreas Krause outlined three ways in which this could be done: By setting up an early warning system (e.g. by obtaining a picture of the mood through surveys), by specifically naming hazards and by strengthening social interaction.

Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Jäger from Psychiatry Baselland then continued these threads from a medical perspective. The speaker emphasized that work has a fundamental effect on health. It provides a livelihood and a sense of purpose, gives a daily structure and can also provide status. Work has a disease-promoting effect when the focus on results gets out of hand, tasks become more concentrated and lead to time pressure and stress. Symptoms of illness are then, for example, sleep disorders, tinnitus, gastrointestinal problems or headaches through to affective disorders or anxiety. Burnout, on the other hand, is not a mental illness per se, but a chronic state of stress. This presents doctors with major challenges when certifying incapacity for work. This is because it does not always mean that recovery is possible, but can also lead to a chronification of the clinical picture.

Discussion points in labor law

Kurt Mettler led the last block of presentations at the SIZ Care Forum 2024. He highlighted a number of cases from employment law practice that have recently caused a stir. These included the "Nestlé case": after a legal dispute lasting more than ten years between a former high-ranking employee and the food company due to systematic bullying, an appeals court ultimately ordered the former employer to pay compensation of CHF 2 million. The court considered it proven that the employee had been systematically bullied by her direct superior and had suffered damage to her health as a result. The employer had breached its duty of care. However, there was no such breach of duty of care in another court case presented by Kurt Mettler. The court found that the plaintiff employee had failed to respond to his employer's suggestions for improvement at all. Another topic of the presentation was workplace-related incapacity for work. A recently published Federal Supreme Court ruling now states that there is no blocking period in the event of job-related incapacity for work and that employees can therefore be dismissed immediately. However, some misunderstandings have caused confusion in reporting. This is because "job-related" is not the same as "job-related" or "work-related". Kurt Mettler doesn't necessarily find these terms helpful either. He would prefer to speak of "job-related prevention of work". In his opinion, the question of the applicability of the blocking period does not even arise, as there is neither an illness nor an accident (facts according to Art. 336c CO). In addition, Art. 324a CO uses the term "prevention of work" and not "incapacity for work" in relation to continued salary payments. And with regard to daily sickness benefits insurance, there would be no question of illness in the case of a work-related incapacity to work, and thus the basic requirement for an obligation to pay benefits would no longer apply.

With 4i to personal and business success

The conference concluded with a presentation by former disabled athlete Lukas Christen. He lost his left leg in a serious motorcycle accident, but this did not prevent him from winning the long jump at the Paralympics in 1992, 1996 and 2000. With his life-affirming attitude - despite the many setbacks he experienced, which he described as a "boot camp for the soul" - he inspired the audience. We are all "chairmen of the board of directors of the human enterprise", he said in his speech. Dealing with unfamiliar changes is an "ongoing task for the Board of Directors". Lukas Christen relies on the "4i concept": Instinct (the primal knowledge), intuition (the gut knowledge, intuition), inspiration (the heart knowledge, feeling) and intellect (head knowledge, reason). This human competence to lead oneself forms the beginning of a chain of effects that can ultimately also be used to lead a team and a company. However, it is always important to follow the principle: "No added value without appreciation". And this should also be the nucleus of any culture that can have a preventative effect against any kind of workplace-related illness.

More information: SIZ Care