New Work has arrived in Switzerland and the nine-to-five model with office presence has had its day. The desire of employees for more flexibility and work-life blending is constantly increasing and presents companies with new challenges such as vacant office space and the loss of efficiency and creativity due to decentralized and isolated teams. Until now, the question of "working in the office or in the home office?" has always been at the forefront. A flexibly bookable offer for external meeting rooms to shorten distances and boost creativity is rarely considered. This is precisely where Workspace2go comes in and aims to simplify location-independent working with a new service offering.

Flexible, varied and easily bookable workplaces

The Swiss startup Workspace2go offers companies a simple and transparent way to rent out their unused space by the hour or day to freelancers or employees of other companies looking for an external meeting room or workspace - even if they actually have their own offices. For example, employees in the field can spontaneously book a meeting room at Zurich's main train station for an upcoming call before boarding the next train, or combine a creative workshop with colleagues with a client meeting in a beautiful old building office in Lucerne. Freelancers, on the other hand, are given the opportunity to rent space flexibly and as needed at their desired location.

The company, founded in 2016 by Manuele Fumagalli, has thus become the "Airbnb for office space". The platform for location-independent working is, according to its own information, the first point of contact in Switzerland for renting and leasing business premises throughout Switzerland quickly and easily on an hourly and daily basis. Companies can now sign up for a corporate account so that employees can rent external rooms as needed and conveniently bill them via the company.

Turning vacant office space into capital

"The need for externally rented space is currently on the rise, which we are noticing on our platform. On the one hand, our portfolio is growing steadily: More than 500 companies are now offering their vacant premises for rent. On the other hand, demand is high: Hundreds of companies take advantage of our customers' offer every month," says Manuele Fumagalli. One reason for this is the desire for creativity and motivation that a change of scenery brings, as well as the opportunity to plan one's daily life more efficiently and based on location. And for companies, vacant and unused office and meeting space, boardrooms and workstations suddenly become lucrative again. "Companies can capitalize on vacant spaces while meeting the demands of our modern working world," says Manuele Fumagalli.

Source and further information: www.workspace2go.com

Finally a live event again, finally real conversations again, finally personal networking again. The anticipation among exhibitors and organizers, but also among the audience of the topsoft trade fair 2022 is palpable. Digitization is not only technology, but also people business, says exhibition manager Cyrill Schmid: "Especially for SME users, getting to know suppliers in person is an important decision criterion when evaluating IT projects. Accordingly, we have received many inquiries from previous exhibitors as to when the next trade fair will take place again. Now the time has finally come again."

Practical examples are in the foreground at the topsoft trade fair 2022

Visitors can expect a lot of new things at the trade show. In the area of ERP systems, for example, a lot has been invested in e-commerce and process automation. Cloud applications are also still on the rise; there is hardly a provider who can escape this trend. However, the special focus of the trade fair is on the numerous showcases, concrete practical examples. From web portals to IoT solutions to implementation concepts, the topsoft trade fair presents a broad showcase of digitalization. For SME users, an ideal opportunity to find out about possibilities and gather ideas, explains Cyrill Schmid.

Presentations, workshops and lots of practice

The accompanying program of the trade show is also impressive. 16 technical presentations and seven workshops promise an intensive transfer of knowledge. Practical relevance will not be neglected. The speakers will also be available for personal discussions. In addition, CrowdDialog's Unconference is the first bar camp on the topic of digital commerce, where the audience decides who is allowed to speak on which topic. The free events can be booked together with the trade fair ticket, which is also free of charge.

More information

All good things come in threes: The 27th Rhine Valley Economic Forum should actually have been held last year. And it also had to be postponed again at the beginning of 2022. Now, on June 2, 2022, it could finally take place - and with a full program, because all speakers were able to appear on the postponed date as planned. Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter also agreed to attend despite the ongoing session in the Federal Parliament.

Full house and top-class speakers

So everything was ready for the more than 700 visitors. And the topic "Risk, responsibility, leadership - how we remain fit for the future in and after crises" had even gained in topicality. At the last Rhine Valley Economic Forum in January 2020, the focus was still on the climate crisis, then came the Corona pandemic, followed in February 2022 by Russia's attack on Ukraine. The geopolitical and economic situation of the past months and years provided ample illustrative material and dominated the tenor of the presentations. In addition to Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider, risk researcher Gerd Gigerenzer, Ursula Nold, President of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, and surprise guest Matthias Hüppi, the panel of the Economic Forum was once again made up of top-class speakers.

Karin Keller-Sutter: "Federal Council is not infallible".

"We have to live with the fact that we don't live in a perfect system," said FDJP head Karin Keller-Sutter. There are tensions there sometimes, she said, and not every actual or perceived contradiction can always be resolved. "Only ideologies can accomplish this feat." Especially during the Corona crisis, she said, the Federal Council repeatedly had to decide "between two evils." Karin Keller-Sutter conceded that the Federal Council was certainly not infallible, but it was nevertheless a good institution that needed to be defended. In conversation with moderator Sonja Hasler, Karin Keller-Sutter also showed her personal side from time to time. Asked about the mood that sometimes prevailed in the Federal Council, she admitted that it had sometimes been "tedious" to have to deal with many details of ordinances. She also regretted that during the Corona crisis, many other important matters, such as the reform of social services, had taken a back seat. And the war in Ukraine is a completely different category of crisis for her: the brutality of this war and the fact that human rights are being violated in the process affect her emotionally.

But how can you make the right decisions in crisis situations? Gerd Gigerenzer, a risk researcher from Berlin, gave some input on this. Decisions need to be both data-based and intuitive. However, he believes that many boards lack the fundamental ability to deal with statistical data. Gigerenzer's sympathy, however, ultimately belongs to the "decision from the gut. He pointed out that around 50 percent of decisions in companies are made on the basis of gut instinct. He noted that "we are moving further and further away from a performance culture to a hedging culture. However, a "positive error culture instead of defensive hedging" is the way to go.

Many risks that remain

Ursula Nold, President of the Administration of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, traced how Migros behaves sustainably in times of crisis. There are neither secret nor patent recipes for success, but it is important to always get up again after failure. This is entirely in the spirit of Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler, who himself was a "master of failure. When previous recipes for success no longer work, one must show flexibility. The prerequisite for this - and Ursula Nold sees this as an essential part of the Migros culture - is an appropriate awareness and a constant willingness to innovate.

Matthias Hüppi can also sing a song about the topic of "failure. As a surprise guest, the former sports presenter and current president of FC St.Gallen gave an insight into the everyday life of a football club, where risk and uncertainty are permanent companions.

Nestlé, the world's largest food company, also has to play out crisis scenarios again and again, as its CEO Mark Schneider described. Schneider's view of the next few years was pessimistic: "The 2020s will resemble the 1970s in a ghostly way." This in a different form with inflation, stagflation, constraints in supply chains and the energy industry. "Only by adapting to it," Schneider said, "will you be able to deal with it." That's because crises have no defined end, he said, and the state of affairs before them will never return. "Nostalgia won't help," Schneider said. He appealed to the entrepreneurs in the room not to forget their social responsibility, especially in crisis situations. And it is also important to avoid showing oneself as a profiteer of a crisis, he said. "The world does not like crisis winners".

The next Rheintal Economic Forum will take place again in Widnau on January 20, 2023. Registration is now open at www.wifo.ch possible.

Gustav Spiess AG receives Rheintaler Wirtschaft award

The Bernecker family business Gustav Spiess has been honored with the "Rheintaler Wirtschaft 2022 Prize" at the Economic Forum. From the hands of jury president Brigitte Lüchinger, Jürg Spiess of the third Spiess generation was able to accept the sculpture "Kreislauf" ("Cycle") by Rhine Valley artist Karin Thür. The jury recognized the award winner for the high quality of its products and its organic growth, as well as for sustainable construction and its commitment to Berneck as a business location. Gustav Spiess AG has been in business for 61 years and produces sausage and meat products as well as ham and bacon products. It employs around 160 people. The "Prize of the Rhine Valley Economy" was awarded for the 28th time on Thursday.

www.spiessberneck.ch

The new education ordinance "BIVO21" stipulates that cloud computing is to be integrated into the teaching of EFZ IT apprentices. The theoretical requirements are specified by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). The practical implementation is left to the respective schools themselves. The WISS Schulen für Wirtschaft Informatik Immobilien AG, an educational institute with over 85 years of experience, is breaking new ground in teaching cloud computing. The two WISS lecturers and developers Sascha Carroccio and Fatlum Amza as well as product manager Benca Banjac have joined forces and developed their own cloud for teaching cloud computing. Teaching from the cloud - this means an innovation in the education of basic vocational education. So far, no other school has developed such an own cloud, which serves solely for the training of future IT specialists in the classroom.

Teaching cloud computing in a practical way

As a result of the new education ordinance, the courses for EFZ computer scientists include three modules that deal specifically with the topic of the cloud and require teachers to have in-depth cloud expertise in "Using the public cloud for applications", "Operating and monitoring services in the public cloud" and "Designing and implementing cloud solutions". In many places, the development and management of a cloud is usually taught on a theoretical basis, as the providers of commercial cloud solutions often do not allow the modeling and reprogramming of such. Thus, a practical solution was needed. The WISS project team therefore designed a cloud that enables learners to put their theoretical knowledge into practice hands-on.

Teaching from the cloud ready for launch in fall 2022

"Last but not least, the cloud "WaaS" should also serve WISS directly and minimize dependency on third-party providers. The developed open-stack solution should also have a cost-saving effect due to its arbitrary scalability," says Benza Banjac, Product Manager Basic Education at WISS. WaaS is managed by the WISS Schulen für Wirtschaft Informatik Immobilen itself and support is also fully handled in-house.

"WaaS" will be ready for launch in time for the start of the semester of the EFZ computer scientist training in fall 2022. Currently, it has a 2-tier architecture based on a dual-server setup running in a cluster. WISS plans to expand and enlarge the environment in the future to ensure even better availability.

Source and further information: www.wiss.ch

The Fleet and Mobility Barometer 2022 is an annual survey conducted by Arval Mobility Observatory. The survey was conducted in 26 countries with a focus on Europe and shows the mood prevailing among fleet managers. Over the next three years, corporate fleets are expected to remain stable or grow as a result of good business performance and staffing needs. However, the uncertain environment resulting from inflation, semiconductor shortages and supply chain problems means that companies in Switzerland are keeping their vehicles longer than in the past - a phenomenon that can also be observed in the rest of Europe. However, the trend toward home offices is only tentatively influencing companies' mobility strategies: just 17 % of companies in Switzerland (Europe: 13 %) are considering adjusting their mobility policies in this regard. 22 % of Swiss SMEs are also planning to introduce or expand full-service leasing in their fleet within the next three years.

Alternative technologies continue to gain ground

Switzerland is in line with the European average when it comes to the introduction of alternative drive technologies: 4 out of 10 companies already have models with hybrid, plug-in hybrid or BEV (pure electric vehicles with battery) in their passenger car fleet. A total of two-thirds of the companies surveyed are using or considering alternative technologies in the next three years.

Hybrid and BEV are used by one in five companies; plug-in hybrid is slightly lower at 16 %. Overall, each of these three technologies is used or considered by one third of the companies. Switzerland is on par with Europe in this regard. Companies with commercial vehicles in their fleet have also already started to electrify their fleet with BEVs: 25 % are already using them or considering them in the next three years. This is more likely to be the case for larger companies than for smaller ones. As for the other technologies, CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is already used by 7 % of the companies, while hydrogen is only used in 2 % of the passenger car fleets.

Few funded charging points at home

The most important motivation for switching to alternative drive technologies is corporate social responsibility. Here, Switzerland takes the top spot for passenger car fleets with 83 %, closely followed by the objective of reducing fuel costs (76 %), reducing environmental impact (69 %) and improving the corporate image (68 %).

With the strong spread of electric vehicles, the need for charging stations is increasing. Access to charging stations on the road, at home and at work is accordingly not yet rated as optimal. Just under half of all companies in Switzerland have now installed charging stations on their premises or are planning to do so. As far as financial support for employees to install and finance charging stations at home is concerned, Switzerland has a lot of catching up to do compared with the rest of Europe: 52 % of Swiss companies (Europe: 21 %) do not yet provide their employees with any financial support here.

In contrast, alternative mobility solutions, such as combining car, public transport and bicycle, are already widespread: Two out of three companies in Switzerland already offer their employees such models, and three out of four are already doing so or are considering them in the next three years. This is also accompanied by mobility budgets for employees, which are intended to help reduce mobility costs and provide flexible mobility solutions. In this context, one-third of the companies surveyed say they are introducing or still expanding home offices.

Corporate fleets of SMEs: Full-service leasing on the rise

The Arval Mobility Observatory also examines the financing methods of company fleets. Here, full service leasing is currently used as the main financing method by 13 % of companies in Switzerland, which represents a doubling compared to 2020 (2020: 6 %). Among smaller companies in particular, a further 22 % are planning to introduce or expand it in the next three years.

In terms of the use of telematics systems, Swiss company fleets are on a par with European levels at 30 % (Europe: 33 %), with primarily larger companies making progress here and using the technology more for passenger vehicles than for commercial vehicles. The main reasons for using telematics in Switzerland are the same as in the rest of Europe: driver behavior, vehicle safety and location, and operational efficiency.

Source: Arval

On May 31, the award ceremony for the most attractive employer in Switzerland, the Randstad Award 2022, took place. The award, which is being presented for the 9th time by the staffing services provider Randstad, was held this year for the first time within the HR Festival in Zurich. In addition to the presentation of the award, unexpected developments of the Randstad Employer Brand Study were presented and current talent trends were discussed in an exciting panel round.

Google: Lost its nimbus as a top employer?

In the election of the most attractive employer in Switzerland, the cards were reshuffled, as it were, this year: Google was allowed to be evaluated again after three years in the Hall of Fame, in which it had made it through three place-one nominations in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and this time did not make it onto the winners' podium with fourth place. Ahead of the Internet giant are traditional Swiss companies: First place and thus the most attractive employer in Switzerland in 2022 is Rolex. It is followed by another watch manufacturer, Patek Phillippe Geneve, and chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli in third place. Flughafen Zürich AG is in fifth place. In addition, ten new companies have made it into the top 20.

"I expected the Covid 19 crisis to change the needs of workers. Although it seems obvious at first glance, it surprised me how high the topic of flexibility is on the agenda of employees. My experience shows that not only spatial flexibility, but also time flexibility as well as contractual flexibility have become very important," says Bernhard Hänggi, CFO Randstad Switzerland. But even despite times of crisis: The most important factors influencing employees in their choice of employer have remained largely stable over the past nine years. Attractive salaries and benefits, a pleasant working environment, job security and work-life balance remained the most important factors.

Employer reputation becomes more important

There have been changes in other areas. The "reputation" factor is the secret winner of the Randstad Award 2022; it has gained the most importance over the years. "So reputation is more important than ever when choosing an employer. Due to the current employee market, talents might allow themselves to be more choosy," Susanne Beer, HR Director Randstad Switzerland explains this development. "Keyword employer branding: a higher level of awareness is more than ever an essential door opener." By contrast, two points have lost the most relevance: The financial health of a company and the use of new technologies. "The fact that a company's financial security is no longer considered so important could be due to the fact that talents have become more self-confident with regard to finding a new job more quickly," Susanne Beer believes. As far as the topic of the latest technologies is concerned, the participants in the panel discussion also agreed: "It is no longer a decisive factor, as it has simply become a must for companies to use technology, to have a good ICT infrastructure," is how Bruno Zanella, Head of Human Resources at Flughafen Zürich AG, assesses the change.

Randstad Award 2022: The Top 20

Randstad Employer Brand Research, an independent study in the field of employer branding, is behind each ranking. Companies cannot apply to participate; they are selected for the study based on their number of employees. In addition to the company ranking, the results of the study provide information about the needs of employees and current trends in the market.

1. Rolex
2. Patek Phillippe Geneve
3. Lindt & Sprüngli
4. Google*
5. Zurich Airport Ltd
6. Swatch Group
7. SWISS
8. Pilatus Aircraft Works Ltd*
9. SBB CFF FFS
10. Raiffeisen*
11. Chocolate Frey AG
12. Stadler Rail
13. Migros
14. HP*
15. SR Technics*
16. Roche*
17. Swisscom*
18. KPMG*
19. Siemens*
20. Richemont*

*new in the top 20

Source: Randstad

Miscasts in companies are common: 50 percent of executives surveyed as part of a labor market study by personnel service provider Robert Half have hired staff in the past twelve months that later turned out to be a miscast. Seventy-two percent of respondents are even more critical of such mis-hires than they were a year ago, as the impact is now much more severe against a backdrop of increased staff shortages in some industries. The study was conducted in February 2022 on behalf of Robert Half. It surveyed 1500 managers with HR responsibility (general managers, CIOs, CFOs) in Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany and the UK. This means that the results are not necessarily representative for Switzerland.

However, miscasts also occur in this country. Basically, every wrong decision in personnel selection leads to high follow-up costs, potential insecurity among employees and an immense organizational effort. That's why it's worth investigating the causes.

Causes of miscasting: Speed versus diligence

Respondents see the main reason for bad hires as having handled the hiring process too quickly (17 %). Fifteen percent of managers say they settled for applicants whose skills did not match the requirements of the job. Just as many say they focused too much on applicants' technical skills at the expense of soft skills. But what is too fast for some managers is too slow for others: 12 percent consider a lengthy hiring process to be the cause of hiring mistakes because candidates dropped out during the selection process.

"Companies should exercise due diligence when making hiring decisions. Bad hires have a negative impact on the existing team and result in high costs," explains Eva Mahoney Associate Director at Robert Half. "Neither too fast nor too slow recruiting processes are helpful. It is also important to clarify in advance which professional skills are indispensable and which soft skills the company expects. Whether there is an interpersonal fit can be checked well by including selected employees in the interviews." This is because respondents also see the exclusion of key stakeholders from the hiring process - such as middle management or people with interface functions - as one of the causes of poor hires (10 %). Other problem areas include insufficient checking of references (10 %), too much focus on whether applicants fit in with the corporate culture, and a lack of an attractive compensation package (11 % each).

Counteracting through optimized application processes

In response to the high miscast rate, a quarter of respondents screen applicants more carefully than before. 18 percent determine in advance which areas and skills are essential and indispensable; 16 percent have introduced an optimized application process. In addition, 15 percent are increasingly hiring temporary staff who can be taken on later. Another 13 percent hire a staffing service provider for process support to reduce hiring mistakes.

"New job postings should be created with care. They must present the current requirements, describe precisely what personal and professional competencies are expected, and outline what awaits applicants in the company. It is effective to involve the specialist department and to compare one's own job posting with those of the competition. In this way, it quickly becomes clear whether one's own offer is competitive and attractive. The more detailed the job posting, the greater the chance of attracting the right applicants," says Mahoney.

Source: Robert Half

Iarno Mapelli, Managing Director of Tecnomec SA, accepted the coveted trophy at the Prix SVC Svizzera italiana 2022 on May 18, 2022. Founded in 1981, the company operates in the precision mechanics sector and has state-of-the-art machinery. The Stabio-based company employs 70 people. Second place went to Jetpharma SA and its board member Stefano Martinoli, while R. Audemars SA and its CEO Mirko Audemars secured third place. Diploma ranks were awarded to Agriloro SA and its CEO Jacques Perler, to Campofelice SA and its CEO Simone Patelli, and to Fontana Print SA and its CEO Ruben Fontana.

Tecnomec SA: Rooted in the region

Marzio Grassi, president of the jury of the Prix SVC Italian Switzerland, justified the choice of the winner in the laudation as follows: "Each of the six finalists deserved to win. In the end, the jury chose Tecnomec, an excellent example of a family business characterized by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on innovation and excellence. It is rooted in the region and constantly invests in the growth of the company and its employees. Director Iarno Mapelli, in addition to the winner's trophy, was able to take home as a prize a Credit Suisse entrepreneur trip and an exclusive SUPSI voucher worth 12,500 Swiss francs to attend one or more SUPSI continuing education courses.

Second place for Jetpharma SA and third place for R. Audemars SA

Jetpharma SA, founded in 1986 and based in Balerna, won the 2nd place. The company offers the following services micronization services for third parties. Today, the company is one of the few global players and has a unique technology. The prize, which was awarded to Stefano Martinoli, member of the Board of Directors, is sponsored by Ernst & Young and consists of participation in a study trip and in the "Entrepreneur of the Year" congress.

The third prize went to R. Audemars SA from Lamone-Cadempino. Thanks to the know-how acquired over more than 120 years in the Swiss watchmaking industry, the family-owned company, founded in 1898, has also developed in other markets and works with global manufacturers of medical equipment, which is now its main market. Mirko Audemars, CEO, accepted the prize offered by Swisscom in the form of a voucher to attend one of the exclusive events promoted and supported by Swisscom.

More information: Swiss Venture Club

Metawaste is a network of providers and partners throughout Switzerland, using what it describes as a unique collaborative approach. The network aims to bring together waste management players in Switzerland to offer their customers optimal collection and processing solutions. Vincent Chapel, president and founder of the company, states its goals: "By involving national waste management companies and recyclers, Metawaste contributes to the circular economy in two ways: First, we encourage our partners to join the platform to offer an efficient network of waste collections across the country; second, we enable our customers to reduce their carbon footprint thanks to digital tools."

Digital tools for a sustainable economy

The CO₂-The carbon footprint has become an important indicator for companies: It allows them to determine which measures they need to prioritize in order to reduce their environmental footprint. Genius, the new digital platform for waste management, contributes to this dynamic, according to Metawaste, by offering several functions that would allow analysis of the data associated with waste streams, in particular:

• Centralized waste management and real-time tracking of the collection route and the number of actions taken
• Real-time balance of sorting, recycling and recovery operations
• Real-time budget monitoring with details of average spend per collection and costs by waste type
• Live monitoring of the CO₂-performance (ejected vs. avoided)
• And, if applicable, the real-time management of nonconformities

Thanks to a clear and easy-to-use interface, users can quickly access various information and manage all processes online.

Partner in waste management

The digital platform was developed using the expertise of the teams at SRS Global Services, a company with unique experience in waste management for large Swiss companies. SRS Global Services processes waste from 800 customer sites in Switzerland and manages 65,000 tons of waste per year. This experience was crucial to implement a market-driven solution that meets the customer's needs. Metawaste currently manages industrial and retail waste; an offering for construction waste will be developed by the end of 2022.

Source and further information: www.metawaste.com

Even though wage transparency is increasingly promoted in Switzerland and desired by job seekers, the JobCloud study in collaboration with the LINK Institute revealed that 61% of the companies surveyed are currently not prepared to publicly disclose the wages of their employees. Overall, only one-third of companies would be willing to take this step. Large companies and microbusinesses show more willingness in this direction. "It is probably easier for large companies because they have structured salary processes, for example in the form of defined salary bands," explains Davide Villa, CEO of JobCloud.

Differentiate yourself through wage transparency

If companies speak out against transparent salaries, then according to the survey a good 60% do so because salary transparency is not yet guaranteed within the company either. Just under 30% are against it because employees' salaries vary widely. "Companies that communicate their wages transparently can stand out from other employers in the recruiting process and thus receive more suitable applications. One benefit of wage transparency in job advertisements is that only candidates who agree with the stated wage will apply," Villa adds.

You culture in more and more companies

One area of the study deals with the corporate culture and how employees interact with each other. Here, an informal "Du" culture seems to be becoming increasingly prevalent. Overall, three quarters stated that a Du culture is cultivated in the company, whereby a clear cultural difference between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland is evident: While 81% in German-speaking Switzerland use the "Du" form of communication, "only" 62% on the other side of the Röstigraben do so. In French-speaking Switzerland, a distinction is made much more according to hierarchy level - 27% say that it depends on the hierarchy level, while this only plays a role for 11% in German-speaking Switzerland. The "you" culture is least widespread in large companies (70%), while it is most widespread in small companies (81% in micro and 84% in small companies).

Employer branding also an issue for small companies

The study also shows that although employer branding is used heavily by companies, its full potential has not yet been tapped. Just under half of the HR managers surveyed said that employer branding is important or very important for recruitment. This value increases as the size of the company increases. In contrast, 19% of the respondents attach no or hardly any importance to their own employer brand. While employer branding is primarily handled by the HR department at large and medium-sized companies, it is a management issue at small companies. "Especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers, small companies should also try to position themselves as attractive employers through an employer branding strategy," concludes Villa's recommendation.

Source: www.jobcloud.ch

In 2021, the crowdfunding market in Switzerland grew significantly from CHF 606.6 million in the previous year to a new figure of CHF 791.8 million. This corresponds to growth of 31 percent and represents another record figure, as shown by the Crowdfunding Monitor of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Since the first crowdfunding platform was founded 14 years ago, around three billion francs have been raised digitally in Switzerland.

Significant growth of crowdlending and crowdinvesting

Online intermediation of funds for loans to SMEs and private individuals as well as intermediation of investments in companies and real estate grew significantly. The crowdlending market now totals CHF 607 million (+35 percent), while the crowdinvesting market grew to CHF 147 million. In particular, investments in loans to real estate companies and direct investments in real estate drove this growth. Crowdsupporting/crowddonating volumes declined slightly compared with 2020 to CHF 38 million (-16 percent), after record figures were recorded in this area in the previous year due to the Corona crisis and several crowdfunding platforms that were only temporarily active.

Support for political campaigns gains in importance

There is significant growth in the financing of political campaigns via crowdsupporting. In 2021, for example, more than 800,000 francs were invested in political crowdfunding campaigns. A year earlier, the figure was still around 90,000 francs. Crowdfunding as "financing from below", with which many small donations can be generated, is in vogue. Thanks to this form of financing, on the one hand, financing processes can also be digitized in the area of political financing. On the other hand, it can increase the legitimacy of a political cause if many people participate in a campaign.

Crowdfunding likely to crack the billion mark in 2022

The HSLU study authors expect the total volume of crowdfunding in Switzerland to grow to more than one billion francs this year. "Even with this volume, crowdfunding will remain a niche financing in Switzerland," says Andreas Dietrich, co-author of the Crowdfunding Monitor and banking professor at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. However, the increasing relevance could lead to accelerated growth in the long term, he added. On the one hand, Covid-19 has accelerated the use of digital financial processes by both businesses and individuals. On the other hand, larger donors such as foundations or institutional investors will probably also increasingly allocate funds via this alternative form of financing.

Forms of crowdfunding

• Crowdsupporting: Mostly creative and cultural projects and campaigns from the sports sector. The investor receives a product, an artistic work or a service in return for the invested contribution. For example, someone who finances a book receives a copy free of charge.
• Crowddonating: Majority donations to social, charitable and cultural projects that are not tied to anything in return.
• Crowdinvesting: Investment of equity or debt capital in companies (start-ups) or real estate. In return, investors receive a share of the profits.
• Crowdlending: Mediation of loans to companies or private individuals. In return, the donors receive interest payments, the amount of which depends on the risk of the capital borrower.

Source and further information: Lucerne University

Shouldn't we be tolerant of others? Sure. But in leadership and personal relationships, there's another side to the coin: "You get in life what you tolerate."

This is an old and true wisdom. If you tolerate certain negative behaviors in others, you will get more of them in your life. Example: If you tolerate someone being consistently unpunctual, that person will continue to be unpunctual. And you will increasingly be surrounded by people who behave similarly. This is not about how you "educate" others, but about what you should allow into your life as a leader. Because if you tolerate too much negativity, you won't have room for the important things that move you forward.

"Where does the different tolerance thresholds of different people come from?" you may now ask. Well, like many things, this also comes to a large extent from the imprinting of our childhood. And like all these imprints, you can also specifically change this one in yourself. Here are three questions that you can use to influence your tolerance threshold:

1. "Where do I keep being too tolerant?"
   There are very different patterns of where you are too tolerant. It may be in certain behaviors with yourself. Or you may show too much tolerance in very specific situations with others. Or you are very tolerant of certain people, no matter what they do.
   The important first step is to identify where your different tolerance points occur.
2. "What are the negative consequences of this tolerance?"
   The point here is to realize what your high tolerance leads to in certain situations (see point 1). A good helpful question is: "What would happen if I were no longer so tolerant at this point?"
   Maybe you would have more time, be more productive, have fewer distractions, accomplish more, have more time for other people you care about, and so on.
   We often dramatically underestimate the negative consequences of too much tolerance.
3. "Where are my red lines?"
   In the third step, it is crucial that you make the decision in which places and with which people you no longer show tolerance.
   The important thing to remember is that being too tolerant not only harms you, but also those you are too tolerant of.
   For example, if you keep answering all the questions, you educate people not to think for themselves at all. That doesn't help anyone.

So, here you have three helpful questions that will help you achieve more and at the same time help others develop. And please remember: The line between too much and too little tolerance is relatively narrow.

Author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer, book author, consultant, coach, speaker.www.volkmarvoelzke.ch