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Since 2024 at the latest, the topic of sustainability has been at the top of the agenda for many companies. The Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) takes sustainability reporting to the next level and brings a significant expansion for companies. Since January 1, 2024, companies that are already subject to the Non-Financial Reporting Directive are required to report. In the next stage, CSRD will also apply to large corporations, and subsequently also to small and medium-sized enterprises with a capital market orientation.

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Without compliance with ESG criteria, it is becoming increasingly difficult for medium-sized companies to attract customers, investors and new employees and to convince banks. However, many questions arise when it comes to the concrete fulfilment of ESG factors. The overarching issue is to take the right approach to ensure that the ESG criteria are optimally integrated into one’s own business strategy and play their part in ensuring that the company acts responsibly and thus remains viable and competitive in the future.

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Comply with regulations, implement ethical standards: Compliance is crucial for SMEs in the highly competitive business environment. Medium-sized companies that decide to professionalise their compliance can make their compliance management processes lean, efficient and transparent on the basis of certification standards. Once a solid compliance basis has been developed according to certification standards, the company is optimally equipped for active compliance management.

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Resilience was the topic of our Event & Dialogue, which we held at our Nuremberg location in April 2023. Together with our cooperation partner stg Die Mitar-beiterBerater, we looked at resilience from different angles with our guests. Read more

Many people first think of environmental protection, climate protection and decarbonisation when they hear the word “sustainability”. But sustainability is much more than that. The wide range is reflected in the ESG criteria. ESG stands for “Environment”, “Social” and “Governance”. It is not only about the “E”, but also about the “S” and “G”. It is only through the interaction of the three areas of environment, social affairs and corporate governance that a sustainable corporate orientation unfolds, which improves growth opportunities and financing advantages and makes the company more resilient. The individual weighting of the three areas differs depending on the sector and size of the company. For example, the area of “environment” can have a much higher relevance for an industrial company than for a service provider.

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Handing over one’s own business is a challenging topic. Many entrepreneurs find succession difficult. Even if, like one of our clients, they deal with it at an early stage: Frank S., a medium-sized entrepreneur in his early sixties, had started to deal with the issue of succession in his mid-50s. So, he was well on time. It was clear early on that his only son would not take over the company. So how to proceed? Sell the company? In order to get this complex decision right, Frank S. called in an expert.

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It is increasingly important for medium-sized companies to meet sustainability criteria and to make this visible. In the overall economic structure, they are always part of a larger supply chain and thus bound by the sustainability requirements of other stakeholders. Demands on SMEs also come from banks and insurance companies. This is because the ESG criteria that a company implements are playing an increasingly important role in the financial sector against the backdrop of sustainable finance and are important when lending to an SME. In addition, the expectations of customers and employees are becoming increasingly concrete. But how specifically does an SME go about thinking, acting, and deciding in terms of sustainability? The topic of sustainability is complex. There are 20 important sustainability criteria, which include, for example, “innovation and product management”, “resource management” or “employee rights”. Therefore, the key question is: Where is the topic of sustainability relevant in the company at all?

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Last Friday, July 29, 2022, our Karlsruhe location once again became a mini-campus for a few hours. We at THE MAK`ED TEAM were all very excited when four students and their course director Prof. Dr. Susanne Steimer from the Mannheim School of Management (HdWM) came to our office. Here they presented their practical project, which was also an examination situation. In the project, the students dedicated themselves entirely to the topic “Creation of a sustainability check for small and medium-sized businesses” according to an assignment by THE MAK`ED TEAM. During the elaboration they were actively supported by THE MAK’ED TEAM and developed our case study with great commitment. In their final presentation, the students showed a clearly structured roadmap of what a sustainability check for medium-sized companies across all industries could look like. In the end, they presented a convincing sustainability check for medium-sized companies, which can be carried out in different variants, from a short check-up to an individual workshop. Using well-chosen questions and a traffic light system in the evaluation, the check clearly shows the respective company how sustainably a company is currently positioned and in which areas.

After the all-around convincing and very clearly structured presentation, open questions were clarified in the round and lively discussions were held. THE MAK`ED TEAM has been cooperating with the HdWM since 2021 and focuses on sustainable corporate management. We were also very impressed by this joint project and are already looking forward to the next one.

More about Sustainability topics.

More about Certifications and Memberships.

People and nature are among the most sensitive areas in a company’s sphere of influence. After all, life and health are at stake here. Violations can have serious consequences. The liability risks arising from occupational health and safety and environmental protection law are correspondingly high. Of course, the basic obligations towards employees or other persons and the environment are known to every entrepreneur and compliance is not a new topic in these areas. Every company will consciously or unconsciously implement compliance measures in this area. However, the topic has become very much the focus of the authorities – and the focus of the public.

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There is no doubt that the global economy is currently facing major challenges and upheavals. But no matter how global trade and economic relations develop: For all companies with plans for growth, internationalization is on the agenda sooner or later. Opening up new markets is as exciting as it is challenging. A smart approach is the key here. We have already supported many companies in their internationalization and know the enormous opportunities. And also the hurdles.

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