Succession & Mittelstand
Business wanted: why I want to continue companies without a successor
What happens to a company when no successor is found? Often it is not just a business that disappears — but a whole life's work. With it go jobs, experience and regional economic strength.
3 August 2026 · 4 min read
When no successor is found
Many economically healthy companies close not because the orders dry up, but because no one takes over. Doors that stood open for decades stay shut for good — and with them, more is lost than a business.
Employees lose not only their jobs but also prospects in their home region. With every closed business, the local economy grows weaker. And knowledge, values and decades of experience are lost for good. Germany faces a historic wave of successions in the coming years — business succession is one of the most important tasks facing the Mittelstand.
That is why I am looking for companies to continue
This is exactly why I am looking for owner-led companies that will need a successor in the coming years. I do not promise miracles. But I bring the willingness to take on responsibility, to learn new industries and to develop companies for the long term — with respect for what has been built and a clear view forward.
I bring experience in, among others, these areas: marketing and brand building, business development, digitalisation and processes, networks and cooperation, as well as communication and visibility. What matters to me is the promise that runs through this whole site: the business keeps its name, the team stays on board, and the handover gets the time it needs.
Every succession is individual — it starts with a conversation
Every business succession is different. That is why everything starts with an open, no-obligation conversation — at your company, at your pace, and your tax advisor is expressly welcome at the table. It is not about a quick deal, but about trust, people and continuity.
If you are thinking about business succession, or simply want to exchange a first idea, you can reach me directly at contact@jonas-schmitz.com. How I approach handovers is also documented in detail on the succession page.
Companies are more than numbers. They are responsibility, future and people. We must not allow healthy life's works to disappear simply because no one continues them.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of companies is Jonas Schmitz looking for?
- Healthy, owner-led small and medium-sized businesses whose owner is looking for a successor — for reasons of age or otherwise — and has no successor in the family, preferably in skilled trades, production and services in the region between the Rhine, Moselle and Eifel.
- What happens to the name and the employees after the handover?
- The approach is continuation, not resale: the business keeps its name, the team stays on board, and the handover gets the time it needs — ideally with a transition phase supported by the previous ownership.
- How does the first contact work?
- Everything starts with an open, non-binding conversation — on site at the business if preferred, and the tax advisor is explicitly welcome. Contact: contact@jonas-schmitz.com.
- What experience does Jonas Schmitz bring?
- The focus lies in marketing and brand building, business development, digitalisation and processes, network and cooperations, as well as communication and visibility — combined with the willingness to learn new industries and develop the business over the long term.