Many governments are announcing financial aid, the floodgates are being opened and infrastructure projects should protect against the damage caused by the Corona virus.
State-owned business development banks, local banks.. this could all be too slow and too late for some. Companies, whether large and small, are doing everything they can to protect their employees. But it's also about keeping the business running. At Jarltech, we have a pandemic plan in place that is asking a lot of all of us. But, and I'm sure we are not the only ones, our employees are also involved. Big time!
What the EU or the individual countries should do now - and immediately - is:
1. The large credit insurers must freeze their credit limits for customer deliveries at the level it was as of March 10th, 2020, and in return receive back-up from the ECB or the countries. After all, if the insurers will now haircut across entire countries or sectors again, then in many cases we can no longer deliver. And that is exactly what credit insurers do every time there is a little cough. I think we are on the verge of this.
2. Providing funds through state-owned banks takes too long and is too bureaucratic. If the phantom is supposed to last another five weeks, lets say, then its important that payment terms are adhered to and that debits work. So the countries, or the ECB, should simply obligate the banks (with a national guarantee, of course) to increase all working capital credit lines approved on March 10th, 2020 by 30%. With this you usually impact companies that are currently healthy, because, after all, they have had their credit lines approved. The sum will be huge, because the increase will also be granted to companies, such as ourselves, who probably do not need the money at all. But if we do not use this additional liquidity at all, then the government also has zero risk in these cases.
3. It is imperative that the free delivery of goods in European continues remains possible. We are all interlinked and need things from each other.
4. School children, who now have »off« prematurely, should be told clearly that this is not a holiday and be asked not to take the bus or train to bars and discos. Not even during the Easter holidays, because we have a special situation on our hands. It's no use if we all isolate ourselves, but the kids are in a party mood, sharing bottles and joints. No, we're not on »Corona holidays«. We have an emergency here. You're endangering old people and the healthcare system!
5. Politicians are hammering out one employee-friendly regulation after another. Free time for child care, sick leave by phone for 14 days, if you are afraid, you don't have to go to work - that's all good and the right thing to do. But we have to catch up later, the Chinese are showing us that perfectly. There are 14 Saturdays in the fourth quarter on which Europe is working. We should all restrict ourselves and show solidarity. But please, really all of us. And I bet that employees will see very clearly how the employers are making an effort and would have no problem at all with such an arrangement. That would also be another signal to everyone that we all have to behave responsibly now, because we all (!) have to pay for the downtime somehow. So far, privately, we all can't help that the pandemic is here - but slowly the point has been passed where we can now point our fingers at the people who live as if nothing had happened.
6. Let's stop with the infrastructure projects. Even now, retailers can hardly find or pay for construction companies or handymen. These industries are working at full capacity. If they get a forced break imposed on them now, plus additional government projects, the rest of the world can forget finding handymen or construction companies in the next few years.
7. Why should processes be postponed? If we can buy 100 liters of disinfectant from our pharmacy on one day - yes, they have it again - then perhaps a court can do the same. And there you sit far enough apart from each other anyway.
I wish all my readers: stay healthy! And don't let anyone look at you funny if you are more careful than others. Thats not »uncool«, but rather, totally cool.
Chatting with the CEO
Some CEOs never have time for anything – they are always busy, always stressed. That’s true, for the most part. But above all, a CEO needs to prioritise....
Some CEOs never have time for anything – they are always busy, always stressed. That’s true, for the most part. But above all, a CEO needs to prioritise. He needs to know what is important.
Ok, so what is important currently? To me, it’s important that I don’t lose touch with our customers. I want to know what challenges and chances we are facing. What do our customers need right now? How can we best support them? In which area could we improve?
That’s why I started the Jarltech CEO chat. Starting now, customers who are logged in to the webshop have the opportunity to chat with me. Of course, I will not be available all the time, but I will make time to be available on a regular basis, and as often as I can.
So, the next time you are logged in to our website and you see the chat symbol with my name on it, try it out for yourself! I look forward to chatting with you!
Europe 2025
Naturally, the current economic situation in Germany, as well as that in Europe, is heavily on my mind....
Naturally, the current economic situation in Germany, as well as that in Europe, is heavily on my mind. After all, I am a business owner who is responsible for 430 employees. What I am missing, however, is a clear political direction in terms of the economy. Does our European policy have any answers?
Let me put it this way: As a medium-sized entrepreneur in the year 2025, I have a plate full of challenges every day. We must constantly ask ourselves the question, how do we make our business even more sustainable? Sustainability has long since ceased to be a trend and has become something of a must.
Digitalisation is another hot topic. Whether that means automating processes, upgrading our IT infrastructure or sensibly implementing AI – you cannot afford to simply do nothing. At the same time though, we are struggling with heaps of bureaucracy. It would be so nice if the regulatory jungle would be streamlined a little, so that we do not need to battle mountains of paperwork each month. And no, I don’t mean in the sense of Elon Musk.
Then there is the matter of the skilled labour shortage. The demographic change is real, and it is beating down our labour market. On a European level we are discussing migration, but the discussion is (more or less) one-sided. It is an important discussion, but it must be comprehensive and not only conducted in a one-dimensional way. How do we deal with this change and how do we attract qualified specialists? This is a relevant factor in remaining competitive.
And, as you already know, we think outside the box: Geopolitical uncertainties and an ever-changing global playing field require us to remain flexible and agile. Whether it is retail, customs duties, energy prices or international conditions of competition – we must have Plan B ready to go – economy and politics together.
In short: Europe 2025 offers us many challenges but also enormous potential. European entrepreneurs want to lead the way and shape the future, but we need sensible framework conditions and planning security from politicians!
Complaining – the national pastime of the Germans
Let’s be honest, we Germans love to complain – about the weather, football, the economy, politics, etc....
Let’s be honest, we Germans love to complain – about the weather, football, the economy, politics, etc. This unites us all – regardless of our social class or political affiliation. Complaining is a national pastime in Germany. We love to grumble about high prices, the shortage of skilled workers and the weakening economy, while at the same time discussing our next holiday or the four-day week. Please don’t get me wrong, I am all for everyone taking a lot of time off and having a good rest – the only thing that bothers me is the fact that we love to see everything in such a gloomy light! We have to start working together to find solutions, because what we forget amidst all the moaning are our own abilities.
No, Germany is not falling apart! Germany still has a lot of untapped potential. We have people with great ideas, curious and inquisitive people (yes, even among Gen Z), a high average level of education, a high degree of legal certainty, a consistently strong industry, very good research ... and yes, we also have the capital. But we have to stop complaining and focus on our strengths. We are capable of innovation, we can be or remain market leaders in many areas, but, at the same time, we have to be open-minded. Even if one area collapses, we can successfully develop and expand a subsequent one. These are our strengths. However, we have to accept the challenge – be it in society, in politics or in the economy. Burying our heads in the sand won’t help us.
We are once again facing enormous opportunities for our future – whether in medical research, industry, the energy sector or, of course, across the board in the field of AI. And that’s just what comes to mind. There is, of course, much more. Let’s work together to develop new ideas that will advance us not only as a society, but also as a business location. There is potential out there, it just needs to be tapped! And by the way, we’ll have less reason to complain!
The road to success: do we really have to get worse at everything?
Last week I had a conversation with a customer that left me speechless....
Last week I had a conversation with a customer that left me speechless. Our sales department asked me to speak to a customer on the phone who doesn’t buy from us because we supposedly supply end customers.
No problem, I thought. I called and explained that this is exactly what we don’t do, and that this is a key promise to our dealers. There are extremely rare exceptions – only if a vendor forces us to or a retailer explicitly asks us to. But that almost never happens.
Then it turned out that there was a misunderstanding: the customer said that we also supply small retailers. My answer: »Yes, we do and we have to, based on our contracts with the vendors. Our competitors do that too.«
»All correct«, I hear, but then it got exciting: »Your large competitors are not interested in small customers, so they are poorly served. At Jarltech, small dealers feel comfortable because you provide great service.«
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry ... A customer doesn’t buy from us because our service is too good? I hadn’t expected that.
But don’t worry, contrary to the headline: We will continue to endeavour to offer every customer the best service we can!