Founding story June 2021 - Regine Müller speech therapy practice

Succession is female!

Every year, an average of more than 70,000 family businesses alone are affected by the situation of handover to a successor from within or outside the family.

Regine, in September 2020 you took over a speech therapy practice from your former boss after working there for 20 years. From today's perspective, would you take the same step again - or would you rather set up a new practice?

I would definitely do it again! My advantage: I knew exactly what I was getting into. I had known the practice and the team for years. The company is well-known in Hanover-Stöcken, I was able to get involved in established structures, my former boss recommended me to the patients, we were able to continue working almost seamlessly - even with prescription billing - which was good. The takeover process just took a very, very long time - for my predecessor, the handover was difficult and so emotionally charged that it was very difficult for us to talk about it. After four years of waiting, I then made a concrete offer in 2020 - and we both knew that this was our last chance.

How did you overcome the hurdles in this takeover process that took years?

Several factors helped me with this: On the one hand, there was the external advice from the experts at hannoverimpuls, Gründerinnen-Consult, the Hannover Region Business Service and my tax consultant - and on the other hand, Corona also gave me a helping hand: This made it clear that we couldn't sit down together to clarify things. That went completely digital, made it more objective and much easier. We only met once: to sign the final contract. The support of my family was also key, my husband gave me a personal loan and also fully supported me with the business plan.

How did it go in the team - after all, one colleague became the head of the practice?

That was pleasantly easy. Due to the illness of my former boss, I had already been in charge of the practice for the past six years anyway. This means that the three employees - one full-time employee, one part-time employee and one working student - had already accepted me as their professional manager. I'm also not a "mega boss", the three of them are welcome to contribute their ideas. And: due to the situation, there was a big investment backlog in practice, especially in technology. Before, I felt responsible, but now I can really take care of my employees and have already purchased new technology, new chairs and other things.

What are your tips for others who want to take over a company?

Make sure you get advice, I couldn't have done it without it. I knew what I was getting myself into in terms of market potential and practice - if you don't know these facts yet, you should definitely do some intensive research beforehand.

Contact details:

Regine Müller

Verdener Platz 2 / 30419 Hanover

Phone: 0511 271 09 74

Regine Müller on the cooperation with hannoverimpuls and the Hannover Region Business Service:

That was the key for me to making my planned business succession a reality. The consultation helped me to take the necessary steps professionally and with emotional distance.

Thomas Löhr, Business Succession Consulting at the Hannover Region, on Regine Müller and her business succession at the "Logopädische Praxis Regine Müller":

Business successors often need a lot of patience for the process. Regine Müller was perfectly prepared for the new challenges and mastered the step to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Ute Rebel, Project Manager of the Start-up and Entrepreneurship Project Gründerinnen Consult at hannoverimpuls, on Regine Müller's business succession:

Regine Müller had the toughest of starting conditions as an entrepreneur due to coronavirus. With a great deal of flexibility and tailor-made video therapy offers, for example in voice therapy for patients, she has successfully proven herself on the market as an entrepreneurial personality.