Munay Zamorano became a company owner while working as a student. Now, after selling the natural cosmetics distributor she acquired, she is encouraging young people to consider taking over established businesses rather than focusing only on founding startups.
Zamorano was 23 and working for the distributor when its owner announced plans to sell. Zamorano said she wanted to buy it, despite having no previous experience running a company. She used €30,000 in personal capital and secured a bank loan to complete the purchase. The bank required her business plan to explain who would care for her child, a condition she later described as discriminatory.
The company eventually had as many as five employees and, according to Zamorano, annual revenue of €300,000 to €350,000. But a major customer responsible for 40% of sales left, and Zamorano had also grown uncomfortable with the industry. She sold the business, with the buyer taking over its outstanding loan.
Zamorano now advises young entrepreneurs and promotes succession as a route into business ownership. An established company can offer a working business model and an income from the outset, she argues. She says she did not even know the term “business succession” until two years after taking over her company.
The need for new owners is growing, according to figures cited in the article. The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 2025 succession report recorded 9,636 senior business owners seeking advice, compared with 4,016 people interested in taking over a company. That amounts to 2.4 businesses for every prospective successor. The imbalance is more pronounced in sectors including hospitality, retail and logistics.
DIHK expert Marc Evers said that nearly 60% of businesses seeking advice could be left without a successor. Most owners planning to step down are doing so because of age, rather than financial difficulties, the report said. A separate succession monitor found that the median age of outgoing owners had risen to 64; its data covers transactions supported by guarantee banks.
Zamorano says aspiring buyers should prepare by gaining experience in the relevant industry and, if possible, management experience. She also recommends considering a joint takeover: around 80% of businesses are acquired by a single person, according to the succession monitor, while buying with others can help share the workload and purchase price.
She wants succession courses to become more widely available and hopes more women will pursue takeovers. The monitor put women’s share of business successors at 18.9% in 2025. Germany’s regional chambers of commerce already provide seminars, workshops and webinars for prospective buyers, while some states have dedicated succession centers. Zamorano is calling for a nationwide support program.
Sources: Handelsblatt.