Business Family Enterprise Report - Moving From Success to Significance

Articles based on interviews with family business leaders worldwide, offering deep dives and practical insights from our latest Global Family Business Survey.

Birmingham-based Royal Cup Coffee and Tea Wednesday announced a major acquisition of a 114-year-old coffee distributor.

A judicial review will be held into the government's proposed changes to inheritance tax rules on March 17 and 18 at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Almost all of Britain’s family businesses still face major changes to inheritance tax despite a government concession to limit the damage of its decision to end the carve-out for family-run firms.

Feels like nothing’s safe now

When you're launching a business, it may seem counterintuitive to begin with your exit in mind. But planning ahead will put you on a more secure footing in the long run.

January 22, 2026, 10:30 AM ET Wendy Stewart is president of Global Commercial Banking for Bank of America, one of the firm's eight lines of business, and is a member of the company’s executive management team. courtesy of Bank of America When starting a company, nimble decision-making and founder-led intuition are often hallmarks of success. However, as a family enterprise becomes increasingly complex, companies find a need for greater structure to provide accountability and oversight of

Research commissioned by the Jobs Foundation found widespread gloominess among family businesses at the beginning of the year.

Christophe Williams, 53, is a former advertising film editor who founded Naked Energy, a solar collector manufacturer, in 2009. Now operating in 10 countries, the company’s heat technology sits on landmark sites including the British Library and the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hyde Park. Williams was affected by the fallout of his family’s business, where he worked for 15 years, an experience that was front of mind when his daughter, Luana, recently left her job at the accountancy firm PwC to

Less than a third of those posts are likely to be filled by relatives of the outgoing CEO. Feb 26, 2026 Family-owned businesses represent over a quarter of all companies globally, and are expected to generate $29 trillion in revenues annually by 2030, up from $16 billion in 2020. But despite their abundance and robust growth, new research by consulting giant Deloitte indicates many of those family-run firms either firms either don’t have, or aren’t actively implementing their succession plans,

Soft drinks company Twig's Beverage has a loyal following for its old-fashioned approach.

Building harmony in a multi-generational workplace can be tricky for most managers. A few smart lessons from family-owned businesses can help you do it right. Generational conflict has become one of the most overused explanations for workplace tension, with plenty of stereotypical blame to go around: Baby Boomers resist change. Millennials lack loyalty. Gen Z is lazy. But after more than three decades working inside founder-led and multi-generational companies—from first-generation startups to

Matt Elliot said: “This anniversary is a testament to the hard work and dedication from our staff, and shows loyalty and consistency in a constantly evolving sector.

The family business has been operating in the West Midlands for over 80 years.

The family run store cited the "demise of the high street" as a key factor in the decision.

Distinctions Between Knowing What and Knowing How  Writing about a niche subject like family business and wealth transition challenges on a weekly basis is bound to see me repeat some ideas, especially since I’ve been doing it every week for well over a decade. Such is the case this week, and I almost ended up […]

Family-owned businesses power the U.S. economy, but succession missteps and governance challenges put trillions of dollars and millions of jobs at risk.

A true focus on purpose can drive growth. Feb 8, 2026 What’s the relationship between a business’s sense of purpose—as reflected in its mission and values—and its performance? While this has been a question up for debate, the importance of purpose in business has been amplified in recent years. Evidence from a recent survey I conducted as part of a joint effort between the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises at the Kellogg School of Management and PwC suggests a strong, potentially

Barclay case exposes ‘recurring vulnerability’ in family businesses A High Court dispute involving the Barclay family has become a cautionary tale for advisers to wealthy families, highlighting the risks of informal assurances and blurred lines between personal and commercial liability

A “big adjustment” is how Jeff Schmidt describes his first month of retirement after decades of running his family’s century-old Waterbury hardware store.

Updated Jan 23, 2026, 3:59 PM GMT David Heacock left his job to run the family business. Courtesy of David Heacock David Heacock's grandfather founded a machinery business in Alabama. His dad told him not to work in the family business, so he became a trader. He changed the company's core business and grew its revenue. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David Heacock, CEO of Filterbuy. It has been edited for length and clarity. I swore I would never get into the family

With early planning (at least two years in advance), you can align tax strategy, estate planning, family priorities and investment decisions to create flexibility before a buyer enters the picture.

As Americans enter the "Great Wealth Transfer," with an estimated $84 trillion or more expected to pass to younger generations over the next two decades, family business owners face critical decisions regarding business succession and continuity. This advisory outlines four principal strategies for family business succession planning: intergenerational succession planning, minority investment, insider sales and third-party sales.