2025 Annual Family Business Survey - Family Enterprise USA

2025 Family Business Survey

At Family Enterprise USA we never stop advocating for American Generationally owned family businesses at a national level!

Please take this 5 minute ANONYMOUS survey, to prove to legislators in Washington, DC that family businesses are vital to America and our communities!

For completing the survey you’ll receive an invitation to join a Member’s only exclusive 2024 quarterly Zoom Webcast. Gain insider insights from political experts and elected officials featuring Frank Luntz and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.

With over a decade of information, legislators listen to what we have to say, and have the data to help family businesses.

We need your participation in this survey because legislators must understand your issues and concerns at a national level.

Please take the 5-minute anonymous survey and thank you for being supportive of our work!

Thank you, the Family Enterprise USA team

Our survey comes with a ‘Save and Continue Later‘ feature located at the bottom of this page. Take your time, answer at your pace, and resume whenever you’re ready. Your input matters to us.

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1. Does your family own or manage an operating family business?*

Yes – Sole owner

Yes – Majority owner

Yes – Minority owner

Yes – Manager, non-owner

1a. Do you work with family businesses?*

Yes

If yes, are you a:*

Family Business Consultant

Family Business Advisor, Attorney or Accountant

Family Business Valuation Firm

Other

1b. Do you believe that family businesses are an important part of the US Economy?*

Yes

1c. Do you believe that family businesses should have the same tax and economic rules as nonfamily businesses?*

Yes

2. What is your primary role in the family business?*

CEO/President	Vice-President or Other C-Suite Executive	Board Chair	Board Director	Retired

3. Which of the following best describes the principal industry of your family business?*

Accounting

Advertising/Public Relations

Aerospace/Aviation

Agriculture

Arts/Entertainment/Publishing

Automotive

Banking/Mortgage

Business Development

Business Opportunity

Clerical/Administrative

Construction/Facilities

Consumer Goods

Customer Service

Education/Training

Energy/Utilities

Engineering

Financial Services

Government/Military

Green

Healthcare

Hospitality/Travel

Human Resources

Installation/Maintenance

Insurance

Internet

Law Enforcement/Security

Legal

Management/Executive

Manufacturing/Operations

Marketing

Non-Profit/Volunteer

Pharmaceutical/Biotech

Professional Services

QA/Quality Control

Real Estate

Restaurant/Food Service

Retail

Sales

Science/Research

Skilled Labor

Technology

Telecommunications

Transportation/Logistics

Other

4. What generation has majority OWNERSHIP of your family business?*

G1	G2	G3	G4	G5+

5. Do Next Gen family members work in your family business?*

Yes	No

6. How many years has your family business been in operation?*

Less than 10 years	10 to less than 20 years	20 to less than 30 years	30 to less than 50 years	50 to less than 100 years	100 years or more

7. Have you passed ownership of the business on to the next generation?*

Yes	No

7a. If yes,*

(select all that apply)

Partial ownership

Full ownership

Controlling ownership

Non-controlling ownership

8. What percentage of your family business's charitable contributions (donations or volunteer time) supports LOCAL CHARITIES or local chapters of national charities?*

0% to 20%	21% to 40%	41% to 60%	61% to 80%	81% to 100%	100% national	Do not donate

9. How many people did your firm employ in the US, (as employees or contract labor, either part-time or full-time) as of 12/31/2024?*

1 - 50	51 - 100	101 - 500	501 - 1,000	1,001 - 5,000	5,001 - 10,000	10,001 - 15,000	15,001 - 25,000	25,001+

10. Did you ADD or LOSE jobs in 2024?*

Add	Lose	No Change

10a. How many NET US jobs were ADDED in 2024?*

1 - 50	51 - 100	101 - 500	501 - 1,000	1,001 - 5,000	10,001+

10b. How many NET US jobs were LOST in 2024?*

1 - 50	51 - 100	101 - 500	501 - 1,000	1,001 - 5,000	10,001+

11. Did your business’ revenue grow or decline in 2024?*

Grow	Decline	No Change

11a. By what percentage did it grow:*

Less than 5%	5% to 10%	11% to 20%	More than 20%

11b. By what percentage did it decline:*

Less than 5%	5% to 10%	11% to 20%	More than 20%

12. How would you measure the salary and benefits that you pay your employees as compared to your non-family business competition?*

Above average	Average	Below average	Don't know

13. What were the gross US revenues of your business in 2024?*

$0 up to $5M	$6 to to $20M	$21m to $50M	$51M to $100M	$101M to $250M	$251M to $500M	$501M to $750M	$751M to $1B	More than $1B

14. Do you expect your business’ revenue to grow or decline in 2025?*

Grow	Decline	No Change

15. What will be the greatest impediment to your business growth in 2025/2026?*

Access to capital

Cost and Availability Labor

Cybersecurity

Government regulation

Industry competition

Inflation

Market conditions

Taxes

Technological Changes

Other

16. Has your business been impacted by any cyber crime, hacking, or cyber breaches?*

Yes	No

16a. If yes, tell us how.*

(select all that apply)

Ransomware

Data Intrusion

Phishing Attacks

Breaches having occurred with your personal hardware

Social media accounts being hacked/breached

Email accounts being hacked/breached

Physical tampering, damage, theft and loss of devices

Keystrokes Attack

Malware

Denial-Of-Service Attack

17. Please pick the Top 3 TAX POLICIES most important or of top concern to you:*

	No increase in income tax rate	No decrease in estate tax lifetime exemption	No increase in capital gains tax rate	Keep 199A deduction for pass through entity	Restore R & D expensing	Restore Bonus Depreciation	Establishment of a Wealth tax
First
Second
Third

18. Please pick the ESTATE TAX PROPOSAL most important or of top concern to you:*

Make the current level of lifetime exemption, which expires at the end of 2025, permanent at $12.92 million per person

Reduce the rate of estate tax from 40% to that of a capital gains tax rate

Increase the lifetime exemption from current level

Repeal the estate tax

Increase the estate tax

None of the above

19. Please pick the Top 3 ECONOMIC PUBLIC POLICY priorities to you and your family business:*

	Reducing the federal budget deficit and national debt	Elimination of like kind exchanges	Reducing or eliminating estate taxes	Reducing regulations	Reducing capital gains taxes	Reducing income taxes	Elimination of R&D Expensing	Preventing a wealth tax
First
Second
Third

20. Please pick your TOP 3 workforce challenges:*

	Culture Building	Recruiting & Training	Benefits/Pay	Hybrid Work Options	Union Negotiations
First
Second
Third

21. How do you hold the OWNERSHIP of your business?*

S Corporation	C Corporation	Limited Liability Company	Partnership	Trust	Other

22. Do you have GENERATIONAL employees?*

(Multiple generations of the same family employed)

Yes	No

23. Have you curtailed or canceled product or technology development due to the new R&D expensing rules?*

Yes	No

24. In how many states in the US do you do business?*

1	2 to 5	6 to 10	11 to 20	21+

25. If you paid less in taxes would you:*

Pay more to your employees	Invest more in the business	Make distributions to owners	Contribute more to your community	Do nothing

26. What ethnicity is the primary owner of the business?*

27. Which of the following categories best describes the primary owner?*

Woman	LGBTQ+	Veteran	Person with a Disability	None	Prefer not to answer

28. Do you use Trusts for planning purposes?*

Yes	No

29. Are you a Member of a Trade Association?*

Yes	No

29a. If so, what is the name of the Association?

30. Have you met with your Member of Congress to discuss your company’s issues/challenges?*

Yes	No

30a. If so who?

31. Are you affected by the Corporate Transparency Act?*

Yes	No	Don't Know

32. How do you identify yourself politically?*

Republican	Democrat	Independent	Other	Decline to answer

33. Is your business subject to current U.S. Tariffs levied on products or component parts imported from other countries?*

Yes	No

34. Please list the city and state in which you reside so we know the geographic distribution of respondents.*

City State

If you are interested in learning more about Family Enterprise USA or would like to be added to our email list please provide the information below.

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Street Address City State ZIP Code

Please provide your email address so we can remove you from future emails asking for your participation in the 2025 Annual Survey.*

(This survey is completely ANONYMOUS. We will not use your email address for any other purpose. We Respect Your Privacy.)

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