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Despite a lack of economic optimism for 2025, business owners are forging ahead with big plans and hope that their businesses continue to thrive for the next 100 years. With a look toward the future, this benchmark report provides an inside view of how a wide range of business owners and entrepreneurs are navigating dynamic economic and technological landscapes.

By exploring the essence of legacy and its impact on business performance, this report brings together the detailed analysis, academic insights, and the firsthand experiences of family business CEOS to contribute to a deeper understanding of the importance of balancing tradition and innovation for long-term success in family businesses. From this report, you can learn more about the steps you and your family can take to uncover the strengths of your legacy.

The concept of transferring ownership of a private business to a purpose trust was first popularized when the Patagonia transaction was announced—instead of “going public,” they were “going purpose” to allow the owner to monetize his stake in the business while at the same time ensure that the values of the business are preserved for future generations. This guidebook by Northern Trust offers insights for business owners who may be interested in exploring a purpose trust transaction structure for their own business.

The current next-generation family members are changing the way families view wealth, no longer focusing on creating wealth for wealth’s sake.

Each family’s legacy is as unique as the family itself. It can be a bloodline, a name, heirlooms, a legal entity or family stories, myths, and artifacts. In this fourth and final report in the series on family business succession, key insights are shared on the important role that legacies play in uniting the core purpose of the business with the family’s abiding values. If you missed the other three reports in the series, you will find them here:

There are few issues in family business that create more conflict and tension than the employment of family members. The complexities involved and the breakdowns in communication and trust can contribute significantly to the alarmingly high rate of failed intergenerational transitions in family business. The good news is that there is a way for families to better position themselves to overcome those challenges by looking at the 10 most common mistakes family members make when it comes to hiring (and firing) for their business.