Next Gen Collaborative Releases Study On Public Perceptions Of Family Businesses

Family businesses enjoy a powerful reservoir of public trust, but many of their strengths -- and some of their biggest challenges -- remain largely invisible to people without firsthand experience inside them, according to the newly released 2026 Public Perception of Family Businesses Report from Next Gen Collaborative.

The second annual nationwide study examines what U.S. adults think, feel, and understand about family businesses and how perceptions differ based on both age and firsthand employment experience. Conducted in partnership with market research firm MacKenzie Corp., the study surveyed 1,026 U.S. adults and follows Next Gen Collaborative’s inaugural 2025 research.

Among the most striking findings: 95% of respondents said family businesses are important to their communities, including 63% who called them “extremely important.” When comparing family businesses with private businesses and public companies, 70% identified family businesses as the most trustworthy and transparent, 77% as having the most genuine and authentic identity, and 71% as having the most positive community impact.

Public Trust Is High, but Perception Gaps Remain

Jenny Dinnen, co-owner of Next Gen Collaborative said:

“Family businesses have an extraordinary amount of goodwill with the public. People see them as honest, authentic, and deeply connected to their communities. But our research also shows that the public’s picture of family business is incomplete. Some of what makes these companies successful, as well as some of the challenges they face, simply isn’t visible from the outside."

That “visibility gap” emerged as one of the study’s most significant findings. Current or former family-business employees were more likely than those without that experience to describe family businesses as ambitious (43% vs. 32%), creative (41% vs. 31%), and innovative (34% vs. 24%). They were also substantially more likely to say family businesses face serious challenges involving succession, outdated technology, innovation and leadership.

Age also plays a significant role. Among adults 60 and older, 70% associated family businesses with dedication, compared with 50% of respondents ages 18-39, while 83% associated them with authenticity, compared with 72% of younger adults.

Katie Rucker, co-owner of Next Gen Collaborative said:

“Those differences are important because they suggest that trust and understanding often deepen through experience. But family businesses can’t simply assume younger generations will eventually come to understand them in the same way. They have an opportunity to be much more intentional about communicating who they are and how they are evolving.”

The study also found strong public support for the continued success of family-owned companies, with overwhelming majorities across all three age groups supporting public policies designed to help family businesses successfully transition leadership from one generation to the next.

Turning an Inside Perspective Outward

For twin sisters Dinnen and Rucker, both second-generation family-business owners, the research is personal as well as professional, given their strong advocacy for family business. Next Gen Collaborative launched the annual study to better understand how family businesses are viewed by people outside them. By repeating many of the same core questions each year, the firm hopes to identify which perceptions remain consistent and where attitudes are shifting.

“Much of the conversation about family businesses comes from people who are already inside the family-business world,” Dinnen said.

“We wanted to turn that around and listen to the people on the outside. Continuing the research each year gives us a baseline, an opportunity to see how those perceptions evolve and help family businesses make better decisions about how they communicate, lead and plan for the future.”

The 2026 Public Perception of Family Businesses Report is available now and includes detailed findings on trust, community impact, generational differences, employment experience, and leadership transition.

About the 2026 Public Perception of Family Businesses Report

The nationwide online survey was conducted among 1,026 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Current and former family-business owners were excluded from participation. The results have a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of approximately plus or minus 3 percentage points. Download the full report.

About Next Gen Collaborative

Next Gen Collaborative is a strategic foresight and advisory firm founded by Certified Futurists and twin sisters Jenny Dinnen and Katie Rucker. The firm helps businesses, leaders and organizations look beyond today, anticipate change and use those insights to shape future strategies, priorities and decisions. Through research and insights, collaborative planning, workshops, leadership retreats and keynote presentations, Next Gen Collaborative challenges conventional thinking, uncovers new possibilities and turns foresight into meaningful action. Learn more at nextgencollaborative.com.