The Family Business Survey 2026

Family Business United today announces the launch of its 2026 Family Business Survey, an in-depth research initiative designed to capture the priorities, concerns, and future direction of family-owned firms across the UK. The survey aims to identify the key strategic themes shaping the sector while placing a particular emphasis on one of the most pressing challenges facing family businesses today: cybersecurity.

As family enterprises continue to play a vital role in driving economic growth, employment and community impact in the UK, Family Business United is calling on family business leaders of all sizes and across sectors to contribute their insights. The findings will inform a comprehensive report that seeks to define the UK family business agenda for 2026 and beyond.

“Family firms are built on long-term vision, resilience and stewardship — but the environment they operate in is evolving rapidly,” said Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United.

“This year’s survey will uncover the issues that matter most to family business leaders — from governance and succession to digital transformation and cyber risk — ensuring the collective voice of the sector is heard and understood, and help us to determine the current family business agenda and work on creating resources to help address the challenges family businesses face.”

A growing body of evidence highlights that cyber risk is no longer a peripheral issue for family firms. Research on broader business cybersecurity indicates that many are experiencing cyberattacks and grappling with gaps between awareness and practical preparedness. Despite increasing investment in security tools and training, incidents continue to occur, often linked to human-centric vulnerabilities and evolving threats like AI-assisted attacks.

“Cybersecurity is no longer just an operational consideration — it’s a business-critical imperative,” Andrews added.

“For family businesses — where reputation, trust and legacy matter — understanding the state of cyber risk readiness is essential.”

All family business owners and executives in the UK are encouraged to participate. Responses will be anonymous and aggregated to protect individual business confidentiality.