Our annual Barometer, a joint-partnership between KPMG Enterprise and European Family Businesses (EFB), shows confidence levels amongst family businesses continues to be gaining momentum. Now in its sixth edition, the survey received more than 1,100 responses from family business owners across Europe and proved that, despite ongoing challenges, family businesses are confidently moving forward and planning to reinvest their profits into their business as well as seeking new opportunities that will enable them to foster sustainable growth.

As Europe moves away from the 2008 debt crisis and shows continued recovery, the optimism of these business owners remains steady. In this report, we see that 71% of family businesses showed overall confidence in their economic outlook for the year ahead. Looking back over the past year, it’s been a good period for many businesses, with the majority reporting positive results. Increased turnover was also reported by 57% of respondents, with only 13% experiencing a decline over the last 12 months.

Several highlights emerged throughout the reports analysis, including:

• 71% of respondents reported feeling confident or very confident with their economic outlook for the next 12 months. About one quarter remain neutral about their prospects, only 2% felt negative or very negative about the coming year 
• 30% of respondents (53% of respondents in the UK) indicated political uncertainty was a top concern
• 56% of respondents indicated that their preference for the future of Europe would include an increase in integration
• 57% of respondents reported increased turnover over the past year, while 27% maintained turnover and only 13% saw a reduction
• 43% of respondents identified the “war for talent” as the most important issue they face. The availability of labor paired with the increasing cost of labor cited by 32% of respondents in putting greater pressure on family businesses
• The need to balance family concerns and business interests was reported as important or very important to their business by 87% of respondents. This issue has grown sharply in significance each year since 2014, when 59% found it very important or important.
• 84% of respondents indicated that preparing and training a successor was important or very important to their business

Please see the final report attached with a full analysis of the results and trends identified from the companies surveyed, including the respondents’ profiles and key contacts.