Family business owners are the backbone of our great nation. The statistics of family businesses really prove this:

• 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies are family controlled. Family businesses are responsible for 64 percent of the U.S. Economy and are responsible for 78 percent of all new jobs.
• 80-90 percent of all companies in North America are family owned.
• Women are becoming more involved in the leadership of family owned companies: 24 percent of family owned businesses are run by women.
• An estimated 40 percent of family business are going to transition to the next generation by 2017.
• Only 30 percent of first generation businesses survive to the second generation.
• Only 12 percent of second generation businesses survive to the third generation.
• Only 4 percent of third generation businesses survive to the fourth generation.