Research basis

The market problem is real: owner-led companies need structure before transition pressure arrives.

Founder & Form uses public research, owner-transition data, and practical business-readiness criteria to explain why preparation matters.

Public data used on this site

The numbers explain why business structure matters.

These sources support the succession, exit readiness, and owner dependency language used across Founder & Form pages.

Project Equity

Project Equity reports 2.3 million aging baby-boomer-owned U.S. employer businesses, equal to 44.7 percent of privately held employer firms. Those businesses employ 24.7 million workers and generate about $5.1 trillion in sales.

Florida exposure

Project Equity estimates roughly 217,400 Florida firms tied to this ownership shift, supporting about 2 million workers and $355 billion in revenue.

Transfer risk

Project Equity context notes that less than 15 percent of small businesses pass to family, and many owners over 50 report difficulty finding a buyer.

South Florida context

FIU Business has highlighted South Florida as a market with many small, family-run and immigrant-founded businesses, many without formal succession plans or clear valuations.