Optimism amid uncertainty

Deloitte Private conducted its first global business survey to better understand the dynamics of the private company segment by tracking the plans, priorities, and expectations of almost 1,900 private company leaders in 30 countries.

Our survey highlights risks to growth, technology and talent investments priorities, leadership development, exploring new markets for scale, and much more.

Key findings of Deloitte Private Global Perspectives:

• In the midst of uncertainty, trade remains steadfast in expanding global growth, regardless of geographic location. Almost 80% of private companies already rely on international markets for a portion of their revenue, and 43% count on them for more than a quarter of their revenue.
• Technology has allowed businesses across the globe to be more interconnected than ever before, resulting in a shared sense of optimism. Two-thirds of the private company leaders equate technology advances with creating new opportunities and positive outcomes.
• Disruption is breaking down borders and business models, enabling information flow and innovation. Almost half of the respondents say disruption is very/likely in the next two to three years.
• For private companies, learning is synonymous with growth. The top choice for planned talent investments is training, at 46%, and leadership development claimed the second spot at 33%.
• Drivers of mergers and acquisitions are focusing on how private enterprise can be more competitive in their own backyard. 42% of respondents state they are either very/likely to acquire targets in the next year with an additional 26% expecting to be acquired.