Internationally, family business is changing.

While family businesses continue to thrive in the United States, family businesses around the world are facing increasing pressure? with more and more worries about financing the firm and succession planning, according to research from business and financial advisers? Grant Thornton.

Grant Thornton's PRIMA People and Relationship Issues in Management) global research report is an international research study carried out among owner-managers of independent and family businesses n 26 countries around the world.

Andrew Godfrey, International Director of PRIMA at Grant Thornton comments, "The results of the survey are surprising in that some issues which we would expect to cause worry to owner-managers do not seem to concern them? such as how to provide for children if they prefer to work elsewhere or whether to bring the children into the business at all. Owner-managers across the world seem to be increasingly concerned about the long-term challenges of keeping the business in good health rather than short-term problems."

The global survey results show:

* 40% of business owners have nightmares about all their wealth being tied up in the business.

* 15% have serious concerns about how much the business would be worth if it was sold.

* Almost a quarter of businesses wonder whether they really need to grow the business at all? and the same amount are concerned how life might change for them if the business grew.

Professor Sue Birley, Professor of Entrepreneurship at The Management School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Universty of London, who oversaw the research study comments:

"Family and owner managed bus nesses contribute greatly to the world's economy and this study has significant implications for the future. Whilst owners in some countries still regard the business as a family heirloom, this yew may be graqually disappearing. With business owners having nightmares about financing their firms properly, commercial consideration ions are taking precedence"

Personal conflict issues are also of concern.

* The possibility of having a disagreement with a business partner causes a Jack of sleep for 33% of the sample, with 9% worried about the consequences or the business if spouses in the business divorce.

Andrew Godfrey continues, "It is when the results are broken down country by country or region by region that we see some cultural stereotypes reinforced and evidence of differences in worldwide de working cultures and attitudes to business."

Some of these results include:

* Business owners in Australasia and the Dominican Republic appear to worry least about financing growth and retaining control of their business. 57% of Australasian business owners sleep easily when thinking about this issue, while only 20% have nightmares, 58% of Dominican Republic business owners have no problems sleeping and only 15% have nightmares.

* Asia's business owners worry the most about financing growth and retaining control of their business. 38% experienced nightmares about this and only 31% could sleep easily.

* Worldwide, an average of 22% of business owners had nightmares about this issue, 28% were concerned and 49% could sleep easily.

Attitudes to the lifeblood of the family firm - the family itself - also vary from continent to contient:

* 26% of Asian businesses worry about bringing family members into the business, but 24% intend that their children should join the family firm,

* Only 12% of Australasian businesses have nightmares about bringing family members in and only 13% intend that their children should join. Japan shows some marked differences from the rest of Asia when considering the role of family members and their involvement in and influence over the business:

* Across Asia, 41% of respondents agree that children should be introduced to the business at an early age, compared to just 13% Japanese respondents.

* 46% of businesses in Asia believe that the business is stronger with family member involved. compared to only 18% in Japan.

Andrew Godfrey concludes, "The results show that the family business as we know it may well be under threat. The horizon for t family business is certainly changing with more concern needing to be paid to integraing family members into the firm without conflict and ensuring that family members have the right skills for the business. The biggest challenge facing today's family business ma we I be ensuring they have the right experties to grow their business in an increasingly cu throat business world."