In the fourth private company edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 10th Annual Global CEO Survey, we examine the prevailing business sentiment among US private companies and uncover their major challenges and opportunities.
Two things stand out in this year's report: One, private equity has emerged as a potent force shaping today's business environment. A vast majority of our respondents are aggressively pursuing mergers and acquisitions. In the report, we explain how private equity is fueling this trend and why we believe it will continue in the near term.
Second, outsourcing will gradually gain greater acceptance among US private companies. Our respondents cite low-cost competition and talent shortage as the two most significant threats to business growth. As they address these challenges, we expect companies to increase partnering with offshore companies, especially those based in Asia.
Be it handing off a part of one's business to an offshore vendor or valuing a transaction—these decisions are not easy for private company leaders who have a high degree of personal attachment to their businesses. We at PricewaterhouseCoopers' Private Company Services are dedicated to serving US private companies and committed to working with them to address the challenges they are facing.