Article
For owners, CEOs: Data to help middle-market companies beat uncertainty in 2026
Jan. 21, 2026
In today’s quickly evolving business landscape, planning for the future is becoming even more complex for business owners and executive leadership. Fortunately, surfacing and evaluating data on key trends matched with proactive preparation can help.
Recognizing opportunities and obstacles your business faces, as well as how industry peers and other organizations are reacting, can provide insights to your own standing and where you may need to bridge gaps. It can also help you establish benchmarks that allow you to achieve your goals more efficiently.
Understanding how impactful access to market data can be, we’re pleased to present our second annual Mid-Market Report, which compiles survey results from business leaders across industries and markets. This report is designed to be a valued tool for owners and CEOs, featuring insights from businesses with $200 million to $2 billion yearly revenue.
The data and metrics within this report provide relevant information to help you better evaluate the current mid-market business landscape, gain awareness of emerging operational trends, and define a benchmark that can inform your strategies and foster your continued success.
We greatly appreciate the respondents’ feedback across 23 questions (listed below) and hope it will guide our clients and other business leaders.
Explore the full report or dig into section snapshots:
- Four challenges, including supply chain, facing middle-market companies in 2026
- How your middle-market company can compete in 2026 — operational efficiency, technology, talent, and future planning
- Six high-impact tactics to consider for this year
Tackling uncertainty head on for middle-market companies
With the change of presidential administration at the start of 2025, the ensuing geopolitical environment has brought policy, regulatory, and economic changes that have tested business leaders in new and unexpected ways. This rapid policymaking combined with a budget stalemate by the federal government is an unforeseen dynamic that the economy is adapting to daily.
Survey results show a consistent juxtaposition between what respondents anticipate from the economy and how they feel about their ability to meet potential challenges.
For 2026, the three largest concerns that respondents feel they face are technology adoption, tariffs, and tax and regulatory changes.
As for potential overall business risks, those surveyed are worried about facing the economic environment (55%) above all. Other fears include cyber-threats (52%), regulatory or legislative changes (49%), and talent shortages (43%).
Concern about technology adoption points to leaders’ knowledge that incorporating advanced tools like AI is necessary to business success and their ability to be competitive. Identifying the best use case and establishing governance around its use is a common hurdle. That cyber-threats also featured as a key concern shows leaders are aware this uncontrollable uncertainty can have serious consequences.
Sentiments regarding tariffs and tax and regulatory uncertainties aren’t surprising given 2025’s geopolitical and economic activity. Subsequent concerns are closely connected to these two areas.
Tariffs and regulatory uncertainties present a significant challenge for leaders as these are costs that are beyond their control. Responding effectively to the uncertainty in this area requires leaders to pull other business levers to maintain business viability and an upward trajectory.
Typically, uncertainty in the economy correlates to apprehension about maintaining business health during these economic changes. Our survey results reveal a more optimistic viewpoint and approach among business leaders, which is consistent with our previous report’s findings.
Nearly all respondents feel assured of their company’s standing to navigate the current economic climate (97%). 482 respondents are confident in their company’s ability to navigate an era of uncertainty (96%).
This optimistic outlook points to a young but experienced leadership pool that isn’t hesitant to act when pressures emerge; they understand how to usher their businesses through uncertainty.
This is heartening as it points to a responsive, agile marketplace that can retain its relevance and effectiveness in an economic landscape riddled with unknowns.
Mid-market report survey participants
Survey participants were sourced using dynamic, online sampling protocols to facilitate meaningful and practical data business leaders can use to inform their decision-making with 500 responses received. This is a 250% increase from our previous report.
Respondents include leaders across a wide range of industry sectors, providing an overview of activity and economic sentiment across the mid-market. Top industry sectors represented in the survey include:
The majority of respondents (394) are young leaders 49-44 years old with the remaining participants falling in the 45-60 year and 75+ age categories. This report also saw 5% (24) of respondents in the 18–28 age category. 24% are women.
Respondents represent an equal spread across the United States with the majority on the east coast. See the full breakdown of participants by region, business revenue, gender, age, employment status, and industry in the report.
Survey questions
Participants were asked 23 questions and permitted to provide multiple responses to certain questions:
- Which of the following are your three biggest concerns facing your business heading into 2026?
- How confident are you in your company’s ability to navigate the current economic climate?
- Is your business preparing for increased overhead costs due to any of the following?
- In what ways are you combating increased overhead costs?
- How concerned is your company about inflation?
- How concerned is your company about tariffs?
- What steps is your company/ organization taking to combat tariffs?
- What, if any, investments are you making in AI for your company/organization?
- How much money are you investing in AI this fiscal year?
- Why are you making investments in AI for your company/organization?
- What’s preventing you from using AI?
- What have you done to cut operational costs?
- What are your top regulatory/tax concerns?
- What concerns, if any, do you have about increased interest rates affecting your organization?
- What concerns, if any, do you have about potential business risks your organization may face?
- What concerns, if any, do you have about competing businesses in your industry?
- What are your top talent concerns?
- How confident or unconfident are you in your company’s ability to navigate an era of uncertainty?
- Have you made or are you considering making changes to your supply chain as a result of tariffs or increased regulatory pressure?
- Which of the following are the most significant factors you are weighing in making changes to your supply chain?
- Is your company considering a restructuring or business transition plan to address current market conditions?
- Which of the following have you considered for potential business transitions in your organization’s future?
- What concerns, if any, do you have about private equity?
See the detailed responses to these questions in the report.
The information provided here is of a general nature and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any individual or entity. In specific circumstances, the services of a professional should be sought. Tax information, if any, contained in this communication was not intended or written to be used by any person for the purpose of avoiding penalties, nor should such information be construed as an opinion upon which any person may rely. The intended recipients of this communication and any attachments are not subject to any limitation on the disclosure of the tax treatment or tax structure of any transaction or matter that is the subject of this communication and any attachments.