Comparison · 13 material differences
Family Business UK vs Small Giants Community
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Family-business organization
Verified September 2026 Family Business UK
UK family businesses of any size and generation — owners, shareholders, family directors, next-generation family members and the non-family executives and NEDs who work with them
Networking organization
Small Giants Community
Founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized privately held companies that deliberately prioritise culture, purpose and quality over growth - the…
What the records say
- Role or title — Family Business UK: No published role or title; Small Giants Community: The community is designed for founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized businesses.
- Geographic restriction — Family Business UK: United Kingdom; Small Giants Community: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues — Family Business UK: £550–4,675 a year; Small Giants Community: $0 a year.
Side by side
| Family Business UK | Small Giants Community | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Family-business organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | 2001 (Incorporated at Companies House on 25 July 2001 as The Institute for Family Business (UK); FBUK's own about page dates the organisation to 2001.) | 2009 (The About page states that "The Small Giants Community is officially formed and founded by Bo Burlingham and Paul Spiegelman" in 2009, four years after Burlingham's 2005 book Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big.) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | United States |
| Geographic footprint | United Kingdom-wide, with regional events across the UK regions and nations | Primarily United States. The member directory offers filters for more than 30 countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, Brazil and South Africa; the organization publishes no country breakdown. |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed — FBUK describes itself as the UK's largest organisation dedicated to family businesses but publishes no member figure. | Not publicly disclosed. The organization publishes a searchable member directory but no total membership figure. The only published capacity number is the annual Summit, which is capped at 250 attendees. |
| Chapters | FBUK has no formal chapters. It runs regional events plus six member communities segmented by role and generation. | No chapters. The community operates online with a single annual summit and cohort programmes. |
| Primary audience | UK family businesses of any size and generation — owners, shareholders, family directors, next-generation family members and the non-family executives and NEDs who work with them | Founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized privately held companies that deliberately prioritise culture, purpose and quality over growth - the model described in Bo Burlingham's book. |
| Typical member | Members range from very large, long-established British family firms to first-generation businesses, across every sector. Membership is taken by the company or group and covers the whole family and the whole business: any shareholder, family member or employee, including non-family executives, non-executive directors and next-generation members, may take part in activities. | The organization describes members as ranging "from solo founders to growing companies to established purpose-driven organizations", covering founders, C-suite executives and rising leaders. Company memberships bring whole leadership teams into the community. Published member quotes come from operating executives at privately held United States firms. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | The community is designed for founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized businessesStated as the intended audience rather than an enforced test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | United KingdomFBUK represents UK family businesses and works with European Family Business to represent UK interests in Europe.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants complete the online form at familybusinessuk.org/members/apply and select the fee band matching their three-year average turnover; a membership brochure is published as a PDF. No sponsorship, interview or vetting stage is described. Communities are joined afterwards by contacting the FBUK office. | Community membership requires no application: prospective members join the free tier online and upgrade to Individual or Company membership when they choose. The cohort programmes are screened. The Leadership Academy runs an application, a Zoom conversation covering cost and curriculum, a fit review and then acceptance and payment, with onboarding ahead of a January launch. Sounding Board uses an in-depth application and assessment followed by an interview. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed — no acceptance criteria or rejection process is published; membership appears open to any UK family business at the published band. | Not applicable to general membership, which is open. For the Leadership Academy the organization says it will "review your application and ensure a good fit before accepting payment", but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | £550–4,675 a yearEight published bands set by average turnover over the preceding three years, excluding VAT: under £500k = £550; £500k–£999k = £1,090; £1m–£4.99m = £1,520; £5m–£9.99m = £1,955; £10m–£49.99m = £2,530; £50m–£149.99m = £3,360; £150m–£499.99m = £4,000; above £500m = £4,675.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $0 a yearFree tier: US$0. Includes the Small Giants Scorecard and report, a free book chapter, free virtual events and workshops, the resource library and the newsletter.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | No joining fee is published.verified September 2026 | Paid memberships are billed annually and can be cancelled at any time. The cohort programmes and the Summit are priced separately from membership. |
| Programme fee | Not publicly disclosed — the Future Leaders Programme fee is not published; conferences and masterclasses are charged separately at discounted member rates.verified September 2026 | $12,500 one-timeSmall Giants Leadership Academy: "an investment of $12,500 per participant", all inclusive of programme access, community access, lifetime resource access, a Summit ticket and meals, transport and activities for two in-person experiences; travel and accommodation are excluded. A 10 percent deposit is due on acceptance, with the balance paid up front or monthly.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Event costs | Dues are banded by turnover and exclude VAT. Events and the Future Leaders Programme are charged on top, with member discounts. | $1,650–2,265 one-timeAnnual Summit tickets in three releases: US$1,650 for the first 40 registrants, US$1,960 for the next 60, and US$2,265 thereafter. Includes all sessions, a visit to a Small Giant company, meals and receptions and transport between events. Discounts are offered for groups of three or more and for Leadership Academy alumni.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual | Annual, billed annually, cancellable at any time; the free tier has no term |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Annual conference and policy summit; masterclass series, regional events and community sessions through the year; Family Business Week annually | Ongoing online forums and virtual events and workshops; one annual Summit; Journey runs six two-day excursions a year; Sounding Board meets monthly for twelve months |
| Peer forums | Six member communities — Chairs, NextGen, NowGen, Family Council, Non-Family Executives and Policy — described as private, curated peer groups organised by role and generation | Online forums and chat open to paid members rather than assigned confidential groups; one-to-one mentorship pairs in Sounding Board; cohort groups in the Leadership Academy and Journey |
| Confidentiality | FBUK describes the communities as a safe space to share experiences; no formal written confidentiality policy is published. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not published for membership. Sounding Board is a twelve-month commitment with monthly one-to-one meetings; Journey involves six two-day excursions over a year. |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Forum-based, Virtual | Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Not documented | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | Yes | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Family Business UK · Small Giants Community