Book excerpt: Family businesses are vital to the health of a nation’s economy, but distresses such as economic downturns and the Covid-19 pandemic can put them at grave existential risk. Drawing from her dynamic experience working with her family-owned company MPIL Steel Structures Ltd, Priyanka Gupta Zielinski presents a unique manual to help family businesses thrive, even in times of crisis. Central to it is a survival toolkit – featuring a metaphorical multipurpose hat, a flashlight, a superhero cape, a Swiss Army knife and a parachute – which prepares business owners to face any challenge head on. The book also reveals how the improvisational style of family enterprises can be leveraged better for sustainability, while identifying in their close-knit structure and community-driven approach avenues for meaningful social change. Replete with anecdotes and effective strategies – with an occasional Haryanvi idiom thrown into the mix – The Ultimate Family Business Survival Guide is a must-read for family business and MSME owners everywhere.