With the August Bank Holiday looming, many will be preparing themselves for a relaxing weekend. However, over three quarters (78%) of small to medium sized business will be working this bank holiday.
Surveying 500 SME owners and decision makers, nearly a third (30%) admitted to taking only ten or less days of holiday each year, compared to the national average of 20 to 25 days. One quarter also said they constantly work outside of traditional working hours to ensure their businesses are a success.
According to the survey, the people who will be working the hardest this bank holiday are based in Brighton (95%), Cardiff (95%) and Glasgow (94%). Those in HR (89%) are the most likely to be working this weekend, followed by architects, engineers and builders (87%), and healthcare professionals (86%).
Nowadays, the idea of a weekend break is a thing of the past for many small business owners, as nearly half suggest they worry more about business finances at the weekend. Additionally, over half (55%) also expressed they felt more concerned about their work finances during the night, suggesting the worst time to worry is 3am.
LDF Managing Director, Peter Alderson, comments: “We’ve conducted various pieces of research over the past few months, all of which has revealed the true strain British SME owners are under. Brexit may also be adding to the general feeling of business uncertainty as small businesses maybe unsure whether they should be continuing plans to expand their business or holding fire on funding and growth.”
