Small business owners combine holidays and work

Nearly two thirds of British small business owners are likely to use their mobile devices for work purposes when off work, according to online accounting organisation FreeAgent.

Research carried out by YouGov on behalf of FreeAgent shows 62% of people who run small businesses would be either “very likely” or “fairly likely” to access their mobile devices for work reasons when they take time off, such as checking emails and managing their business data.

In contrast, just 12% of respondents said they were not very likely to use a mobile device for work reasons when taking a break, while 16% said they were “not at all likely” to do so.

Ed Molyneux, CEO and co-founder of FreeAgent said: “Our research shows that there are a lot of small business owners who choose not to ‘switch off’ when they go on holiday, but that’s not necessarily bad news. For some of them, staying connected is actually likely to be an important way for them to keep on top of their business and ensure everything is in order, so they can actually take a vacation in the first place.

“Of course, it can be very beneficial to detach from work completely when you take a break – and it’s possible to do this by getting all of your admin done in advance, so that your business runs smoothly while you’re away. But not everyone who runs a small business will have the confidence to do this, as they may be worried about chasing invoices, paying bills and missing out on vital sales leads while they are on holiday.

“However, rather than choosing not to take a break at all, we believe that many of these small business owners are now combining their holiday with keeping their business running. With this mentality, they’re able to spend a short amount of time every day checking emails or managing their accounts through their mobile device – and then enjoying the rest of their time off to relax.”

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• Holidays