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December 17, 2010

One third of small-business owners to work at Christmas

More than a third of small-business owners are planning to work on Christmas Day or Boxing Day this year, research from business information site Freeindex has revealed.

In a recent poll by Freeindex, 37 per cent of small-business owners said they will need to carry out some work over the two bank holidays.

Freeindex managing director, Martin Turner, said that many small-business owners find it difficult to switch off. “A lot of them are feeling the squeeze this year and are working around the clock to keep their heads above water,” he said. “Unfortunately, this often means putting in extra hours during the holiday season.”

“As an aside to work pressures, the ease with which remote working allows us to access the office from home means the temptation to answer work phone calls or emails during the Christmas period is greatly increased,” he added.

Self-employed sales agent, Rob Winnard, founder of EarlyQuip, said that the Christmas period can offer business owners time to catch up on tasks and plan for the year ahead.

“The customers I target won’t be available over the Christmas period, so I will use the quiet run to the New Year to get organised and plan my sales strategy for 2011,” he said. “However, I won’t be working on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, as I think it is important to take time out to rest and refocus.

“A lot of these business owners probably just mean they will catch up on emails during those two days, but they should consider having a break,” he added. “Most business owners can’t help thinking about their work on their days off, but unless they are a small B&B or another hospitality firm they should try to switch off.”

Stress Management Society director, Neil Shah, agreed that Christmas is a time to recharge the batteries. “If they don’t rest, they risk burning out,” he said. “Stressed people are more susceptible to illness as their immune system is weakened, so the productivity of the business could be hit, and they could end up taking out their mood on their colleagues in the New Year.”