Three in four small business owners will work through holidays

A OnePoll survey of small businesses, conducted with 500 respondents on behalf of Xero, found 15 per cent will work more than half a day through the holidays, while as much as 17 per cent planned to take no break at all.

Gary Turner, managing director at accounting software firm Xero, said: “As Christmas approaches, small business owners, like anyone else, deserve a break. But these results highlight that even during a time like the festive season, it isn’t possible for most of them to switch off altogether.”

When asked about future plans, just 35 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds said they would prioritise on their company’s performance.

This jumped to more than seven out of 10 for 45 to 54 year olds who put profit at the top of the agenda.

Younger respondents may have a better mix of work and leisure, with less than one in five 18 to 24 year olds and one in 10 25 to 34 year olds saying they need to improve work-life balance. This rose to around two in five for business owners aged 45 and over.

Mr Turner added: “Getting a good work-life balance is tricky, but it’s really important that we all switch off occasionally.”