SME Business News

Nearly a quarter of small business owners put their work commitments before their health according to a survey carried out by Continental Research, on behalf of Abbey and Alliance & Leicester business banking.

Of the 300 small business owners reviewed companies with the most employees had the biggest problem getting to the Doctor. 41% of small firms with 11 or more employees admitted to missing, cancelling or delaying a medical appointment as a result of work commitments. In comparison only 9% of bosses that have as little as one or two employees put work before their health.

One way to sleep better at night is to consider invoice finance. It will certainly give your business a healthy cash flow.

The study also revealed that bosses who work longer hours are much more likely to put business before their health. Consequently 43% of small business owners working 50 - 60 hours per week miss appointments in comparison to 13% of bosses working under 40 hours a week.

In addition to these figures the research has also revealed that 33% of small business owners are currently working over 50 hours per week, and 15% are working in excess of 65 hours – the equivalent to a minimum of 13 hours a day over a 5 day working week.

The Head of Business Banking Marketing at Abbey and Alliance & Leicester, Paula Ickinger, commented that the recession is pushing many small business owners to work very hard, with increasingly longer hours – well over the maximum number permitted by the European Working Time Directive.

Ickinger continued:”However, missing health appointments for the sake of a heavy workload can be counter-productive in the long run, and small business owners should find a way of managing their work-life balance, taking the pressure off themselves a little and ensuring they don’t sacrifice their health for their wealth.”