Infographic: Business Owners Working More with Less Time

Posted by ADMAX on Apr 4, 2013 in Da Blog! | 0 comments

Last year’s summer Manta survey of 1,200 small businesses shows that 60% will work even more this year with 50% highly considering not taking summer holidays. The ECSB (Enterprise Council on Small Business) has stated that a third of small business owners, this being largely comprised of self-employed individuals, operate for 50 hours each week. It has also been found that about 70% of the same individuals have decided not to hire new personnel for their businesses, which means even more work for them in the future. This is a sharp rise from the 57% last year.

As for the small number of SMBs that will manage to go for holidays during the summer, it will not be all about basking in the summer sun! They also plan to work while on holidays through their mobile devices. 70% of these individuals will frequently be going through their mail and other business-related tasks.

“As a small business owner, I don’t have the luxury to ever really shut off from my business,” said Terry Benton, owner of Louisiana-based Terry’s Fabric Cottage. “While it can sometimes be a double-edged sword, my mobile device allows me to stay connected so I can enjoy time away from the office. Innovative mobile apps help me stay connected and ensure other partners and prospects can find my company anytime, anywhere as well.”

The frequency of mobile device use among small business entrepreneurs can in no way be over-looked. The majority of SMBs use mobile devices even while in the office setting where computers are at their immediate disposal. 7 out of every 10 have admitted they use the devices while sitting right in front of their office computers. 5 of these individuals claim that they prefer using the mobile devices due to the ease of use they offer plus it is faster to retrieve messages. However, the remaining 2 accept that there is some sort of “addiction” to mobile devices. Remember when Blackberry aficionados referred to their devices as “crack-berry?”

Even with the mobile craze fever, traditional communication modes are still highly relevant, and especially when communicating with partners or customers. About 57% of SMBs claim to use phones or face-to-face communication with their customers. 53% use the same method with partners and business associates.

The unique thing with SMBs and their variety of communication preferences is the simple fact that they add intimacy to their customer relations with even modest increase in instant personal interaction.