Press Release
UK owners and managers plagued by work worries
Over a third (37%) of Britain’s small business owners and managers spend their annual summer holiday worrying about work according to new research by leading business cash flow provider, Bibby Financial Services (BFS).
Rather than taking a well-earned break and making the most of the chance to recharge their batteries, UK entrepreneurs are too worried about what is going on back at the office.
And it seems that the worry doesn’t stop when they are back in the country, over one in five (21%) UK owners and managers spend up to twenty hours outside of working hours thinking about their business. An additional 13% spend sixty hours outside of work thinking about business matters.
Despite today’s work-hard, play-hard culture, nearly three quarters of (73%) owners and managers spend their evenings fretting when they should be enjoying the reprieve from work, with more than half (56%) still worrying when they get to bed. And nearly two thirds (61%) of entrepreneurs still don’t manage to leave their troubles at the door on a Friday evening to enjoy a stress-free weekend.
The research also found that UK owners and managers are letting work affect relationships with their loved-ones as well as their recreational activities.
Over half (52%) fail to listen to their partners when they are telling them about their day because they are too busy worrying about their business, instead of enjoying a relaxing evening. Despite the fact that many people go to the gym to work off the day’s frustrations, two in 10 (23%) owners and managers cannot switch off even when they are pounding the treadmill. And instead of relaxing at the pub on a hot summer’s evening, nearly a quarter (22%) are still thinking about the office while their pint is being poured.
David Robertson, chief executive of Bibby Financial Services, said: “It is natural to let business concerns creep into your time off, however worrying about work constantly is not healthy and it is likely to have a negative impact on both your social life and the business.
“Many owners and managers start up their own company in an attempt to ‘live the dream’ and bring their passions into their working life. However, when this ambition and enthusiasm is replaced by constant worry, the enjoyment of starting your own business is completely lost. Entrepreneurs need to take time to relax and remember all the positives that having your own business can create.”
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