1-in-10 small business owners take no holidays

9 January 2017

1-in-10 small business owners take no holidays

Many people will be heading back to work this week, but spare a thought for the thousands of small business owners who skipped taking a break this year according to accounting software provider MYOB.

The latest MYOB Business Monitor survey of more than 1,000 small business owners around New Zealand reveals that 13 percent have not taken a holiday in the last 12 months.

“This is a busy and stressful time of year for many business owners,” says MYOB Head of Small Business Ingrid Cronin-Knight.

“We know how hard these people work so it was no surprise to see how many miss out on taking a holiday during the year. Keeping a small business running can be a challenge.”

The survey also found that 7 percent took less than one week worth of holidays, 7 percent took 1 week, 18 percent took 2 weeks, 17 percent took 3 week and 13 percent took 4 weeks leave.

However, it’s not all bad news, with almost a quarter (24 percent) taking more than a month off.

Ms Cronin-Knight puts that down to the flexibility that some owners have and the fact that many have started their small business to get a better work/life balance.

“Our survey found that 71 percent of SME owners were satisfied with their work/life balance, with 14 percent dissatisfied,” she says.

“MYOB has been helping New Zealand’s SME owners to succeed for more than 25 years. We understand owning your own business can be a richly rewarding experience, but it can also be a challenging one.

“We encourage SME owners to make sure they’re getting down time they need. It’s important you don’t burnout, because that can be devastating for you and your business.

“For those taking some time off over the holiday period, this is a great time to reflect on your operations and plan for the year ahead,” says Ms Cronin-Knight.

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