'Third of small firm owners' to have little time off over Christmas

Around one in three small business owners will have fewer than two days off over the next month as the Christmas period fast approaches.

Research from XLN Business Services found that 32.7 per cent will have between zero and two days of rest, while 24.4 per cent said that they would close over the Christmas period.

However, the findings also revealed that the average rating for government support for small businesses was only 2.08 out of five in the third quarter of the year, suggesting that ministers need to do more to help enterprises grow.

Christian Nellemann, the chief executive officer of XLN Business Services, explained that small firms do not have the resources for owners to take time off.

"It's a sad fact that many small business owners across the country have no choice but to work and ensure they don’t miss out on any sales," he noted.

"A poor economy, high taxes and zero chance of bank finance means even the most fun loving entrepreneurs are being forced to adopt the working habits of Ebenezer Scrooge."

Meanwhile, Santander has announced that it intends to help small businesses by boosting lending over the next few months.

Posted by Thomas Fletcher

Date published 23 Nov 2012 | Last updated 23 Nov 2012