Survey Reveals Work Habits of Business Owners

By washingtonpost.com |  January 8, 2008; 8:30 AM ET

Anyone who's ever been irritated by an erratic driver take heed - it could be a small business owner.

According to a new study, about half of U.S. small business managers admit to making business calls and checking e-mail while driving.

For most of the managers surveyed by International Communications Research at the request of office supply giant Staples, the standard 40-hour work week doesn't apply. Nearly two-thirds of the 300 small business owners and executives surveyed said they work well beyond 40 hours per week.

One in five, or 21 percent, work while eating dinner at least four to five times a week and 66 percent said they work after hours and at night. About 18 percent said they read work-related e-mail and documents while in the bathroom.

The companies surveyed had 20 employees or less -- that's a group that represents about 90 percent of all U.S. businesses.

Small Business managers - Do you conduct some of your business while driving?