This is perfectly understandable - after all unless you're a maths tutor or an accountant, very few people start a business because they are passionate about accounts, which is fine. Until there's a problem...

Working 9 ‘til 5?

The extent to which small business owners are working outside of traditional office hours was highlighted in a recent Sage UK Omnibus. We surveyed the heads of 1,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and found that that 39% were working over the festive period, even though their business officially closed. Furthermore, the research found that seven per cent of business owners were working on Boxing Day, ten per cent on New Year's Day and 5% on Christmas Day, the ultimate in out of hours working! With sixty-two percent of respondents  using the peace and quiet to get on top of key business processes such as finances and payroll,  it is vital that they use business software that comes with 24/7 support. Having an expert on hand to help guide you through any challenges you may face when putting the finishing touches to your payroll year end at 3am in the morning offers a peace of mind that is priceless.

The nature of running a small business means that owners typically have to fulfil many roles - they are the Marketing Manager, Head of Sales, HR Director and Finance Director. With so many things to focus on it is inevitable that there will come a time when business owners need help with their accounts or payroll. When it does it's important to have a human voice on the end of the phone. Software underpins so many critical business operations, that if a problem arises it is vital to have the reassurance that someone is on hand whenever you need them.

Support at Sage

We understand that business owners don't always work 9-5. That's why Sage One, our family of online business services designed to make business simpler, come with 24/7 telephone support. We give sole traders and small business owners access to an unrivalled infrastructure of payroll expertise and software support whenever they need it. This means that the 5% of entrepreneurs working on Christmas Day have the confidence to know that we are there if they need advice or guidance.

About the author - Chris Stonehouse has worked at Sage for 5 years, most recently leading the team that brought Sage One to the market. He played a key role in driving the customer focused, agile development that provided the foundation for Sage One. Prior to working at Sage, Chris was an accountant professional for 6 years.