Over a third of small business owners are working over 50 hours a week and 15% are putting in excess of 65 hours, according to data released by Abbey and Alliance & Leicester Business Banking.

The research also shows that business owners who work the longest hours are most likely to put their work before their health.

More than four in ten small business owners who work between 50 and 60 hours a week having put off or missed a health appointment due to work. This compares to just 13% of those owners who work less than a 40-hour week.

"The tough economic climate is forcing many small business owners to work incredibly hard at the moment, with a significant percentage of them working well over and above the maximum number of hours permitted by the European Working Time Directive," said Paula Ickinger, head of business banking marketing at Abbey and Alliance & Leicester.

"However, missing health appointments for the sake of a heavy workload can be counter-productive in the long run and small business owners should find a way of managing their work-life balance and ensuring they don't sacrifice their health for their wealth."