While some parents marvel at the increasing workload of their school aged children and cringe at the prospect of spending countless hours supporting them as the school year begins, many more are setting up homework themselves as workers continue to knock down the frontier between work and home.
According to the Business Minds survey, sponsored by Sage Software, 69 per cent of small businesses support work-from-home policies and 80 per cent of the survey respondents work between 40 and 79 hours a week. No doubt, the comic depiction of the harried parent balancing work and home is so popular because it is so true.
The Business Minds survey is a study of the ups and downs of business life in North America. Conducted by The Marketing Workshop, Inc. on behalf of Sage, the survey was conducted online in May, 2005 and elicited responses from 558 small businesses with representation in regions throughout the U.S. and Canada. The survey explored issues of business confidence, passion for business, pace of change, and external influences.
Survey respondents were predominantly the business leader, with 85 per cent holding the title of president, owner, partner, or CEO.
The fact that these business leaders were the primary respondents to the survey is indicator enough of their hands-on approach to business. Survey results show they are hard-working and passionate about the business, with85 per cent indicating they’d set up business again if they had the chance, and 75 per cent would recommend the entrepreneurial life to their children. Even so, only two per cent cited their job as the single most important aspect of their lives. Their spouse/partner was cited by 50 per cent and children by 26 per cent.
Other results from survey are quite specific to Canada.
Canada represented the highest likelihood to self-finance of all regions, with 74 per cent compared to the 67 per cent average across all regions. And business is good, with a steady keel for the future. Canadian respondents shared the optimistic view of businesses across regions, but with a slightly more conservative perspective in both recent history and outlook. Revenues were up last year for 50 per cent, notably less than the 64 per cent average throughout North America, and the forecast for increased revenue and profits in the coming year is positive for 50 per cent of reporting businesses in Canada, again less than the North American averages where 70 per cent project increased revenue and 67 per cent project increased profits.
Canada was also least likely of all regions in North America to feel price pressure – 32 per cent vs. 48 per cent average.
Canadian companies surveyed plan to increase investments in training (47 per cent of companies cited this as an investment priority), then salaries (44 per cent), then marketing (38 per cent).
Canadian business owners turn to business colleagues more often than in any other region for advice on selecting technology: 41 per cent vs. 27 per cent average throughout North America.
Highest percentage likely to set up a business again. At 88 per cent, the same as northeast and southeast U.S.
