If you're a business owner and you're planning to stay open between Christmas and New Year's Day, you're not alone.
A Telstra survey of 1,000 small and medium businesses found one in three are staying open or working longer hours this Christmas, and a further one in four will be open every day except public holidays.
It's a case of making hay while the sun shines, as those businesses are looking to grab a share of the $16.2 billion that the Commonwealth Bank forecasts will be spent over the Christmas/New Year period.
We'd hazard a guess that many of those who are staying open serve consumers or other businesses that are staying open - if your clients shut down over Christmas, you might as well take a break too, unless you need to get ahead of expected New Year demand.
Given the numbers reported, it's not surprising that Telstra's survey also revealed that while 89% of small business operators think work/life balance is important, only 50% say they achieve it.
