Staples: 48 Percent of Small Business Owners Skip Vacation, Fear “Unplugging”

According to a new survey by Staples, Inc., almost half of small business owners (48%) miss summer vacations due to a fear of unplugging. The June 2014 online survey also revealed even when small business owners do take a vacation, more than 2 in 5 (44%) find it hard to relax because they constantly think about how their business is doing.

Survey highlights include:

-53 percent of small business owners are concerned about monitoring day-to-day operations when they’re not physically at their business

-48 percent said they are unable to monitor things that drive up costs, like turning off lights or adjusting thermostats, while they are on vacation.

-Small business owners reported missing vacations for a variety of reasons, including keeping their expenses low (75%); increasing productivity (59%); and safeguarding their business’ valuable assets (58%).

So to help entrepreneurs “get away”, Staples has released a new app, Staples Connect ^SM.

“Our small business customers are working harder than ever and are all about managing costs and monitoring their workplaces,” said Scott Young, Senior Vice President, Product & Business Development, Staples. “At Staples, our goal is to make it easy to make more happen whether our customers are in the office or on vacation. Our newly expanded Staples Connect powered by Linksys application, helps small business owners stay ‘plugged-in’ when then they need to be.”

The Staples Connect app is compatible hub that lets customers and small businesses manage their home or office environment while absent. The app works on any smartphone, tablet or PC, enabling users to communicate with their office appliances and electronics—lights, office TVs, thermostats, etc.— remotely.

Users also have the option of activating an “after-hours activity” system to stay on top of their business, e.g. being alerted to the presence of smoke, water or people at their office or store.