Almost one third of UK SME owners will be working this bank holiday, research finds.

Some 32 per cent of entrepreneurs plan to work over the holiday period, according to a study by Sage.

The news comes on the back of a survey by the software company that shows almost one in five UK small business owners sacrifice 10-15 days of holiday a year to be an entrepreneur. 

With the weather set to be brighter this weekend than the week ahead, small business owners can still enjoy the bank holiday while running their business thanks to the ‘workation’, says Sage.

With many business owners and employees alike struggling to take the time off to relax and/or blow off steam, the ‘workation’ is said to be the ultimate solution to getting your dose of Vitamin D.

Defined as the act of heading to a location to get away from your daily grind to get some work done, the workation can provide fun and inspiring new ways for business owners and employees to work whilst relaxing.

With the average worker spending seven hours a week working outside normal hours, some believe the 9-5 is very much a thing of the past.

The rise of mobile working, widespread Wi-Fi coverage across the UK, the proliferation of devices and the latest generation of software provides workers with the tools to conduct their business from wherever they are. 

Mobile working allows businesses to work across multiple devices from various locations and offers the ease that comes with running your business outside of the standard 9-5.

It means people can treat anywhere as their office and aren’t restricted by the confines of a traditional working environment or routine.

Lisa Ewens, category manager at Sage One says, ‘We understand that it isn’t always realistic for business owners to take long holiday breaks and Bank Holidays can be a struggle too.

‘This doesn’t mean that business owners can’t enjoy the luxuries of the sun, sea and sand and we’re encouraging people to make the most of mobile working and embrace the great outdoors this weekend.’

If you do have to work over the Bank Holiday weekend, it doesn’t have to be isolating, adds Sage’s small business expert May Cummings.

‘The antidote to working all alone is of course working along with others,’ she says. ‘All you need is a personal Wi-Fi, a laptop friendly area such as a coffee shop or park, good cellular reception, and of course your friends and laptop.’