Poll Finds 82 Per Cent of Canadians Believe Small Business Owners Are Missed by Friends and Family, Intuit Offers $20,000 to Reunite
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 28, 2011 /CNW/ - Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Could Canadian small business owners benefit from an intervention? That appears to be the case for the vast majority of Canadians who say they don't see enough of their friends and relatives who run small businesses. The reason: The time and sacrifice required to keep those businesses running.
These are among the findings of a recent national survey commissioned by Intuit Canada, makers of QuickBooks®, the No. 1-selling small business accounting software in Canada.
The survey found that 87 per cent of Canadians believe small business owners work more than the average person and 78 per cent wished that they could see more of their entrepreneurial friends and family.
"Small business owners pour their heart, soul and time into their business," said Alana Vieira, QuickBooks marketing manager at Intuit. "We want entrepreneurs who burn the candle at both ends to know that there are financial tools like QuickBooks that can help give back some of their time."
How about some help?
Living the dream of being one's own boss can be very demanding. It's not uncommon for small business owners to work late nights, weekends and even skip summer holidays to keep things afloat.
While these things might be considered necessary, 74 per cent of respondents who described themselves as small business owners' relatives and friends wished they could spend less time working. Additionally, 85 per cent thought owners could benefit from help that could save them time.
"I know I put my business first, often ignoring calls from family and friends to just finish one last thing," said Ali McEwen, chief executive officer of Baby On Board Apparel in Toronto. "The funny thing is, as much as I like to check items off my to-do list, it continues to grow. Day or night, making time is very difficult."
Serene Gebara, co-founder of Zenporium, a Toronto-based furniture startup, said, "Family and friends see that we work long hours and we can sometimes go weeks without a day off. It's important for us to find ways to get things done effectively and efficiently by using the right tools that can help us save time and make room for other priorities and some days off."
Answering the rest of Canada's call for help, Intuit is reminding hard working entrepreneurs that there are ways to claw back some of that elusive time.
"We know that one of their most time-consuming and crucial task is managing their business' back-end," added Vieira. "QuickBooks helps them with invoicing, managing cash flow, running payroll and keeping compliant on taxes. It's a single tool that helps keep them on track and give them back time that can be rolled back into their business or spent focused on their friends and family.
Renew Acquaintances, Win $20,000
As a further incentive to get reacquainted, Intuit has created the "QuickBooks Intervention," offering small business owners the chance to reunite with friends and family and split a $20,000 cash prize.
To nominate an overworked business owner, acquaintances can visit www.quickbooksintervention.ca and send their long-lost entrepreneur an email from a selection of forlorn personalities in their lives such as a "The Friend," "The Team Member," or even "The Family Dog. Small business owners who feel that they could use a QuickBooks Intervention can nominate themselves as well.
About the Survey
Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey between Sept. 13-14 among a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,003 Canadians who are members of a national panel, the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted on VisionCritical's daily Canadian Omnibus Survey platform. The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus-or-minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20 and the results have been statistically weighted according to Statistics Canada's most current age, gender, region, and education Census data.
About Intuit Canada
Intuit Canada ULC is a leading provider of business, financial and tax management solutions for small- and mid-sized businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including Quicken®, QuickBooks®, QuickBooks® Enterprise Solutions, SuccèsPME, TurboTax, and ImpôtRapideMC, simplify personal finance, accounting software and tax preparation and filing.
Additional offerings include ProFile®, a professional tax preparation software suite, the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program and the Intuit Developer Network for professional users and developers. All are provided by Intuit Canada or through its partners.
Intuit Canada has employees across Canada and offices in Edmonton, AB, and Mississauga, ON. Intuit Canada is an affiliate of Intuit Inc., which is listed on the Nasdaq stock market under the symbol INTU. More information can be found at www.intuit.ca.
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About Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.
Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.9 billion in its fiscal year 2011. The company has approximately 8,000 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.