Small business owners are central to the success of the UK economy according to experts at Zurich, often putting in long hours for relatively little financial reward.

A survey conducted by Zurich reveals that nearly 50 per cent of small business owners work six or seven days a week and 82 per cent have not taken any days off at all during the past year.

In addition, 50 per cent are too busy to even take a lunch break, indicative of high productivity.

David Nichols of Zurich states that small business owners are central to the UK economy at large, but warns that many of these business owners could be putting their own wellbeing at risk through excessive working.

"UK small businesses form the backbone of our economy and they're clearly working very long hours," he comments. "We rely on them to be there supplying us what we want, when we want it, but working such long hours without a break will have a detrimental effect."

Recent reports from Alliance and Leicester indicate that nearly 50 per cent of small and medium sized business owners are hoping to expand their businesses in 2007, highlighting growth as a priority for the year.