Need a holiday break? Let a freelancer carry the load

Small-business owners are the driving force of the Australian economy, but their hard work comes at a great personal cost.

Elance-oDesk Australia’s Kyri Theos.

Small-business owners are the driving force of the Australian economy, but their hard work comes at a great personal cost. They are overworked, stressed and feeling guilty about the time they have missed with their family. The strain of these sacrifices is felt especially during peak holiday periods such as the Easter break.

We surveyed small-business owners across the country to measure the mental health impact of their holiday workload. Three-quarters said they would be working across the holidays.

The holiday period is meant to be an opportunity to take a break from the constant stream of activities we battle through each day. But, alarmingly, less than 20 per cent of small-business owners believed they could switch off at any point during the holidays.

In 2007, entrepreneur Arianna Huffington suffered a mental collapse. Years of working long hours and missing vacations took a toll. Huffington now implores businesspeople to take a regular “digital detox” for their own mental health. She believes people come back to the workplace more productive, more focused and more creative after rest and relaxation.

The pace of modern life has led to an “always on” mentality, driven by a fear that if you are not constantly answering emails or picking up that smartphone, things will fall apart. But this approach is not sustainable and in some cases can be harmful. In fact, 55 per cent of small business owners believe their excessive working hours are an issue affecting their personal and family relationships.

However, the opportunity to escape work is often constrained by business demands during peak periods such as the Easter holidays. More than 70 per cent of those we surveyed said they needed to work longer hours to compensate for staff who were away. Despite these extra hours, almost half of business owners say their bottom line suffers because they cannot keep up with demand.

The competing pressures of business and family life can seem impossible to resolve, but in recent years the use of online freelancers has enabled business owners to bring balance back into their lives.

More than 180,000 Australian businesses draw on the skills of online freelancers to protect their business from labour shortfalls. By using freelancers, business owners are able to move away from routine and administrative tasks to pursue opportunities for growth.

We see this trend on our websites Elance.com and oDesk.com, two of the largest online workplaces. Last year more than 200,000 jobs were listed by Australian businesses hiring freelance staff. Aussie business owners are resolving inefficiencies and filling talent gaps. Of the 180 countries where Elance-oDesk operates, Australians spend the most per capita on freelance talent, placing us ahead of the US and Britain.

Hiring online doesn’t necessarily mean hiring offshore. Australian freelancers are also embracing this new model of work, with more than 30 per cent of the workforce freelancing last year. As experienced baby boomers and creative millennials seek flexibility, variety and freedom in their work, they are contributing an estimated $51 billion in earnings to our economy.

Whether a business is based in Port Melbourne or Port Hedland, specialised talent can be sourced on demand. Business owners no longer need to choose between time with their family and time on their business. With some smart planning, small-business owners can take the break they deserve without shutting up shop.

Kyri Theos is the country manager for Elance-oDesk Australia.