Entrepreneurs form the cornerstone of Europe's economic structure.

According to Eurostat, micro and small businesses, which employ fewer than 50 people each, account for 99% of all companies within the European Union.

Small business owners are among the most diligent workers in the industry. On average, they put in around 41 hours per week, which is notably more than the European Union's typical worker who clocks an average of 36 hours weekly.

A recent study conducted by fintech firm SumUp on around 4,000 microbusiness owners across Ireland, Italy, the UK, Germany, and France highlights significant variations in their daily work routines.

The British decline lunch breaks, while Italians take more than an hour for theirs.

According to the report, 43% of small business owners in the UK mention that they seldom take lunch breaks.

This shows a stark difference when compared to Italy and France, where merely 11% and 17% choose to miss out on their lunches, respectively.

In Italy, the highest percentage (33%) of participants confessed to having lunch breaks exceeding one hour.

France ranks second with 15%, followed by Germany at 12% and Ireland at 6%. The UK remains last with only 5%.

Germans and French emphasize personal well-being, whereas Brits prefer spending time with family.

Despite 38% of British people enjoying quality time with their families during their leisure hours, they prioritize self-care the least (34%), according to the survey across various nations.

Self-care stands at 38% in Ireland, exceeds 41% in France, reaches 47% in Germany, and surpasses 52% in Italy.

"Small businesses in the UK have been hit by wave upon wave of misfortune, from COVID-19 to the cost of living crisis and a rise in national insurance in the budget. Owners are doing everything they can to stay afloat," says SumUp Corin Camenisch, who is the Product Marketing Lead,

However, neglecting your well-being can result in exhaustion or physical ailments. The emphasis on non-stop labor may distort our understanding of success.

Who are the entrepreneurs with the most hours worked per week?

Eurostat data provides us with a more vivid image of the actual number of hours worked by those who are self-employed.

When examining entrepreneurs from companies of every size — with 99% being small enterprises — the most diligent workers are found in Belgium, averaging approximately 48.9 working hours each week.

They are followed by Cypriots (47.5) and Greeks (47.3).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Baltic nations report working the fewest hours, with Latvia ranking lowest at 37.8 hours, followed closely by Estonia at 38.8 hours, and Lithuania at 39.3 hours.

Although the UK does not appear in Eurostat statistics, SumUp’s research indicates that 41% of small entrepreneurs in Britain put in more than 40 hours per week, with 10% working over 60 hours.

Women from Ireland and Italy are more prone to forgo vacations compared to their male counterparts.

The overall variance in the amount of vacation time used throughout the year has decreased.

The British are the most prone to taking fewer than one week of vacation, with this percentage standing at 13.8%. This is followed by France at 12%, Italy at 11.9%, Germany at 11.1%, and Ireland at 8.1%.

However, there is a gender gap in some countries when it comes to this issue.

Female entrepreneurs from Italy and Ireland are more inclined to forego their vacations for work purposes compared to their male peers: an increase of 9.1% in Italy and 6.3% in Ireland.