An analysis of more than one hundred thousand small companies using Check Business found common tasks carried out after the standard 9am to 5pm hours included looking up new customers or suppliers to check their credit scores and to see if they have a history of bad debt.
Reviewing their own business profile, to ensure that their own credit rating was sound, and their online details were up-to-date was another task which was done in the evening.
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Downloading the annual accounts and returns of their competitors and prospects, to stay ahead in the market, was another task carried out outside the standard hours on a Monday to Friday.
At weekends small business owners are busiest after 6pm, with their work peaking on a Sunday evening as they prepare for the week ahead, the study concluded.
Conrad Ford, founder of Check Business, believes that this research will not surprise business owners who regularly work more than the usual 9-5.
He said: "Monday to Friday, 9-5, is all about keeping the business running. Evenings and weekends are reserved for research, reflection, and strategy.
"As a business owner myself, I can't afford teams of people to do this for me, or to do my day job. So once my day job finishes I start my 'night shift' to make sure the business stays on track and keeps growing."
He said habitual Sunday and 'after dinner' peaks in traffic on the Check Business website suggested that running a small business was cutting into family and leisure time. On weekdays more than 25% of activity takes place in the evening. The busiest weekend periods also occur after 6pm, with Sundays typically busier than Saturdays.
Mr Ford said: "When you're running a business you never really switch off.
"You're always thinking about work. Sunday evening after the kids are in bed is the time I spend getting ready for the week.
"Like many business owners, I can't really relax unless I know everything is set up for Monday morning."