Time Allocation

• 1Is this business operated primarily from the home, including any associated structures such as a garage or a barn?
• 2Last week, about how many hours did you spend working for this business regardless of location or time of day? An estimate is fine.
• 2aWas that a typical week, or did you spend more time or less time working for the business than usual? Is that a lot more time or somewhat more time? Is that a lot less time or somewhat less time?
• 2a1Were the unusual hours related to typical seasonality, a significant no-seasonal sales change, too many/too few employees, vacation or time-off, or something else?
• 2bYou might have worked at your business last week or worked outside your business, such as a job site, making sales calls, or traveling. About what percent of your working hours last week did you spend working from your primary business location?
• 2cYou might have worked at your business last week, at home, or outside your business, such as at a job site, making sales calls or traveling. About what percent of your working hours last week did you spend working from your primary business location?
• 2c1About what percentage did you spend working at home? An estimate is fine.
• 3Did you spend one or more nights during the last week away from home on business?
• 4Last week, which business activity took up most of your work time? Was it:?
• 4aPlease estimate the percentage of last week’s work time spent on_________?
• 5Last week, which business activity took up the second most amount of your work-time? Was it:?
• 5aPlease estimate the percentage of last week’s work time spent on________?
• 6ALast week, did you spend any time at all working on selling or marketing?
• 6BLast week, did you spend any time at all working on producing goods or services?
• 6CLast week, did you spend any time at all working on producing goods or services?
• 6DLast week, did you spend any time at all working on planning, strategizing?
• 6ELast week, did you spend any time at all working on employee-related matters?
• 6FLast week, did you spend any time at all working on customer service or relations?
• 6GLast week, did you spend any time at all working on learning or gathering information?
• 7Do you think you are personally allocating the right amount of time on the various jobs you perform in the business, or are you spending too much time on some things and not enough on others?
• 8In which area do you think you are spending too LITTLE time:?
• 8aIs there a second area where you are spending too LITTLE time?
• 8a1What is it?
• 9In which area do you think you are spending too MUCH of your time?
• 9aIs there a second area where you are spending too MUCH time?
• 9a1What is it?
• 10Do you have any employees working in the business, NOT including yourself, who have managerial or supervisory responsibilities as part of their job?
• 10aHow many such employees do you have?
• 10bHow many employees are PRIMARILY managers or supervisors and have few tasks or responsibilities other than to manage or supervise employees?
• 11Not counting yourself, does this business have a Chief Financial Officer or the equivalent, someone largely responsible for handling the firm’s budget and its books?
• 12Do you do ALL of the business’s hiring and firing?
• 13Of all the jobs you have in the business, which do you enjoy doing the most? Is it:?
• 13aDo you have a second most favorite job?
• 13a1What is it?
• 14Of all the jobs you have in the business, which do you enjoy doing the least? Is it:?
• 14aDo you have a second least favorite job?
• 14a1What is it?
• 15Does the principal owner of this business spend time in the day-to-day management of the firm?
• 15aWhat does the owner primarily do in the firm? Does he or she primarily:?

Volume 12, Issue 5, 2012
ISSN 1534-8326

William J. Dennis, Jr.
NFIB Research Foundation