Multi-tasking can hurt a business's bottom line, experts say

Small business owners are known for their hard-working and do-it-all nature, as they are responsible for every last element of their company's success. But is their multi-tasking actually hurting their bottom line?

A recent survey by SurePayroll found that, while 56 percent of small business owners regularly handle three or more tasks at simultaneously, one in four also think that multi-tasking hurts their working ability - and consequently, their working capital.

The most common complaints were that multi-tasking caused small business owners to get burned out more quickly, while it took longer to complete the tasks and impacted the quality of the work.

"Allowing yourself to get burned out by taking on too many tasks is a sure-fire way to hurt your business," said Michael Alter, president of SurePayroll. "Now more than ever, business owners need to reexamine their business processes to eliminate inefficiencies and make some small investments in tools that will help alleviate their to-do list. This will allow them to focus on often overlooked elements of their business that may help make it more profitable."

Similarly, a recent study by economic research and advisory firm Basex found that information overload costs the U.S. economy approximately $900 billion each year.