Half of all small businesses waste a month a year on non-core business activity such as HR, finance, IT and regulation, according to research.

The survey, commissioned by BT Business, was conducted among companies with fewer than 50 staff and found that admin took up 24 days a year, the equivalent of a tenth of the year based on 240 working days.

The survey also found that 10% of small business owners are only able to concentrate on their core business needs for two-thirds of their time because admin tasks take up one and a half days every week.

The biggest admin burden on small business owners is government legislation and regulation, cited by 56% of companies, followed by company finance, which was quoted by 27% of respondents.

Smaller companies traditionally struggle to cope with such functions as they lack the resources to hire full-time specialists. Often these activities are carried out by the owner of the company, who may have little or no experience in this area.

According to BT, small businesses can free up more of their time to concentrate of their core business requirements by better managing their IT and communications setup.

"It sounds simple but by bringing together fixed-line and mobile phones with broadband, businesses can cut the number of suppliers they have to manage," said Bill Murphy.

"This not only reduces complexity but also brings down cost, giving companies one bill, removing the headache of running a business and helping UK small businesses get back to doing what they do best."

BT has produced a guide for small businesses on how to get more from their IT and communications called Understanding How to Control IT and Communications Costs for Business, which can be accessed at www.bt.com/insight [1]