Small business owners spend a large part of their workweek on administrative tasks. A 2023 survey of 251 U.S. entrepreneurs found that 36% of their work hours went to tasks like managing expenses, creating invoices, scheduling, and entering data. That's roughly 16 hours per week spent on administration instead of growing the business.
AI-powered no-code tools like Hercules help business owners reduce this workload. Teams can build custom applications by describing what they need, without hiring developers. Hercules customers report saving hundreds or even thousands of hours each month by automating tasks they previously handled manually.
Key takeaways
- Administrative work takes up time: U.S. entrepreneurs spent 36% of their workweek on administrative tasks, or roughly 16 hours per week.
- Financial administration adds to workloads: In a 2025 Australian survey, 21% of SMB owners spent at least 21 hours per month on financial administration.
- Administrative tasks can limit growth: 42% of Australian owners reported missing business opportunities because financial administration consumed their time.
- AI adoption is growing: A 2026 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report found that 66% of small businesses use AI, up from 58% in 2025.
- Automation can reduce manual work: Hercules lets businesses build custom tools for data entry, approvals, accounting, and other repetitive workflows.
- Hercules customers report significant savings: Imjomat reports saving 2,000 hours monthly, while Global Connectors estimates saving 200 hours monthly. Helixon Law reduced proposal preparation from five hours to approximately 40 minutes.
1. Entrepreneurs spend 36% of their workweek on administrative tasks
A 2023 survey of 251 U.S. entrepreneurs found that 36% of their work hours went to administrative tasks. The Time etc and Censuswide survey also found that 99% handled some administrative work each week. Common tasks included tracking expenses, researching information, managing schedules, creating invoices, and entering data.
2. The average entrepreneur works 45.5 hours per week
Entrepreneurs running growing businesses work an average of 45.5 hours per week, according to the 2023 Time etc survey. With 36% of that time going to administration, they spend roughly 16.4 hours weekly on these tasks. The survey also found that 29% work over 50 hours per week.
3. Microbusiness owners spend 22.4% of their time on administration and compliance
Microbusiness owners spend 22.4% of their time on administration, legal tasks, and compliance. This finding comes from a May 2024 UENI survey of 837 U.S. businesses with five or fewer employees. Although lower than the 36% reported in the Time etc survey, it still represents a large share of the workweek.
4. Microbusiness owners work a median of 60 hours per week
Microbusiness owners work a median of 60 hours per week, according to the 2024 UENI survey. That's considerably longer than the 45.5-hour average reported in the Time etc survey of growing businesses. UENI also found that 62% of microbusiness owners work more than 50 hours per week.
5. 21% of Australian SMB owners spend at least 21 hours monthly on financial administration
A 2025 Dext survey found that 21% of Australian SMB owners spend 21 to more than 40 hours per month on financial administration. Censuswide surveyed 500 Australian small and midsize business decision-makers. Tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing, and managing financial records can take up a substantial part of their working month.
6. UK small business owners work 51 hours per week on average
UK small business owners work an average of 51 hours per week. A separate 2024 Sage survey found that 51% of UK owners wanted to spend less time on administrative tasks. These findings show that long working hours and administrative workloads are concerns for small business owners outside the United States.
7. 55% of Australian SMB leaders believe less financial administration would improve their leadership
A 2025 Dext survey found that 55% of Australian SMB leaders believed they would be better leaders if they spent less time on financial administration. Repetitive finance tasks can take attention away from planning, managing employees, and growing the business. This figure reflects business owners' opinions rather than a measured improvement in leadership.
8. 42% of SMB owners have missed business opportunities due to admin time
In a 2025 Dext survey, 42% of Australian SMB owners reported missing business opportunities because financial administration took up their time. Tasks like bookkeeping and invoicing compete with sales, customer relationships, and business development. The findings show how administrative work can affect growth opportunities, not just working hours.
9. Australian SMBs chasing payments spend about 78 hours yearly
Australian SMBs that chase payments spend an average of 1.5 hours per week doing so, or roughly 78 hours annually. A 2025 GoCardless study, with findings released in March 2026, found that 63% of Australian SMBs chase payments. That's nearly two working weeks each year for affected businesses. Late payments are also common, with 69% reporting them in 2025, up from 63% in 2024.
10. 40% of SMB owners spend more time on finance than on business growth
A 2025 Dext survey found that two-fifths of Australian SMB owners spend more time managing finances than growing their businesses. Bookkeeping, financial reporting, and other routine tasks compete with sales, planning, and business development. Reducing this workload could give owners more time to focus on growth.
11. Half of all entrepreneurs struggle to maintain work-life balance
The 2023 Time etc survey found that 50% of entrepreneurs struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Another 49% always feel tired. These findings highlight the strain of running a business, although the survey doesn't establish how much administrative work contributes to fatigue or poor work-life balance.
12. 38% of SMBs were using AI in 2025
A 2025 Verizon survey found that 38% of SMBs were using AI for business tasks, including marketing, customer service, and cybersecurity. The survey covered 600 U.S. small and midsize business owners and decision-makers. The findings show that AI was already part of many small business operations in 2025.
13. 75% of SMBs are experimenting with or using AI
Salesforce's sixth Small and Medium Business Trends Report found that 75% of SMBs were experimenting with or using AI. Another 34% had fully implemented AI in their operations. The report surveyed 3,350 leaders of small, medium, and growing businesses worldwide, showing strong interest in AI across different business sizes.
14. Small-firm AI use increased from 6.3% to 8.8% in 2025
AI use among businesses with fewer than 250 employees increased from 6.3% to 8.8% over six months, according to September 2025 research from the SBA Office of Advocacy. These figures measure businesses using AI to produce goods or services, rather than all businesses experimenting with AI tools.
15. Generative AI use grew from 40% to 58% in one year
Generative AI use among U.S. small businesses increased from 40% to 58% between 2024 and 2025, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report. That's a 45% relative increase in one year. The findings show growing adoption of generative AI, although they don't measure business process automation specifically.
16. 66% of U.S. small businesses reported using AI in 2026
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that 66% of small businesses used AI in October 2026, up eight percentage points from 2025. The report also found that 41% used six or more technology platforms. AI adoption figures vary across surveys because researchers use different samples and definitions, so this result isn't directly comparable with Verizon's 38% figure.
17. Forrester modeled 248% three-year ROI for Microsoft Power Automate
A 2024 Forrester study commissioned by Microsoft modeled a 248% return on investment over three years for a representative enterprise using Microsoft Power Automate and Power Apps. The study also projected payback in less than six months. These results are based on modeled costs and benefits for the studied solutions, not measured returns across small businesses.
18. 91% of SMBs using AI say it boosts revenue
Salesforce's Small and Medium Business Trends Report found that 91% of SMBs using AI said it increased their revenue. The finding shows that many businesses using AI see financial benefits. However, it reflects respondents' reported experiences rather than a measured average increase in revenue.
19. 90% of SMBs using AI report improved efficiency
The same Salesforce report found that 90% of SMBs using AI reported improved efficiency. AI can help businesses reduce repetitive work and manage tasks more efficiently. However, this figure reflects users' reported experiences rather than a measured reduction in processing time or errors.
20. 88% of surveyed SMB workers said automation helps their businesses compete
A 2021 survey of 2,000 U.S. knowledge workers found that 88% of respondents believed automation helped their businesses compete with larger companies. Common uses included reducing manual data entry, creating documents, managing leads, and tracking inventory. The finding reflects workers' views on automation rather than a measured improvement in business performance.
How Hercules helps businesses reclaim administrative time
Hercules is an AI-powered no-code app builder that helps businesses reduce administrative work. Instead of hiring developers or managing multiple spreadsheets, you can describe what you need and build custom CRM, ERP, and workflow applications.
Hercules provides integrated databases, backend functions, user authentication, and publishing tools. These features let you create applications that store business data, manage workflows, and reduce repetitive tasks.
Businesses use Hercules to address several common administrative challenges:
- Automate data entry: Build applications that capture and organize information without entering it repeatedly. Global Connectors, an accounting firm in Côte d'Ivoire, estimates saving 200 hours monthly by combining accounting workflows and automating duplicate entries with Hercules.
- Streamline approvals and workflows: Create applications that manage requests, track progress, and notify employees without long email chains. Imjomat, a Philippines-based data labeling company, reports saving 2,000 hours monthly across its 60-person team using custom Hercules tools. The company separately reported 2.4x revenue growth after launching its business website.
- Combine disconnected systems: Replace separate tools with software built around your business processes. Kingdom Construction, a Texas general contractor, reports saving $30,000 per year after replacing four software vendors with one system built on Hercules.
- Speed up document creation: Automate repetitive documents, including proposals and client paperwork. Helixon Law, a military defense firm with 17 lawyers, built more than 40 Hercules applications. It reduced proposal preparation from five hours to approximately 40 minutes. Its founder also estimates that faster, more detailed proposals improved the firm's client close rate by 30%.
- Build complete business systems: Create ERP applications that manage connected business processes in one place. Petony Transportes, a Brazilian logistics company, reports 20% revenue growth after building an ERP on Hercules. The company automated its quote-to-payment process, which previously required manually entering the same information into three systems.
These are individual customer-reported results, and your savings will depend on the processes you automate. Under Hercules' current commercial use terms, using applications for internal business operations or other commercial purposes requires a Business or Enterprise plan. AI building credits and Cloud usage are billed separately, and additional usage charges may apply.
Review the current pricing for plan details and usage limits, or follow the building documentation to create your first application.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do small business owners spend on administrative tasks?
A 2023 U.S. survey found that entrepreneurs spent 36% of their workweek on administrative tasks, or roughly 16 hours in an average 45.5-hour week. Microbusiness owners with five or fewer employees work a median of 60 hours per week, with 22.4% of their time going to administration and compliance. The exact amount varies by business size and the tasks owners handle themselves.
What is the business cost of spending too much time on administration?
Administrative tasks reduce the time available for sales, planning, and business growth. A 2025 Australian survey found that 42% of SMB owners had missed business opportunities because of financial administration. Another 55% of SMB leaders believed they would lead their businesses better with less financial administration. These findings reflect owners' experiences rather than measured revenue losses.
How much time can automation save small businesses?
Automation savings depend on the tasks involved and how businesses use the tools. Hercules customer Imjomat reports saving 2,000 hours monthly across its team, while Global Connectors estimates saving 200 hours monthly on accounting tasks. Helixon Law reduced a five-hour proposal process to approximately 40 minutes. These examples show how automating repetitive tasks can reduce manual work, although results vary by business.
How common is AI use among small businesses?
AI adoption is growing, but reported rates vary by survey. In 2025, Verizon found that 38% of surveyed SMBs were using AI, while Salesforce reported that 75% of SMBs worldwide were experimenting with or using it. An October 2026 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report found that 66% of small businesses used AI. These surveys cover different business populations and definitions of AI use.
Can Hercules help businesses reduce administrative time?
Hercules helps businesses build custom software by describing what they need in plain language. You can create applications for CRM, ERP, invoicing, approvals, and other workflows without hiring developers. Customer examples show how these tools can reduce manual data entry, speed up document preparation, and organize business information. Commercial use requires a Business or Enterprise plan, and Cloud usage may involve additional charges. Review the available plans and use the building documentation to create an application around a time-consuming business process.