Many hard working UK entrepreneurs will not be getting a well-earned break from running their business this festive season as one in 10 plan to work on Christmas Day, according to new research by UK Business Forums.

Christmas is traditionally a time for relaxing with friends and family but it appears the same is not true for the UK’s dedicated band of small company owners. Some 10 per cent of entrepreneurs responding to a poll by www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk said they intend to shun the festivities in favour of running their business.

Even among those who will sit down to a Christmas lunch, watch the Queen's speech or check out this year's James Bond repeat, 33 per cent confessed they are likely to check business emails or do something else company related at some point during the big day.

In addition, just 30 per cent said they plan on doing no work whatsoever between 25 December and 1 January, while 27 per cent revealed they only intend to take Christmas Day and Boxing Day off and will be back running their business on 27 December.

Dan Martin, administrator of UK Business Forums, said: "These figures demonstrate how dedicated the UK's millions of entrepreneurs are to growing a successful business.

"Even on 25 December when most of us will be sitting down with our friends and families to turkey and Christmas pudding, many small business owners will be working on building their company into the big firms of the future.

"However it must be remembered that while the continual increases in the number of people starting their own venture is great news for the UK economy, more needs to be done to ensure that entrepreneurs’ are able to turn their dedication into long term business success.

"Let’s hope that among government ministers’ New Year resolutions are extra efforts to support the UK’s small firms."

The research is based on a poll of 77 UK Business Forums members during December 2007.