Staples Helps Make More Vacation Happen with Staples Connect, Allowing Small Business Owners to Manage the Business from Anywhere

Nearly half of small business owners (48%) miss summer vacations due to a fear of unplugging, or in other words, leaving their business -- according to a recent survey by Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). And even when they finally get away for a break, over 2 in 5 (44%) find it hard to relax because they constantly think about how their business is doing. The Staples online survey, conducted by Harris Poll in June, was about trends in the workplace among small business owners.

Fifty-three percent of small business owners are concerned about monitoring day-to-day operations when they’re not physically at their business. Nearly half (48%) say they are not able to watch things that drive up costs, like turning off lights or adjusting thermostats, while they are on vacation. New technology such as Staples ConnectSM can help small business owners get away for vacation.

“Our small business customers are working harder than ever and are all about managing costs and monitoring their workplaces,” said Scott Young, senior vice president, Product & Business Development, Staples. “At Staples, our goal is to make it easy to make more happen whether our customers are in the office or on vacation. Our newly expanded Staples Connect powered by Linksys application, helps small business owners stay ‘plugged-in’ when they need to be.”

Too Many Missed Vacations

The Staples survey revealed small business owners miss vacations for a variety of reasons:

• Keeping their expenses low (75% are extremely or very concerned)
• Increasing productivity (59%)
• Safeguarding their business’ valuable assets (58%)

Enjoy Vacation and Stay Connected with Staples Connect powered by Linksys

Staples Connect is one app and compatible hub that lets customers manage their home or office environment, even when they're not there. The easy-to-use app works on any smartphone, tablet or PC and allows customers to communicate with their office appliances and electronics in no time. This home and office automation platform allows small business owners to turn the lights on/off remotely, ensure office TVs are powered down at night, and enables them to automatically adjust the thermostat for optimum heat or cooling.

Additionally, when owners are away, they can activate an “after-hours activity” system to stay on top of their business – from being alerted to the presence of smoke, water or people at their office or store. With Staples Connect, the app is free. Costs include a one-time price of $99 for the Universal Wireless Hub, plus the cost of compatible devices.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Staples during June 4-10, 2014 among U.S. small business owners with 2-24 employees. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Staples

Staples makes it easy to make more happen with more products and more ways to shop. Through its world-class retail, online and delivery capabilities, Staples lets customers shop however and whenever they want, whether it’s in-store, online or on mobile devices. Staples offers more products than ever, such as technology, facilities and break room supplies, furniture, safety supplies, medical supplies, and Copy and Print services. Staples also offers free shipping for Staples Rewards Members, in most cases overnight. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples operates throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. More information about Staples (SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.