UK small firms are relatively relaxed about responsibilities of enrolling staff into a pension scheme, with only 3% citing auto-enrolment as the biggest business concern.
According to a survey of 350 owners of UK small businesses - those with fewer than 50 employees - found more than a third (34%) of respondents had concerns over sales, while one in eight worried about access to finance.
The study, commissioned by NOW: Pensions, said entrepreneurs were calling on the UK government to reduce the amount of red tape involved with running a business, with 19% claiming less paperwork and increased access to government grants would "make a big difference".
Morten Nilsson, CEO of NOW: Pensions, said: "With so many other things to think about it's easy to see how auto-enrolment can slip through the cracks."
Citing from its own data, the firm said that of the companies that had signed up in the first quarter of 2016, more than a third (37%) completed their application either very close to their staging date or after the deadline had passed.
Nilsson added: "The penalties for non-compliance are steep, as much as £500 a day for firms employing five to 49 people, so small firms need to give it the attention it deserves."
Biggest business concern this year:
Sales - 34%
Access to finance - 12%
EU referendum - 7%
Government spending cuts - 7%
Not being able to keep up with technology - 6%
IT security - 4%
Auto-enrolment - 3%
National living wage - 2%
Attracting and retaining staff - 2%
Lack of skilled workers - 2%
