Dave Domm, 31, co-owner of year-old Raceline Motorworks in Vernon Hills, helps Johnny Bear, 10, Northbrook, and Danny Koratz, 10, Highland Park, build radio-controlled cars.

The American Express Small Business Monitor, released each spring and fall, is based on a nationally representative sample of 626 small business owners/managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees. The survey was conducted via telephone by International Communications Research from March 26 through April 12. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.

9 percent. That compares with 67 percent of small business owners from the Northeast who plan to take at least a week's vacation this summer, followed by 62 percent in the South and 57 percent in the West. The reluctance of Midwest small business owners to escape may be reflected in the 34 percent who are anxious about the decisions their staffs will make in their absence.

By contrast, only 15 percent of the long-vacationing northeastern owners are worried about staff judgment-calls; 28 percent of westerners, and 27 percent of southerners. When on vacation, more owners from the Midwest check in with their business several times a day (36 percent) than those in the West (19 percent), Northeast (27 percent) and South (28 percent). While overall 38 percent of business owners said they try to link their vacation to a business trip to save time and money, there are regional differences: 47 percent in the West said they try to link trips, while only 39 percent from the Midwest, 36 percent from the Northeast and 32 percent from the South do so.