When a company or business uses the term “business days,” it generally refers to the days that the company operates. In the Western world, their business days are usually from Monday to Friday from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, excluding public holidays and weekends.
However, business days may vary depending on the industry. For example, the securities sector considers any day as a business day as long as the markets are available for trading. So, how long is two business days?
In most cases, two business days are any two days within the workweek, not 48 hours. So, if you call on a Thursday, for example, the two business days in this case would mean Friday and Monday.
On the other hand, calling on a Friday means that the two business days cover Monday and Tuesday, not Saturday and Sunday.
With that said, read on below to find out more about how time works in the business industry – from what a business day is to the exemptions.
Overview
Most often, consumers face issues regarding business days when they deposit checks that require clearance. Based on the issuer’s location and the check size deposited, it may take more than two business days to clear a check, not including public holidays or weekends. That only means that the depositor must wait for an extended time to gain access to those funds.
For international transactions, companies and individuals must be aware of the fact that countries differ in business days because of different public holidays. Though most nations work for 40 hours and five days a week starting from Monday, there is still much variance when doing international transactions.
For that reason, multinational companies must confirm the business days of the country they are doing business with.
For example, the Middle East practices a workweek starting from Sunday to Thursday. Other countries, such as Columbia, Mexico, and India, have workweeks that begin on Monday and end on Saturday.
Furthermore, you can hear the phrase “business days” when someone will care for or deliver something for you. For example, a post office may guarantee to deliver your mail within three to five business days. If it is more than three business days, the chances are high for it to reach a weekend, thus extending the waiting time.
Business Days And Religion
Globally, business days are controlled by religion, especially in countries that practice Islam. Islamic countries often practice a Sunday to Thursday workweek (e.g., Kuwait). Also, for the Jews, their Biblical Sabbath starts from Friday evening to Saturday when it is fully dark; therefore, they consider Friday to Saturday as their weekend.
Business Days And Holidays
Productivity has a direct relationship with business days. For that reason, countries do their best to lessen public holidays to ensure more business days. For multinational companies, they must always consider how business days work in other countries. Therefore, it is vital to use a calculator for business days if you are in a global workforce.
Business Day Trends
Business days shift and change unexpectedly. If you are a company owner, you must know the trends of business days. Knowing the shifts of business days gives you an advantage over the marketplace if you know how to exploit it.
When it comes to changes in business days, industries must adapt. More business days, more work and more work means more earnings. Changes may happen instantly, and these shifts can have a significant impact on a company or business; therefore, all must adapt. If you are a businessman, you must know everything taking place in the world of business.
Business Day Equivalent
Whether you are a business owner or a client, you must know the equivalent of one business day to know how long two, three, four, or five business days take. Answering the question: “What is the equivalent of one business day?” will impose how long a business will take to meet the needs of its customers or to fulfill their orders.
Having an answer will help a customer know what to expect, and a company owner knows what to accomplish.
The answer to that simple question is one working day (in general). All companies must know the number of business days in one calendar year to put together informed decisions on how they will operate. As mentioned, customers or clients must also know how long one or two business days are to know how long they should wait.
Moreover, understanding business days will help a business determine its need to keep track of inventory. Most companies have inventory, and these types of companies must carefully track and plan their stock according to their days of business.
Note that the answer to the question stated earlier is not always “one working day”. The extent of one business day may depend on several factors, such as the company, the region, or the country where you are working. As mentioned, generally, a business day is equivalent to eight hours or one working day.
How Long Is Two Business Days?
Now that you know the equivalent of one business day, how long is two business days? It is vital to note that the equivalent of two business days is not two days or 48 hours (given that a day is equal to 24 hours).
For example, if the business day begins at 8 A.M. on a Wednesday, the two business days will end at 8 A.M. on Friday.
Nevertheless, if the business day starts at 8 A.M. on Friday, you must understand that the two business days will have to pass the weekend. Therefore, it will end at 8 A.M. on Tuesday. The same applies to a bank or public holiday, which are not considered business days.
How Long Does A Business Day In Shipping Take?
Most often, people get confused about how long a business day in shipping may take. That is because the shopping industry online commonly uses the phrase “business day.” When you purchase an item online, one shipping business day means that an order will reach its recipient the following business day despite the time it was ordered or purchased online.
Even in online shopping, business days start from Mondays and end on Fridays, excluding national holidays and weekends because shipping companies also depend on the business days of a post office.
Moreover, in shipping, you must also know what the cut-off time means. Note that cut-off time depends on every country and time zone. In most countries, their cut-off time is within 5 P.M. to 8 P.M. So, if you made an order after the cut-off time, then that order will not necessarily be shipped on the following day.
How Long Do Two Business Days Take In Shipping?
Since one business day in shipping generally means an order will reach its end-user the following day, then two business days in shipping means an order will arrive its recipient two days after the purchase, within the cut-off time.
What Is A Business Week?
In Western countries, one business week is equal to five days and usually starts on Mondays and discontinues after Fridays. However, that definition of a business week is general, so bear in mind that the length of one business week may differ from one country to another or one industry to another.
For example, In Europe, Monday is their first day, while in the U.S, they consider Sunday as the starting day of the week. Moreover, in Saudi Arabia, they begin their week on a Saturday. For that reason, it is crucial to know the starting day of the week per country. If you purchase something internationally or own a global company, that will matter most especially to you.
Is One Business Day Also Equal To 24 Hours?
As mentioned, the length of one business day will depend on the industry, region, or country. In American terms, business days are days from Monday to Friday, not including weekends and official holidays. A day begins at midnight and ceases at 11:59 P.M. However, business days will vary based on operation hours set by a company or business.
What Is A Canadian Business Day?
In Canada, a business day is any day when banks are available for business, specifically in Canada, Ontario, and Toronto, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and other days, which are considered legal holidays.
How Long Is Three To Five Business Days?
If working days are from Monday through Friday, three business days will mean getting something you need on a Wednesday when the business day starts on a Monday. However, if you place a check on a Thursday, expect to get access on a Monday since you will have to pass over the weekends. The same rule applies when you calculate for one or two business days.
What Do 7/10 Business Days Mean?
The term 7/10 business days refer to days starting from Tuesday of the next week to Friday of that same week. Remember the standard rule that when a business day is mentioned, it generally points to weekdays (regular working days, usually from Mondays to Fridays).
Conclusion
Since we live in a highly advanced and technological world, developments in communications mediums have caused confusion between traditional and non-conventional business days.
These days, the World Wide Web continues to open opportunities for organizations and businesses to operate 24/7. Therefore, the length of two business days is not fixed as it can depend on all the factors mentioned above.
Nevertheless, for traditional businesses, two business days still mean any two days within the workweek, excluding weekends and holidays.
