• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 3, 2011

On the surface, it looks like the cell phones tethered to so many of us may have finally delivered a knockout punch to true love: The latest survey from Staples says that 60% of small-business owners admit that they spend more time holding their phones than they do the hands of their loved ones. But the good news is that the majority of them feel technology also gives them the freedom to go home more, and better equips them to juggle work and family.

Some 56% say they spend less time at their desks than they used to; 52% say they are more comfortable vacationing because of their devices, versus 35% last year. And interestingly, 40% of the significant others included in the survey say they don't mind all that "phonemancing."

Still, they admit they are more or less enslaved to their devices: 43% say they work during time spent with family, and 68% rely on the same cell phone for both work and personal calls, so they don't feel that switching it off is an option.

Staples also asked respondents whether it would be easier to go without their phone or their partner for a whole week, and love did triumph: 63% say they would miss their sweetie more than their mobile. (It's the fifth annual survey from the Framingham, Mass.-based retailer. Decision Analyst, in Arlington, Tex., conducted the Internet survey, polling 300 small-business owners and executives.

Meanwhile, Office Depot, one of Staples' largest competitors, is focusing not on love but on chaos, kicking off its "America's Messiest Office" sweepstakes. Contestants can upload a photo of their slovenly workspace to Facebook, and the grand prize winner gets a $10,000 office makeover. Timed to coincide with National Get Organized Month, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based chain also plans to hand out ten $100 gift cards a day to messy contestants. The contest runs through the end of the month.