Do you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about work? Are you constantly worrying about the fate of your small business? We all endure the stresses of our jobs differently and strive to juggle our personal lives with our professional lives in unique ways. So what keeps women entrepreneurs up at night?

In a recent survey of 800 entrepreneurial women who have been in business for at least three years, the American College explored their “financial goals, stress levels, and optimism regarding their businesses work/life balance.”

While the results show general contentment among those polled, owning a company certainly does come with a new level of anxiety. Some of the key findings highlighted in a Small Business Trends article include:

• When asked whether being an entrepreneur met their expectations, 31% agreed the venture was what they had envisioned; this group—which had the highest business revenues of those surveyed—said they enjoy stable work and personal lives, have a strong financial outlook, and are overall managing their businesses effectively.  
• 33% believed their businesses are in a moderate or stable stage of growth, and have plans to expand the company, before eventually retiring. 
• The group with the lowest business revenues—accounting for 16% of the respondents—reported that they did not have a focus on future plans, such as retirement; though, these women were still very satisfied with their work and feel their expectations are being met.
• 15% of the women entrepreneurs polled said they are “extremely stressed” by owning a company and feel that being a business owner is not what they had enivisioned; this group reported having a poor work/life balance, and worried about nearly every aspect of the business.

For those falling into this last category, it may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your business and personal goals, and examine the root causes of your stress and unhappiness from owning a business. Being an entrepreneur can be a wonderful, fulfilling experience, but it’s not a perfect role for everyone.

Has running your own company met your expectations? Do you enjoy a balanced life without being overly stressed? Tell us in the comments section below.