A survey from NerdWallet, one of the UK’s leading financial comparison sites, has revealed a growing resilience among business owners despite the personal sacrifices that come with running your own business. Amongst the toughest realities faced by new business owners was juggling work commitments and their personal lives, with 92% being left feeling guilty for putting their work first.

For 83% of the business owners surveyed setting boundaries to achieve a harmonious work/life balance was one of the biggest challenges they have face, which comes at little surprise when for nearly half of business owners, found that the demands of work often took precedence outside of a nine-to-five schedule (47%).

The holy grail of a perfect work-life balance was predictably elusive as just 2% of those surveyed seemed to ‘have it all’, claiming to have never had to prioritise work over family. 25% of participants admitted to prioritising their work over their personal life every day, while 50% stated that work is a priority 3-4 times a week.

For 52%, running their business was not as easy as it had been made to look. The media portrayal of running your own business may suggest one of flexibility, but NerdWallet’s survey proves that being your own boss is not as easy as it is made to seem.

91% of those surveyed felt that running your own business is glamorised in the media. But not everyone sees this as a negative, with 49% saying that media idealisation of entrepreneurship plays a role in encouraging those considering it to take the leap. Just 11% of participants felt that the media glamorisation is ‘unhealthy’.

Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic also ranked highly on our business owners’ list of challenges to starting up a business, with 38% of respondents citing the pandemic as a major obstacle, as was the resulting rapid switch to a digital-first way of working (34%). Meanwhile, to manage struggles with work/life balance, 40% of respondents said exercise helped them pick themselves up; 37% opted for wellness and self-care; and just over a third (34%) regularly take time away from the business to reset.

Despite a turbulent few years, 94% of business owners say that they’d still do it all over again. In fact, the mood is so positive among entrepreneurs that those surveyed are encouraging those considering it to give it a go despite the challenges; 44% noted the importance of learning from mistakes and coming back stronger, suggesting a positive future for Brits willing to try to make their business dreams a reality.

“Despite the notable challenges business owners face in balancing their ventures with their personal lives, the overriding mood among business owners is one of positivity. Brits are up for the challenge, and more than that, they’d do it all again – even with full knowledge of the sacrifices that they’d have to make to see their business become a success.” says Denise Ko Genovese, a Senior Personal Finance Expert at NerdWallet.