Small-business owners love working for themselves.

That’s the finding of research into the behaviour of Australia’s self-employed work force which found that despite their concerns they are optimistic about the future and want to keep running their own business.

The research by invoicing app provider Invoice2go found that there are some key concerns for small-business owners but of those who have made the change to being self-employed business owners, only 1.5 per cent are considering making the change back to a Monday-to-Friday job within the next decade.

Top concerns if you own your own business

The top concerns for Australian small business owners are:

• work availability – 45 percent

• cashflow – 38 percent

• market economic conditions – 34 percent

Only 22 per cent believe the 9-5 full-time job will continue to be predominant working style for most people in the future.

Despite their concerns around work availability, cashflow and economic conditions, small-business owners still believe the future of self-employment is bright, with 89 percent happy with their current working situation, and 87 percent optimistic about the future of employment.

Why they work for themselves

Drawn to self-employment for flexibility and working the hours they want (61 per cent), the ability to generate more money (46 per cent) and follow their passion (43 per cent), working for the man is becoming a less popular career choice for Aussies, and those ditching traditional employment and opting to be their own boss instead are happier for it.

For small-business owners, it seems that the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to being your own boss.

Chris Strode, founder of Invoice2go, is familiar with the concerns of small-business owners, starting his business as a side project 14 years ago.

“Business owners don’t choose to start or grow a business because it’s the easy choice. There is rarely instant success, and there are constant learnings and obstacles along the way,” said Strode.

“Working for yourself can be hugely rewarding, both personally and financially, when it goes well, but it’s important that business owners adopt the right tools and technology to help them overcome challenges like managing inconsistent cashflow.

“Of course, there are always concerns around economic conditions in any form of employment. Despite this, we’re seeing growing numbers of people opt to work for themselves and the future looks bright.

“While it is hard work, more and more people are eager to carve out their own path to success, and to call their own shots. It’s an extremely rewarding way to earn a living.”