A survey of National Federation of Independent Business members ranked the top problems small businesses face. Every four years, the group asks its members to rate 75 potential business problems. In 2012, these were their top five worries:

• Cost of health insurance.  

• Uncertainty over economic conditions.

• Cost of natural gas, propane, gasoline, diesel or fuel oil.  

• Uncertainty over government actions.

• Unreasonable government regulations

Of the five top concerns, 52 percent of those surveyed ranked the cost of health insurance as being critical, while about a third of business owners ranked the other four items as critical.

Source: National Federation of Independent Business