Loss of income and unpaid bills are the greatest threats to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, a survey for Barclays has claimed.
More than a third of SMEs rate non-paying clients and other threats to revenue as the greatest headache that they face.
Other small-scale worries such as an office computer or the business van breaking down were found to cause a lot more sleepless nights than more dramatic threats such as fire.
The risk of being burgled, being sued or being held responsible for personal liability claims were also sources of anxiety for SME owners and managers.
Despite more than half of businesses saying that they have suffered from one or another of their fears before, many businesses still maintain only the minimum insurance cover.
"Life is full of twists and turns and running a business is no different," said Mark Till of Barclays.
"With over one in seven business owners closing their business at some point because of one of these threats - on average for 13 weeks at a time - basic insurance is an essential rather than optional extra."
