Love is in the air, and The Hartford's Small Business Pulse gives agents the opportunity to learn more about what small business owners love about running their business, and what business relationships present the biggest challenges.

Of the small business owners surveyed:

• 36% love being able to manage their own time, concluding that this is the best part of owning a small business
• 17% love the nature of their work or love being successful
• 12% love working with clients, naming it the greatest reward of being a small business owner.

 But for small business, maintaining positive relationships does not always come easily. Small business owners say they are challenged to maintain relationships with not only their customers, but also with friends and family members who are not even involved in the business.

 In other findings:

• 39% of men and 25% of women say that relationships with customers are the most difficult to maintain
• 9% of men and 14% of women claim that external relationships with friends and family pose the greatest challenge.

Despite the struggle to maintain relationships, small business owners do remain optimistic concerning the outlook for the coming year. According to Small Business Pulse, 86% of small business owners are optimistic about the success of their business in 2014, with 67% claiming that making a profit is their biggest hope for the coming year. Other hopes include retaining and managing talent and employees, landing a big client and contributing to the community.