A poll conducted on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reveals that small business owners are much more pessimistic about the economy than the average voter.

Seventy-eight percent of the 1,000 small business owners surveyed said the economy will either remain stagnant or worsen over the next year. According to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, only 64 percent of adult voters feel the same way.

“This poll reveals that there is a lot of fear among business owners in this current economic climate,” said U.S. Chamber executive vice president Lisa Rickard.

The survey also revealed that lawsuits are a major concern. Seventyeight percent of respondents said that if Congress passes laws allowing trial lawyers to bring more lawsuits, it will have a negative economic impact on businesses. And 92 percent said the poor economy has made it more difficult for their company to absorb the additional costs, time and other components connected with a lawsuit.

But perhaps most worrisome is that the survey also revealed that 32 percent of the business owners polled say they are not confident in the future of their own company.