Happier, healthier and free – that was the theme of a recent survey administered to small-business owners. The survey, commissioned by GoDaddy, found that 82% of small-business owners are happier running their current companies than when they worked for someone else in their previous jobs.

“Nobody ever said starting a small business was easy. The only question was: is it worth it? And this research shows that our small business customers resoundingly say yes,” said GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving. “Our customers are working how they want, when they want, where they want. That translates not only into successful entrepreneurs, but happier and healthier people.”

On the whole, small business owners said they enjoyed a higher quality of life. More than half said they exercised more while 72% eat healthier than when they worked at their previous jobs. More than 60% said they have the ability to set their own work hours and are spending more time with family as a result. And 56% said they can wear whatever they want on the job.

The survey, which was administered by Zogby Analytics, includes responses from over 500 small businesses that use GoDaddy’s services. More than half of the businesses from the survey have been open for longer than seven years. Half work from home and two-thirds of respondents self-financed their business through personal savings and credit cards.

And, the happier feelings of the entrepreneurs surveyed translated to increased confidence, with 88% more optimistic about the future. Nine in ten of the respondents say they want to build their company into a $20 million business. “The great thing about being a small business owner is that you are in control, and you have a feeling of mastery,” said Steven Aldrich, GoDaddy’s senior vice president for business solutions. “You control your own destiny.”