A new Nationwide Financial Services survey offers mixed news on small businesses and 401(k) retirement plans—and good news for financial planners.

On the one hand, 75 percent of small business owners say the economy won’t affect their ability to continue offering their retirement plans. On the other hand, 51 percent say they may have to reduce or stop matching employee contributions.

Financial advisors have a prime opportunity with these committed business owners. Bill Jackson, president of Nationwide Retirement Plans, said the survey also shows that small businesses “want to work with investment professionals who understand their company’s needs and can develop customized solutions to address them.”

To help small businesses deal with the economic turmoil, plan providers and investment professionals need to understand the challenges these owners face. The survey asked companies to list their top five concerns regarding their retirement plan. The top concern was providing investment education to employees—a concern that increased among plans with a higher asset size.

Here is how the business owners ranked their top 401(k) retirement plan concerns:

1. Providing employees investment education, 31 percent.
2. Fiduciary and legal responsibilities related to the plan, 29 percent.
3. Selection and monitoring of retirement plan investment options, 21 percent.
4. Investment and administrative fees, 12 percent.
5. Adding more automated features to help make investing easier for your associates, 6 percent.

The Nationwide survey also found that 34 percent of owners expect to modify or reduce their health care benefits this year.