[rossdavidh]

I cannot say the percentages, but my wife has been shocked to hear from business owners who ran their store for over a decade, that they never made a dime. This kind of confession usually only happens after they have given up and closed. I don't know of any trustworthy numbers on it; I would not be surprised if it was far larger than most people believe, but the difference between businesses that "fail" after two years and ones that last for five years or more, is often how stubborn they are or how much money they have from other sources to keep trying. I would not be surprised if it were over 50%, but I know of no source for strong numbers on it.