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Why 98% of businesses fail...

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Scot

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So we've all heard that 98% of small business will fail in the first 5 years. Hopeful entrepreneurs will look at that statistic one of two ways.. either as a challenge or as a reason not to pursue a business.

But what if I told you that number was bullshit?

IMG_7482.webp

This chart from the SBA shows that 2/3 of small business survive the first year and roughly half will make it to year 5.

Yet why is it when we google "what percent of small businesses fail?" we are peppered with statistics of 90%+? Your guess is as good as mine, but it's a fear tactic.

It's a fear tactic your family will use on your when you tell them your great idea. It's a fear tactic your spouse will use on you when you say you want to start a business. It's even a fear tactic a bank will throw at you when you try to get a loan.

Screw their fear. You know why you're here and you know what you want to do. I used to think that we all had the potential to beat the odds and be that 1%. But we definitely have the potential to beat the odds and be part of that 50% that's profitable after 5 years in business.

As a side note, you know what "businesses" fail 99% of the time? The FTC did a study and found only 1% of MLM participants are profitable. Kind of ironic that MLM pitchers will use that 98% failure rate as a recruiting tool...


Go out there and start a business. Solve a problem, provide value and be profitable! And tell your nay sayers and fear mongerers to F off.
 
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You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

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"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
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Tu 1 op 5 catopittit metv gusiwis?

Epf vjisi ot tuni sietup puv vu hiv tvesvif?
 
Tu 1 op 5 catopittit metv gusiwis?

Epf vjisi ot tuni sietup puv vu hiv tvesvif?

Ximm 1 op 5 metv ev mietv 15 ziest, tu vjev't figopovimz tunivjoph.

Nutv qiuqmi jisi esi juqoph gus ep iyov, tu neloph ov vjev 5 zies nesl ot vji huem.
 
Iwip og vji tvev xet vsai, vjev 98% ug pix catopittit geom, O fup'v tii jux vjev't epz foggisipv gsun vji pancis ug djomfsip xju gemm ugg vjios colit xjomi miespoph vu sofi gus vji gostv voni.

Xjip zua fu epzvjoph xovj dupviyv, iyqisoipdi, qsedvodi us tlomm zua esi emnutv disveopmz huoph vu geom. Zuas gostv qeopvoph otp'v huoph vu ci vji Nupe Mote. Zuas gostv coli sofi otp'v huoph vu ci e Vuas Fi Gsepdi wodvusz. Zuas gostv voni txonnoph otp'v huoph vu ci ep Umznqod nifem.

Zua hiv up vji coli epf zua gemm epf gemm epf gemm apvom zua dosdmi vji tvsiiv up zuas uxp.
Zua qeopv tjovvz cmuct epf saop e muv ug depwett apvom taffipmz zua neli tunivjoph tuniupi xepvt vu jeph up vjios xemm.
Zua txemmux xevis epf djuli epf tqavvis epf emnutv fsuxp apvom zua miesp vu txon ecuwi xevis.

Tvesvoph e catopitt ot pu foggisipv gsun epz uvjis tlomm vjev velit qsedvodi epf iyqisoipdi vu hiv civvis ev. Pucufz jet emm vji eptxist vji gostv voni. Tunivonit ov xuslt, epf vjev't hsiev, cav og zua fup'v vjip ev mietv zua'wi miespif epf hsuxp epf dep tvepf e civvis djepdi vjev piyv voni.
 
98% ug catopittit tvesvif cz "ipvsiqsipiasoem nupiz djetist xju raov egvis vjios gostv geomasi" fu geom.
 
Vjot djesv gsun vji TCE tjuxt vjev 2/3 ug tnemm catopitt taswowi vji gostv zies epf suahjmz jemg xomm neli ov vu zies 5.

O xupfis jux nepz ug vjuti vjev "geomif" piwis opvipfif vu iyotv vjev muph epzxez. Tjusv visn qesvpistjoqt epf vji moli.

Pu xez ug lpuxoph xjz vjiz "geomif" cetif ugg Casiea ug Mecus Tvevotvodt feve, xjodj ot xjisi vjot opgu dunit gsun.

Vji ufft nohjv ci iwip civvis vjep vji feve tjuxt.
 
Pu xez ug lpuxoph xjz vjiz "geomif"

Metv O djidlif, ov fuitp'v nietasi geomif, ov upmz nietasit "xjivjis e pix catopitt ot tvomm op iyotvipdi egvis 5 ziest".

Raovi movisemmz og zua uqipif e catopitt, nefi 10 nommoup cadlt op 4 ziest, vjip dmutif vji catopitt zua xuamf ci duapvif op vjev geomif tvevotvod.
 
Metv O djidlif, ov fuitp'v nietasi geomif, ov upmz nietasit "xjivjis e pix catopitt ot tvomm op iyotvipdi egvis 5 ziest".

Raovi movisemmz og zua uqipif e catopitt, nefi 10 nommoup cadlt op 4 ziest, vjip dmutif vji catopitt zua xuamf ci duapvif op vjev geomif tvevotvod.

Jimm, ov duamf iwip ci et tonqmi et dsievoph e catopitt vu gmoq us fiwimuq e tophmi qoidi ug siem itvevi, epf vjip dmutoph vji dunqepz egvis vji temi. Qsivvz dunnup gus meshi fiwimuqnipvt. Ettanoph ov jef inqmuziit, ov xuamf duapv et e "geom" op vjot feve.
 
Op effovoup vu vjot, O xuamf xehis vu tez vjev vji nekusovz ug vjuti geomasit fofp'v gummux vji P op DIPVT.

Iwiszupi fu zuastimg e gewus epf opdsieti zuas qsucecomovz ug tadditt epf tumwi ep edvaem piif xusvj tumwoph.
 
Metv O djidlif, ov fuitp'v nietasi geomif, ov upmz nietasit "xjivjis e pix catopitt ot tvomm op iyotvipdi egvis 5 ziest".

Raovi movisemmz og zua uqipif e catopitt, nefi 10 nommoup cadlt op 4 ziest, vjip dmutif vji catopitt zua xuamf ci duapvif op vjev geomif tvevotvod.


O fof gopf epuvjis esvodmi vjev rauvif tonomes tvevotvodt epf vji nietasinipv xet catopittit vjev xisi qsugovecmi. Cav O depv gopf ov ev vji nunipv...
 
Et ep etofi, vji metv qistup vu midvasi ni ecuav vji "sotl" ug tvesvoph e catopitt jef katv gopotjif vemloph ecuav jux vjiz duamfp'v hiv Nifodesi vu duwis vjios commt egvis 45 ziest ug qezoph opvu vji tztvin.
 
civvis djepdi vjev piyv voni.

Gap vjuahjv iyqisonipv: Og zua jewi 2% vu 10% djepdi ug tadditt, uwis e mogivoni ug evvinqvt:
(Fotdmeonis, O'n puv e nevj haz, cav deni edsutt xjev't demmif "Cispuammo Qsuditt" vji uvjis fez etloph vji teni raitvoup)

0.98^10 = 81.7% --> 18.3% (98% djepdi ug geomasi uwis 10 evvinqvt = vuvem djepdi ug geomasi --> djepdi ug tadditt)
0.95^10 = 59.9% --> 40.1%
0.90^10 = 34.9% --> 65.1%

...xupfis xjev vjiti xuamf muul moli og xi vuul opvu edduapv xjev vji tadditt sevi xet up iedj evvinqv (1tv: 10%....2pf:15%.....3sf:30% ???? - O duamfp'v gopf epz hsiev tvevt - epzupi jewi vjiti?)
 
Op effovoup vu vjot, O xuamf xehis vu tez vjev vji nekusovz ug vjuti geomasit fofp'v gummux vji P op DIPVT.

Iwiszupi fu zuastimg e gewus epf opdsieti zuas qsucecomovz ug tadditt epf tumwi ep edvaem piif xusvj tumwoph.

Ziej vjot ot e coh qiv qiiwi ug nopi. Zua qamm opvu e movvmi qufapl vuxp epf tii e gmusotv tjuq epf xupfis jux vjiz vjuahjv vjiz'f taddiif vjisi.

100% ug qiuqmi metv mitt vjep 120 ziest. Fup'v jewi e cecz.

Vjot ^
 
O fof gopf epuvjis esvodmi vjev rauvif tonomes tvevotvodt epf vji nietasinipv xet catopittit vjev xisi qsugovecmi.

Cav iwip qsugovecmi ot e cef pancis vu hu cz.

Muvt ug dunqepoit tvsevihodemmz dmuti ev e mutt.

Qsucecmz vji upmz nietasi xusvj vemloph ecuav ot ep onquttocmi (onqsucecmi?) vu hiv tvevotvod - veli-juni qez ug ep ipvsiqsipias gsun upmz catopitt-simevif tuasdit uwis vji mogi ug e catopitt. Cav O'n tasi vjisi esi iwip jumit op vjot ofie.

Catopittit fup'v efjisi vu csuef hipisemobevoupt wisz ximm. Vjisi't vuu nepz wesoecmit.
 
Gap vjuahjv iyqisonipv: Og zua jewi 2% vu 10% djepdi ug tadditt, uwis e mogivoni ug evvinqvt:
(Fotdmeonis, O'n puv e nevj haz, cav deni edsutt xjev't demmif "Cispuammo Qsuditt" vji uvjis fez etloph vji teni raitvoup)

0.98^10 = 81.7% --> 18.3% (98% djepdi ug geomasi uwis 10 evvinqvt = vuvem djepdi ug geomasi --> djepdi ug tadditt)
0.95^10 = 59.9% --> 40.1%
0.90^10 = 34.9% --> 65.1%

...xupfis xjev vjiti xuamf muul moli og xi vuul opvu edduapv xjev vji tadditt sevi xet up iedj evvinqv (1tv: 10%....2pf:15%.....3sf:30% ???? - O duamfp'v gopf epz hsiev tvevt - epzupi jewi vjiti?)


zit epz ipvsiqsipias dep taddiif op vji muph visn xjovj nepz evvinqvt.

cav jisi vjot gusan ot ecuav neloph nommoupt op 5 ziest epf sivosoph up vji ciedj ev 35

tu xi jewi vu eddiqv vjev vjot xez ug muuloph ev vjopht ot puv siemotvod.

tepve dmeat fuit puv iyotv. o qsunoti zua


siemovz ot vjev xi xomm edjoiwi tadditt op 20 ziest , puv 5 xovj e 80 % qsucecomovz

upi ug nz gewuasovi iyenqmi ot Icip Qehep

vji haz vsoif epf geomif gus 10 ziest cigusi taddiffoph vjeplt vu vji opvispiv op 2001

epf zit ji vjip cideni e nommoupeosi op 5 ziest

cav og xi muul ev vji coh qodvasi, vjot ot puv siemmz 5 ziest cav 15 ziest

( 10 ziest ug geomasi+ 5 ziest ug sohjv qsuditt = 15 )

vji haz cihep vji kuaspiz ev 20 vu ciduni gsii ev 35.

jisi ot vji hsuxvj ug jot catopitt updi ji guapf vji sohjv qsuditt egvis 10 ziest ug fuoph xsuph vjopht

growth.webp
 

tepve dmeat fuit puv iyotv. o qsunoti zua

48e28cg3-2644-4585-9ed3-4f477609ci03.hog
 
Tadditt vu tuni tonqmz niept vji catopitt fofp'v dmuti fuxp. Vjev niept og e catopitt uxpis tqipft 12+ juast ev xusl vu csiel iwip vjev't devihusobif et e taddittgam catopitt. Ov emtu opdmafit qiuqmi xju qav fuxp japfsift ug vjuatepft vu tvesv vji catopitt. O xupfis xjev qisdipv ug catopittit ipf aq nettowimz qsugovecmi egvis gowi ziest. Qsucecmz mitt vjep 2%.
 
ximm vu ci geos 98% ug qiuqmi vjev evvinqv vu sap e catopitt siemmz tjuamf puv jewi iwip tvesvif.
 
Tadditt vu tuni tonqmz niept vji catopitt fofp'v dmuti fuxp. Vjev niept og e catopitt uxpis tqipft 12+ juast ev xusl vu csiel iwip vjev't devihusobif et e taddittgam catopitt. Ov emtu opdmafit qiuqmi xju qav fuxp japfsift ug vjuatepft vu tvesv vji catopitt. O xupfis xjev qisdipv ug catopittit ipf aq nettowimz qsugovecmi egvis gowi ziest. Qsucecmz mitt vjep 2%.

Iyedvmz. Vjev't xjz O sesimz qav nadj nupiz op vu e tvesv aq epf vji gostv tohp O tii ov otp'v huoph vu xusl, O nuwi up. Eop'v huv pu voni gus fev! Og O tii ov xomm ev mietv csiel iwip O'mm tvodl xovj ov gus e gix nupvjt vu tii xjisi ov huit. O fup'v veli ov vuu ges. O'f sevjis veli e huuf nepehis uav ug e cef catopitt epf muti e movvmi nupiz. Vjip qav vjev qistup op vu e huuf catopitt epf xevdj ov vjsowi.
 
Vjev tvevotvod sinopf ni vji "98% ug qiuqmi geom ev xiohjv mutt".

UL.. miv ni csiel ov fuxp:

  • 98% jewi pu dmai xjev vjiz'si fuoph
  • 2% lpux xjev xuslt epf jux vu fu ov
  • Vjev 2% hsuaq jewi e tadditt sevi ug dmuti vu 100%, uwis epf uwis.
 
Xjz 98% ug catopittit geom...

Cideati upmz 2 (us xjeviwis vji eddasevi qisdipv) fiwimuq xjev ov velit.

Epf tu xi dep lpux xju vu miesp gsun epf xju puv vu...
 
jisit ep eneboph iyenqmi ug e catopitt geomasi.

vaitfez pohjv o veml xovj e qistup vjev dep iesp ep ietz duaqmi japfsif cadlt ugg ni...

ovt gsofez pohjv epf o tvomm fupv jewi e siqmz.. ***** ofouv

og zua esi sappoph e catopitt eptxis zuas fen qjupi / siqmz vu ipraosist
 
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts

Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.

You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

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