The odds for new businesses aren't great. Entrepreneurs face massive challenges launching, let alone sustaining, their ventures. According to the Small Business Association, only about half of the companies started survive by the five year mark.
For the majority of these businesses, the entrepreneurs aren't cashing out with a major payday. They're failing -- often because the entrepreneurs who start them don't have the skills to build them into sustainable businesses. A brilliant software engineer may have developed the next WhatsApp, but if he doesn't understand how to structure and run a business, his chance of long-term success is slim.
