Comparisons
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Plain comparisons of categories of support a founder weighs, each side described from named public sources, with no company ranked.
Show the figures as a table
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-term program, usual length | About 3 months | Cohen and Hochberg (2014) |
| Incubation, usual length | 1 to 5 years | Cohen and Hochberg (2014) |
| Establishments still operating at year 1 | 77.9% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 |
| Establishments still operating at year 5 | 51.4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 |
Diagram: World Enterprise Group Incorporated, from Cohen and Hochberg (2014) (program lengths) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 (survival gates).
The odds improve with time
A company that gets through the early years is far more likely to keep going, which is why the horizon matters when you compare options.
69.5% 1
of businesses that reach five years also reach ten
94.4% 2
of establishments still open after eight years survived their ninth, against 79.6% in their first
- SBA Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business (2026) , 1994 to 2022 average
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 , Opened in the year to March 2013
Each page sets two categories side by side on the same questions. A statement about a category names its public source, and WE appears only in words taken from its program pages.
Comparisons
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Incubators and venture studios
A plain comparison of incubators and venture studios, each described from named public sources, with no company or model ranked.
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A dedicated team or an agency
A plain comparison of a dedicated team and an agency, each described from named public sources, with no company ranked.
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A dedicated team or freelancers
A plain comparison of a dedicated team and freelancers, each described from named public sources, with no person or company ranked.
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Build or buy
A plain comparison of building a product and buying one, each described from named public sources, with no product ranked.
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Onshore or offshore teams
A plain comparison of onshore and offshore teams, each described from named public sources, with no location or company ranked.
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Bootstrapping or outside funding
A plain comparison of bootstrapping and outside funding, each described from named public sources, with no investor or lender ranked.
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