Final answer:
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, many businesses fail, with a significant number of small firms exiting the market. This indicates that the likelihood of a business started today still being in operation in ten years is not very high.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the model of perfectly competitive firms, those that consistently cannot make money will "exit," which is a nice, bloodless word for a more painful process. When a business fails, after all, workers lose their jobs, investors lose their money, and owners and managers can lose their dreams. Many businesses fail. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, in 2009–2010, 533,945 firms “entered” in the United States, but 593,347 firms “exited.” About 96.3% and 96.6% of these business entries and exits, respectively, involved small firms with fewer than 20 employees.