Final answer:
Cody's research on the first-year survival rate of small businesses should reveal that approximately 80% of small businesses survive their first year of existence, based on U.S. Small Business Administration data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. Small Business Administration provides statistics that can help Cody understand the survival rate of small businesses. According to their data, many businesses do fail, but the question is specifically about the first-year survival rate. In the provided options, the closest to the statistical reality based on the U.S. Small Business Administration would likely be that 80% of small businesses survive their first year of existence (Option C). This is because the given statistics indicate that there is a larger number of businesses entering than exiting in a given year.