This is true of every scale of effort. Short term, you can make money if you are lucky with plenty of guile, and persistence. If you choose this route, don't forget to leave town before the warranties expire and your reputation heads south. The challenge in life is to be consistently successful at whatever you do. Realize that you are not the Lone Ranger.
Few entrepreneurs have the financial resources to meet their goals.
They did not have them when they started and they probably shouldn't brag about it five years later. What they did have was an idea, energy and enthusiasm. Hopefully, after five years they have credibility, market knowledge and financial stability in sight. They have learned that trying to collect money from late November to early spring is a task. They have learned that most people are not dishonest, but merely optimistic in their ability to meet their obligations.