Gurus churn out books on the subject constantly.
Some push to-do lists. Notwithstanding the gurus' claims, no one knows why businesses survive or fail. It's difficult to research small businesses because they're a fragmented group and there's a dearth of public financial information. Studies often rely on anecdotes, old data, or entrepreneurs' selective memories. Mass. Now, amid great public interest in small companies, the Entrepreneurial Research Consortium is tackling the question.