The statistics for investing in small businesses are such that the vast majority fail.

We survived for hundreds of years under the old banking structure. You'd have clearing banks, then merchant banks doing the racy stuff, and then building societies where you'd join a waiting list for a mortgage. But then banks started buying stockbrokers, doing mortgages, and you ended up with these big banking groups doing everything.

If you look at all the investments made during 'Dragons' Den,' the ratio of those that make it to those that don't is actually extremely high.

Theo Paphitis Quotes