One of the biggest hindrances preventing aspiring entrepreneurs from turning their ideas into a business is the myth that their company is destined to fail.

People are quick to quote statistics about how many businesses go under before they’ve had a chance to make a profit, which can scare not only the entrepreneurs themselves, but their families as well.

One of the most commonly cited figures is that 80% of startup businesses fail within 18 months, which apparently comes from a Forbes article in 2013. However, the actual source of this figure is almost impossible to find.

In reality, survival rates are much, much better than that, as shown in this lovely interactive chart produced by Fleximize.

Hover your mouse above the chart to inspect the data for each year and country, and use the arrows at the bottom to navigate forward between the slides.

So if you have an innovative idea, don’t be afraid of going out there and bringing it to the world. As long as it is adding value to your customers, it has a good chance of surviving.

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Did you know that scientific evidence shows your creativity decreases over time
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Nick Skillicorn

Chief Editor, Founder & CEO at Improvides Innovation Consulting
Creativity & Innovation expert: I help individuals and companies build their creativity and innovation capabilities, so you can develop the next breakthrough idea which customers love. Chief Editor of Ideatovalue.com and Founder / CEO of Improvides Innovation Consulting. Coach / Speaker / Author / TEDx Speaker / Voted as one of the most influential innovation bloggers.