Interesting study! As an owner of a consulting firm for 6 years, I would have to disagree with most of the stats from the research you cited. I think what you’re seeing in the SBA research reflects the type of individual or business that seeks financing from that particular source. However, many entrepreneurs seek private source funding and utilize “bootstrap” start-up methods. If we all consider the individuals that we know who have ventured out on their own, they don’t all fit the prototype outlined above. In the end, making it on your own is all about an ordinary cause willed about by extraordinary effort.