studies reveal that between two thousand one and two thousand eleven there was a consistent number of small businesses about two million although there was a relevant stagnation in this sector it was only during the economic boom of two thousand four to two thousand six that the number of small businesses increased slightly to about two point four million however since two thousand six there has been a sharp decline by eighteen point two percent this means that approximately one hundred thousand small businesses have closed their doors each year bringing the total number of small business closures over the past five years to