Kuala Lampur, Aug. 6 -- Every small business begins with hope. For some, it is the hope of earning a better income. For others, entrepreneurship is a way to support a family, escape unemployment or build a future beyond salaried work.

Yet starting a business and sustaining one are two very different achievements.

Across Malaysia, many entrepreneurs work long hours, promote their products online, respond to customers late at night and carefully manage limited resources. Despite these efforts, some businesses continue to grow while others gradually disappear. This raises an uncomfortable but important question: if entrepreneurs are working equally hard, why do their outcomes differ so greatly?

The simple explanation is often that unsucce...