In New York, the figure among start-up companies was only slightly less, 44percentt.
And if the venture capital industry is in shock, that has created a domino effect among start-up companies.
Indeed, Joseph J. Seneca, vice president for academic affairs at Rutgers University and is chairman of the New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors, said the shakeout would continue, particularly among start-up companies and dot-coms.
Padding staff is a common ploy among start-ups.
"There should be honor among start-ups," Mr. Muller said, still rankled.
The move by Google to start charging has led to a jump in information-sharing among start-ups seeking alternatives.
The biggest enterprise I.P.O. of the year, among start-ups, will probably be Workday, some time in the summer.
And cultivating the sheen of celebrity has become increasingly popular among start-ups that want to take off beyond the largely coastal crowds of techie early adopters.
Partly as a way around the record companies, there has been a particular interest among start-ups for services that avoid license negotiations.
Companies fail all the time, of course, for various reasons, and the incidence is bound to be high among start-ups in fledgling industries.
The survey by Launch Pad and Blanc & Otus found that among start-ups selling to businesses, online advertising had fallen by 72percentt, and print advertising by 44percentt.
