This is true, except for tech and biotech startups, where patents have been shown to facilitate funding, potentially by signaling future success. Less than 1% of inventors get anything from their patents.
However to me this signals the possibility of an inefficiency in the market, and something that trolls leverage. Intellectual Ventures was reputedly originally formed to fix this gap.
I'm paraphrasing, but 'Just assign your patent to [some group of investor/trolls] and they'll let you know if they can make anything of it.'
Patents do virtually nothing useful for small businesses/solo inventors. There are exceptions, but they are exceptional.