Modest businesses, no losses vs large businesses of peers but with huge losses

Looking forward to the future of business

This post recently read businesses of peers (who were batchmates in college) It was noted:

1.  One heads a family business, a large, old university but which experienced millions in losses despite being in centrral location

2.  Another one heads an international food company.   His business, experienced millions of losses in $ abroad (translated to milliions in local currency.

I have to try harder not to have losses, but thrive.  Guess am just lucky, despite lacking business experience and education