To survive, you must be focused on how you will make a profit today, tomorrow and next week. You must find ways to keep costs down to the exception of affecting your profit-making capabilities. Look For Opportunity, Not Mistakes. Success is the result of making good decisions. Good decisions are made from good judgement.
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad decisions. This doesn't mean you should try to make mistakes for experience. The key is to gain experience from the mistakes and success of others. Seek out others in your field. Study and understand why they are succeeding or failing.