The
secret
of my
success
76
IN THIS UNIT
GRAMMAR
• past continuous
• past perfect simple
VOCABULARY
• business terms and roles
• collocations (2)
SCENARIO
• the language of negotiation
• negotiating
STUDY SKILLS
• recognising formal and
informal language
WRITING SKILLS
• formal and informal
correspondence
Business
8.1
IN BUSINESS
8
Eat and drink with your relatives; do business with strangers.
Greek proverb
VOCABULARY AND READING
BUSINESS TERMS AND ROLES
1
Work with a partner to discuss these
questions.
1
Can you name a successful business from
Bahrain?
2
Can you name a business from another
country which is successful in Bahrain?
3
Why do you think these businesses are
so successful?
2
a
Complete the statements with the words
in the box.
community competitors customer law
loss prices profit staff taxes wages
To succeed in business you should:
1
value your
.
2
focus only on making a big
.
3
pay employees low
.
4
charge high
.
5
never break the
.
6
avoid paying
to the government.
7
believe the
is always right.
8
invest in the local
.
9
put your
out of business.
10
be prepared to make a
for at least
the first year.
2
b
Work with a partner to discuss the
statements.
The entrepreneur
‘Well, you have to prepare
carefully. Do your market
research, then set up your
business. And be prepared to
make a loss during the first
year. That’s the most difficult
time. Get it right, and it’s the
best thing in the world. I work
alone, but I get a lot of help
from my family.
The retailer
‘Well, the customer is not god,
but it is a good thing to believe
they are always right. When
you sell luxury products you
need to charge high prices if
you want to be taken seriously.
But remember, high prices
don’t always mean making big
profits. Shops and retail can be
difficult to get right.’
The partner
‘My first business failed. I went
into business with my best
friend, but it just didn’t work.
My new partner is simply a
financial investor. I run the
business on a day-to-day basis.
But you need good people
around you. I value my staff
and the company is doing well
because we are a strong team.’
