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IN BUSINESS
8.1
77
LISTENING
6
a
Allan Smith appears regularly on the radio giving
advice on starting a business. What advice do you
think he might give?
6
b
8.1
Listen to the first part of an interview with
him and answer the questions.
1
In his first tip, Allan mentions four areas of business.
What are they?
2
Which of the following does Allan mention in his
second tip?
• advertising
• promotion
• price
• competitors
• costs
• tax
3
What does Allan think the ‘key to success’ might be?
6
c
8.2
Listen to the second part of the interview
and complete the summary.
Firstly, some failed because the market had
1
, and the business was left behind. The second
reason was over-dependence on one
2
.
Other reasons are poor
3
, cash flow problems,
bad debts and not dealing with
4
properly.
6
d
8.3
Listen to the third part of the interview. Are
these statements true, false or not given?
1
Business plans are very important.
2
Business plans help to improve sales.
3
You should keep your business plans in your head.
4
At the beginning, you may make mistakes when
you forecast.
7
Summarising
In your opinion, what are the key
pieces of advice which Allan gives? Summarise these as
Dos and Don’ts.
SPEAKING
8
8.4
Listen to two people talking about an idea for
a business in their home town. Answer the questions.
1
What type of business is it? What’s its name?
2
What advantages of the business are mentioned?
3
Do you think it is a good idea? Why?/Why not?
9
You have ten minutes to plan a business idea to
start in your home town. Work with a partner and
choose an idea from below or think of your own.
a garden care service
selling second-hand items
a mobile hairdressing service selling fresh flowers
Think about the name and location of the business, the
goods or services you will offer and your target market.
MEET THE EXPERT
Watch an interview with Teresa Le about
the Vietnamese food business she set up
in London.
Turn to page 153 for video activities.
3
Match the people in the box with their role.
customer entrepreneur manufacturer partner
retailer supplier wholesaler
1
sells directly to the public
2
makes goods
3
starts new businesses
4
is one of the owners of a business
5
buys large quantities of goods from producers and
sells them to shops and businesses
6
buys directly from a shop or a company
7
provides goods/parts to shops and businesses
4
a
Read a page from a website on starting a new
business. Whose advice do you think is the best for
your situation? Which of the business areas would you
prefer to work in?
4
b
Read the webpage again and underline examples
of the vocabulary from Exercises 2a and 3.
5
Work in groups to discuss the following.
1
Which are your favourite retailers?
2
Name three large manufacturers.
3
What services can a wholesaler offer a retailer?
4
Give an example of good/bad customer service you
have experienced.
5
What problems can a business have with its suppliers?
6
Can you name a famous entrepreneur?
7
If you started a business, who would your partner
be? Why?
The manufacturer
‘I run a successful manufacturing business
with three factories, thanks to careful
management and not taking risks. Thinking
about the future is the key. It’s important
to put money back into the business, but
make sure you leave enough to pay your
taxes and wages! We also try to invest in the
local community, to put something back. We
sponsor the local football team.
