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An entrepreneur sees a gap in the market and wants to found (= start) a new company. First some planning is necessary. The entrepreneur has to:
● Do market research and develop the product.
● Think about pricing, distribution channels, and promotion.
● Raise capital (‘capital’ = money used to start or invest in a business).
The capital might come from the founder’s own funds, loans from the bank, or money invested by other people/business partners.
Start-up
The founder is now ready to set up (= start) the business. The first steps are to rent premises (= the buildings that a company uses), purchase equipment and supplies, and employ and train staff. The company can now begin its operations. One thing is certain: the first few years will be difficult.
Sometimes a start-up company can get help from venture capital (= money invested in a new business by a specialist company who work in high-growth areas like new technology). VC money is used to run the business, pay salaries, etc in the early years. In exchange the VC company will take part ownership of the company and hope to sell it later for a large profit.
Growth
In a successful business the number of customers grows, turnover increases, and eventually the company breaks even and then makes a profit. The company employs more staff and divides them into different functions: operations, sales, marketing, accounts, etc. The company develops a network of suppliers. The brand name starts to become well-known among customers. What happens if the business needs to raise additional capital to expand its operations? There are various options.
● The company can ask the bank for a loan.
● The company can issue new shares and sell them to outside investors.
● The company can attract private equity. Private equity is very similar to venture capital, but it comes at a later stage in the company’s growth.
Maturity
All being well, the company continues to grow. This growth may be organic (through increased sales and developing the product range) or by acquisitions/takeovers (buying other companies).
Exit strategies
There are various exit strategies available to the owners if they want to sell the company.
● The business can be sold as a going concern (= as an established, profitable business) to other private individuals.
● The business can be sold to a competitor, or to a large foreign company wanting to enter the market.
The company that is taken over may or may not keep its brand name.
● The company goes public. This means it is listed on a stock exchange and its shares are sold to individual and institutional investors. The original owners may continue to run the company.
Risks
The majority of businesses fail (= go out of business).
There are many reasons, which include:
● The founder can’t get a loan, perhaps because of insufficient collateral (= property you agree to give the bank if you fail to give back the money you borrowed).
● The company can’t meet its monthly repayments to the bank.
● The company fails to get enough customers.
● Competition from other companies.
● Changes in the market (demand for the products falls).
● Poor management of cash flow and/or insufficient capital.
● Management problems (eg the founder finds it difficult to delegate work to other people).
● Failure to integrate an acquired business after a takeover.
3.11 Rearrange the letters to make words. Use the definitions in brackets to help you.
1 enrtrepeenur entrepreneur (someone who starts a company and makes
business deals)
2 citapal (money used to start or invest in a business)
3 funoder (someone who starts an organization)
4 prmeeiss (the buildings that a company uses)
5 puchrase (formal buy something)
6 tunvorer (the money a business makes = revenue)
7 seahrs (the equal parts of a company which people
can buy and sell)
8 actisiquion (buying another company; = take-over)
9 cotellaral (property or money that you promise to give
the bank if you cannot pay back a debt)
10 damend (the desire or need that customers have for a
product)
3.12 Match an item on the left with an item on the right to make phrases from the text above. Make sentences with these phrases.
| 1 | start-up | equity |
| 2 | exit | name |
| 3 | brand | company |
| 4 | a going | market |
| 5 | private | concern |
| 6 | a gap in the | strategy |
| 7 | do | a profit |
| 8 | employ | capital |
| 9 | fail | staff |
| 10 | make | some market research |
| 11 | raise | to get enough customers |
| 12 | rent | premises |
3.13 Complete the sentences with phrases from 3.12.
1 The founder of the company is going to retire next year. I think he’ll probably sell the business as ________ . But first he needs to to see who might be interested in taking over the business.
2 If the company is going to expand, they will need to________. They can either ask the bank, issue new shares, or try to attract________ .
3 She wants to start her own business and she thinks she can see________ . She has money of her own, so the first steps are to_______ in a suitable location, purchase equipment and employ staff.
3.14 Underline the correct word in italics.
1 The bank lends you / borrows you money.
2 You lend money / borrow money from the bank.
3 So ‘lend’ is temporary giving / taking.
4 And ‘borrow’ is temporary giving / taking.
5 The bank gives you a lend / a loan.
3.15 Complete sentence b) with one word. The meaning must be the same as sentence a).
1 a) How are we going to distribute our product?
b) What distribution channels are we going to use?
2 a) She was the founder of the business.
b) She set the business.
3 a) The company is growing strongly.
b) The company has strong .
4 a) This year the company will make neither a profit nor a loss.
b) This year the company will break .
5 a) Who supplies them?
b) Who are their s?
6 a) A lot of people know their brand name.
b) Their brand name is very well- .
7 a) They’re an established business and they make a profit.
b) They’re an established, business.
8 a) The company is going to be listed on the stock exchange.
b) The company is going to go .
9 a) Why did the business fail?
b) Why did they go of business?
10 a) Their customers were late in paying them so they couldn’t pay their bills.
b) Their customers were late in paying them so they had cash problems.
3.16 Reading Match the links from a business news website (questions 1–6) to the readings from the different web pages (A–F).
1 Business News ___
2 People in business ___
3 Work and life ___
4 Business advice ___
5 Questionnaire ___
6 Contact us ___
A A certain amount of pressure brings out the best in our work. In the initial stages of stress there is a sensation of excitement and increased mental concentration. However, too much stress is negative. It is bad for you, your company and your family…
B Inditex, one of the world’s largest fashion groups, has opened 300 shops in Spain in the last four years and net profits this year have risen again…
C We always like to hear from you. E-mail us with your views and comments.
D When you think of farming do you think of worms? Simon Taylor does. As a business worm farming has low start-up costs and a potential market of fishermen using around 250 tons of worms every year…
E Is modern business too stressful? This week we want to know what you think about stress in the workplace. Answer these questions…
F I think you should change your job. Your boss shouldn’t talk to you like that and it’s time to look for a new position with a better salary…
3.17 Read the article on the world of business and trade in the 21st century. Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B or C below.
What (1) _________ the world of business and trade be like in the 21st century?
(2) _________ such as the growing concern for the environment and the increasing youth and leisure markets will affect the demand for certain products and services. Changing population patterns, the (3) _________ of e-commerce, (4) _________ technological change and economic (5) _________ will all have a dramatic impact on the way the workforce and the workplace are organized in the future.
(6) _________ growing awareness of global warming and a concern to look (7) _________ the environment, businesses will look for sources of energy to replace oil and gas, and a (8) _________ growth in the market for alternative fuels is predicted. Developments in areas such as information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology will (9) _________ an impact on many aspects of business.
The workforce will be (10) _________ in gender and age, and there will be more ethnic diversity. Employees will have much more freedom (11) _________ in the past and have more involvement in decision-making. Companies will be smaller and more specialized, with less of a traditional hierarchy. Instant messaging will become increasingly accepted as a form of business communication, in the way that email (12) _________ for many years now.
1 A does B will C is
2 A Figures B Graphs C Trends
3 A decline B rise C drop
4 A rapid B rapidly C rapider
5 A globalization B franchising C subsidiaries
6 A As a result of B Because C Due
7 A for B up C after
8 A huge B dramatically C shoot up
9 A to have B have C having
10 A more balanced B much balanced C the most balanced
11 A as B that C than
12 A is B was C has been
3.1 8 Read the article below about the history of Amazon.com Inc.
Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B or C below.
Based in Seattle, Amazon.com Inc was one of the first major companies to sell goods over the Internet. It now operates (1) _______, with separate websites in many countries around the world, selling itself as ‘The Earth’s biggest bookstore’.
Amazon was (2) _______ up by Jeff Bezos in 1994, who saw a (3) _______ in the market for an online bookstore and started the business based in his garage. Bezos needed to (4) _______ money for the (5) _______ and was fortunate that businessman Nick Hanauer believed in the company’s potential and invested US$40,000. Originally Amazon only sold books, but then Bezos (6) _______ the decision to give people the chance to write book reviews on the website, and this not only (7) _______ more customers but also made the website more of an online community. The company went public in 1997, selling (8) _______ at US$18. Bezos subsequently added CDs, videos and DVDs to the Amazon website, and since then it has diversified into computer software, electronics and many other product lines.
Compared to owners of other dot.com businesses, Bezos did not expect to become an overnight millionaire. While other Internet companies were instantly successful and grew (9) _______ in the late 1990s, Amazon only showed (10) _______ growth, which worried some of its (11) _______. It did not (12) _______ its first annual profit until 2002. However Bezos’ business (13) _______ proved to have been good: when the bubble burst and many dot.com companies ran (14) _______ difficulties, Amazon survived, and since then it has remained highly successful.
1. A nationally B globally C locally
2. A made B put C set
3. A gap B hole C door
4. A raise B rise C earn
5. A outlet B franchise C venture
6. A made B had C did
7. A attached B attracted C attended
8. A products B shares C prices
9. A slightly B slowly C rapid ly
10. A dramatic B dramatically C steady
11. A entrepreneurs B franchisees C shareholders
12. A make B take C do
13. A agreement B plan C paperwork
14. A up B out of C into
3.19 Sentences A–h are from a business letter. The sentences have been mixed up. Number the letter in the correct order.
1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5 ___ 6 ___ 7 ___ 8 ___
a I’m sorry that you were unable to attend our presentation in São Paulo last month.
b Best wishes
c Thank you for your letter of February 9 and for your interest in the new Xenon digital communication system.
d In the meantime, I enclose a copy of our latest catalogue and current price list.
e I look forward to hearing from you.
f However, I am delighted to tell you that we are planning another one in Brasilia on April 30.
g Dear Ms Ramalho
h If you have any questions or would like further information concerning our company and its products, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
3.20 Here are six voice-mail messages for Peter Carter. Match the second half of the messages (a–f) with the first half (1–6).
1 Hello. This is Cheryl. I phoned you about five times yesterday, but you weren’t in. ___
2 Hi, Peter. Anne here. I wanted to talk to you about the project meeting tomorrow morning, but you’re obviously not there. The good news is we finished Phase One on time. ___
3 Er, this is Zoltán. Just to let you know, I started the report this morning and just e-mailed you the first part. ___
4 Mr Carter. It’s Philip Heath. I talked to our stock control manager about the Venezuelan consignment and he says we despatched the goods a week ago. ___
5 Hello, Mr Carter. This is Ryan Hope from SilverStar. I called you a couple of weeks ago about an estimate for a contract in Malaysia. ___
6 Pete, it’s me. Sorry, mate, I tried everything, but head office say we can’t have any more. They say they waited six months for the preliminary report, another six months for the feasibility study and now they want to see some results. ___
(a) Oh, I included the quarterly accounts in the report, too. Let me know what you think.
(b) Anyway I corrected those figures you faxed me. OK, speak to you later, if you’re in today.
(c) As I explained, I may be a little late for the meeting. So just go ahead and start without me. I’ll join you about 10.
(d) Erm, we discussed my client’s requirements and, well, I expected to hear from you last week. Could you give me a call on 01865 555959 as soon as possible, please?
(e) The shipping agent says they delivered them this morning. So,
problem solved.
(f) Anyway, I booked the conference room for three tomorrow. Give me a
call when you get in. We need to talk.
3.21 Choose the best alternatives (in italics) in the following conversation.
1 A: Hi Gill. I haven’t seen you for a long time. What do you do? / How are you? / How are you being?
2 B: Fine. And you? / Well. / How do you do?
A: Actually I’m a bit nervous. I’m going for an interview at
Infonet next week.
You had an interview with them, didn’t you?
B: That’s right.
A: How did it go?
3 B: It was OK. The interview take / taken / took about two hours.
4 A: Two hours! That’s long / longer/ the longest than any interview I’ve had before.
5 B: The trickyest / trickiest / most tricky question was what I
thought my main weakness is.
6 A: Did they had offered / offered / offer you the job?
7 B: No. But the salary weren’t / wasn’t / didn’t was very good anyway.
3.22 Read the text and decide if statements 1–5 are true (T) or false (F).
1 James Bond movies make more money than any other film series. T / F
2 Turnover from Bond films equals the earnings of the Star Wars and Star Trek series and Gone with the Wind. T / F
3 Special effects are more expensive on a Bond film than on a Spielberg
film. T / F
4 All the books have been made into film versions. T / F
5 You don’t have to see a Bond movie to know who James Bond is. T / F
The James Bond movies are the longest-running, highest grossing film series in history. Current turnover stands at over $6 billion. In fact, the combined earnings of the Star Wars and Star Trek series and the most successful single film ever, Gone with the Wind, still fall $750 million short of Bond at the box office.
Bond is the most profitable film series ever. The special effects may cost much more these days, but the films still enjoy 30% profit margins, not including merchandising. Even Steven Spielberg’s blockbusters ET, Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones trilogy can’t compete.
Bond appeals to men and women, adults and children alike. From Russia with Love was one of President Kennedy’s top ten favourite books. But James Bond is no longer a Hollywood hero; he’s a bestselling brand. Although the actor playing Bond has changed several times over the last forty years, and although there are no more Ian Fleming novels on which to base the films, the series goes on and on.
The film business is risky – seven out of ten movies lose money. But brand awareness of Bond is so strong that even people who don’t like the films instantly recognise the Bond music, fast cars and glamorous women.
3.23 Complete the text about the company Greenspace using words from the
box.
resources º increasing º green light º milestone º
deadlines º phase º operate
“The number of discontented people young people in big cities is (1) ______. Greenspace works to reduce this problem by turning areas of waste land into green areas that they can use for free time activities. A typical Greenspace project falls into three stages. The first (2) ______ is when Greenspace finds a piece of land to buy and asks the city council for permission to (3) ______ there. Once the city council has given the (4) ______, the main part of the work begins. As well as creating a safe and exciting outdoor space for the city’s young people to use, Greenspace also gives a team of disadvantaged young people the opportunity to be involved in running the operation. Some do the manual labour while others are involved in aspects of the project such as planning and setting (5) ______. This helps create motivation amongst the team to work hard and achieve. In each of our projects a real (6) ______ is achieved when the young project workers first express pride and satisfaction in their work, feelings which many of them have never experienced before. We are a charitable organisation and depend on donations to pay for the (7) ______we need. Please give generously.”
3.24 Complete the text by putting the correct verb from the box into each gap.
pay º attend º do º fit º make º
take º raise º sign º run º buy
“In 2012 I (1) ________ a risk and left my job in a clothes shop to set up and (2) ________ my own business – a retail outlet of a French clothing company. I (3) _________ a lot of phone calls and (4) ________ a lot of market research before deciding which franchise to (5) ________. The initial costs were quite high, as I had to (6) ________ the shop in a certain way and (7) ________ a large franchise fee. Fortunately I was able to (8) ________ all the money I needed. I (9) ________ a course in Paris, which gave me excellent training and support. I finally (10) ________ the agreement and opened my shop. I haven’t once regretted my decision.”
3. 25 Read the article about writing a business plan and sentences 1–9 below. For each sentence 1–9 mark one letter (A, B or C).
On one hand a business plan is an external document which is seen by people such as banks, donors and other stakeholders. In this sense the plan is a marketing tool, as the business owner tries to convince others that the business is a realistic proposition with potential for growth over the next five to ten years. However, a good business plan is also an important management tool used within the organization to guide developments and measure progress. The process of analyzing the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, competition and finances when writing the plan helps to clarify key areas and may also reveal strong and weak points in a business proposition.
There are no exact rules for how to present a business plan, but it should be clear and concise, and written in a way to hold the reader’s attention. Graphs and charts can be used, but only as many as are necessary and ones which will be clear to the target reader of the plan. The main purpose of the plan is to provide information about the organization’s present status and future performance. Certain questions need to be answered about the organization. Is it a partnership, private limited company or sole trader, for example? What are the staffing arrangements? What is the product’s USP? Who are the target consumers? A detailed section on finances is essential, as any potential investors will want to see what money is needed and what the estimated profit and loss account is. The plan shouldn’t make any unrealistic claims or future projections about future costs and sales.
While the objectives on a business plan show specifically what the company aims to do, the mission statement explains the general purpose and values of the organization. This can either be very short, simple and powerful, or express a complex set of ideas, beliefs and projections about the organization. It often also states the company’s responsibilities towards its clients. Although the mission statement is not the place to make claims about the high quality of products or services of the company, like an advertisement a good mission statement can say a lot about the company in just a few words.
1 A business plan is usually seen by
A customers and managers.
B stakeholders and the competition.
C investors and managers.
2 A business plan should be able to persuade people that the business
A has been successful in the past.
B is successful now.
C will be successful in the future.
3 When writing a business plan an entrepreneur usually
A convinces others that the market is growing.
B thinks more deeply about the issues facing their organization.
C reveals to other people the weak points in their business
proposition.
4 A good business plan
A is clearly written and covers certain points.
B follows certain rules.
C makes some unrealistic claims and projections.
5 Graphs and charts in a business plan
A are essential.
B should be kept to the minimum.
C are unnecessary.
6 Which of the following items in a business plan doesn’t the article refer to?
A Personal details
B The type of organization
C Market research and a marketing strategy
7 The objectives on a business plan should be
A general ideas.
B realistic plans.
C powerful statements.
8 A good mission statement can be used to
A advertise the company.
B show what the company believes in.
C explain why the company’s products or services are so good.
9 What is the purpose of the article?
A To explain in detail how to write a business plan.
B To explain why business plans are needed.
C To give general advice on writing business plans.
3.26 Complete the phrasal verbs in the text by putting the correct particle in each gap.
after º away º for º into º into º out
up º up º up º up º with
‘I had always wanted to start (1) __________ my own company. In 2008 I saw a gap in the market and set (2) __________ PetMinders, a small company which looks (3) __________ people’s pets while they are away on holiday. I spent a long time looking (4) __________ the right staff, as I needed to employ people who not only were committed to the job but could also cope (5) __________ all different kinds of animals.
Although I ran (6) __________ a few financial difficulties in the early stages, I didn’t give (7) __________. I didn’t actually run (8) __________ major debts, but I needed to raise some extra money. Fortunately I found someone willing to put money (9) __________ my business. A friend had pointed (10) __________ that I hadn’t invested much in marketing, so I decided to give (11) __________ free gifts to new customers. In 2010 PetMinders made its first profit. The company has recently expanded and is doing well.’
3.27 Listening exercise (track 10). Listen to five people talking about their experiences working in another culture. Take notes about the things that they found different or unusual in the business culture of the other country.
| home country / visiting | observations |
| China / USA | |
| UK / Saudi Arabia | |
| Japan / Brazil | |
| USA / France | |
| UAE / Australia |
Unit 4 Revision
4.1 Your job. Read and translate the text.
“I work for a medim-sized, family-owned business. We offer specialized services to the construction industry. I personally specialize in lighting installations inside buildings - my background is in electrical engineering. l'm responsible for the initial contact with the client - I visit them at their offices and discuss their needs. My role is to talk to the architects and the developers, to try to persuade them of the importance of modern lighting design inside a building.
I show them how it can create a good working atmosphere and add to a company's image. I explain our track record in this field and show them a portfolio of other lighting installations that we've done. Once the initial contact has been made and the client is ready for a detailed proposal, I take a back seat for a while.
Somebody else looks at the detailed specifications for the installation and then another colleague researches the cost of the labour and materials. Those two people work under me, and I supervise their work quite closely. Finally our
legal department draws up the proposal. I oversee the whole process and sign off the proposal before it's sent to the client.
There are a number of other people that I liaise with on a day-to-day basis. We have an Office Manager who handles incoming calls, organizes my schedule and keeps on top of the filing and administration. And then outside the company I have close contact with the architects and with the project
management team responsible for the whole construction.
I report to the Head of Business Development and she reports directly to the CEO, so there are not many layers in the company and it's not at all bureaucratic.
My work is challenging, of course, because it involves both a sales function and a technical function - and every project is different. But the atmosphere in the office is great. It's very informal and I'm on first-name terms with everyone, even the CEO.
So that's me. Now about my wife. Well, she works for a large, multinational bank with its head office in Switzerland. It's a back-office function: she works in the loans department. Her job involves checking the credit history of companies who want to borrow money, and then assessing the risk of the loan. She deals with both small and medim enterprises. She's doing well - she was promoted last year. Now she's in charge of a small team of four people, so there is a management dimension to her job as well, it's not simply number-crunching.
4.2 Find a word in the text above that matches each definition below. The words appear in order.
1 (fwo words) the things that a person or organization has done in the past which show how well they have done _________
2 (phrasal verb) prepares a written document (e.g. a list, plan, contract) _________
3 be in charge of a group of workers and check that their work is done satisfactorily (= supervise) _________
4 (phrasal verb) officially agree to something _________
5 exchange information so that everyone knows what is happening ________
6 (two words) the process of working with a lot ot numbers and calculating results _________
4.3 Underline the correct words in italics.
1 A job that is challenging / demanding is difficult, but also interesting because you have to use a lot of sklll; a job that is challenging / demanding needs a lot of your time and attention, but isn't necessarily either difiicult or interesting.
2 The phrase 'my line manager'/'my boss' could be a little informal, particularly if that person is present (e.g. being introduced by you), so instead we can say 'my line manager'/'my boss'.
3 The word colleague / coworker is more common in Europe; the word colleague / coworker is more common in the US and Asia.
4 The word counterpart / opposite number refers to someone with the same job as you in another organization; the word counterpart / opposite number may have the same meaning, but is also commonly used for someone in your own organization who has the same job but in a different place (e.g. a different country).
4.4 Study the following collocations with 'task'
approach / get down to / tackle a task
carry out / do / get on with / perform a lask
complete / fulfil / succeed in (doing) a task
assign somebody / give somebody / set somebody a task
Complete 1-3 with endings a-c.
| 1 lf you get down to a task, you ... | a complete it successfully. |
| 2 lf you get on with a task, you ... | b start doing it seriously or with effort. |
| 3 lf you fulfil a task, you … | c continue after stopping for a short time. |
4.5 Underline the correct wods in italics.
1 I work for /on / to a family-owned business.
2 I specialize in /on /to lighting installations.
3 My background is for / in /with engineering.
4 l'm responsible about / for / of the initial contact with the client.
5 My role is for /in /to talk to the architects.
6 Somebody else looks at /on /to the detailed specifications.
7 There are a number of other people that I liaise from / to / with
on a day-to-day basis.
8 I report for /to /under the Head of Business Deveopment.
9 My wife works in /on /to the loans department.
10 She deals of /on / with both small and medium enterprises.
11 She is in charge from /of / to a small team.
12 I'm working for / on / to an interesting project.
13 I'm a journalist - I spend a lot of time working at / for /on my own from home.
14 My brother s off work / out of work - he's been unemployed for two months. My sister is off work / out of work today - she’s got a bad cold.
15 Every morning I leave for work / the work at 7.30 am. I arrive to / get to work at about 8.45 am. I’m at / in work until 6pm.
16 Her job involves checking / to check the credit history of companies.
4.6 Listening exercise (track 11). Listen to the interview with Jemma. Identify the subjects that Jemma talks about.
□ her daily routine
□ lunchtimes
□ her relationship with her boss
□ car parking facilities
□ the atmosphere at work
□ commuting to work
□ what she wanted to be when she was a child
4.7 Listen again and complete the first paragraph with the correct words.
I work for an ____________ company and I work in ____________ marketing. I look at____________ statistics, monitoring visits and ____________ to the site. I update the ____________ for my company and look at the ____________ and the customer____________ on the site as well. The main website is ____________ at a multitude of different people.
4.8 Answer the following questions:
1 What is the first thing that Jemma usually does when she arrives at work?
2 What does Jemma say about lunchtimes?
3 How does Jemma describe her working environment and the people she works with?
4 What job did Jemma want to do when she was younger?
5 Why did she not choose this career path in the end?
6 What type of company did Jemma work for before her current job?
Discuss in pairs.
Jemma talks a bit about what her company does for people’s health and wellbeing. Do you think a company has a duty to pay attention to people’s health and wellbeing or do you think it is up to the individual? Compare your ideas with a partner.
Tapescript
I work for an internet company and I work in online marketing. I look at web statistics, monitoring visits and traffic to the site. I update the websites for my company and look at the content and the customer experience on the site as well. The main website is aimed at a multitude of different people.
My daily routine: I work from 9 till 5.30pm Monday to Friday. We have quite a flexible working environment. I usually start the day with a strong cup of coffee and then would go on to sort of answering emails and then depending on, it’s quite a varied role, so depending on what’s pressing I’ll deal with various projects and tasks as and when they come up.
Most of my work is computer based but there are often lots of meetings. It’s always good to discuss things so that everybody’s on the same page and moving projects in the right direction because sometimes email’s not the best method of communication.
I think it’s just, sort of, the nature of, of, the job. It’s a fairly flexible company and it’s not rigidly 9-5 sat at your desk with very strict working hours. It’s, I think the hours are suitable to the role and it works for me and it doesn’t feel excessive in the slightest.
Yeah, we have an hour every day and there’s an area we can go and eat and bring our own food or there’s loads of places locally, cafés etc that we can pop and grab a bite to eat.
We’ve got a really strong culture. The people are really friendly and everybody, kind of, buys into the values of the company and, kind of, there’s a really good ethos so everybody works really closely together to, kind of, achieve an end goal which is really good. It’s a fairly small company and we have a really, kind of, relaxed atmosphere. It’s a really good balance between home-life and work-life and so, kind of, there’s a focus on, you know, taking time out to, kind of, rest and lunchtimes etc so we’ve got a really nice relaxing area for lunching.
We have a really strong focus on, sort of, health and wellbeing and we, sort of, have, sort of, various activities throughout the year that, kind of, encourage a healthy mind etc. We, there’s often activities where, you know, staff are encouraged to take regular walks and get outside and have fresh air. There’s often, kind of, charity events and social events outside of working hours as well to encourage people to, kind of, engage with one another and do fun things. It’s very much like a family feel.
When I was a child I wanted to be a nurse but I realised that I couldn’t stand the sight of blood so I thought it wasn’t the best career move for me so went into marketing.
From studying business and marketing at university I had a really strong interest in advertising and, kind of, getting involved with people and, kind of, consumer environments and then after university I got a job in an international publishing house. I moved into the online marketing side which I found really interesting and an area that’s growing quite rapidly, so that’s it.
Five years’ time? I’m not sure yet. I think I’ll see what comes up. As long as I’m still enjoying working I’ll be happy.
4.9 Networking. Read the definition of networking and answer the questions that follow.
Networking is the word we use to describe building up our contacts so that we get to know more like-minded people. Usually, we use it in business circles so that people can exchange advice and get information about job opportunities. Traditionally, people would network by going to each other’s houses for dinner, or to social events where they would expect to find others from the same profession. Nowadays, although people still network in person, a lot of networking is done online.
1. What do you think ‘like-minded’ means?
2. What do people usually expect to gain from networking?
3. In your own words, how has networking changed?
4. Which word or phrase in the definition means the opposite of ‘online’?
5. Think of some advantages and disadvantages of networking
4.10 Complete the sentences using these words.
achieve connect contact exploit manage succeed
1. If you want to ____________ in business, you have to network.
2. Some people think that by networking, you ____________ your friends, and this is a bad thing.
3. I believe that if you work hard, you can ____________ anything – the sky’s the limit!
4. Professionals often use networking as a way to ____________ with other professionals.
5. Throughout his career, he could never ____________ to rise above the position of Assistant Supervisor.
6. All I did was ____________ the manager on a social networking site and the following week, he invited me for an interview!
4.11 Read the two stories below and complete the table. Which of the two people do you agree with most? Who is the most successful? Who do you think is the happiest? Say why.
Two networking success stories
1. Andrew
Even at school, Andrew realised the value of networking. He used it to good effect when he was studying for his exams and he was always talking to older students so that he could find out the important things to study. Later, he took every opportunity he could to discover the best university to study at – attending careers fairs, and meeting students all over the country. He never missed the chance to ask everyone he met where they studied and what it was like.
Networking also led to him getting a good job and, during his early career, Andrew was promoted regularly, quickly reaching a very high position. He put this down to making all the right connections, mainly through attending social events every weekend and sometimes on weeknights too. Networking in this way was hard work, though, and it took up most of his free time, so when online social networking became popular, Andrew welcomed it with open arms. Making connections became easier and Andrew continues his rise to the top, changing jobs every year or so, and each time getting a higher salary. Only now, he can network from the comfort of his desk!
2. Danny
At school and university, Danny had heard the word ‘networking’ but he hadn’t fully understood the meaning. When, years later, someone explained it to him, Danny was not keen on the idea. In fact, he felt quite strongly about keeping his work and social life separate. He was quite disgusted by the idea that people would exploit friendships and social contacts just to improve their own job prospects. Meanwhile, Danny had a reasonable career – but one that he chose not to think about too much during his free time.
As the years passed, times got hard and Danny was keen to change jobs because he felt he was not getting anywhere. Someone suggested registering for an online social networking service which put professionals in contact with each other. At first, Danny was reluctant, but he reasoned that at least it wasn’t taking advantage of his friends. When one of these online contacts offered Danny a job, his whole life changed, and so did his attitude to networking. As Danny became secure and successful in his career, he began to enjoy networking. He sees it as a way of giving a helping hand to others who are just starting out or are struggling with their careers, and he is very proud of the number of people he has helped in this way.
| Which person ... | Andrew | Danny |
| 1 has used networking the most? | ||
| 2 sees networking as a two-way process? | ||
| 3 was enthusiastic about online networking from the start? | ||
| 4 has benefited the most from networking? | ||
| 5 thinks it is wrong to mix work and pleasure? | ||
| 6 has given more than he has gained from networking? |
4.12 Your company has sent you to an international meeting. It starts in five minutes.You don’t know the person sitting next to you. Use the chart below to
make conversation with a partner and to find out about them.
| Question word | Auxiliary | Subject | Verb | |
| Where What How Why When How many employees | do does are has have | you your company he she they | live work do doing have got like go travel studying speak | here? English? at the moment? any other languages? your job? this book? any children? to work? much in your work? |
Answers
Дата: 2019-02-02, просмотров: 3407.