top of page

Part 1

1. How important is a strong brand? What can a company do to strengthen its brand?


2. What is a competitive advantage? Can you think of an example of a company today that has a competitive advantage?


3. What can businesses do to understand changes in consumer preferences?


4. Can you provide examples of successful entrepreneurs? Are entrepreneurs important in an economy? Why/ why not?


5. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a free market?


6. How can governments level the playing field to help small businesses compete with multinationals?


7. Why is it important for businesses to cultivate loyal customers? What are some effective strategies for building and maintaining customer loyalty?


8. Can you think of any really effective marketing campaigns? Why were they so effective?

Part 2

9. Should businesses spend a lot of money on very attractive business premises? What businesses need very nice offices or stores?


10. What are some reasons for falling or stagnating productivity? What can businesses do to streamline operations?


11. Do you think businesses should only focus on profitability or are there other concerns? Think about employee and customer satisfaction, as well as environmental and social governance.


12. What are the most important sectors in your country’s economy? Do you think any sector is too big or too small?


13. Explain the importance of providing excellent customer service in a business. Can you share examples of businesses known for their exceptional customer service?


14. What is staff turnover and why is it a concern for businesses? What strategies can businesses implement to reduce turnover and retain valuable employees?


15. Define a start-up. What are the challenges and opportunities that entrepreneurs face when starting a new business?


16. Do you think governments should subsidise businesses? Why might they do this?


17. Do you think companies should be responsible for the actions of their suppliers?

 VOCABULARY 

Topic Vocabulary:

brand (noun [c]):

Definition: A brand is a name or symbol that makes a company's products or services different from others.

Example: Nike is a well-known brand for athletic shoes and apparel.


competitive advantage (noun phrase):

Definition: An advantage a company has over another in the same market, usually due to better products or lower costs.

Example: The core objective of the charity is to provide education to underprivileged children.


consumer (noun [c]):

Definition: A consumer is someone who buys or uses things.

Example: As a consumer, I like to compare prices before making a purchase.


demand (noun [u]):

Definition: Demand is when people want and are willing to buy something.

Example: The high demand for the new smartphone caused it to sell out within hours.


entrepreneurship (noun [u]):

Definition: Entrepreneurship is starting and running a business by taking risks and being creative.

Example: Mark Zuckerberg and his success with Facebook is an example of successful entrepreneurship.


free market (noun phrase):

Definition: An economic system where companies do business without government intervention.

Example: In a free market, businesses can compete and set prices based on supply and demand.


level the playing field (idiom):

Definition: Creating fair and equal conditions for competition.

Example: New regulations ensure that small businesses can compete on a level playing field with large multinationals.


loyal customer (noun phrase):

Definition: A loyal customer is someone who keeps coming back to buy from the same company.

Example: Mary has been a loyal customer of the same coffee shop for over five years.


marketing (noun [u]):

Definition: Activities to promote a product or brand.

Example: The company launched a marketing campaign to promote their new product through social media and TV commercials.


premises (noun [pl]):

Definition: The buildings or land owned by a company or organisation.

Example: The company owns several large premises across the country.


productivity (noun [u]):

Definition: The amount of work done in a specific timeframe.

Example: By organising tasks efficiently, we can improve productivity in the office.


profitability (noun [u]):

Definition: The ability of a business to generate financial gain or profit.

Example: The company's profitability increased after launching a new product line.


revenue (noun [c]):

Definition: The income or money generated by a company or organisation from its operations.

Example: The company's revenue increased by 20% this year.


sector (noun [c]):

Definition: A sector is a specific area of the economy, like technology or healthcare. 

Example: The technology sector includes companies that develop and sell software, hardware, and digital services.


service (noun [c]):

Definition: The professional work done for a customer by a company.

Example: The company provides house cleaning and maintenance services.


staff turnover (noun phrase):

Definition: The rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced.

Example: The high staff turnover at the restaurant is affecting its performance.


start up (phrasal verb):

Definition: To start a new business.

Example: Jane and her colleagues started up a company to develop a new mobile app.


streamline (verb):

Definition: Simplify or optimise a process or system to make it more efficient and effective.

Example: New software streamlined the process, saving time.


subsidy (noun [c]):

Definition: Financial assistance or support provided by the government.

Example: The government provided a subsidy to support local farmers during the drought.


supplier (noun [c]):

Definition: A supplier is someone who provides things to a company, like products or services.

Example: The bakery relies on a local farmer to be their supplier of fresh organic eggs.

Exercise 1: Part of Speech

Change these nouns into their corresponding verbs. Leave blank if no verb is possible.


1. Brand

2. Competitor

3. Consumer

4. Demand

5. Entrepreneurship

6. Marketing

7. Production

8. Profitability

9. Revenue

10. Start-up

11. Subsidy

12. Supplier


Exercise 2: Gap-fill Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word or phrase from the list provided below.


1. In a ___________, prices are mainly determined by supply and demand forces.

2. Companies often strive to create a ___________ that sets their business apart from others.

3. The ___________ for the new product exceeded our expectations, leading to increased production.

4. Effective ___________ is crucial for attracting and retaining customers.

5. To enhance ___________, the company installed cutting edge robotics in its factories.

6. The government provided a ___________ to support the growth of small businesses in the region.

7. A successful advertising campaign should lead to a significant increase in the __________ from sales.

8. The start-up was successful because it enjoyed a __________ advantage over its rivals.

9. The company decided to diversify into a new business  ___________  where there were fewer competitors.

10. The entrepreneur chose a strategic ___________ for the new store in the heart of the city.


revenue

productivity

premises

free market

subsidy

competitive

marketing

brand

sector

demand


Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.


1. The company's focus on quality and innovation gives them a ___________ in the market.

a) brand

b) competitive advantage

c) demand


2. Effective ___________ is essential for reaching and engaging potential customers.

a) marketing

b) premises

c) revenue


3. The ___________ for electric cars has been steadily increasing as environmental concerns grow.

a) demand

b) loyal customers

c) revenue


4. The ___________ of the restaurant is spacious and well-designed.

a) service

b) premises

c) location


5. The government provided a ___________ to encourage the development of renewable energy projects.

a) subsidy

b) sector

c) start-up


6. The company suffered from high ___________ as a result of poor management practices.

a) revenue

b) losses

c) staff turnover


7. The CEO decided to bring in consultants to help ___________ the business.

a) start up

b) marketing

c) streamline

Vocabulary Answer Key

Exercise 1: 1. Brand, 2. Compete, 3. Consume, 4. Demand, 5. (-), 6. Market, 7. Produce, 8. Profit, 9. (-), 10. Start up, 11. Subsidise, 12. Supply

Exercise 2: 1. free market, 2. brand, 3. demand, 4. marketing, 5. productivity, 6. subsidy, 7. revenue, 8. competitive, 9. sector, 10. premises

Exercise 3: 1b, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5a, 6c, 7c

Comments
Couldn’t Load Comments
It looks like there was a technical problem. Try reconnecting or refreshing the page.

Advanced Discussion Questions

 

13. Business

 SPEAKING 

bottom of page