Part1 Do you work or are you a student? 我实际上经营自己的企业…我有一个销售化妆品的在线企业…我5年前创办了这家企业，我真的很喜欢为自己工作… 自己创业 经营自己的事业 开创公司 创办企业 What is your ideal job? 我不认为我会喜欢为一家大公司工作……我想我会喜欢独自一人去做个体经营者……我不知道那会是什么样的商业领域，但我想我会喜欢起草商业计划的过程，看看我是否能成功…… 靠自己 独自创业 自己当自己的老板 为自己工作/不为雇主工作 Is your town a nice place to live? 没关系……我们的主要问题是我们当地的商业街……它曾经是一个繁忙的中心，但许多商店都破产了……当你在这个地区拥有大型超市，而许多超市无法在如此激烈的竞争中生存下来时，盈利一定非常困难…… 倒闭 当一家企业因为不成功而被迫关闭时，破产 获利 盈利 >恶性竞争 cut throat competition: when one company lowers its prices, forcing other companies to do the same, sometimes to a point where business becomes unprofitable
Part2 Describe a business you know that you admire. You should say what this business is what the business sells how long you have known about the business and say why you like it so much. Actually I discovered a business very recently that I like so much I’d like to do something similar in the future … it’s a small niche business that runs courses in how to cook … especially bread … the owner uses his kitchen for the courses and went into business with a local community shop and sells a lot of the bread and cakes they make in the shop … I first got to hear about the business last year … my wife paid for me to do one of the baking courses and I got to know the owner during the training … it’s a lifestyle business really … he doesn’t have plans to take on employees or expand into new areas … he’s happy earning a living doing the thing he loves … I really admire what he does and I’m sure a lot of people would love to do something similar … he has a web presence … in fact that’s how we got to find out about his company … and he uses social media to raise the company profile … but he’s the only person involved in running the business so he’s in complete control of where the business goes … that’s something that must make it really satisfying … as long as he’s managing to balance the books and the cash flow is healthy I’m sure he must be very pleased with what he has achieved … 联合创业 to go into business with: to join another person to start or expand a business 生活事业平衡型事业 lifestyle business: a business that is set up to bring in a sufficient income and no more 招聘人 to take on employees: to employ people 挣钱 to earn a living: to earn money 网页端展示 to have a web presence: to have a website or social media profile that show cases your business 推广公司形象 to raise a company profile: to make more people aware of a business 账面（收支）平衡 to balance the books: to not spend more money than you are earning 现金流 cash flow: the money coming in and going out of a business
Part3 Why do some people decide to set up their own business? I suppose it’s the idea of being in control of your own destiny … or of believing in a product or service idea you may have … plus it must be very exciting … launching products … winning contracts … and seeing your sales figures improving must be wonderful … 启动产品 to launch a product: to start selling and promoting a new product 签订合同 to win a contract: when a business gets legally-binding work with an individual or company 销售报告 sales figures: a report of the income a company generates through sales of products or services What are some of the dangers involved in starting a business? Well … obviously you need to have a good idea … some people say you need to do market research beforehand so you know what the market wants … if you don’t do this you could go under … and if it is a good idea the chances are someone else is doing the same thing so you could end up facing stiff competition … 市场调研 to do market research: to do research into what potential customers would or wouldn’t buy to go under: (see ‘to go bust’) 竞争激烈 stiff competition: strong competition from other companies in the same area of work What are some of things you have to do when running your own business that might not appeal to everyone? Personally i don’t like being in debt so taking out a business loan wouldn’t suit me at all … and I know a lot of companies do cold calling to try and drum up business … that’s something I’d hate to do … and laying people off if the business gets into trouble … that would be horrible … 贷款 to take out a loan: to borrow money 意外访问 to cold call: to make a sales call to someone without asking them for permission first 获取客户 to drum up business: to try to get customers 开除 to lay someone off: when a company ends an employee’s contract of employment |
