Форум »
Общая лексика »
EVU Upper-Intermediate »
»
Unit 017 Business
Это форум для студентов вуза.
Участие сторонних пользователей
не предусмотрено.
Учиться
и не размышлять –
напрасно терять время,
размышлять
и не учиться –
губительно.
(Кун Фу-цзы, «Лунь юй»)
|
Unit 017 Business - Форум
|
Unit 017 Business
| |
| readeralexey | Дата: Воскресенье, 12.09.2021, 14:01 | Сообщение # 1 |
 Генерал-лейтенант
Группа: Администраторы
Сообщений: 660
Статус: Offline
| 1. How much of what you produce is custom-produced?
2. How much of what you own is custom-produced?
3. Have you ever put forward a business plan to your parents? What has been the outcome?
4. Have you ever launched anything in your life?
5. Have you encountered a business which holds customer care as a priority? Did it make a difference?
6. Would you do market research before launching a business? Why / why not?
7. Has recession of 2009 and the ongoing COVID-19 recession impacted your family well-being and lifestyle?
8. Would you prefer doing business in Russia or elsewhere? Why?
9. Is competition stiff in your (potential) area of business?
10. Is building contacts important in your (potential) area of business? Why / why not?
11. If you decide to go forward and access new markets, what would these be?
12. What are your ways of getting feedback from your customers?
13. What, in your opinion, should be the ultimate goal of any business - making profit or serving public good?
14. Do you think turning education and medicine into business does it harm or good? Why?
15. If you could start a business, what would it be? What would you need to do to make it a success? Write a paragraph outlining your ideas. Use words and phrases from this unit.
|
| |
|
|
| tsumskaa30 | Дата: Понедельник, 27.09.2021, 18:36 | Сообщение # 2 |
|
Генерал-майор
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 275
Статус: Offline
| Do you think turning education and medicine into business does it harm or good? Why?
Nowadays education has almost become “semi-paid”. Of course, comprehensive schools in Russia are free for all children, but in fact, many parents prefer to hire tutors who can help students pass their final exams.
In my opinion, there is nothing bad in business concerning tutoring. Moreover, teaches who give private lessons are usually more interested in giving students as much knowledge as they can. The wage motivates them to work harder, to prepare for the lessons more carefully. They are usually much more inspired and have a desire to lead their students to the certain result. For example, there exists the team Skyeng. Its members are professional teachers of English. But their methods of work are quite different from those that are familiar to school teachers because they always make effort to develop their skills to achieve a better result.
It is evident that those people who can’t afford tutors, can manage to take exams without any help, practicing self-development.
Nevertheless, I hold a different opinion on business concerning medicine. I’m sure that medicine should be absolutely free for everyone because we don’t choose our state of health.
To sum it all up, I believe that education can be turned into business in some way and bring a significant result, but this method is absolutely unacceptable for medicine.
5
Сообщение отредактировал tsumskaa30 - Воскресенье, 07.11.2021, 12:55 |
| |
|
|
| katyadorniak | Дата: Вторник, 16.11.2021, 00:17 | Сообщение # 3 |
|
Генерал-майор
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 293
Статус: Offline
| 2. How much of what you own is custom-produced?
I used to have a school uniform sewn for me every few years. At the gymnasium, everyone wore dresses of the same pattern, but they had to be sewn themselves ordered by ourselves. Custom-produced dresses have always been very comfortable and even stylish: I used to wear them everywhere. I also have some custom-made patches. One of them is made in a special shop where they make various souvenirs using the customer's photos. The other one is a gift from a friend, it is made of polymer clay.
Custom-made items are quite expensive, but they are worth it.
4. Have you ever launched anything in your life?
One day I decided to launch a business at school. I made figures out of polymer clay and sold them to classmates. As a result, the mother of one of them found out about my little scheme. She decided that my family was in poverty and gave my mother a whole box of stationery and
even, it seems, some money. To be honest, at that time my family was really going through hard times. But, one way or another, I didn't do business anymore…
13. What, in your opinion, should be the ultimate goal of any business - making profit or serving public good?
Of course, it is obvious that the business goal should be global and good. But everything is not so simple, because business is conducted by ordinary people. Unfortunately, people are too weak to resist temptations. Money is the strongest tempter.
Therefore, even if at first a business is appointed to serve people, sooner or later, its purpose will be perverted. It's sad, but all large companies, for example, Nestle, have actually become so popular and successful thanks to the disgusting attitude towards employees and the environment.
5
Добавлено (01.12.2021, 04:40)
---------------------------------------------
Imagine coming up with an ideal idea for a business, take taking a risk of PUTTING it FORWARD and getting the approval of sponsors.
Take a reliable person as a partner, make A BUSINESS PLAN and get started.
Imagine LAUNCHING your own business, producing something original and CUSTOM-BUILT. Within a few weeks, your ORDER BOOKS are full and you are
overloaded with work and profit. Imagine that you are a serious boss, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, your project is your life, you don't see people around you, but POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. Imagine that there is a sudden crisis or a quite expected RECESSION, for which you are not ready. Imagine that the business has failed and you leave your position, because there are firms on the market that
satisfy the CUSTOMER'S NEEDS better. That's what to DOING BUSINESS is, as I imagine it.
5
EkaterinaDolzhenkova
|
| |
|
|
| antonryadinski | Дата: Среда, 01.12.2021, 11:41 | Сообщение # 4 |
|
Полковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 167
Статус: Offline
| 8. Would you prefer doing business in Russia or elsewhere? Why?
I wonder whether I do business at all. This is the main question that I should decide in my future life. And I think the place doesn't matter. But still, I would prefer doing it in Russia as at least I am familiar with the laws of this country. To launch business abroad means you must learn everything about particular country and their customers.
But I am thinking that it is a good idea to work as a private teacher of Russian language abroad. It is my native language and I feel confidence to teach it. Nowadays, it is especially popular in European countries.
4,5
Any business starts with a BUSINESS PLAN. Then you LAUNCH it. If you succeed you would have a big FIRM or even a CORPORATION. You will fave a lot of RISKS. But don't forget about your POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS, they the most important thing when you DO BUSINESS. As a CEO, I would recommend you not to forget about GETTING A FEEDBACK. I hope everything will be nice and you will be able to ACCESS NEW MARKETS.
5
Сообщение отредактировал antonryadinski - Пятница, 03.12.2021, 22:30 |
| |
|
|
| abalakinan27 | Дата: Суббота, 04.12.2021, 14:55 | Сообщение # 5 |
|
Полковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 249
Статус: Offline
| 14. Do you think turning education and medicine into business does it harm or good? Why?
To my mind, turning education and medicine into business is rather ambiguous matter. It is not good or bad. Maybe initially people shouldn't make profit from children or unhealthy people. But in fact it's a phenomenon nowadays and many people take it for granted. From my own experience paid services are more qualified. Of course, that is not always true but talking about improving your education, going a path of self-development or getting urgent test - state institutions aren't provided for all your demands.
Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the country I live in because it shows a better degree of government concern of civil well-being than in EU or Africa.
4,5
Сообщение отредактировал abalakinan27 - Вторник, 07.12.2021, 19:06 |
| |
|
|
| anastasiadregan864 | Дата: Воскресенье, 05.12.2021, 11:19 | Сообщение # 6 |
|
Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 122
Статус: Offline
| 2. How much of what you own is custom-produced?
Unfortunately, I can't remember my clothes
or things that are custom-produced. Firstly, it is very expensive pleasure. And
secondly, custom-made stuff takes a lot of time to develop, because this is a unique
product, and I don’t like to wait.
8. Would you prefer doing business in Russia or elsewhere? Why?
I would prefer doing business in Russia, because I know the people, the culture, the needs of a potential client and target audience of my country. Also, the presence of connections, acquaintances and relatives who are ready to help and support plays an
important role and can help at the initial stage. Moreover, doing business in Russia would be much easier in terms of knowledge of the language and laws. If you open your business in a relatively small city in Russia, then success and good demand are likely, due to low competition.
5
A friend of our family has his own business, which he started from scratch. It is connected with the freezing of berries and vegetables. He developed a BUSINESS PLAN himself, which he translated into reality, and did a proper MARKET RESEARCH. His PRIORITY was the quality of freezing and storing food. His FIRM is very widespread in Russia now and continues to grow.
2
Сообщение отредактировал anastasiadregan864 - Воскресенье, 05.12.2021, 11:56 |
| |
|
|
| posternaksophie | Дата: Воскресенье, 05.12.2021, 19:04 | Сообщение # 7 |
|
Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 121
Статус: Offline
| 14. Do you think turning education and medicine into business does it harm or good? Why?
Business is always connected with money. So if we turn such spheres as education and medicine into business, they will inevitably be connected with money. In my opinion, it would do no good.
Education is a luxury nowadays and very often it costs a fortune. If it is turned into business, then it wouldn't be possible to study for free and there would be less of learned people in our society. Moreover, if education is turned into business, the relationships between students and professors would also be based on money and would be less friendly and human.
Medical help is a basic human right and if it was connected with business, then a lot of people wouldn't be able to afford it. Furthermore, some doctors would take advantage of people and their diseases to strip them off their money.
5
Сообщение отредактировал posternaksophie - Среда, 08.12.2021, 20:21 |
| |
|
|
| vernik04 | Дата: Воскресенье, 05.12.2021, 23:30 | Сообщение # 8 |
|
Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 132
Статус: Offline
| 13. What, in your opinion, should be the ultimate goal of any business - making profit or serving public good?
Well, the ultimate aim of any business should be based on serving public good. Everything should be honest and fair. Business owners have to launch a kind of business that would provide excellent quality services and goods so that there could be demand and profit.
4
|
| |
|
|
| mariafokina99 | Дата: Четверг, 07.05.2026, 14:30 | Сообщение # 9 |
 Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 138
Статус: Offline
| 13. What, in your opinion, should be the ultimate goal of any business - making profit or serving public good?
From my point of view, the goal of any business is to make profit and serve the public good. But businesses cannot exist without MAKING A PROFIT in the modern capitalist world. People who DO BUSINESS face many challenges: RECESSIONS, increased taxes, STIFF COMPETITION, policical conflicts. Moreover there are online marketplaces where people can purchase anything in minute whithout visiting offline shops, cafes, restaurants. However, without customer trust, businesses will quickly collapse. Business owners should SEEK FEEDBACK from customers and follow trends, protect ecology and animal rights. I believe that every business needs a balance. You need enough money to MOVE FORWARD and a large number of loyal customers. Nevertheless, not all businesses want to EXPAND. There are many small, local businesses that do not make huge profits, but they have great love from people who appreciate their CUSTOM APPROACH and their values.
|
| |
|
|
| mariablansh | Дата: Среда, 10.06.2026, 16:23 | Сообщение # 10 |
|
Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 106
Статус: Offline
| Would you do market research before launching a business? Why / why not?
Definitely, I would. I used to believe that business begins with a unique idea, however, about six months ago a friend of mine who studies business at university told me it isn't so. I thought you just needed TO PUT FORWARD great BUSINESS PLAN and LAUNCH your product, but she explained that you must always start by choosing your target audience and finding out what people actually need, that's why I would conduct thorough market research first thing first. Only after that I would decide what my firm will manufacture. Real business is not about realizing a dream, it is about successful trade and making a profit. If you do not find potential customers beforehand, you will quickly go bankrupt. You need to focus on CUSTOMER CARE and offer something that is in high demand, especially since every modern market has STIFF COMPETITION.Of course, a few people are ready to RISK all their capital for a dream and some of those rare stories make history, but in reality most people are not ready for such risks, they need a stable income. It seems to me, that gathering FEEDBACK and studying the market first is the only (or the most common) way to build a reliable business.
Баушова М.
Сообщение отредактировал mariablansh - Среда, 10.06.2026, 16:29 |
| |
|
|
| boriskorsun3 | Дата: Воскресенье, 14.06.2026, 17:02 | Сообщение # 11 |
 Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 117
Статус: Offline
| If you could start a business, what would it be? What would you need to do to make it a success?
If I could start a business, I would love to open a FIRM that creates CUSTOM-BUILT educational software for language students. Before I LAUNCH the service, it's a huge PRIORITY to do proper MARKET RESEARCH to find our POTENTIAL users. To make the business a success, our team needs to BUILD CONTACTS with universities and always focus on excellent CUSTOMER CARE. GOING FORWARD, we will probably face STIFF COMPETITION from bigger companies, so we must work hard to get regular FEEDBACK and improve our product. Even if we do not MAKE A PROFIT immediately, I believe this idea is worth the RISK.
|
| |
|
|
| claudholloway | Дата: Воскресенье, 14.06.2026, 17:07 | Сообщение # 12 |
|
Майор
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 83
Статус: Offline
| Would you do market research before launching a business? Why / why not?
I don't know much about business yet, but I think that market research is the most important thing one should do before launching a business. Actually, my career goal and my dream is to LAUNCH a leather and wood haberdashery business. I love doing handmade stuff and I think that I actually have a POTENTIAL, but I know that launching a business in current economics is very hard and very RISKY. And I always afraid that there is no need in things I can make, because there are already probably thousands of companies that make exact same things. So I think taht if I really want to achieve my goal, I will have to come up with something unique, with something that will attract customers.
Мария П.
|
| |
|
|
| runovasveta2005 | Дата: Воскресенье, 14.06.2026, 20:27 | Сообщение # 13 |
|
Подполковник
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 111
Статус: Offline
| What, in your opinion, should be the ultimate goal of any business - making profit or serving public good?
I think nothing of these can be the ultimate goal of any business, because these things are interconnected and no business can exist without any of them.
Making profit is directly connected to serving public good. Demand creates supply, so customer care must be a priority for any business company. If a business doesn't serve public good, it will simply be of no use to anyone. No customers – no profit. So, everyone who launches their business should take care of getting regular feedback and be ready to look for ways to attract potential customers. It is only possible if the business benefits people and serves public good.
At the same time, no business can exist without profit. Only a profitable business can provide the products with quality, survive in stiff competition and access new markets.
So, both of these things must be the ultimate goal of any business, otherwise there is simply no use for it.
|
| |
|
|
| elizavetabusnik | Дата: Воскресенье, 14.06.2026, 23:13 | Сообщение # 14 |
|
Рядовой
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 18
Статус: Offline
| 2- Very little of what I own is custom-produced. My clothes are from regular stores, not tailored for me. My phone and laptop are standard models everyone buys. I don't see the point of paying extra for custom stuff, standard products work perfectly fine for me. But maybe one day if I earn more, I will order something special.
7- Neither the 2009 recession nor
COVID-19 really impacted my family. My mother works as an icon painter. My father teaches theatre arts at school. Their work is quite stable and does not depend on the economy much. Church orders for icons continued even during the crises. Theatre classes moved online, and my father kept his job and salary. We did not lose any income or have to move. Our lifestyle remained almost the same. We know many people suffered, but we were lucky.
8- I would prefer doing business both in Russia and elsewhere. I don’t think it has to be one or the other. I could register my company in Russia but sell products online to other countries. Many successful Russian businesses do exactly that. For example, I think, software and online services can be sold anywhere. I could also partner with someone abroad to handle the local part.
10- Yes, building contacts is extremely important for a journalist. Without good contacts, you cannot get exclusive stories or inside information, your sources are everything in this job. If people trust you and share news with you, you will always have material to write about. I have seen how experienced journalists get tips from police, doctors, or local politicians, but beginner with no contacts will only report what everyone already knows.
13- I believe the ultimate goal should be both profit and public good. A business cannot survive without profit, you need money to pay salaries, rent, and taxes. But profit should not come at the expense of harming people or the environment. The best businesses find a way to do well by doing good. For example, a company that makes healthy food or sport equipment helps customers while earning money.
|
| |
|
|
| lizaserdyuk06 | Дата: Воскресенье, 14.06.2026, 23:20 | Сообщение # 15 |
 Лейтенант
Группа: Пользователи
Сообщений: 58
Статус: Offline
| 8. Would you prefer doing business in Russia or elsewhere? Why?
I’d prefer doing business in Russia, because it’s my home country and I know the local market better. It means I can do kind of research and understand what potential customers really want. Also, launching a business here is easier for me personally — I know the rules and the language. Russia has stiff competition in big cities, but there are still gaps for custom-built services or personalised products. For example, people appreciate good customer care and regular feedback. If you listen to them, you can build loyalty quickly. By the way, I’ve noticed that exactly in Russia, once people trust you, they often stay loyal for a long time. So if you offer something personal and actually listen to feedback, that could really help you stand out, even in big cities with lots of competition.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
