Business English Bits Issue 123
The 10-min homework newsletter that supports your advanced business and English language learning...
A very warm (it was 38C yesterday in Madrid) welcome to the Saturday’s edition of Business English Bits.
We return to an old favourite for today’s video report which comes from the CNBC Make It Youtube channel. CNBC Make It often looks at new and inventive business ideas with a special focus on younger entrepreneurs.
In this episode we focus on Vienna Hintze, a 29-year-old who recently moved from New York to Los Angeles. Over the last three years Vienna has built up and run her own marketing agency. It seems, however, that this venture has still left her wanting something more, a job where she could use her hands, work outside and get away from an office desk.
With support from her therapist, Vienna came up with the idea of setting up her own flower truck business. The business model is split into three main parts. In the first two she buys flowers directly from a wholesale market. She then preps* these items and either sells them directly to the public on the street, or is invited to attend events. At the events she can peddle** bouquets whilst providing a colourful backdrop***.
*To Prep (v) - To prepare
**To Peddle (v) - To sell
***Backdrop (n) - Serve as a background to smth
The third part of the business is to use her wonderful, vintage, second-hand, green truck (cost $10,000) as a stand-alone attraction for video shoots, events and rentals. The vehicle is so unique it even has its own name.
Enjoy today’s offering as it shows that with relatively little start-up cash and a creative mind you can take business ideas a long way ….
Focus on some key new adjectives from the video …
VIDEO: CNBC Make It - (9min) - Bringing In $16K/Month Running My Own Business In LA
Key Words - (Smth = Something; Sb=Someone)
Pop up (n) - Shop or other business that opens quickly in a temporary location
Bulk (n) - Greater part of smth
Besty (col n) - Best friend
To Gravitate (v) - To move towards or be attracted to sb/smth
To Pick out (pv) - To choose
Whimsical (adj) - Quaint or fanciful
Thorn (n) - Small, sharp, pointed growth on plant stem
To Prep (v) - To prepare
To Drop off (pv) - To leave smth somewhere
Spike (n) - Sharp increase
Lucrative (adj) - Producing a great deal of profit
To Click with (pv) - To like and understand sb/smth
To Gasp (v) - To catch one's breath with astonishment
Random (adj) - Made or happening without method
Jump start (ph) - To start or restart smth rapidly or forcefully
Flash in the pan (ph) - Sb/smth that promises great success but soon fails
To Fizzle out (pv) - To gradually end, often in a weak way
Rut (n) - Habit or pattern of behaviour that is unproductive
Word of the Day … Guess the missing key word. Answer given below with examples!
Some new idioms to review …
Word of the Day Answer:
Reliance (n) - Dependence on or trust in sb/smth
Examples:
“Our firm is placing too much reliance on the consultancy’s expertise.”
“Because we are lacking new projects, we have an unhealthy reliance on current customers.”
ANSWERS TO WEDNESDAY’S PHRASAL VERB TEST
Hope that you have a nice relaxing weekend in the sun. See you on Tuesday …
Kevin