Business English Bits Issue 97
The 10-min homework newsletter that supports your advanced business and English language learning...
Good morning and welcome to this Saturday’s issue of Business English Bits.
In today’s issue we are looking at a video report from the CNBC Make It channel which focuses on Caroline Hesse, the founder and boss of C.Hesse Cheese.
After finding herself unemployed, Caroline decided to set herself up in New York as a cheese wholesaler*. C.Hesse Cheese distributes varieties of hard and soft cheese, many of which have been imported from around the globe. Her clients include cheesemongers**, restaurants, cafes, bars, delicatessens*** and catering companies as well as selling direct to individuals.
*Wholesaler (n) - Merchant who buys in large quantities and then sells to retailers
**Cheesemonger (n) - Merchant who specialises in cheese
***Delicatessen (n) - Store selling foods already prepared or requiring little preparation for serving
In order to start trading, Caroline pooled* together various sources of funding including her last employee severance payment**, a kickstarter campaign***, credit card debt and savings.
*To Pool (v) - To put smth into a common fund
**Severance payment (cn) - Compensation given to an employee who is laid off
***Kickstarter campaign (cn) - Platform where creators share vision for new projects to potential sponsors
Dealing in cheese is a tricky business. The product is costly to produce, and like many food products it’s perishable* with a fixed expiry date. Cheese is also complex to transport as it must be stored in stable conditions at certain temperatures.
*Perishable (adj) - Products, especially food, that decay quickly
Another drawback* is that the cheese sector traditionally produces low margins. After just over a year in the business, Caroline has been able to bring in over $400,000 in sales, but can only afford to pay herself just $22,000 for an 70-80 hour week. She figures** it will take the business a number of years to become profitable.
*Drawback (n) - Disadvantage
**To Figure (v) - To think, consider, or expect to be the case
What comes through in the report, though, is how enamoured* she is with the product and sector in general. She has been welcomed into the trade by older merchants who respect her enthusiasm and are keen to see younger generations enter the field.
*Enamo(u)red (adj) - Liking smth a lot
Focus on some key new adjectives from the video
1. VIDEO: CNBC Make it - (8min) - How I Bring In $400K/Year Selling Cheese In NYC
Key Words - (Smth = Something; Sb=Someone)
Apprenticeship (n) - Program where sb learns an art, trade, or job under sb else
Intern (n) - Student or graduate working for a set time in a job to get experience
Raw (adj) - Unprocessed, In original state
To Shout out (pv) - To give notice
Severance (n) - Act of ending a connection (job); Final payment at end of contract
To Ripen (v) - To bring or come to maturity
To Factor in (pv) - To consider
Freight (n) - Goods or cargo carried by transport
Particular (adj) - Not easily satisfied
Marketable (adj) - Able to be sold because people want to buy it
To Span (v) - To extend over or across (time, distance)
To Run the gamut (ph) - To cover an entire range of smth
To Haemorrhage (v) - To lose a lot of smth in a short time
Odor (n) - Distinctive smell
Pristine (adj) - Original and pure; Not spoiled
To Hang out (pv) - To spend a lot of time in a place or with sb
Doable (adj) - Able to be done or attained
Word of the Day … Guess the missing key word. Answer given below with examples!
Some new idioms to review …
Word of the Day Answer:
Tenure (Noun) - The holding of an office or position
Examples:
“We hope that her tenure as CEO will be fruitful.”
“I appreciate the professional opportunities provided to me here during my tenure.”
ANSWERS TO WEDNESDAY’S PHRASAL VERB TEST …
Have a fantastic weekend, and see you next Tuesday ….
Kevin
An easy one! Got all my answers right 😀