Т.М.Десяткова

КАК ПРЕУСПЕТЬ

В БИЗНЕСЕ

Практическое пособие

по английскому языку

Рекомендовано :

Государственным комитетом Российской федерации

по высшему образованию

для использования в учебном процессе

Москва «Высшая школа»

1994

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ

Unit 1. FREE ENTERPRISE 3

Unit 2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT BUSINESS AND DEVELOPING YOUR FINANCIAL PLANS 6

Unit 3. BUILDING AN IMPORT/EXPORT BUSINESS 13

Unit 4. A SHORT COURSE IN MANAGEMENT 30

Unit 5. THE NATURE OF MARKETING 43

Unit 6. HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOUR POTENTIAL PARTNERS 50

CHINA 50

INDIA 52

HONG KONG 53

JAPAN 54

SINGAPORE 56

SOUTH KOREA 57

TAIWAN 58

AUSTRALIA 59

Unit 1. Free enterprise entrepreneurship: on the upsurge

"Going into business for myself" has long been part of the American Dream. Our political and economic system is one of free enterprise, or capitalism. In a capitalist system, individuals (alone or in groups), not the government, accumulate savings and invest them in the tools of production – factories, machinery, everything needed to produce products and services – in the hope of making a profit. Profit is what is left after all expenses of a business – including management compensation – have been deducted. Profit is your return on your investment and the reward for the risk you take in starting an enterprise, nurturing it through its difficult early years*, and keeping it growing. Profit is your indicator that your business is succeeding. Profit is the business owner's personal reward for the money, time, effort, and creativity invested in the enterprise.

The other side of profit is loss. In its simplest sense, entrepreneurship consists of risking the loss of money, time, and effort in the hope – but without any guarantee – of profit.

In a free enterprise system, anyone who has the capital (from a few hundred dollars to a few million), the time, and the expertise to do so can embark on any business he or she chooses*. Although there are many government regulations concerning business – local, county, state, and federal – no American is legally prevented from starting any legitimate enterprise. Provided that you do not use another's name, product design, or trademark, you are free to compete with any existing business, just as you are free to start something entirely new. Millions of Americans have made use of this freedom.

Moreover, entrepreneurship – owning one's own business – is on the rise*. Despite all the publicity about multinational corporations and megabillion-dollar conglomerates*, both the number and the proportion of U.S. businesses with fewer than 100 employees keep growing: to 14 million in a recent count*. More people are employed by small businesses than by large. And between 1980 and 1988, when major U.S. corporations cut their payrolls by some 3.1 million workers, small companies created more than 17 million new full-time and part-time jobs.

And today? With the 1990s on the horizon. Newsweek estimates that 2 million U.S. men and women are millionaires. Of these, the newsmagazine reports, nearly 90 percent have carned their fortune by starting their own firms.

Not all small businesses succeed on this scale*. Many fail – some in their first year of operation. Fewer than half survive their first five years. The publication Business Week Careers puts it this way, "If there is a first law of entrepreneurial thinking, it is undoubtedly this: Risks are directly proportional to rewards." It's natural to think about the potential rewards. But it's just as important to consider, and minimize, your risks.

Most business experts believe that the small enterprises that fail do so largely because their owners did not do enough planning. Most especially, they failed to allow themselves enough start-up funds to get them through the crucial first year*.

One point to remember is that no matter how carefully you plan your business, how great you believe your product or service is, or how vigorously you try to sell it, in the end the consumer, not you, will determine how successful you are. Free enterprise applies to the customer as well as to the businessperson. The government can't close your business unless you break the law*, but the public can close your business simply by staying away*. Consumers are free to buy – or not to buy – whatever and from whomever they choose. Finding out what consumers want or need and then making them aware that you are providing for that need is called marketing. A well-thought-out marketing plan is crucial to your success.