5.6 Тексты для чтения и перевода

Текст 1

A modern office

We arrived at Richard’s main office in downtown Manhattan. It was on the twenty-fifth floor of a skyscraper. I saw a plaque in the lobby that said MEDEQ, Inc. I guessed that MEDEQ stood for MEDical EQuipment. A man operated the elevator.

Before the meeting Richard showed me his office. I was really impressed with the state-of-the art office equipment. I didn’t see a single typewriter there. Everybody worked on a PC (personal computer). I had heard that every office worker had a dictionary because English spelling is so difficult. But I didn’t see any dictionaries there. Richard explained that there were special computer programs to check spelling. Every PC was connected to a printer to print out processed documents. There was a copier which made copies in colour. The office also had telex and fax facilities. I noticed a strange-looking machine in the corner. Richard explained that it was a paper shredder. I wished we had an office like that in Omsk!

The office workers were very efficient. They knew how to run every piece of equipment. And they worked very fast. I said I’d like to learn how to run everything too. Richard introduced me to the staff. They were very friendly. He asked them to give me a hand in mastering the office equipment.

Текст 2

Education

Education is important in the upbringing of the entrepreneurs. Its importance is reflected not only in the level of education obtained but in the fact that it contines to play a major role in helping to cope with problems and correcting deficiencies in business training. Although a formal education (a diploma in a pocket) is not necessary for starting a new business, as reflected in the success of such entrepreneur high school dropouts as Andrew Carnegie, William Durant, Henry Ford, it does provide a good background, particularly when it is related to the field of the venture. Entrepreneurs need education in the areas of finance, strategic planning, marketing (particularly distribution) and management. The liability to deal with people and to clearly communicate in the written and spoken word is important in any entrepreneurial activity.

Текст 3

Characteristics of Entrepreneurs

Motivation

What motivates an entrepreneur to take all the risks and launch a new venture? Although many people are interested in starting a new venture and even have a background and financial resources to do so, few decide to actually start their own businesses. Individuals who are comfortable and secure in a job situation, have a family to support, like their present life-style and predictable leisure time often do not want to take the risks associated with venturing out alone.

The most often reason for becoming an entrepreneur is independence – not wanting to work for anyone else. This desire to be one’s own boss is what drives both male and female entrepreneurs to accept all the social, psychic, and financial risks and to work the numerous hours needed to create and develop a successful new venture. Money is the second reason for starting a new venture for men while job satisfaction, achievement, opportunity, and money are reasons in rank order for women.

Текст 4

Entrepreneurship in Russia

It is impossible to create successful small and medium-size businesses, to develop financial infrastructure and transform large industrial business without high quality management and entrepreneurship. In Russia entrepreneurs desire economic freedom, innovations and organizational creativity. The transition to a full-fledged marked-based economy will give birth to a great diversity of entrepreneurial profiles, different forms of ownership, and a variety of strategies.

Millions new enterprises start each year despite more than a 50% failure rate. Consumers, business people, and the government officials take interest in this activity. This interest is evidenced in the increasing research on the subject, the increased number of courses in entrepreneurship.

Starting and managing a new business involves considerable risk and effort to overcome all the inertia against creating something new. In creating and helping a new venture to grow, the entrepreneur has all the responsibility for its development, growth and survival as well as corresponding risks and rewards.

Who wants to accept all the risks and effort involved in creating a new venture? The person may be a man or a woman, come from an upper-class or a lower-class background, have a college or a university degree or be a high school dropout. The person may have been a student, a teacher, an engineer, a salesperson, a manager, a retired person, etc.

Лексика к тексту 4:

enterprises - business firms; background - a person’s experience and education

dropout - a person who drops out of school or college without completing the course

Текст 5

Finding Trading Partner

You will need to find suitable trading partners. Through the Trade Development Service we can give you access to our unique database of trading partners, which has been developed in cooperation with other leading European banks – your product or service, or your requirements can be advertised in Business, a worldwide electronic “noticeboard”.

We can also obtain status report for you on companies, to help you determine their financial standing. An alternative to dealing directly with trading partners abroad is to arrange overseas representation. Another alternative is to sell abroad through UK – based organizations. There are a number of channels open to you.

Текст 6

Foreign companies

Telford has the biggest concentration of Japanese companies in the UK: Seiko, NEC, Hitachi, Ricoh and others. Seiko Epson has invested £ 11 millions in a new plant manufacturing computer printers. NEC has just opened a £ 3,7 millions plant manufacturing videos and TVs which will employs nearly 900 people. Hitachi Maxell have their European HQ here and make video cassettes and floppy discs. Ricoh manufactures photocopies for sale throughout Europe.

Текст 7

Finding markets

For many businesses the most difficult problem of exporting is knowing where to start. Do you have a product which you think will be successfully overseas yet have no clear idea of the best place to begin. Are you already a successful exporter but want to expand sales into other countries and so need to find the most promising markets?

Barclays can help you discover vital information, like the size of potential markets; the demand for your product; trading and economic conditions; the type and extent of competitions; local tastes, languages and customs.

If your research is encouraging, you will need to find out about import duties, Government policy and technical requirements – and to investigate methods of trading, distribution, packaging and advertising.