UNIT 1

COMPANIES

Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still. Chinese proverb INTRODUCTION
Translate into English the following text Las multinacionales son las empresas ms visibles. Pero el tejido de la mayor parte de las economas nacionales se compone de organizaciones mucho ms pequeas. Muchos pases deben gran parte de su prosperidad a las PYMEs (pequeas y medianas empresas).

Los pequeos negocios con slo unos pocos empleados son importantes. Muchos gobiernos esperan que esos pequeos negocios de hoy se conviertan en las multinacionales de maana, pero muchos propietarios de empresas pequeas escogen trabajar as porque se encuentran ms a gusto y no desean expandirse.

Luego estn los empresarios autnomos, negocios de un solo hombre o de una sola mujer. En el mundo profesional, son a menudo personas que han dejado (o se han visto forzados a dejar) grandes organizaciones y que se han establecido por su cuenta, con la experiencia que han adquirido en ellas.

Pero en cada caso el principio es el mismo: sobrevivir el dinero que entra tiene que ser ms que el dinero que sale. Las empresas con accionistas buscan ms que sobrevivir quieren rendimiento para la inversin. Las acciones de una empresa suben o bajan en relacin a cmo ven los inversores la futura rentabilidad de la empresa. Algunas grandes empresas (a menudo, propiedad de una familia) son privadas: prefieren que sus acciones no sean compradas y vendidas abiertamente. Por eso pueden tener problemas para obtener capital para crecer y desarrollarse.

Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

1. How many collocations with the word company can you find?

company

Quotation

DIFFERENT COMPANY ORGANIZATIONS

2. Watch the video Types of business organizations and answer the following questions
a)

What types or firms are mentioned? Why did Tony decide to set up his own company? Which modality of company did he choose? What advantages does Tony have by being part of the Hopewell Business Centre?? Tony says that he didnt want the hassle. What does he mean exactly? Partnership

b)

c)

d)

e)

a)

Whats Mr Skinners job? How often does he visit the Centre? Does he get a lot of money from the advice? Where is Winch and Winch based? Are partners allowed to work together as a company? According to Mr Huggins, whats the main advantage of partnerships? and the disadvantage? Whats a Partnership Agreement?

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

Limited Liability Company Fountain Workshop is another company of Hopewell Centre. Its a Limited Liability Company.
a)

What is the advantage of a Limited Liability Co, according to the MD of Fountain Workshop? Over which turnover a Limited Co has to file accounts? Ian Kirkpatrick speaks about the directors having legal obligations towards the company. What legal obligations could these be? Public Limited Company Nicole Foulston, Chief Executive of Brands Hatch Leisure PLC talks about her company.

b)

c)

a)

Whats the company main activity? She says, The company is listed in the Stock Exchange of the UK. What does it means? Whats the main advantage of a plc company? Nicola Foulston mentions raising money more easily and more efficiently as a PLC. Why would a company like hers want to do this?

b)

c)

d)

3. Discuss these questions.

1 Which of the words below can describe:
a) b)

good qualities of an organisation? bad qualities of an organisation?

professional democratic centralised impersonal decentralised slow-to-respond cold paternal flat caring hierarchical market-driven disciplined welcoming bureaucratic

2 Which words could you use to describe your own organisation or an organisation you know well?

4. Complete the sentences below with words and phrases from the box.
share price subsidiary
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

workforce profit market share

turnover head office

The amount of money a company receives from sales in a particular period is called its The money a company makes after taking away its costs is its A company which is more than 50% owned by a parent company is called a The employees in a particular country or business are called the The percentage of sales a company has in a particular market is its The main building or location of a large organization is its The cost of a companys shares is its
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Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

COMPANY ORGANIZATION 5. Watch the video A company structure and explain the functions of these people.
Commercial director: Office manager: Dispatch manager: Shift overseer or supervisor:

6. Look at this diagram representing the structure of a company and answer the questions below.

Which group of people own the company? sell to the company? formulate policy? buy from the company? work for the company?

7. Study this organization.

Which department: a puts the products in boxes and crates? b places ads in magazines?
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c pays the staff? d purchases supplies? e sells the products to customers? f plans how to sell new products?

g services the machines and equipment? h arranges courses for the staff? i j recruits new employees? manufactures the products?

k invoices customers? l looks after customers' problems and complaints?

m dispatches the products and sends them to customers? n organizes control systems to prevent mistakes? o deals with taxation, investment, and cash management?

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

8. Complete the extract from a company report with appropriate words or phrases from the box.
share price subsidiary workforce profit market share turnover head office

Im pleased to say the company has continued its excellent performance. We are changing, growing and doing well at a difficult time for the industry. .... was 57.2 million, an increase of 15% on last year, and .... rose by 5% to 6.4 million. We are a highly competitive Business. We have increased our .... 20%. Consequently our ... .... has risen and is now at an all-time high of 9.6. Increased production and strong demand have had a positive effect on our cash flow, so we are able to finance a number of new projects. We have successfully moved to our new ........ in central London. We are now planning to start full production at the recently opened Spanish .... in October. Finally, thanks once again to our loyal and dedicated .... . Our employees will always be our most valuable asset.
7 6 5 4 3 2 1

9. Complete the chart below with information from the box. Then make sentences about the companies. For example, Cisco Systems is an American IT company. It supplies Internet equipment.
Peugeot American Express
Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

Benetton French

container ship operator Japanese

5

Italian Company Cisco Systems Bacardi Martini

drug and chemical maker

drinks supplier Nationality American Spanish American German

Main activity Internet equipment supplier Car manufacturer Travel and financial services provider

Bayer Sony Maersk Clothing manufacturer Electronic goods maker

Danish

ACCOUNTING

10. Watch the video Accounting 1 and translate into Spanish the following accounting vocabulary accountant accounting account account payable account receivable debit credit to debit to credit transaction book-keeping book-keeper ledger balance

11. Watch the video Accounting 2 and translate into Spanish the following accounting vocabulary GAAP income operating income non-operating income revenue profit expense operating expenses non-operating expenses expense account cash flow cash flow problem cash flow statement

BALANCE SHEET AND PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT 12. Study the balance sheet and the profit and loss account below. Find the terms that refer to. (BO)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

what the company owns and what it owes things that permanently belong to the company money they have to pay the bank for their loans money borrowed to meet day-to-day running expenses money supplied by shareholders
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Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

money owed to shareholders money owed to suppliers money their customers owe them the company's total sales costs incurred in buying raw materials and producing goods expenses they've incurred but not yet received invoices for regular expenses incurred in running the business such as rent, light, heating, salaries, and advertising expenses the loss in value of equipment, etc., due to use or age inventory.

13. 14.

13. The company has had a difficult year. Find evidence for these facts in the figures. Fact: Competition has been very tough. Evidence: Turnover has fallen. Facts
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

They've borrowed some money to buy new equipment. Their customers have been demanding that they keep larger stocks. Their customers have also been demanding longer credit periods. Their suppliers have been insisting on shorter credit periods. They've made some poor investments. And they haven't been able to afford to pay their shareholders much.

Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

14. Now, translate into Spanish the contents of the Balance Sheet and the Profit & Loss account.

Balance Sheet as at 31st December Balance General al 31 de Diciembre ASSETS / ACTIVO Fixed assets / Land and Buildings / Plant and Equipment / Investments / Current Assets / LIABILITIES / PASIVO Current liabilities / Bank Overdrafts / Loans / Creditors / Taxation / Dividend payable / Net Current Assets / Stocks / Finished Goods / Work in Progress / Debtors / Cash and Bank / CAPITAL AND RESERVES/CAPITAL Y RESERVAS Share capital / Profit and loss account /

Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1) 9


Profit and Loss Account for year ended 31st December Cuenta de Prdidas y Ganancias al 31 de Diciembre Turnover / Cost of sales / Gross Profit / Administration costs / Overheads / Depreciation / Operating profit / Investment Income / Interest payable / Profit (or Loss) on ordinary activities after tax / Dividends / Profit retained and transferred to reserves /

PRESENTING YOUR COMPANY

9 15. Listen to the presentation about Tara Fashions (Listening 1). Complete the chart.
Tara Fashions
Where is the head office? What does it sell? Who are its customers? Annual turnover? Annual net profits? Number of Stores: in Spain? in other European countries? Strengths? Future plans?

9 16. Listen again, and tick the phrases that you hear in the Useful Language section below.
Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1) 10

17. Which of these suggestions do you agree with? To make an effective presentation, you should:
1.

find out as much as possible about your audience.

2.

introduce yourself (name, position, company).

3.

start with a joke.

4.

outline the structure of your talk.

5.

vary the tone of your voice.

6.

refer to your notes as often as possible.

7.

use clear visual aids.

8.

summarize your main points.

USEFUL LANGUAGE

Outlining the presentation First, I'll give you some basic information. Secondly, I'll talk about our stores in other countries. Next, I'll talk about career opportunities. Last of all, I want to look at our future plans.

Introducing new information Here's some basic information. Let me add a few figures. Let's have a look at some statistics. What are our strengths?
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Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

Ending the presentation To conclude, I want to tell you about our future plans. Finally, a few words about our new project. Thanks very much for listening to my talk. Thanks for coming to my presentation.

18. Invent a company. Listen to the presentation about the fashion company and then make your own presentation about the company you have invented.

IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS

19. Listen to the recording Idioms and expressions (1). Then answer the following questions Expression 1: Is the verb to leap regular or irregular? What does it mean? : What example is mentioned to illustrate the meaning? Wheres the origin of the phrase? Translate into English the following sentence: Deberas haber mirado antes de saltar?

Expression 2: What does it mean? : What example is mentioned to illustrate the meaning?

Ingls para el mbito Comercial I (Unit 1)

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