word or phrase POS definition example sentence

to study or examine something in detail, in order to discover

analyse verb more about it Researchers analysed the purchases of 6,300 households.
We carried out an analysis of visitors to the website by age, sex, and
analysis noun the study of something in detail region.
relating to the careful or scientific examination of facts and We offer award-winning website design and hosting services, extranets,
analytical adjective information and analytical tools.
avoid verb to try not to do something, or to try to stay away from The government avoided the mistakes they made in the past.
avoidable adjective possible to avoid A number of illnesses are entirely avoidable.
Health insurance companies who have been showing very healthy profits
avoidance noun the practice of avoiding something have engaged in very serious risk avoidance.
having no doubt or knowing exactly that something is true, or
certain adjective known to be true, correct, exact or effective Are you absolutely certain that you gave them the right number?
the state of being completely confident or having no doubt
certainty noun about something I'm unable to answer that question with any certainty.
to share information with others by speaking, writing, moving We can now communicate instantly with people on the other side of the
communicate verb your body or using other signals world.
the process of sharing information, especially when this We have been in communication with various agencies in regard to this
communication noun increases understanding between people or groups matter.
He emphasised that managers had to be more communicative with their
communicative adjective willing to talk to people and give them information staff.
compete verb to try to be more successful than someone or something else It's difficult to compete when there are so many similar businesses.
the situation in which people or businesses are trying to be
competition noun more successful than each other, for example by making more There has always been competition between the auto manufacturers.
The severe downturn in the worldwide semiconductor market has
competitive adjective involving or encouraging competition increased competitive pressures in the Japanese market.
a person, product, company, etc. that is trying to compete with At least one major competitor is gearing up to provide local service at
competitor noun others, for example, by trying to make bigger sales in a lower prices.
uncertain adjective not known or fixed, or not completely certain New arrivals face an uncertain future.
The rule changes are complicated and cause uncertainty for workers and
uncertainty noun the feeling of not being sure what will happen in the future headaches for employers.
He has a wealth of experience and will be a valuable addition to our
valuable adjective very helpful or important editorial team.
value verb to consider something important or good We value our partnership with the government.
value noun how good or useful something is in relation to its price Property will always remain good value.
valued adjective considered important or good Her work was highly valued well beyond the academic community.
small cards that have your name, company name, and the job Delegates walk around the booths introducing themselves and
business cards noun plural you do printed on them exchanging business cards.
 people who work in business, especially people with an Business people experience on average 170 interactions per day phone
business people noun plural important position in a company or people who own a calls, hallway conversations, emails.
the beliefs and ideas that a company has and the way in which Because of differences in corporate culture, the merger between the two
corporate culture noun they affect how it does business and how its employees behave companies proved disastrous.
the qualities of a company that make it different from other
companies, and the images, words, etc. that it uses to make As part of the process of developing our corporate identity we have
corporate identity noun itself familiar to its customers, for example in its recently introduced a new logo and new letterheads.
ways in which the habits, traditions, and beliefs of a society, a
cultural differences noun plural company, etc. are not the same There are cultural differences between Australia and Britain.
ways in which the habits, traditions, and beliefs of a society, a
cultural similarity noun company, etc. are almost, but not exactly, the same There is cultural similarity between many countries in the Middle East.
foreign country noun a country that is not your own Working in a foreign country takes a bit of getting used to.
global company noun a large company that operates in many different countries It is a global company with its headquarters based in Canada.
a country where a company that is based in another country When production costs are raised in the host country, the company can
host country noun has business activities easily move its activities to another country.
local culture noun the beliefs and ideas from or connected with a particular area It is important to research local culture before travelling.
a very large company that has offices, stores, etc. in many
different countries but that is controlled from the country
where it was started. A company with a quarter or more of its If a multinational company becomes more important than some
multinational company noun sales in other countries is considered to be a multinational governments, it can act as a major force of economic change.
multinational team noun a team that is spread across several different countries She led a multinational team developing a new marketing initiative.
parent company noun a company that owns one or more other companies The parent company's stock price has dropped almost by half.
money that is paid by a company to its employees in order to Further details of the relocation package will be made available later in
relocation package noun help them with the costs of moving to a different place to work the week.
design verb to make or draw plans for something that will be produced Who designed your website?
design noun the way in which something is planned and made I don't like the design of this control panel.
to invent something or bring something such as a product or
develop verb service into existence The software was developed by a marine science consulting firm.
development noun the process of creating something such as a new product or The next stage in the development of this product line is a retail version.
discover verb to find information, a place or an object, especially for the first Who discovered America?
the process of finding information, a place or an object,
discovery noun especially for the first time, or the thing which is found What do you think is the most important discovery of the last 50 years?
The market leader's proven ability to innovate provides a key attraction
innovate verb to develop a new design, product, idea, etc. for shareholders.
Product innovations lead to an increase in effective demand which
innovation noun a new idea, design, product, etc. encourages an increase in investment and employment.
He says universities should work with the private sector to foster
innovation noun the development of new products, designs, or ideas innovation and entrepreneurship.
 to design or create something which has never been made or One of the surest ways to make money in the stock market is to find a
invent verb has never existed before company that invents a new drug.
a product or a way of doing something which has never been Turning an invention from an idea into a money-making product is a
invention noun made or never existed before long job.
achievement noun something that a person, company, etc. has done or finished Look at your achievements and your value in monetary terms.
the process of improving your career, for example, by getting a
more important position within an organisation or by moving In order to keep good employees, you need to provide them with
advancement noun to another company for a better job possibilities for growth and advancement.
a manager who is forceful, competitive and determined to get
aggressive manager noun what they want His boss was an aggressive manager.
a paid number of days each year that an employee is allowed to
annual leave noun be away from work She is on annual leave.
complicated rules, processes, and written work that make it
bureaucracy noun hard to get something done We need to avoid creating another layer of bureaucracy.
a set of ideas, or a plan of what to do in particular situations,
company policy noun that has been agreed officially by a business organisation The company policy is that most workers should retire at 60.
We've spent a lot of money on advertising and are beginning to see good
good results noun plural successful achievements results.
used in Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory to describe By concentrating only on the hygiene factors, management were not
hygiene noun factors that prevent dissatisfaction really motivating their personnel.
money received for doing a job which is below the usual or
low pay noun expected level or amount compared to other jobs Workers threatened to strike over the low pay of the support staff.
The new structure made it more complex and challenging to manage a
manage a team phrase to be in charge of and control a team team.
used in Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory to describe Together, the motivators and the hygiene factors have become known as
motivator noun factors that create satisfaction Herzbergs two-factor theory of motivation.
A major motivation for his later career was to secure a regular financial
motivation noun the need or reason for doing something income.
particular abilities which are new that you develop through
new skills noun plural training and experience and that are useful in a job Getting new skills can help you find higher-paid work.
to express admiration or approval about the achievements or
praise verb characteristics of a person or thing He should be praised for his honesty.
when you say or show your admiration and approval for
praise noun someone or something They deserve praise for all their hard work.
the process or fact of giving someone a higher or more Employees worry that saying 'no' to the boss decreases their chances of
promotion noun important job advancement and promotion.
recognition noun the act of praising or rewarding someone for something they We did all the work but they got all the recognition!
responsibility noun something that it is your job or duty to deal with As a board member, I have a responsibility to ask questions.
 Those who survive redundancy may feel compelled to take on increasing
responsibility noun the things you are in charge of in your job responsibilities.
rude colleagues noun plural people that you work with who are offensive or embarrassing or He has some rude colleagues.
the activity of managing a department, project, etc. and of Supervision of capital markets will help to mobilise resources for
supervision noun making sure that things are done correctly and according to the investment in the least-developed countries.
support verb to help someone, or offer help with something, when this is Unfortunately the company can no longer support this software.
We are going to need a lot of support if we want to get this job done on
support noun practical help time.
The unions are trying hard to improve work conditions for their
work conditions noun plural the situation that someone works in members.
a few phrase some, or a small number of something I need to get a few things in town.
a great deal of phrase a large amount of; much A great deal of effort has gone into making the software reliable.
a huge amount of phrase an extremely large amount of The manufacturing process requires a huge amount of water.
a large number of phrase many A large number of people complained about the customer service.
a little phrase a small amount of something This sauce needs a little salt.
a little phrase slightly I was a little bit worried by what she said.
a lot of phrase a large amount or number of people or things There were a lot of people there.
used mainly in negative sentences and questions to mean 'a
many large number of'
determiner/pronoun I don't have many clothes.
much determiner a large amount or to a large degree I don't earn much money.
several some; an amount that is not exact but is fewer than many
determiner/pronoun Several people have complained about the scheme.
a system for an employee and their manager to have meetings
appraisal system noun to discuss the employee's progress, aims, and needs at work Many companies operate an appraisal system.
an amount of money given to an employee in addition to their
bonus noun salary as a reward for working well She received a bonus of $15,065, equal to 40% of her salary.
career opportunities noun plural chances to progress to a better job We need to create more career opportunities for workers on low pay.
a payment to someone who sells homes, products, investments,
etc., which is directly related to the amount they sell, or the
commission noun practice of receiving these payments The airline agreed to pay travel agents a 3% commission.
the physical or mental activity you put into something She felt undervalued and was seeking a position with a better effort-
effort-reward balance noun compared with the advantage, for example more money, you reward balance.
a system of working in which people work a particular number
of hours within a fixed period of time, but can change the time
flexitime noun they start or finish work 25% of the employees work flexitime.
extra things that are given to you by your employer in addition
fringe benefits noun plural to your pay but are not in the form of money Fringe benefits include a company car and free health insurance.
something that prevents someone from getting a more Women have made scant progress in breaking through the glass ceiling
glass ceiling noun important position in their organisation to reach top corporate executive and boardroom positions.
 a system for helping and giving advice to someone who has less
mentoring system noun experience that you, especially in your job They have a mentoring system for new recruits.
a space in which people work, especially sitting at desks with
computers, phones, etc., which has few or no walls inside, so it Open-plan offices function well for people who need to be
open-plan office noun is not divided into smaller rooms communicating with each other all the time.
the total amount of money that an employee is paid every year
salary noun to do their job, or one of the payments they receive each month Her annual salary exceeds 100,000.
the pay and other advantages that an employee receives when
severance package noun their employment is ended by the management The company is offering voluntary severance packages.
Our 50 tips show you how to navigate your computer system from start-
tip noun a useful piece of information or advice up to shutdown.
an amount of money given by a customer to someone who has
tip noun provided a service, especially in a hotel or restaurant Different countries have different customs when it comes to leaving tips.
the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with
work-life balance noun the amount of time you spend with your family and doing Men have low expectations of securing a better work-life balance.
achievements noun plural things that a person, company, etc. has done or finished Look at your achievements and your value in monetary terms.
the process of considering all the information about a situation
assessment noun or a person and making a judgement The first thing you must do is make an assessment of the situation.
useful information about something such as a new product or
someone's work, that provides an idea of whether people like it
constructive feedback noun or whether it is good, and is likely or intended to improve it The client has given us some constructive feedback on the design.
what you believe will happen in the future, accepting things as All you had to do was build value in your product and hope that your
realistic expectations noun plural they are in fact and not making decisions based on unlikely customer had realistic expectations.
to carefully examine a situation to find out whether changes or Experts are urging borrowers to review their mortgage arrangements
review verb improvements need to be made and, if they can, to switch now to a better rate.
the process of carefully examining a situation to find out The next scheduled review of bonus rates will take place early in the new
review noun whether changes or improvements need to be made year.
decide what you want to achieve or what you want someone Management must set clear goals and objectives that everyone
set goals and objectives phrase else to achieve over a particular period subscribes to.
to manage a department, project, etc. and make sure that The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for supervising
supervise verb things are done correctly and according to the rules Britain's banking system.
take responsibility for phrase to accept something as your job or duty to deal with She will now take responsibility for the Logistics Division.
to make it known that a job or work is available, by putting an
advertise for new staff phrase advertisement in a newspaper or on the Internet The company is advertising for new staff.
a combination of advantages such as medical insurance, life
insurance, and sick pay, that employees receive from their The company offers a generous benefits package that includes private
benefits packages noun plural employer in addition to money healthcare and a free on-site gym.
bring about change phrase to make change happen He will bring about change by introducing new guidelines.
 the combination of payment and other benefits that employees
compensation for employees
noun receive for doing their job Compensation for employees includes salary, bonus, and other benefits.
to grow or change into a more advanced form the powers or
develop staff abilities phrase skills needed by employees to do something A good leader has to develop staff abilities.
to have employees who make the greatest effort possible and do
get the best work out of staff
phrase as well as they can Are we getting the best out of our staff?
The company has a duty to inform employees about developments that
inform employees about phrase
developments to tell staff about recent events directly affect them.
continuing to communicate regularly with people at
universities, especially people in a high position, who can give
universities you useful information or introductions that will help you at
maintaining contacts withphrase Maintaining contacts with universities requires a lot of hard work.
growth or changes in an organisation that make it become The first year of the plan is primarily focused on organisational
organisation development noun more advanced development.
make arrangements for meetings between teams / between They organised an interdepartmental meeting between the finance
organise inter-team / interdepartmental
phrase departments
meetings department and the IT department.
a system for judging how well employees are doing their jobs, Performance management includes activities to ensure that goals are
performance management noun their needs for training, etc. consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner.
recruit new staff phrase to employ new people to work for a company or organisation Advertisements in newspapers will be used to recruit new staff.
to establish a system of written statements about employees'
set up system of employee reports ability and performance
phrase They decided to set up a system of employee reports.
We'll do all we can to support heads of department during this difficult
support heads of department
phrase to help heads of department period.
information that someone gets regularly about how well they
are doing their job from each group of people they work with, This exercise is aimed at providing leaders with 360-degree feedback for
360-degree feedback noun for example their managers, the people they manage, and improving their leadership abilities.
skill in making correct decisions and judgments in business or
acumen noun in a particular area of business He is an astute man with sound business acumen.
competencies noun plural the particular skills that you need to do a job well The competencies have been organised under four headings.
groom somebody verb to prepare someone for a special job or activity My boss is grooming me to take over his job next year.
inadequate adjective too low in quality The report says that long-range spending plans are "inadequate".
orientation noun training or preparation for a new job or activity The job starts tomorrow with a full week of orientation.
a very powerful feeling, for example of sexual attraction, love,
passion noun hate, anger or other emotion Football arouses a good deal of passion among its supporters.
proficient adjective very skilled and experienced at something Consumers have become more proficient at shopping online.
prospects noun plural the possibility of being successful in the future The market remains sceptical about the bank's prospects.
an employee, investor, customer, etc. who is involved in or buys Corporate executives need to think about the whole business and how it
stakeholder noun from a business and has an interest in its success creates value for customers and stakeholders.
career prospects noun plural the possibility of being successful in your career in the future Having a wide range of interests can improve your career prospects.
attracted to a job phrase interested in a job and wanting to do it What attracted you to this job?
make a decision phrase to decide something Most investors use the Internet to help them make decisions.
abilities connected with relationships between people, that are
interpersonal skills noun plural useful in a job The successful applicant will have excellent interpersonal skills.
take on responsibility phrase to accept something that it is your job or duty to deal with She will now take on responsibility for the Logistics Division.
qualities that someone or something has that help them One of our strong points as a global brand has been our ability to adapt
strong points noun plural succeed or make progress to local trends.
to deal with a situation, person or thing that needs attention
handle a problem phrase and needs to be dealt with or solved It was a job that taught me how to handle problems.
the series of people who are involved in controlling someone
chain of command noun and tell them what to do A new chain of command has been introduced.
a situation in which someone cannot make a fair decision The mayor is himself involved in local businesses and has been accused
conflict of interest noun because they will be personally affected by the result of a conflict of interest.
The main principle involved is the delegation of responsibility for
delegation of responsibility
noun the act of giving a job or duty to someone else budgets to accountable units, each of which has defined objectives.
a way of organising work, especially making things, so that it is By encouraging cooperation between departments, the company is
division of labour noun done as a set of separate processes by different people or challenging the traditional division of labour within the organisation.
Often those people on sick leave would just be left alone with little or no
line manager noun someone directly in charge of workers contact from their line manager.
organise the company phrase to structure the company according to a particular system The company is organised on a regional basis.
parts of company that operate in a particular part of a country
regional divisions noun plural or a particular part of the world The company has three regional divisions organised as profit centres.
a manager who is responsible for a particular part of a country A sign of a good regional manager is having a good understanding of the
regional manager noun or a particular part of the world different issues in each region.
She faces long hours and extreme pressure in her position because she is
responsibility for decision-making
noun the job or duty of deciding things responsible for decision-making.
accommodate verb to have or provide the space that someone or something needs The centre can accommodate up to 220 students.
the use of something or someone, especially in order to achieve Good solutions are based on the efficient and wise deployment of capital,
deployment noun a particular effect resources and people.
to spread across or move away over a large area, or to make
disperse verb something do this When the rain came down the crowds started to disperse.
the practice of doing the same thing more than once, or having There was enormous duplication of effort with each area having its own
duplication noun more than one person or thing to do the same task, when this is personnel team.
a situation in which a person, company, factory, etc. uses The company is looking to shed around 1,000 jobs as part of an
efficiency noun resources such as time, materials, or labour well, without efficiency drive.
It was a job that taught me how to handle pressure and use it to my
handle verb to deal with something difficult advantage.
handle verb to be responsible for organising or managing something or The office in Europe also handles marketing for the region.
The corporation has implemented a new compensation plan for its sales
implement verb to put a plan into action force.
 The purchased package or the new IT infrastructure is implemented by
implement verb to begin to use a new system specialists in that technology.
arrange accommodationphrase to plan, prepare, or organise a place in which to live, work, stay,
The accommodation was arranged by his secretary.
arrange meetings phrase to plan, prepare, or organise meetings The meetings were usually arranged by the client.
to plan, prepare, or organise lessons to teach the skills and The lorry drivers had almost no computer knowledge, so she arranged
arrange training sessionsphrase knowledge for a particular job or activity training sessions for them.
According to recent research, the busy British professional attends
attend meetings phrase to go to meetings nearly 60 meetings a month.
to arrange a room in a hotel, etc. for a particular time in the When he tried to book accommodation for all the staff, his credit card
book accommodation phrase future was refused.
enter data phrase to put information into a computer His job was to enter data into the computer.
liaise with a manager phrase to work with a manager in order to exchange information with I regularly liaise with a manager on important decisions.
to work with a team in order to exchange information with It was such a refreshing change to liaise with a team of highly skilled
liaise with a team phrase them developers.
to work with people or organisations you are closely involved We liaise with business partners to ensure solutions meet current and
liaise with business partners
phrase with in some way, in order to exchange information with them strategic needs.
to be in charge of and control an amount of money you are
manage a budget phrase allowed to spend for a particular purpose He's not very good at managing a budget.
manage a team phrase to be in charge of and control a team She managed a team developing a new marketing initiative.
to make the amount of money that a company receives,
maximise revenue phrase especially from selling goods or services, as large as possible They would like to maximise revenue from online ads.
report to a manager phrase to work for a manager and be managed by them He will report to a new manager.
report to a team phrase to work for a team and be managed by them She will report to the global finance team.
to work together with another person or organisation for a A German company collaborated with a Swiss firm to develop the
collaborate verb particular purpose product.
the act of working together with other people or organisations The new airport is the result of a collaboration between two of the best
collaboration noun to create or achieve something architects in the country.
to organise all the different activities and people who are
coordinate verb involved in something so that it works effectively Who will be responsible for coordinating the project?
the process of organising the different activities or people
coordination noun involved in something so that they work together effectively The Internet has improved coordination with customers and suppliers.
In 1991, McCahill and his researchers created an easy way to navigate
create verb to make something new, especially to invent something the Internet and find information on it, known as 'Gopher'.
There are strict guidelines to be followed when you are creating a new
create verb to form a new company, etc. company.
creativity noun the production or use of original and unusual ideas The organisation celebrates and rewards creativity in its staff.
to give a particular job, duty, etc. to someone else so that they He was always overburdened with too many trivial tasks because he
delegate verb do it for you found it impossible to delegate.
 a person who is chosen or elected by a group to speak or vote
delegate noun for it, especially at a meeting More than 1,000 delegates attended the three-day conference.
The main principle involved is the delegation of responsibility for
delegation noun the act of giving a particular job, duty, etc. to someone else budgets to accountable units, each of which has defined objectives.
direct verb to control or be in charge of an activity, organisation, etc. She directs a large charity.
direction noun control or instruction The project was under the direction of a well-known academic.
The market leader's proven ability to innovate provides a key attraction
innovate verb to develop a new design, product, idea, etc. for shareholders.
Product innovations lead to an increase in effective demand which
innovation noun a new idea, design, product, etc. encourages an increase in investment and employment.
He says universities should work with the private sector to foster
innovation noun the development of new products, designs, or ideas innovation and entrepreneurship.
to have the same opinion, or to approve of someone elses ideas Although we like his plan in general, we don't agree with him on every
agree on phrasal verb and opinions issue.
confirm verb to make an arrangement or meeting certain, often by phone or So far ten people have confirmed that they will be attending the meeting.
to say to you or write to you about what someone or something
describe to you in detail phrase is like, including all the information about it or every part of it We haven't described the matter to you in detail yet.
to talk about a subject with someone and tell each other your
discuss verb ideas or opinions The police want to discuss these recent racist attacks with local people.
to get help, especially money or resources that are given to The minister revealed that the banking industry would get assistance
get assistance phrase people, countries, etc. when they have experienced a difficult from the taxpayer.
go over again phrase to examine or look at something one more time in a careful or I've gone over the problem several times, but I can't think of a solution.
Thank you for coming to the interview we'll let you know in the next
let you know phrase to tell you something week.
You can look the word up in the dictionary to refresh your memory of its
refresh your memory phrase to help you remember something exact meaning.
to make you think of something you have forgotten or might
remind you verb have forgotten I'll remind you to post the letter.
to carefully examine a situation to find out whether changes or Experts are urging borrowers to review their mortgage arrangements
review verb improvements need to be made and, if they can, to switch now to a better rate.
take you through phrasal verb to explain something to you This helpful guide will take you through the application procedure.
In Tokyo markets, the only thing people want to talk about is the budget
talk about phrasal verb to say things or speak to someone about problem.
tell you phrasal verb to say something to you, often giving you information or I'll tell you the way to the station.
end users / consumers noun plural the people that use a product or service The survey has specifically targeted end users of computer software.
e-tailers noun plural businesses that use the Internet to sell their products You can buy a wide variety of consumer electronics from e-tailers.
manufacturers noun plural companies or countries that produce goods in large numbers Among manufacturers, sales and orders are at a 12-month high.
companies that sell goods to the public in stores and on the Manufacturers and retailers are responding to growing consumer
retailers noun plural Internet, rather than to stores, other businesses, etc. demand.
suppliers noun plural companies that provide a product, or the materials to make a Most energy suppliers are doing well in the current economic climate.
people or companies that sell goods to stores or other Factory gate prices may be rising, but it is retailers and wholesalers, not
wholesalers noun plural businesses, etc. rather than to the public consumers, who are shouldering this burden.
assemble verb to make something by joining separate parts together This is where the car engines are assembled.
collect verb to go to a place and bring something away from it Your furniture will be ready for you to collect on Thursday.
deliver verb to take goods, letters, parcels, etc. to a place Manufacturers can deliver goods directly from factories.
reduce verb to make something less in price, size, amount, etc. The retailer moved its supply base overseas to reduce costs.
supply verb to provide materials, or goods and services They supply parts to the automotive industry.
come up with phrasal verb to suggest or think of an idea or plan Next you need to come up with a name for your product.
The corporation has implemented a new compensation plan for its sales
implement verb to put a plan into action force.
to include someone or something in something, or to make
involve verb them take part in or feel part of it The second accident involved two cars and a lorry.
result in phrasal verb to cause a particular situation to happen The fire resulted in damage to their property.
and so conjunction and for that reason; therefore It was quite expensive and so the management didnt like the idea much.
because conjunction for the reason that I can't go to the product launch because I'm going away that week.
used to introduce an added statement, usually something that
but conjunction is different from what you have said before She's very hard-working but not very imaginative.
I spent most of my money in the first week and consequently had very
consequently adverb as a result little to eat by the end of the holiday.
I suggest we use Barkers as our main suppliers they're good and
furthermore adverb in addition; more importantly furthermore they're cheap.
in addition to that phrase as well as that He has a flat in London and in addition to that he has a villa in Italy.
moreover adverb (used to add information) also and more importantly The whole report is badly written. Moreover, it's inaccurate.
used to say that two related things are true or happened, If this project fails it will affect not only our department, but also the
not only ... but also phrase especially when this is surprising or shocking whole organisation.
therefore adverb for that reason We were unable to get funding and therefore had to abandon the project.
numbers, amounts, or situations that can be directly influenced
controllable variables noun plural or controlled What are the basic controllable variables of the problem?
to show how it is different from the people or businesses who
are competing with it in a particular market, and what its The company wanted a very attractive website to differentiate itself
differentiate itself from the competitionadvantages are, especially in order to attract a particular group from the competition.
phrase
The management of distributors and dealers were reviewed in an
end user noun the person or organisation that uses a product or service attempt to minimise disruption to our end-users.
the strategy of setting a high price for something in order to
premium pricing strategynoun create the perception that it is of high quality A premium pricing strategy has to reflect the quality a product offers.
the group of people that a company wants to sell its products or
target market noun services to The key target market for this newspaper is middle aged professionals.
 abbreviation for unique selling proposition/point: a feature of a The product's USPs should be central throughout the development
USP (Unique Selling Point)
noun product that makes it different from and better than all its process.
a product that is the same as other products of the same type Sugar is a commodity product and no one company has more chance of
commodity product noun from other producers or manufacturers controlling its supply and price level than any of its rivals.
a product that is not the same as other products of the same
type from other producers or manufacturers, which consumers
choose partly for its feel How could you transform a commodity product like bottled mineral
lifestyle product noun good factor water into a lifestyle product?
an opportunity for a business to offer a product or service that
niche noun is not offered by other businesses There is a niche in the market for this kind of product.
used to describe a product or service for which sales go up or A price-sensitive product should be priced to convey an overall image of
price sensitive adjective down in relation to its price value to the customer.
the difference between the total cost of making and selling
something and the price it is sold for, or between the total
amount of money a company receives from sales and the total
profit margin noun cost of producing all its products and services. The profit The company averages profit margins of 70%.
the amount of money that a company gets from sales during a
turnover noun particular period Group turnover rose 2% in the period, compared with last year.
cost-effective methods or processes bring the greatest possible
cost-effective adjective advantage or profit when the amount that is spent is considered In many cases outsourcing jobs has been shown to be not cost-effective.
exceed verb being more than a particular number or amount Customers exceeding their credit limits will be charged a fee.
perspective noun a particular way of considering something Her attitude lends a fresh perspective to the subject.
to provide an organisation or department with money or The department was chronically overstretched and seriously under-
resource verb equipment resourced.
scope noun the range of things that an activity, company, law, etc. deals He involved himself in affairs beyond the scope of his job.
sole trader noun a person who owns and operates a business alone I have a successful consultancy business but am a sole trader.
a feeling of worry and unhappiness because you have too much Successful managers need to be able to make tough decisions under
stress noun work or too many problems to deal with stress.
wastage noun the fact of wasting something, or the amount of something that Wastage of resources should be avoided at all costs.
the way that an organisation deals with customers before,
customer service noun during, and after a sale, and the activities involved in dealing The mobile operator has a reputation for outstanding customer service.
cost-effective methods or processes bring the greatest possible
cost-effective adjective advantage or profit when the amount that is spent is considered In many cases outsourcing jobs has been shown to be not cost-effective.
developing the way in which two or more companies, countries,
relationship-building noun or people behave towards each other Relationship-building is vital for success in business.
increasing the value of a resource, product, or service as the
value-adding adjective result of a particular process Service can be seen as a value-adding activity.
used for describing a system by which employees receive a part
profit-sharing adjective of the profits of a business The company's costs increased under the profit-sharing agreement.
 bigger in value, amount, or number, or better than anything We look forward to another record-breaking year in terms of growth
record-breaking adjective that has happened before next year.
relating to a business or part of a business that does not make a He controls a vast business empire, but many of his firms are loss-
loss-making adjective profit making.
relating to a period of time during which a person, company, It is expected to show losses of 26m 29m in the traditionally loss-
loss-making adjective etc. does not make a profit making first half.
used to describe the activity of telling other people about your
problem-sharing adjective problems in order to help solve them He started the meetings with a problem-sharing activity.
used to describe machinery, etc. which can manufacture Can you supply product-making machinery directly to our factories in
product-making adjective products Asia?
used to describe a service, website etc. which allows consumers
product-sharing adjective to discuss and recommend products. Bagcheck is a product-sharing website.
used to describe the policy, strategy etc. that a company uses to Our product-pricing strategy means that our products cost more than
product-pricing noun decide prices for its products or services our competitors.
abbreviation for 'business-to-business', relating to business
arrangements or trade between different businesses, rather B2B helps exporters search for and contact possible importers of their
B2B noun than between businesses and the public, especially when this products.
abbreviation for 'business-to-consumer', relating to the sale of The Web was designed to help people get information out of computers,
B2C noun products and services by businesses to consumers, especially so it's perfect for B2C.
abbreviation for 'business-to-government', relating to trade in
products and services between businesses and government, The government is the biggest employer in the US, so B2G is a potentially
B2G noun especially trade over the Internet lucrative market.
abbreviation for 'consumer-to-consumer', relating to the
buying and selling of products, services, and information
C2C noun between individual consumers, especially over the Internet EBay is an example of C2C.
abbreviation for 'government-to-business', relating to trade in
products and services between government and business,
G2B noun especially trade over the Internet They make software for G2B.
the amount of money that a company spends in order to make
and sell products in a particular financial period, for example,
cost of sales noun on wages and raw materials Keeping the cost of sales down is important to the health of any business.
the amounts in a company's accounts that show money that it
creditors noun plural owes, for example to suppliers (= companies that have sold Creditors' can be broken down into two categories.
the money that is owed to a company and that is shown in its When a client is issued with a bill, the amount on the bill should be
debtors noun plural accounts as an asset entered as 'debtors' in the firm's accounts.
money that you spend when you are doing your job, that an She was invited to speak at the conference, with an offer to cover all her
expenses noun plural employer or other organisation pays back to you expenses.
 a company's profit from selling goods or services before costs
not directly related to producing them, for example interest
gross profit noun payments and tax, are subtracted Gross profit for the quarter amounted to $11.2m.
the money made by a company or part of a company for a
net profit noun particular period after all costs, taxes, etc. have been paid Annual net profit fell 20% in the wake of tough competition.
an amount of money that a customer with a bank account is
overdraft noun temporarily allowed to owe to the bank, or the agreement Research shows that 58% of students have an overdraft.
money kept by a company for a particular use, for example, a
reserves noun plural future project or emergency It became necessary for the company to dip into its reserves.
the amount of money that a company gets from sales during a
turnover noun particular period Group turnover rose 2% in the period, compared with last year.
money that a business spends on the work of managing or
administrative expensesnoun plural organising the business or a business activity We need to cut down on our administrative expenses.
things that are owned by a person, company, or organisation,
assets noun plural such as money, property, or land The company reported total assets worth $1.9 million.
They are going to reduce expenditure on heating and lighting by
heating and lighting noun used to describe the costs for keeping buildings lit and warm installing energy-efficient lighting.
They ask for 8% extra from customers who pay insurance by direct debit
insurance noun money that is paid to an insurance company instead of as a lump sum.
liabilities noun plural debts The business has liabilities of 2 million.
goods that a company owns, such as parts, materials, or We are trying to reduce manufacturing cycle time and the associated
stock (or inventory) noun finished products raw material, work in process, and finished goods inventory levels.
Internet communication instantly provides timely and accurate data for
accurate adjective correct and without any mistakes evaluating investment opportunities.
The recent decline in the dollar has put an additional strain on the
an additional strain phrase one more thing that puts pressure on someone or something economic system.
With its stock price severely depressed, the company was at severe risk
at severe risk phrase in extreme danger of being a target for private equity investors.
a business, product, or service that makes a large profit, often Hong Kong Telecom has been a cash cow, thanks to a huge number of
cash cow noun used to make money to support other business activities international calls.
a situation in which a company, country, etc. does not have The casino operator said last week that it faced a cash crisis after an
cash crisis noun enough money available to do the things it usually does ambitious plan to open a Las Vegas resort backfired.
an amount of money that you spend on something, especially a The beauty of this deal is that it gives us a strong position in the US
cash outlay noun large amount that is spent on new equipment or to start a new market with no cash outlay.
an amount of money paid in notes or coins or a payment that is
cash payment noun available to use immediately Usually we ask for cash payment on receipt of the goods.
cash problem noun a difficulty in having enough money that is available to use The cash problem is the main issue at the moment.
cash shortage noun a lack of money that is available to use immediately We have a cash shortage at the moment.
creditors noun plural people, organisations, or governments that are owed money He has been sued several times by his creditors.
debtors noun plural people, countries, or organisations that owe money They are chasing some payments from debtors.
an extremely large possibility that something negative will We are taking an enormous chance by changing the specifications at this
enormous chance noun happen; a severe risk stage in the project.
expenditure noun the total amount of money that an organisation or person We're primarily concerned with keeping expenditure down.
extra money noun additional money Theatres make extra money from merchandise sales.
With its stock price severely depressed, the company was in great
in great danger phrase at severe risk danger of being a target for private equity investors.
money earned by a person, company, government, etc. over
income noun particular period of time To qualify, you must have an income of $24,000 or less.
The recent decline in the dollar has put more pressure on the economic
more pressure noun additional strain system.
on time at the agreed or expected time
adjective/adverb We are committed to completing the project on time and on budget.
the amount of money that leaves a company, industry, or
outflow noun country during a particular period Currency devaluation triggered a rapid outflow of foreign funds.
to need to pay or give money to someone because they have lent
owe money phrase money to you He claims the firm owes him money.
The message at the top of the bill is intended to encourage prompt
prompt adjective done or happening without delay payment.
When an investment increases or decreases in value but we do not sell it,
decrease verb to become less, or to make something become less we record an unrealised gain or loss.
the process of something becoming less, or the amount by
decrease noun which something becomes less Florida is not the only state to experience decreases in revenues.
fall verb to become lower in value, amount, or level House prices began to fall rapidly.
fall noun a reduction in the amount or level of something There are serious concerns about the fall in the value of the dollar.
fluctuate verb if prices, levels, or interest rates fluctuate, they go up and down Inflation has fluctuated in recent months along with oil prices.
increase verb to become larger in amount or size, or to make something do Sales have increased by 10%.
increase noun a situation in which the number, size, or amount of something Customers stocked up, anticipating a January price increase.
if prices, profits, shares, etc. jump, they increase by a large
jump verb amount in a short period of time Interest rates look set to jump over the coming months.
jump noun a sudden large increase in the price, value, or amount of The tech stocks in the index posted the biggest jumps.
if a rate or amount levels off, it stops rising or falling and stays Share prices are beginning to level off after the sharp rises of recent
level off phrasal verb at the same level months.
relating to the highest level, price, rate, etc. that something The comparison site provides information on peak and off-peak rates
peak adjective reaches across all the major mobile networks.
peak verb to reach the highest level, price, rate, etc. Official figures show that unemployment peaked in November.
plummet verb to go down in amount or value very quickly and suddenly House prices have plummeted in recent months.
plunge verb to go down in amount or value very quickly and suddenly Car sales plunged in France in June.
Consumer confidence has been slow to recover in the aftermath of the
recover verb to improve after a difficult period or after falling in value credit crunch.
rise verb to increase in number, amount, or value As growth becomes embedded, interest rates rise.
rise noun an increase in number, amount, or value The strong profits prompted a 64% rise in the dividend.
soar verb to increase quickly in amount, number, value, or level Corn, soybean, and wheat prices all soared this year.
to get, by paying for them, some of the units that the ownership
of a company, fund, etc. is divided into and which can be
buy shares phrase bought by members of the public The company was set up to buy shares on behalf of investors.
to examine investments in order to judge their potential and The first task, investment experts say, is to carry out an investment
carry out an investment appraisal
phrase assess investment choice appraisal.
to get an amount of money from keeping your money in an Any spare cash is best put in a savings account where it will earn
earn interest phrase account in a bank or other financial organisation interest.
invest in a portfolio phrase to put money into a variety of investments One alternative strategy which is less risky is to invest in a portfolio.
receive a dividend phrase get part of the profit of a company that is paid to shareholders We anticipate receiving a substantial dividend on our holding.
We carried out an analysis of visitors to the website by age, sex, and
analysis noun the study of something in detail region.
relating to the careful or scientific examination of facts and We offer award-winning website design and hosting services, extranets,
analytical adjective information and analytical tools.
method noun a particular way of doing something Travelling by train is still one of the safest methods of transport.
used to describe a person or way of doing things that is very People looking for work in a recession need to adopt a focused and
methodical adjective organised and careful methodical approach to job hunting.
a way of doing something that can be used as an example or can He prefers the American approach to wealth creation over the European
model noun be copied model.
relating to the way in which an organisation, country, etc.
decides what it wants to achieve and plans actions and use of The company has grown through strategic acquisitions which have
strategic adjective resources over time to do this taken them into new markets.
the way in which a business, government, or other organisation
carefully plans its actions over a period of time to improve its Business environments and strategies are constantly changing in
strategy noun position and achieve what it wants response to economic and financial variables.
a quality that someone or something has that helps them One of our strengths as a global brand has been our ability to adapt to
strength noun succeed or make progress local trends.
strong adjective effective; of a good quality or level and likely to be successful We will need strong policies if our economic problems are to be solved.
weak adjective too low or not powerful enough to be successful or effective There was unexpectedly weak growth in corporate output in May.
a particular part or quality of someone or something that is not A smart management team knows its company's strengths and
weakness noun good or effective weaknesses.
anticipate verb to imagine or expect that something will happen It's always best to anticipate problems before they arise.
to make someone more likely to do something, or to make
encourage verb something more likely to happen We were encouraged to learn foreign languages at school.
to help people deal with a process or reach an agreement or
facilitate verb solution without getting directly involved in the process, An expert negotiator was brought in to facilitate the discussion.
 Most of the candidates had the right qualifications but lacked the
lack verb to not have enough of something that is necessary necessary skills.
to describe or explain something in such a simple way that it is
oversimplify verb no longer right or true The TV documentary grossly oversimplified the problem.
to see or notice someone or something, usually because you are
spot verb looking hard If you spot any mistakes in the article just mark them with a pencil.
to do or begin to do something, especially something that will
undertake verb take a long time or be difficult He needs to undertake a proper cashflow and budgeting exercise.
If a piece of work or problem is a bit tricky, it is a little difficult
a bit tricky phrase to deal with and needs some attention or skill. Those components are a bit tricky to make, aren't they?
a system of doing something, for example having a meeting or Many bank customers dislike discussing loans in the reception area,
closed-door approach noun discussion, in a private office rather than in a public space instead preferring a closed-door approach for confidential discussions.
come up with phrasal verb to suggest or think of an idea or plan Next you need to come up with a name for your product.
(especially of something boring) done or happening every day
day in day out idiom for a long period of time I have to do the same boring jobs day in day out.
If they know the cause of the problem, they might be able to figure out
figure out phrase to understand or solve something how to prevent it happening again.
go wrong phrase to make a mistake These shelves are very easy to put together you can't go wrong.
mess up verb doing something badly or spoiling something He really messed up the sales figures.
a strike in which employees refuse to work or to leave their The six-day sit-down was a response by auto workers to the proposed
sit down noun office, factory, etc. until employers agree to discuss their closure of the plant.
switch quite a few peoplephrase
off to stop getting the attention of a lot of people If your presentation is too commercial, you switch quite a few people off.
do 60 km per hour phrase to travel or drive at a speed of 60 kilometres per hour He can do 60 km per hour on that road if there is not much traffic.
do a course phrase to complete a series of lessons on a particular subject She decided to do a course in recruitment practice to expand her career.
do badly phrase to perform in a way that is not acceptable or of good quality I thought he was going to do badly in the interview.
provide a building for events, sometimes lasting a few days, at The hotels also do conference facilities and have some of the newest
do conference facilities phrase which there are a lot of talks and meetings about a particular equipment and best catering available.
prepare the set of official records that show the financial
situation of a company and what it has spent, received,
do the accounts phrase borrowed, etc. in a particular period When are you going to do the accounts?
get a train phrase to travel somewhere in a train Shall we get a train to the meeting with the client?
get an email phrase to receive an email You will get an email with the information.
to have a strong feeling against someone who has behaved
get angry/embarrassed phrase badly / to feel ashamed or shy I get angry with her when she is late to important events.
get some office chairs phrase to obtain or buy a number of chairs for the office We're going to get some office chairs for the new meeting room.
get to the office phrase to reach or arrive at the office What time does he normally get to the office?
Apart from discussing the project, it was extremely useful to have a chat
have a chat phrase to talk to someone in a friendly informal way about work in general.
 to be ill with a common infection especially in the nose and
throat which often causes a cough, a slight fever and sometimes
have a cold phrase some pain in the muscles I have got a cold.
have a good time phrase to enjoy yourself I hope everyone will have a good time at the office party.
have an email phrase to have a message sent over the Internet I have an email from Danielle.
have lunch / a coffee phrase to eat a meal in the middle of the day / to drink coffee I'm having lunch with Tomoko on Monday.
to be important or interesting enough to be a reason for
be worth the time and money
phrase spending the time and money We believe the extra attention to detail is worth the time and money.
to bring into existence new plans or actions to improve The group's legal advisers said they were developing initiatives to tackle
develop initiatives phrase something or solve a problem online privacy issues.
to prepare a statement that contains financial information and It's a good idea to ask an independent adviser to look at tax-efficient
perform a health check phrase advice relating to a particular economy, company, or person savings and perform a health check.
put in place phrase to make something ready to be used The details of the deal haven't been put in place yet.
realise objectives phrase to achieve things that you are planning to do or achieve He is on track to realise his objectives.
a tell other people about working methods which are accepted Managers who spread good practices play a big part in increasing
spread good practices phrase as being successful, so that those working methods are more product quality and customer satisfaction.