UNIT 1 (LISTENING SCRIPT 1) - Selecting a Business That Fits

SBA Small Business Training Network

Interview of Lou Davenport

by Host, Ron Johnson

Ron Johnson: Welcome to SBA’s Small Business Training Network. I’m Ron Johnson reporting from the US Small Business Administration, your small business resource. Every day SBA and its nationwide network of partners are helping millions of potential and current small business owners start, grow, and succeed. Resources and programs targeted for small businesses provide an advantage or a leg up necessary to help small businesses effectively compete in the marketplace. Today we’re discussing starting a business.

Now, it is said that the secret to starting a successful business is to find the need and fill it. However, starting a business must be pursued for the right reasons, or it’s destined to fail. It’s important that you select a business that blends with your interest, skills, and experiences.

Now, if you’re thinking about starting a business, check out SBA’s online Small Business Training Network or SBTN at www.sba.gov/training. The SBTN is a virtual campus offering free courses, workshops, publications, information and direct access to electronic counseling designed to assist those who want to start a business.

My guest today is Lou Davenport, District Director for SCORE in Eastern Pennsylvania. Lou has been a volunteer at SCORE, counselors to America’s small business, for 10 years. It’s great to have you on the program today, Lou.

Lou Davenport: I’m delighted to be here, Ron.

Ron Johnson: Tell us about SCORE and how they help small businesses.

Lou Davenport: Ron, SCORE is a nationwide organization 40 years old of some 10,000 volunteers who commit their time on a completely unpaid volunteer basis to provide counseling, workshop training, education services to aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small businesses that want to pursue their dream of owning and managing and successfully running their own business.

Ron Johnson: Is it true the secret to starting a successful business is to find a need and fill it?

Lou Davenport: Yes, it is, Ron. There are many needs and many potential businesses available. However, before you invest a lot of time and energy and money in starting a new business, you need to ask yourself several key questions.

One, is the business idea practical and will it fill a need? And that’s a simple statement, but there’s a lot of importance to it. I surprise my clients from time to time when I say to them in a very real way I don’t care what you think about the fantastic business that you are aspiring to create. All I really care about is what the prospective clients or customers might think.

The old adage is that it doesn’t matter what the dog food looks like, what it smells like, how it’s packaged, how it’s priced. If the dogs won’t eat the dog food, you don’t have a good business. So you need to figure out whether the target market really has a need that you can fill better than the competition. That’s another key question. Can you outperform your competition?

In today’s world, you really need to have one or more competitive advantages in order to establish a very successful business. If you’re entering into a business that’s simply like everybody else and you don’t have competitive advantages in terms of products and prices and services, then arguably you’re going to have a tough time and could end up on the trash heap of also-rans. So a critical competitive advantage is another key question that you have to ask yourself.

And finally, can you make a profit? That’s to say, can you sell your products or services to enough people at a price that not only covers your overhead expense, that provides a fair wage for your management services to the business, and still leaves a profit in terms of return on investment for the risk capital that you’ve invested as an owner.

Ron Johnson: In business, there are no guarantees. You cannot eliminate the risks associated with starting a small business, but you can improve your chances of success with good planning, preparation, and insight. You can also improve your chances of success by understanding and avoiding some of the pitfalls or the problem areas encountered by others.
Lou, what are some of the problem areas encountered by entrepreneurs?

Lou Davenport: Inadequate planning is probably my number one. There is really no substitute for good planning and due diligence and the process of developing your business idea. If you put 100 existing small business entrepreneurs in a room and asked them what would you do differently if you had to do it all over again.

And I’ve done this – the first thing that they would all agree on is, that they would have developed and executed a comprehensive written business plan. And so, planning is absolutely essential to future business success.

I like to say to clients that the first plan that you ever create is not going to be the one that leads you to nirvana. It is not going to be the one that leads you to the Promised Land. It’s the second, third, fourth, fifth, fifteenth iteration of that plan, and, as you constantly work to revise the plan and bring it closer to reality and bring reality closer to the plan, then maybe that’s going to lead you to the Promised Land.

Another pitfall is lack of specific experience. Just because a particular business seems like it might be fun to operate, it doesn’t mean you have the necessary skills to be successful. And you really should work in a business similar to the one that you plan to start before actually starting it, and, of course, on the job training will give you a good foundation for that.

Again, a good example is if somebody comes to a bank and says I want to start a restaurant business, and I’ve been working in the business for 10 or 15 years, and I’ve done everything from being a waiter to a busboy to hostess with the mostest, to bartender and chef and managing the business for six months a year while the owner is in Florida, and now I’m ready to start and run my own business, then you’ve got the ingredients of specific experience that perhaps you need for success. But simply saying no, I don’t know anything about the restaurant business, but I’ve eaten in a lot of them doesn’t really cut it.

Thirdly, insufficient capital. Many businesses fail because they have not adequately planned and made preparations to have available funds to operate the business over an extended period of time. It’s not unusual at all for a startup business to lose money for the first one to two years, and so, in planning your capital resources, you not only have to look at how much money you may need to start the business, but how much money you’re going to need in addition to that to sustain the business over the first one to two years where you may be incurring operating losses until the business starts to turn a profit and produce a positive cash flow.

And there are other things, Ron, poor location. You certainly can’t underestimate the advantage of a good business location and the disadvantages of a poor one, especially for retail businesses. Location is not necessarily a critical issue for every business, but it often is in a retail-type business.

A couple of others are inadequate market understanding. It really is all about the customer. It’s important that you fully understand who your customers are and what they want in terms of product and services. And at the end, probably marginal customer service is a pitfall to avoid. Poor customer service can be a recipe for failure while incredible customer service can certainly be a ticket to success.

Ron Johnson: Okay, you’ve made a decision to become an entrepreneur. The next step is deciding whether to start from scratch or buy an existing business. Lou, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages to both approaches?

Lou Davenport: Starting a business from scratch, let’s look at that one first, Ron. One advantage is certainly that everything is new. There’s a sense of birth or new beginning in a business without a history or a predisposed image. It’s arguably easier to be more creative with a business in one that is being built up from scratch rather than one you purchase or inherit. But there are certainly disadvantages.

There is greater risk in starting a brand new business. It’s often much more difficult to raise money for a new business that doesn’t have any type of a proven track record. In terms of getting bank financing, if all you have is promise and expectations without any type of a proven track record, then the old adage is talk is cheap, and it’s arguably much harder to get financing for a business that doesn’t have a significant track record. And like anything else, it takes time to work out the bugs in a new business, and that’s why often startup businesses have some losses in the first one or two years until they reach that point of profitable success.

If you look at buying an existing business, there certainly are some advantages. It’s arguably easier to buy a turnkey business than it is to start something new. It’s also arguably easier to look at a franchise-type business opportunity because the franchise concept is that the business model is very, very well established, and all you have to do is come in and operate it the way the business model has been built. And so, that’s a type of existing business that you could look at.

Another advantage is that cash flow is going to be more immediately available in an existing business because you have established customers, you have existing inventory, and it may be easier to raise new capital for a business with a proven track record. And the customer goodwill of the preexisting customers is certainly a leg up in getting a good start in a business that you might be purchasing.

Ron Johnson: As part of your decision making process, you should also consider what equipment or supplies will you need, what insurance coverage will be needed, and how much money will it cost to start your business. Will you need financing or what are your resources and how will I compensate myself? To help answer these questions, remember to check out the Small Business Training Network at www.sba.gov/training. There you will find more than 25 free online training courses.

SBA also offers many resources to assist you with starting or growing a small business. These resources include more than 60 district offices with at least one office in every state, more than 10,000 SCORE counselors just like Lou who will provide free business counseling. You’ll find also over 1,000 small business development centers and more than 90 women business centers.

To learn more about SBA’s resources, contact our website at http://www.sba.gov/. I’d like to thank our guest, Lou Davenport, for sharing the valuable information on selecting a business that fits. And that’s it for another edition of SBA’s Small Business Training Network.

I’m Ron Johnson.
[end of interview]

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UNIT 1 - (READING 1) Saving Our Precious Earth

It is the responsibility of everyone, from industries to families and individuals, to save our precious earth through pollution prevention and conservation of natural resources---through reduce, reuse and recycle. Your actions today will decide the quality of tomorrow's world.

Everyone must join in to make a difference for all generations to come.

Air and water are life's most valuable resources, without them no living thing on earth can survive. Free the air and water from pollutants.

The two major pollutants are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Emissions of sulfur dioxide are mostly from fossil fuel (coal and oil), combustion in electric power production, and industrial processes (the primary metals, petroleum industry, chemical manufacturing, and mineral products). Emissions of nitrogen oxides are mostly from the transportation industry and fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas) combustion.

When water vapor and droplets in the air combine with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, they fall to the earth as acid rain (sulfates and nitrates).
Acid rain is harmful to aquatic life---fish populations and water plants---and the terrestrial ecosystem. It may damage or slow the growth of crops and forests. In addition, it may affect drinking water quality by causing the release of heavy metals from soil.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Help preserve our world for all generations to come.

Recycling (Paper, Plastic, Metal, and Glass)

Paper

Most paper can be recycled and made into new paper products, which helps save our forest---recycling one ton of newspapers conserves the equivalent of 19 pine trees. Recycled paper production reduces related air pollution by 95% and uses 30-55% less energy.

Plastic

The two most commonly recycled plastics are PETE or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high density polyethylene). Please refer to the Plastic Recycling Code for other recyclable plastics. Many plastic products like bottles and containers are marked with the recycling code these days to facilitate sorting by their particular resin type.
Five recycled 2-liter PET bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket, and 35 2-liter PET bottles make enough for a sleeping bag.

Metal

Metals are made from minerals that are non-renewable. A ton of steel cans recycled saves 1.36 tons of iron ore. Recycling saves 74% of the energy needed to make new steel from iron ore and 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from bauxite ore.

Glass

Glass is one of the easiest and best materials to recycle. It recycles completely, meaning one kilogram of old glass can be turned into one kilogram of new glass, and it can be recycled repeatedly without loss of quality to the new product. A ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of 34 liters of fuel oil. In addition, recycled glass requires 30% less energy than glass manufactured from silica.

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INFORMACION 1 A LOS ESTUDIANTES DEL CURSO INGLES VI

Les he puesto a su disposición una serie de ejercicios relacionados con lo impartido en clase durante esta semana:

• Parts of the English speech
• Spelling Definitions
• International Commerce Vocabulary List 1
• Worksheet Model

Confío que puedan hacer todo antes de nuestra próxima clase, de modo que les ayude a afianzar sus conocimientos. No olviden practicar la voz pasiva.

Mucho éxito,

Francisco J. Salinas B.

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Worksheet sample

MODELO DE PRUEBA ESCRITA


I. Vocabulary

Mark the word that doesn’t belong in each group.

EXAMPLE: a) plane b) train c) car d) airport e) truck

1 a) container b) freight c) shipment d) cargo e) luggage
1 a) profit b) loss c) revenues d) growth e) earnings
1 a) free market b) marketplace c) buy and sell d) marketing e) international trade (...)

II. Grammar

Complete this extract from a CEO’s speech about his company. Write the verb in the correct tense: present simple or present continuous.

‘As you know, our company (grow) ___________________________________ 21 rapidly at present. We are employing 10 percent more staff than we did last year, and we (recruit) ___________________________________ 22 more staff all the time. We also are producing 150 machines per month – that’s an increase of 15 percent since last year. We (develop) ___________________________________ 23 a new model of the Turbomaster at the moment, which we think will be a big success. We (know) ___________________________________ 24 our markets well. Our customers (like) ___________________________________ 25 our existing products, and we feel confident that they will like the improvements we have made in the new design. We (launch) ___________________________________ 26 the new model next May, in time for the Munich Trade Fair.’ (...)


III. Reading

Read the article and choose the best answer to each question.

Ten years ago a small boy fell off his bicycle because he wanted to look behind. This gave Billy Morgan, a British businessman, a new idea. He designed a bicycle helmet with a built-in mirror: the Reevu Vutech.

Mr. Morgan launched the product six months ago, and it now has sales of 27,000 and sells in twelve countries from South Korea to Finland. The target for the second year is for sales of nearly a1 million.

But it wasn’t easy for Mr. Morgan to become successful. He had problems when he tried to interest UK manufacturers in making the helmet. It cost Mr. Morgan a1 million of his own money to develop the helmet for the mass market (...)

31 This article is about …
a) a product launch that didn’t succeed.
b) a new idea that became a commercial success.
c) a manufacturing problem.

32 To develop the helmet for the mass market, Mr Morgan …
a) got help from a British manufacturing company.
b) got credit from a bank.
c) spent a1 million.

33 Mr. Morgan has an arrangement to manufacture the helmet …
a) in South Korea.
b) in France.
c) in England. (...)


IV. Writing

Replace the words and phrases in italics in the memo with the best word or phrase below.

Memo
To: Ramola Santos
From: Peter Stott
Subject: Prices

I would like to draw your attention to the attached price lists from two of our main competitors. As you can see, both have reduced their prices by about 3 to 4 per cent. I would like to suggest that we reduce ­­­­______________________________ 45 our prices by at least the same amount.

As you know, we face intense ______________________________ 46 competition in this market, and our revenue ______________________________ 47 from sales has fallen considerably ______________________________ 48 in the last year. It will not be easy to market ______________________________ 49 our products if they are seen as overpriced______________________________ 50. Could we have a meeting as soon as possible to discuss this?

45 a) fall b) cut c) make lower
46 a) unfair b) open c) tough
47 a) income b) cash c) deposit
48 a) plummeted b) soared c) leveled off
49 a) reposition b) develop c) try to sell
50 a) inexpensive b) too expensive c) affordable (...)


V. Listening

Nelson Ferreira works for an aircraft manufacturer. He is making a presentation to some people who are interested in buying aircraft. Read the first three questions. Then listen and mark your answers.

1 The part of the presentation which you hear is …
a) the introduction.
b) some basic facts that come before the main part.
c) the main part.
d) the conclusion.

2 The company is …
a) a state-owned company.
b) a family-owned company.
c) a multinational company.
d) a company which has shares traded on the stock exchange.

3 The customers are mainly interested in …
a) an executive jet plane.
b) military aircraft.
c) commercial aircraft.
d) aircraft in general. (...)

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International Commerce Vocabulary List 1

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe
English VII, FG-701 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello

1. Deal
2. Supply
3. Supplier
4. Demand
5. Success
6. Train
7. Trade
8. Owner
9. Customer
10. Custom
11. Customs
12. Freight forwarder
13. Gross/net weight
14. Insurance
15. Employee
16. Employer
17. Wrong/Right
18. Attorney/lawyer
19. Allow
20. Concern
21. Entrepreneur
22. Package
23. Budget
24. Task
25. Job
26. Job duties
27. At least
28. At last
29. Knowledge
30. Investment
31. Assests
32. Citizen
33. Tariff
34. Quote
35. Invoice
36. Goal
37. Seaman
38. Top down/bottom up
39. Inventory
40. Maintenance

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Exercise 3 - Parts of the English Speech

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe
English VII, FG-701 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello

Identify the parts of the English speech by underlining with colors.

Prepositions: blue
Conjunctions: orange
Pronouns: purple
(possessive, demonstrative, interrogative, relative, indefinitive, reflexive)
Phrasal verbs: green
Modal verbs: brown

1. The smallest gift is mine. U.S. business people give out many promotional items, which are not gift-wrapped. Formal gift-giving among U.S. executives is usually limited to Christmas/Hannukah and commemorative events. Some U.S. executives who deal with foreigners have learned to give gifts on other occasions. Gadgets are popular, and gifts may display a corporate logo. Gifts are opened immediately.

2. This is yours. Ours is the green bottle on the corner. Invocations over drinks are customary wherever alcohol is consumed. The English word for this custom, "toasting," derived from the tradition of dipping a piece of scorched bread into a tankard of beer or wine, to improve the taste of the drink. Different countries offer some interesting variations on toasting habits.

3. This must not continue. It is undeniable that garments form a large part of people's first impressions. In much of the world, a person dressed inappropriately will not be taken seriously, especially in a business situation.

4. Who will meet the delegates at the airport? Starting out on the right foot in a business speech is crucial. But when cultural differences come into play, this can be a real challenge.

5. Whom do you think should be invited? To make an appointment, an introduction is usually required. This can come from a person known to both parties, a trade organization, or a professional "go-between" (sometimes called an "enchufado"). But family is always important in Latin America, so an introduction by a businessperson's relative is often the best way.

6. You may invite whomever you like to dinner. For a business traveler, sharing a meal with an international client is a necessary part of establishing a relationship. And just as each culture has its own cuisine, it has its own dining etiquette. If you want to create a good impression when dining abroad, here are some tips.

7. The office had been searched and everything was thrown onto the floor. At the start of a new year, many of us assess our physical, emotional and professional states. If your goals include a new international job, get ready by testing your knowledge of some of the differences in interviewing around the world. Good luck!

8. Richard usually remembers to send a copy of his e-mail to himself. You should find a knowledgeable, in-country attorney who can ensure that your contracts are prepared with all the clauses required by their legal systems.

9. The CEO himself said that he would lower the prices. Most of us think we know a "Yes" from a "No." But if you’re crossing some multi-lingual lines, even basic communications can take a wrong turn.

10. Unfortunately, the bank closed at three today. What happens when one culture’s method of selling and negotiating is applied to different international business and social situations?

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Exercise 2 - Parts of the English Speech

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe
English VII, FG-701 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello

Identify the parts of the English speech underlining with colors. Circle verb tenses.

Nouns: blue (proper, common, countable, uncountable)
Articles: orange (definitive and indefinitive)
Personal Pronouns: red
Object Pronouns:pink
Adjectives: green
(Possessive, Demonstrative, Comparative, Superlative, Interrogative, Indefintive)
Adverbs: purple
Circle Verbs tenses

1. When she was a young woman, she earned her living as a coal miner.

   Employers across Venezuela have become significantly more concerned over the levels of sickness absence in their workforce. Paradoxically, this concern has grown during a period when the headline rate of sickness absence in the Venezuela economy has been declining. Today, the average Venezuelan employee has just over seven days off work through sickness absence each year. This equates to about 3.5% of all available working days being lost to absence, at an estimated cost to the economy of over US$11 billion. Despite recent evidence of a slight increase in absence rates – the first rise in six years – the overall picture has remained stable, at least on the surface.

2. After reading the pamphlet, Judy threw it into the garbage can.

   The term ‘knowledge economy’ is often used but seldom defined. Essentially, it refers to a transformed economy where investment in ‘knowledge based’ assets such as R&D, design, software, and human and organizational capital has become the dominant form of investment compared with investment in physical assets – machines, equipment, buildings and vehicles. Thus, the term ‘knowledge economy’ captures the subsequently changed industrial structure, ways of working, and the basis on which organizations compete and excel.

3. The truck-shaped container was taken over the bridge to Mac Donald's warehouse.

   Attitudes about punctuality vary from country to country. What is important, however, are subjective attitudes toward time. The question isn't "Aren't 90 seconds the same everywhere?" but rather "Are attitudes toward those 90 seconds the same?" And the answer is an emphatic no. Perceptions of time vary widely in different cultures.

4. What's your phone number?

   Preparing for the worst may be the best thing you do for yourself, your employees, and your company's bottom line.

5. When the ship came to that port, the workers went on strike.

   To be accepted around the world, a company must be a good corporate citizen. Doing business overseas have become very important. But not everyone sees the benefits of world trade. Disaffected people in many nations see the price of globalization as too high. Violent protests over the influence of multinationals have become routine ever since the 1999 World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle. How can your company deal with opponents of globalization?

6. Which high tech plants will be built in that industrial park?

   Whether you have one job or a hundred, we can work out the best option for you. Post a job and get applications direct to your inbox. That's why the team put together an enhanced package of options at a price that was compatible with our budget, and managed to do so very quickly.

7. Tell me again. Which invoice was paid last month?

   Negotiation is one of the most vital skills any entrepreneur can have. It’s not just in sales meetings, but in every-day situations where you’ll be using negotiating skills – for example negotiating with staff over time off, or department budgets, or suppliers who want to hike prices and so on. But most of all, you’ll need those negotiation skills in securing a deal.

8. Many people believe that corporations are under-taxed.

   Mr. Anatoly is convinced that successful, socially motivated enterprises like Fifteen, which for the past seven years has been giving disadvantaged young people the chance to work and train in the restaurant business, can restore people’s belief in commerce.

9. The boldly spoken words would return to haunt the rebel.

   Winning clients is one thing, but keeping them requires effort. If you're a small business owner with fewer clients than your larger counterparts, exemplary customer service can often give you the edge by allowing you to be more responsive to their needs or offer a personal touch.

10. We urged him to dial the number more expeditiously.

    Effective internal communication is essential for the smooth running of your business, both to convey your company culture and values and to stay on top of employee concerns. However, it needs to come from the top down and the bottom up.

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Exercise 1 - Spelling Definitions

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe
English VII, FG-701 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello


Match the vocabulary words on the left with the definitions on the right. Use the numbers.

1. Bill .......... one who buys goods or services; shopper

2. Office .......... the handing over or surrender of something

3. Price ......... a subdivision of a larger organization or system

4. Purchase .......... exempt from a tax

5. Order ......... someone who works for a person or business in return for wages

6. Sales ........ a numerical value or amount

7. Department ....... a document with empty spaces provided for the insertion of information

8. Manager ........ a communication of information by various means.

9. Export ........ a place where business transactions are conducted

10. Import ......... involved in, or related to selling

11. Employee ........ one who directs, controls, or administers a business

12. Colleague ..... a request to produce or deliver goods

13. Duty-free ..... to bring in from a foreign country

14. Sales ..... a written statement listing items or services and their cost; invoice

15. Figures ..... the sum of money required in exchange for an item or service; cost.

16. Bill ..... the practice of sending goods abroad for sale or trade

17. Manufacture ..... to obtain by exchanging money for; buy

17. Succeed ...... a small retail store

18. CEO ....... to deduct (an amount or percentage) from a cost or price

19. Customer .......... someone who shares the same profession, work, or employer

20. Discount ........ Chief Executive Officer

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Merchant Marines

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe
English VII, FG-701 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello

Below you’ll find descriptions of the workboats jobs available almost everywhere in the world, as classified by the Military Sealift Command. These titles are used by the merchant marines.

Ordinary Seaman

If you’re just staring out on the maritime industry, this is the bottom rung on the ladder. In families long in boating tradition, children usually start in this job and work their way up to becoming the owner of the ship. Job duties include guarding the ship while in port, doing routine maintenance both at port and while at sea, and generally taking commands from everyone else in the ship! As an ordinary seaman, you’ll find yourself doing tasks like painting and mopping while you learn the ins and outs of running the ship.

Able Bodied Seaman

This job doesn’t imply that you are in the best physical condition to handle the job (although you do have to be in shape!). The term “able bodied” simply means that you’re a step above “ordinary.” In this job, you’ll have additional duties, like taking care of the items in the cargo hold and helping with deck operations. You’ll also be doing many of the same tasks as the ordinary seamen on board.

Junior Engineer

Usually unlicensed, the junior engineer is to the control of the ship what the ordinary seaman is to the maintenance of the ship. Another low man on the totem pole, this job requires a person to assist the licensed engineers in controlling the operating room.

Engine Utilityman

Also under the command of the licensed engineers, the engine utilitymen are in charge of repair and maintenance of the ship’s machinery, handling equipment, and control panels.

Licensed Engineers

There are a variety of types of engineers that can help to run a ship, but in general, they take care of the control room or operating room, fabricate needed pieces when machinery breaks, control the electronics, maintain the ship’s refrigeration systems, and take orders from the ships’ owner or captain.

Chief Steward and Utilitymen

This team is responsible for helping the crew live on the ship. On a smaller ship, these duties may all be carried out be a single person, and on a larger ship, a number of people might be involved in these tasks, which include cooking a handling the meals, maintaining the passageways and cleaning living quarters, and taking inventory of the ship’s supplies.

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Maritime work

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe
English VII, FG-801 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello

Work in the maritime industry can, at times, be dangerous. When you're traveling on the open seas, there is always that chance of an emergency leaving your stranded in the middle of the ocean or a storm sinking your ship.

Maritime jobs also require days, weeks, or even months in some cases, away from family and friends. Why, then, would anyone consider working in this industry? There are a number of benefits.

Salary

First a foremost, the benefit to any job is its salary. Maritime jobs typically pay extremely well, partly because of the time spent doing these jobs, partly because of the dangers and hard work, and partly because of the skills needed. Here are just a few examples of salary ranges:

Deckhand Trainee: $27,000-$32,000 per year
Able bodied seaman: $30,000-40,000
Chief Cook: $25,000-47,500
3rd Assistant Engineer: $45,000-55,000
Third Mate: $55,000-70,000

Senior positions bring in even more money! As a chief mate, you can expect an annual salary of about $80,000-125,000, and if you're the captain, you can expect a six-figure salary, possibly as high as $185,000.

Note: Salaries vary significantly depending on the employer. University and government or military jobs may pay less than similar jobs in the private sector -- but with better benefits.

Remember, when you're out on a ship, you'll have to pitch in to help whenever needed, which means that you'll get large amounts in overtime pay. Note that along with these average salaries, those working in the maritime industry get a lot more vacation time than those in other industries - about 2 weeks for every month of work!

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Chronogram March-July 2009

República Bolivariana de Venezuela

Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe

English VII, FG-801 – Prof. Francisco Javier Salinas Bello

WEEK -- DATE -- UNIT ----------------------- EVALUATION ------ %

Term 1

1 March 23-27 - Ecoturism - maritime work

2 March 30-April 03 - Recycling - maritime reprocess

3 April 13-17 - Environmental hazards - maritime accidents - Written I - 10%
4 April 20-24 - Solving problems - maritime simulation
5 April 27-May 01 - Making decisions - maritime viewpoints - Oral presentation I - 15%
6 May 04-08 - Journey description - maritime life description
7 May 11-15 - Friendship - maritime fellowhip - Written II - 10%
8 May 18-22 - Jobsworth-maritime job skills - Conversation I - 10+5%

Term 2

9 May 25-29 - Work experience - maritime itinerary & dress code - Written I - 10%
10 June 01-05 - Holding a meeting - maritime opinions
11 June 08-12 - Job satisfaction - maritime job application - Oral presentation II - 15%
12 June 15-19 - Body language - maritime speech
13 June 22-26 - Brand names - maritime companies
14 June 29-July 03 - Messages - maritime codes - Written II - 10%
15 July 06-10 - Managing situations - maritime cultures - Conversation II - 10+5%
16 July - Handing in marks

Note 5% evaluation criterial

I Responsibility II Homework III Punctuality IV Attendence V Participation

GRAMMAR CONTENT

• Parts of the English Discourse & Tenses
• Articles and nouns
• Rethorical, Contrasting, Quantity and Emphatic expressions
• Reporting structures (Advice , Suggestions, Recommendations & Orders)
• Modal verbs
• Prepositions
• Conditionals
• Adjectives and Adverbs (Intensifiers, Adverbial phrases)
• Gerunds & Infinitives
• Phrasal verbs

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International business ethics: Cultural differences in business practices Exercises

Ethics definition
It is a system of accepted beliefs which control behavior. These set of beliefs guide people’s reflections to do business fairly and congruently. The system is based on morals or practices, from which professional code of ethics are derived.

DISCUSS
1. Is it an acceptable business practice to pay a fee to a government official who assists your company in arranging a business deal? Why or why not?

2. Many countries have Foreign Corrupt Practices Acts. These laws forbid companies to pay foreign officials for the purpose of influencing any business or business-related decision. Does Venezuela have this type of legislation? What effect had this Act on Venezuelan business?

3. Are government employees allowed to work in private business at the same time in your country? How might this complicate business decisions?

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT
1) Word Derivatives – Many words in English are derived from the same root. The suffixes are attached to the root, such as –er, -tion, -ry and –al. Select the appropriate word to complete each sentence below.

produces producer production products

1. The Japanese firm _________________ highly sophisticated electronic equipment.
2. __________________ of commercial aircraft decreased during the recession.
3. Ameritech Corporation is a leading _________________ of military aircraft.
4. Bahrain agreed to buy several __________________ from a European company.

2) Determining meaning from context. Try to understand the meaning of the underlined words from their context, then explain the meaning in your own words to a partner. If you are not certain make a guess.
1. Until last, the Venezuelan government had purchased airplanes from the Russian aircraft industry. Because of some dissatisfaction with the Russian, which had failed to service its planes as quickly as contracted, the Venezuelan government was seeking bids from other aircraft manufacturers.

2. A Chinese consortium responded to the request from Venezuela with a carefully prepared proposal. The consortium undoubtedly would be able to meet the conditions specified in its proposed service contract. In fact, superior service was one of the competitive strengths of the Chinese consortium relative to its main competitors. It was expected that the price quoted by each bidder would be about equal, and that all the bidders could deliver the planes within two years.

3. Mr. Vibo, the Chinese consortium sales manager, in his attempt to find an influential person to serve as agent for the consortium in negotiations with the Venezuelan government, had encountered a Venezuelan-educated local business man named Mr. Truko. Mr. Truko, a Venezuelan born Chinese, once worked for the Ministry of Transportation. Since the Ministry would be the official purchaser of the airplanes, it appeared to Mr. Vibo that an arrangement with Mr. Truko would be very valuable.

4. Mr. Vibo found that his discussions with Mr. Truko were open and encouraging. After only three meetings, Mr. Truko agreed to accept a consultant’s fee of US$100,000 from the Chinese consortium in exchange for his efforts to convince the government to buy the planes from the consortium.

5. As the plane negotiations preceded, Mr. Truko came to Mr. Vibo with the exciting news that the Transport Ministry had confided that the consortium would probably be chosen very soon as the winner. In addition to that news, Mr. Truko explained that a payment of US$500,000 would be viewed as an acceptable fee to pay the Minister for his consideration of the bid. This payment would be added to Mr. Truko’s feed and pay to him.

6. Now Mr. Vibo was in a difficult situation. He was aware that the additional payment was common in deals such as this one, and that the Chinese consortium had always played by the rules played in each country where the consortium did business. However, since the enactment of the 2007 Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, things had changed for Venezuelan firms. The Chinese consortium would have to declare the US$500,000 payment (to Mr. Truko) as a consultant fee, and it would be scrutinized by the Seniat very carefully to judge its legality.

GRAMMAR DEVELOPMENT
1) Prepositions are words which are used before a noun, a noun phrase or a pronoun, connecting it to another word. The following words consists of such words: on, in, at, under, opposite, behind, in front of, next to, near, between, to, towards, into, out of, up, down, along, across, from, through, round, off, over. Circle them in the above paragraphs.

BUSINESS TERMS
Explain the following terms to a partner. Discuss the concepts in your own words.

Bribe
Forbid
Bid
Tax
Savings
Language barrier
Headquarters
Chamber of commerce
Boost
Borrow
C.I.F. (cost of insurance and cost)
Cost differential
Cost efficient
Opportunity cost
Discount
Distribution channels
Dump
Currency
Raw material
F.O.B. (free on board)
GNP (gross national product)
Investment
Joint venture
Lend
Liabilities
Loan
Risk