Great ideas

Successful meetings

“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.” What do you think about the following?There are no new ideas.Most of the best ideas are discovered by

accident.Research and development is the key to

great business ideas.There is nothing wrong with copying and

improving the ideas of others.The best way to kill an idea is to take it to

a meeting.

One good idea for successful business is corporate venturing:

It is the process of two companies entering into a partnership

Usually a larger company invests money or goods into the smaller company in return for access to technology or skills

Corporate venturing is a good solution for companies in crisis (uniting makes them stronger)

Another good idea for business is to introduce innovations:

It is the introduction of new ideas, goods, services and practices which are intended to be useful

The main source of innovation is often the courage and energy to better the world

An essential element for innovation is its application in a commercial way

A number of innovations have changed human history

A great idea is also called a breakthrough:

It is usually an important discovery which changes the history of something

Very often a single innovative breakthrough is not enough: there has to be continuous improvement

For example: the producers of mountain bike have eliminated something form the original model by providing comfort, easy gear changes, a “fun” ride etc.

The initial idea for a product is first made as a prototype:

It is a model of a future product and every successive product is based on it

It is a physical model of the new product concept

It includes designs, software and devices

It is used for making observations and for some necessary adjustments

The final prototype is called the “beta version”:

It is a product in its final stage of testing

A beta version of a product (beta product) is often available to the public for general use and real life testing. It allows people to start using new tools as soon as possible

Many inventors had good ideas but only a few brought them into life:

For example Leonardo da Vinci who drew fantastic pictures of parachutes and helicopters but never developed them

Sometimes the technology of a certain time is not yet ready to accept and materialise an idea (the growth of supermarket chains depends on the people having cars to go shopping)

Here are some ways in which the ideas are generated:

Sometimes a company exploits an opportunity to offer more to its customers by extending the product range.

Another good idea can allow a company to enter the market which was closed to it before.

It a company spends a lot on R&D they might make a breaktrhough with a original idea.

On the other hand, some products come from customer ideas. These products meet a real need, they are exactley what the customers demand.

A product can also enhance the status, i.e. represent something that makes people feel important.

Some people buy a “green” product just to reduce waste and protect the environment.

Isis Innovation company:

It is a company owned by the University of Oxford.

Their job is to take the ideas that have developed in the university’s research and turn them into commercial opportunities.

They do that either by negotiating licences or by helping researchers to start new comapnies.

Some of the companies that they have recently started use technology developed in the engineering department to make car bodies more quickly.

Another company makes houses for bees for people who have orchards to grow fruit more efficiently.

They have also started a company for archaeologists which trains them in the use of computer techniques.

To build a company you have to bring together a number of components.

First, you need a business plan.Then, you use this business plan to

raise the investment – the cash you need to start the business.

You also need people to manage the new comapny.

Great ideas 1: Double your money

Alka-Seltzer is a company that manufactured a product for acid indigestion, sour stomach and headaches. At that time the advertising for the product showed a hand dropping one tablet into a glass of water. Herta Herzog, a psychologist, made a suggestion. She said that the hand in the photograph should drop two tablets into the glass. The advetising was changed and the company’s sales doubled.

Great ideas 2: Buying without shops

In 1891, when American farmers were complaining about high prices in shops in the countryside, Richard Sears had an idea.

His idea was to use the new national railway system and post office to create a new way of selling: mail order.

Sears bought in bulk and so kept prices low. He was also good at attracting customers with advertising. By 1895 his catalogue had 532 pages!

Great ideas 3: Pay before you talk

By the 1990s many people were using mobile phones for both business and pleasure. They had a contract and received a bill for calls they had made in the previous month.

Vodafone, a successful UK mobile phone company, was already making good profits when it introduced its new Pay As You Talk service in 1997.

This allowed customers to have a phone without a contract and monthly bills. Instead, they have a “top up” card to extend calling and service credit.

The advantage for customers was that they could carefully budget the amount of money spent-very useful for parents who gave phones to their children. Thanks to this, sales increased.

Successful meetings

Some useful language and examples

Beginning the Stating the aim: meeting:

Can we start please? Right, let’s begin.

The main aim of the meeting is to ...

The purpose of this meeting is to...

Asking for Changing the comments: subject:

What do you think? How do you feel

about this?

Let’s move on now to...

The next item on the agenda is...

Clarifying: Summarising:

What do you mean by...?

Sorry, I don’t quite understand.

Ok, let’s summarise. Right, let’s recap...

Giving opinions: Making suggestions:

I think.... I’m in favour of...

Perhaps we should... We could....

Agreeing: Disagreeing:

I think you’re right. I totally agree.

Interrupting:

Hold on a moment.Can I say something?

I don’t know about that.

I’m afraid I don’t agree

An example of a meeting: “Freestyle”

Right, can we start, please? The main aim of the meeting is to decide the date of the launch. After that, we’ll talk about our marketing strategy and decide which sales outlets we should target.

OK, when are we gong to launch the goggles? Katharina, what do you think? Should it be early next year or should we wait until the summer?

I’m in favour of February and March. There’s a gap in the market for our products. Why wait any longer?

Thanks, Katharina. OK, let’s hear a few more views. Kenneth, what’s your opinion?

I don’t know about February. It’s a bit early in the year. I suggest we launch in May or June. People go on holiday then. It’s a peak period for buying goggles.

Thanks, Kenneth. Nadia, what’s your view? You’re a keen swimmer, I know.

In my opinion, February is the best time. We could promote them in swimming pools and opticians. The price should be high. I’d say, at least 50 pounds.

Hold on a minute. I thought we were talking about the launch date, not about promotion or price.

You’re right, Katharina. Let’s get back to the point. OK, everyone, we agree we prefer the earlier date. Let’s move on to marketing. Julia, which outlets do you think we should target?

I think we should start with the specialist stores. That’s where most swimmers buy their goggles. They sould be our main target.

Stress (vocabulary)

Past simple and present perfect

Which of these situations are the most stressful for you?

Going to the dentistQueuing in the supermarketBeing stuck in a traffic jamGoing to the hairdresserFinding a place to parkOrganising a partyHaving an interviewMaking a speech

In your opinion, which of the following apply more to men or women. Why?

Are better time managers Are less worried about details Have more pressure outside work Are less ambitious Worry more about making mistakes Pay more attention to details Are better at doing many things at the same time Are more likely to become angry when stressed

Present perfect

Form: I have worked. He/she/it has worked. They have worked.

I haven’t worked. Have I worked?

Use: we use the present perfect to - talk about actions that continue from the

past to the present(We have been in this business for over 50

years)

-talk about past events that have an impact in the present

(Recently profits have fallen sharply because of strong competition.)

-talk about life experiences

(He has worked in a number of different firms.)

Present perfect versus past simple

- We use the past simple for completed actions that happened in the past:

Capricorn opened its first store in 1984. - the decision to use the past simple or the

present perfect depends on how we see the event. If we see it as related to the present, we use the present perfect. If we see it as completed in the past, we use the past simple:

I have known Bill for many years.

(We are still in touch.)

I knew Bill when I was at college.

(We don’t keep in touch.)

Cross out the incorrect sentence in each pair:

1. Stress levels have incresed in recent years.

Stress levels increased in recent years.

2. The role of women changed dramatically over the past hundred years.

The role of women has changed dramatically over the past hundred years.

3. He has worked as a stress counsellor since 1999.

He worked as a stress counsellor since 1999.

4. I resigned two months ago.

I have resigned two months ago.

5. Have you ever been to a stress counsellor before?

Did you ever go to a stress counsellor before?

6. I have seen a stress counsellor last week.

I saw a stress counsellor last week.

Put the verbs in brackets in either the past simple or the present perfect:

This is my house. How long you (live) here? I (live) here since 1970.

He (live) in London for two years and then he (go) to Edinburgh.

You (wear) your hair long when you were at school? Yes, my mother (insist) on it. But, when I (leave) school I (cut) my hair and (wear) it short ever since.

I (not see) him for three years. I wonder where he is.

He (not smoke) for two weeks. He is trying to give it up.

You (have) breakfast yet? Yes, I (have) it at eight o’clock.

Here are your shoes; I just (clean) them.