Business

the production, buying, and selling of goods and services; formally referred to as a 'concern'

cf) company, firm - an organization that sells goods or services

Enterprise

(entrepreneur)

an adventurous, risk-taking business

(cf. free enterprise, private enterprise)

commerce, commercial

term often used to distinguish the business sphere from other areas such as government or the arts, or to distinguish it from non-money-making activities

sole-prietorships (one owner),

partnerships (multiple owners)

companies which are not incorportated,

and which are therefore not technically corporations

large business organizations

or any business activity that makes a lot of money

Mom and Pop (type) business

small and unsophisticated business

according to which businesses are classified into

(ex. construction, oil, banking, food)

specialists like financial journalists call it instead calling it industry,

more often used to describe different parts of the economy in combinations like public sector, private sector,

or types of businesses like the service sector, manufactureing sector

farming, fishing, mining

nationalized (nationalization); state-owned

when a private company is bought by the state and brought into the public sector

electricity, water, gas;

companies reponsible for the public supply of them are often the first to be sold off in a privatization program

shareholder

shares, equity

stake, holding, shareholding

holding, holding company

parent company

sister company

a holding company's relationships to its subsidiaries,

subsidiaries' relationship to each other

a group containing a lot of different companies in different businesses

large groups referred by journalists

if company B does not want to be taken over, the bid is -------

acquiring, acquisition

when one company is taking over another one, one company is -------- another or making an -----------

predator, raider, (corporate) raider

<-> prey

a company or individual seeking to take over another company

<-> target company, takeover target

ward off; fend off

a company wishing to ward off or fend off being taken over has a number of options and actions to take: 1. it may devise plans that give existing shareholders special rights, 2. it may make itself less attractive to bidders by selling off a valuable part of the company 3.holding on to an unattractive one

bidders may agree to withdraw their bid if paid enough money for the shares they hold in the target company

a company is acquired by a group of investors, often financed by heavy borrowing. The debt is then paid out of the target company's revenues or by selling its assets.

when two companies combine, usually voluntarily, they ------ in a ---------.

horizontal integration

when one company merges with or takes over another company producing the same types of goods or services

none-core assets

(sell-off, spin-off, disposal)

Businesses are often encouraged to concentrate or focus on their core activities and to sell off, spin off, dispose of non-essential assets, also referred to as                              .

(A sale of assets in this way is referred to as a ----------, -----------, or -----------.

if a company sells a business, it d------- itself of that business.

 (refers both to the action of selling a business and to the whole process of selling businesses in this way)

individuals or organizations who pay for services provided by a professional person or organization such as a lawyer or advertising agency

an economy where things are bought and sold freely and not under government control

the factors taht influence the demand for things, their availability, and consequently their price

market sector (segment)

product; goods; merchandise

(FMCG= fast-moving consumer goods)

produced or manufactured and sold, often in large numbers

money spinner

a product sold by a retailer under the retailers' name rather than the manufacturer's

undercut

When a business sells a product at a lower price than its competitors, it ---------- them.

upmarket

(cf. mid-market, downmarket)

trade up (ungrade)

trade down (downgrade)

the cheapest model of a company's product range, line, mix, portfolio (one designed for people buying for the first time)

advertising campaign

it consists of a series of advertisements, adverts (Br.), or ads which are run in various media

any marketing effort, including adverising of a product to encourage people to buy it

packaging