The Roadmap Report

B2 Unit 7:
1: The
Cooking
personal
up a small
trainer
business Corresponds with Lesson
1C XXXX7B

BE YOUR
OWN BOSS
What it takes to run
your own business,
and who’s doing it.
By Emily Burton, 11th December

Record numbers of young people

in the UK are starting their own
businesses, according to new data
from Companies House – the UK’s
company registration organisation.
Last year alone, more than 400,000
people registered a company in
various fields including education,
fashion, technology and food. So,
how hard is it to run a business?
but creating something unique to help people recognise
Experts suggest you should have
you and want to come back for more. Finally, they say that
some experience in the industry
if you run a food business for example, you should try to
you are trying to break into, and a
be seen in lots of different places, so aim to go to events,
good support system around you
festivals or have a stall in a local market.
– family, friends, business partners,
or all three. They also suggest With surveys showing more than 60% of young people
trying to diversify, so not just stating they want to be their own boss, the passion for
selling standard wraps or burgers, entrepreneurship in the UK is growing at a rapid pace.

BEFORE YOU WATCH

1 a Work in pairs. Brainstorm a list of the top five factors to think about 3 Work in pairs and discuss the
when starting your own business. questions.
1 Why do you think more young
b Scan the article. Are any of your ideas mentioned?
people than ever are starting their
2 Read the article again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? own businesses?
1 This year has seen the highest number of people registering a new 2 What other advice would you give
company or business. to someone starting a business?
2 Over 400,000 new food companies were set up last year. 3 Do you think you could be a
successful entrepeneur? Why/
3 It helps to have worked in the field you are starting your business in.
Why not?
4 You can increase the potential of returning customers by doing
something unlike anyone else.
5 The number of young people who said they want to start a business is
falling year-on-year.

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 The Roadmap Report
B2 Unit 7:
1: The
Cooking
personal
up a small
trainer
business Corresponds with Lesson
1C XXXX7B

7 a Work in pairs. Hannah says she feels

WHILE YOU WATCH
inspired by people who strike out
on their own. What do you think this
4 Watch the video and choose the correct alternatives.
means?
1 Hannah says that people are not sticking with the same job/
getting bored easily in their job. b What characteristics do you think a
2 The business owners have started a vegetarian/vegan café. person needs to strike out on their
3 When Nish started his business, it was quite easy/difficult at first. own? Do you know anyone who has
4 Nish started the business with his cousin/his friend. done it?

5 The homemade sauce is sold online and in store/all across London.              
6 The yellow van is something people recognise and are attracted to/ AFTER YOU WATCH
going to go to its first event next summer.
8 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.
5 Watch the video again. Complete the sentences with no more than
1 Would you like to run a business like the
three words or a number.
one in the video? Why/Why not?
1 There has recently been a boom in businesses
2 Have you tried any vegan food? What
launching in the UK.
did you think of it?
2 Vegan food is a market.
3 Is vegan food popular in your country?
3 Nish does a lot of the creative work in the business, whereas his
Why/Why not?
cousin works on the .
4 If you were to start your own business,
4 The café’s hot chilli sauce is .
what type of business would it be?
5 The owners use their van to go to and events.
9 Work in small groups. Think of a
6 a Put photos A–F in the order they appear in the video. successful entreprenur. Prepare a
short talk to give to the class. Think
b Label the stages in Exercise 6a with the instructions in the box.
about:
Then watch the video again from 1:46–03:19 to check your
answers. • what made their business unique
• who they started it with
Add the filling Flip it Fold over Sides in Three drops Tuck it in • how they attracted new customers

A B C

D E F

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