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Business Word/Phrase of the Day

word-phrase-descEvery day we publish a business word or phrase together with audio pronunciation, phonetics, definition and example sentences. This is a great way to improve your workplace vocabulary as well as your pronunciation. To receive 'Business Word/Phrase of the Day' by email, just subscribe to our newsletter from the link above. 

SELL (SOMETHING) AT A LOSS  

Phrase

  • to sell something and lose money.
Example Sentence: We were forced to sell the computers at a loss.
 

IN SHORT SUPPLY  

Phrase

  • to not have enough of something.
Example Sentence: Experienced computer programmers are in short supply in our company.
 

GO PUBLIC goʊ pʌblɪk

Phrase

  • to become a public company and to sell the company.
Example Sentence: The stock of the Internet company rose very quickly after the company went public.
 

BIG CHEESE bɪg tʃiz

Phrase

  • an important person, a leader.
Example Sentence: The new director was a big cheese in his previous company but he is not so important now.
 

AFTER-SALES SERVICE  

Noun

  • service that is provided after something has been sold.
Example Sentence: The company was praised for its excellent after-sales service.
 

DAMAGES dæmɪdʒ

Noun

  • the money/compensation you get if someone/something has caused you injury or harm.
Example Sentence: My company seeks EUR 10,000 in damages from our competitor since they've obviously copied the basic features of our best selling product.
 

TO PUT YOUR EGGS ALL IN ONE BASKET  

Phrase

  • to choose one particular thing over another and not rely on several choices at the same time.
Example Sentence: He really put all his eggs into on one basket and decided to leave all the other markets and concentrate solely on India.
 

TO SKYROCKET skaɪˌrɒkɪt

Verb

  • if share prices, market prices, wages etc SKYROCKET, they rise really quickly and to a high level.
Example Sentence: We only managed to survive last year because share prices in this sector unexpectedly skyrocketed and it saved us from going bust.
 

TAX EXILE tæks ɛksaɪl

Noun

  • Is a wealthy person who lives outside his/her own country in order to minimise the tax they owe.
Example Sentence: Many wealthy people prefer to move to other countries and become tax exiles than reside in their birth countries where the tax rates are high.
Sean Connery is perhaps Scotland’s most famous tax exile.
 

WHITE COLLAR WORKERS  

Phrase

  • Are people who work in offices, doing work that needs mental rather than physical effort. White collar workers are generally better educated and more highly paid.
Example Sentence: Jim is a typical white collar worker – university-educated, middle-class background, working for a well-known high-street bank.
 

INFLATIONARY SPIRAL /ɪnˈfleɪʃəˌnɛri spaɪrəl/

Noun

  • An inflationary spiral is when salaries and prices take turn to grow in short intervals.
Example Sentences: Recent rises in inflation are more likely to weaken consumer spending than lead to an inflationary spiral of higher salaries and prices.
 

BREAK INTO /breɪk ɪntʊ/

Phrasal Verb

  • to start to use money that you have saved.
Example Sentence: I broke into my savings to buy a beautiful diamond engagement ring for my girlfriend.
 

PRINCIPLE prɪnsəpəl

noun

  • A principle is a basic idea or rule that explains or controls how something happens or works.
Example Sentences: The principle of democracy is important to Americans.
I agree with you in principle but I think it will be difficult to achieve in practice.
 

TO CUT ONE'S LOSSES  

phrase

  • If you cut your losses, you stop wasting time or money on something, so you will not lose any more time or money.
Example Sentences: After spending weeks on the project and seeing no profit, the director decided to cut the company's losses and end the project.
The new restaurant already had a bad reputation so the owners cut their losses and closed it down.
 

SALES COMMISSION /seɪlz kəˈmɪʃ ən/

phrase

  • payment to a salesperson for their efforts in marketing and selling something, usually calculated as a percentage of the total sales
Example Sentences:All our sales staff earn a 2.5% commission on their sales.
He’s moving to a company that pays a much better sales commission.
 
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