1. Complete the information about the company.

1. Its name is __________ .

2. Its main activity is __________ .

3. It owns __________ .

4. Its stores are located __________ .

5. Its head office is based in __________ .

6. Its pre-tax profits are __________ .

7. Its turnover is __________ .

2. Read the following statements about the article and indicate whether they are true or false.

1. The Benson Group is a chain of department stores in the south of the USA.

2. Benson’s performance over the last five years has been poor.

3. The Benson Group has loyal customers who would not think of shopping elsewhere.

4. Its main competitor is Hi-Mark.

5. Levinson Brothers is a young company.

6. Levinson Brothers’ target consumer is the 16-25 wage-earner.

7. Benson’s marketing is more aggressive than that of its main competitors.

8. Levinson Brothers’ share price isn’t high. It stands at $5.

9. Benson Group doesn’t want to change its business strategy.

3. Translate the text. Text 22

• Read an interview with Tom Hisata who has recently set up a sushi restaurant business in Manchester. Do the tasks that follow.

Setting up a business

I – Interviewer, T – Tom Hisata.

I: So Tom, can you tell us how you got the idea for your restaurant?

T: Well actually I had been working in TV, arranging filming for Japanese clients who wanted to make films in Britain and, you know, with the economic problems of the last few years that wasn't a business with a great future. And besides, I just wasn't happy. I knew I could run my own business and I had always been a sushi lover. So one day I had lunch with a Japanese television producer who told me how hard it was to find decent sushi in Manchester.

I: Where did you go from there?

T: Well, it took me about two years to make my dream come true. First I had to decide where to set up the restaurant and then I had to find suitable premises. But that proved to be more difficult than I had expected because no one would lease me a site without financial backing and the banks wouldn't give me the finance until I found a location. So it was like the classic chicken and egg situation.

I: So how did you resolve that problem?

T: Well I was lucky enough to have a friend in the property business who offered to help me find a site in the city centre. The main problem was convincing the owners that the idea would work since I didn't have a track record in business but they loved the concept.

I: So can you tell us exactly what your new idea was?

T: In fact the novelty is that the sushi passes by the customers on conveyor belts so they can just pick up whatever catches their eye. And we also use robots to prepare over a thousand sushi dishes every hour.

I: How did you put the finance together?

T: Well, of course I had to put in about £65,000 of my own capital and I managed to convince two friends to invest a further £50,000 together for 15% of the company. We also obtained some sponsorship from Japanese companies that were operating in the area and we made up the difference with money from a government small business loan scheme.

I: So what happened when you finally opened up? How did things go?

T: Well, it was an instant success and after two months we were making a profit. We then opened a second branch in another part of the city one year later and then two more in London shortly after that.

I: What is your recipe for success?

T: Well I'd say that the most important thing is to choose a business where you can actually do something that you really enjoy. It shouldn't just be about making money because the only way to get really good at something is when you succeed in realising your dreams.