Category Archives: Business

Headline English Video: Brokering a Deal

Learn how we use “broker,” “deal,” and “trade” in English in this quick video: ~Jeff WAIT! Before You Go . . . Get our FREE, 9-Page Special Report “5 Things You MUST Know to Improve Your English” Learn how to … Continue reading

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Overspending for the Holidays

When Americans say “the holidays,” they are usually referring to mid- to late-December, when the religious holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrated. It’s a happy time of year for most people. But the holidays are also a dangerous time … Continue reading

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Don’t Want to Get Sick? Keep Your Hands to Yourself

Howie Mandel is an actor and game-show host who is famous for being a germaphobe, someone who has an irrational (not logical; not based on fact or reality) fear of germs (very small things that cause disease).* A phobia is a … Continue reading

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Noncompete Clauses

People who work for high-tech (using technology) and highly-skilled jobs may be accustomed to (used to) noncompete clauses.  Noncompete clauses are requirements in a person’s employment contract (agreements) stating that he or she will not go work for another similar company for a stipulated … Continue reading

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Paid to be a Quitter

Companies that are looking to (wanting to) reduce their workforce (number of employees) will sometimes offer people who are close to retirement (age when people typically stop working, traditionally 65-years-old) something called a “golden parachute.” A “parachute” is something you … Continue reading

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Do As I Say, Not As I Do

It has long been an accepted (widely-believed) axiom (rule; law) in the world of marketing (selling things to people) that you never ask people how much money they would pay to buy something. If you ask a group of consumers … Continue reading

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Rethinking Tattoos

Among some groups in the U.S. today, having a tattoo is becoming more and more commonplace (not unusual; ordinary). A tattoo is permanent writing or drawings made under your skin. Tattoos can be made in almost any shape and size, … Continue reading

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Work Would be Great Without the Coworkers

The French philosopher Jean-Paul Satre once famously said, “Hell is other people.” I’m not sure who poor old (unfortunate) Jean-Paul’s neighbors, friends, or coworkers (people who work at the same place you do) were, but obviously they were not exactly … Continue reading

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The Peer-to-Peer Economy

In the past few months, I’ve been reading more and more about services that match (put together; connect) people who have something to sell or some service to provide with the people who are looking to buy it. This newer … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Life in the United States | 20 Comments

Headline English: A Modest Step Toward a Grand Bargain

Let’s talk about a business headline today. This one comes from a recent issue of Bloomberg Magazine, one of the largest business magazines in the United States. Here’s the headline: A Modest Step Toward a Grand Bargain The news story … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Language & Terms, News and Current Events | 20 Comments