节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-03-09
难易度:High
关键字:balance sheet, inevitable, seed money, line of credit, income stream
(Music).
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
I'm Carolyn.
And I'm Nathanael.
And you are here for day two of our lesson Financing Your Business.
Now I know not everyone is interested in starting their own business.
But if you are, this is a very important lesson.
We are learning how to finance your business or company in the best way.
And you have some Talk About It questions in your magazine.
One of them is: Think of some creative ways to pay for a new business.
Carolyn, what is a creative way to pay for a business?
Well, I grew up doing a lot of fundraising.
And if you're starting a new business, then you want to make sure that people
will support you.
And you could have a fundraising party and encourage people to donate to your
business so that you can provide a service for them.
How else could you use this, Nathanael?
Well, I have a friend, and he kind of does farming.
He farms vegetables, but he also works at a restaurant.
This restaurant also takes his vegetables so that he can sell other vegetables
outside of their store.
So they don't have to pay for some of the food that they need.
All right. So it's kind of a win-win situation.
Think of some creative ways.
Often the best ways will not only benefit you but benefit other people as well.
Well, let's get started with the first reading with this conversation actually
between Uncle Bob and Ben.
Financing Your Business.
Instead of borrowing right away, we waited until the business was a little
better established.
Then we borrowed money and used it to expand the business.
How did waiting help?
Well, by the time we took out the loan, we had an income stream and a healthy
balance sheet, so we were less of a risk for lenders.
That meant we were able to borrow on better terms.
So you think we should wait before getting a loan?
So we've just enjoyed part of a conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben.
Nathanael, today it's your turn to be Uncle Bob.
Carolyn, you will continue to be Ben.
All right.
Nathanael, let's get started.
OK.
Instead of borrowing right away...
No... Nathanael, remember what we talked about.
Right.
OK... um.
Instead of borrowing right away, we waited until the business was a little
better established.
Then we borrowed money and used it to expand the business.
Uh, how did waiting help?
Well, by the time we took out the loan, we had an income stream and a healthy
balance sheet, so we were less of a risk for lenders.
Wait. Wait, wait.
Excellent! That was excellent, Uncle Bob.
You did remember what we talked about.
First I want to talk about something here from this sentence from Uncle Bob.
He says: By the time we took out the loan, we had an income stream.
I want to talk a little bit about an income stream.
Your income stream is kind of the flow of cash or how your income comes in.
So how else could you use that phrase, Carolyn, an income stream?
Well, it is kind of an interesting phrase.
When you think of a stream, you think of water that is flowing.
So this is money that is flowing in.
And you want a healthy income stream if you're going to have a successful
business, right, Nathanael?
Yes. And I think an income stream is also money that you make regularly.
So you have this income stream and you can expect what kind of money you're
going to make regularly.
That's right.
So of course, just like Carolyn said, you kind of think of water with this word
"stream." I also I think of cash flow.
You use that word "flow" to talk about water, too.
So in many ways, people use "water terms" to talk about finances or money.
A stream of money, the cash flow, different things like this.
Well, we saw something else here in this sentence: a healthy balance sheet.
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word right there.
It is a "balance sheet." Carolyn, can you tell us a little bit more about this?
Well, a balance sheet shows a business' income and their expenses.
So how much money you take in and how much money you pay out or spend.
And it's very good to have this if you want to have a loan because it shows the
bank that you are a successful business or maybe a not-so-successful business.
That's right.
Well, Nathanael, how else could you use a balance sheet, or who would benefit
from a balance sheet?
Well, I think anyone who is in business or has a small business or a big, big
business as well should have a balance sheet.
And a balance sheet should also tell you where your money has come from, not
only what you have but where you got it as well.
All right.
Well, it's good to keep track of things in your business as you get started.
That's why it's good to have a balance sheet like this - to let you know where
you are.
And Carolyn, it says the word "healthy" here.
What does that mean?
Does it mean the balance sheet is not sick?
Well, here it's not talking about well or sick.
It's a "healthy" balance sheet means that you are making money.
Your business is successful.
So it is healthy, it is growing and thriving.
And a good business should have a healthy balance sheet.
Excellent.
Well, I think it's time for us to continue talking about this conversation.
Actually we're finished for now, Uncle Bob, because we want to enjoy some time
with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud.
Let's go there now.
Hi, friends.
If you are running a business, we hope that you're not in the red.
Yes. We hope that you are in the black.
Now Steve, before we confuse everyone any further, let's talk about what "in the
red" and "in the black" mean.
OK. These expressions come from bookkeeping.
In the old days, people who kept business records usually wrote things down
using two colors of ink.
Red ink indicated expenses or how much money was lost.
And black ink indicated profits or how much money was being made.
So if your business is unprofitable and losing money, then you can say it's in
the red.
Lots of magazines operate in the red these days because fewer people subscribe
to them.
They're losing more money than they're making due to the Internet, no doubt.
But if your business is creating more income than expenses, then it is in the
black.
You're making a profit.
And if your business is in that unusual position where it's neither making money
nor losing money...
Well, then we don't use any ink.
We say it's breaking even.
(Chinese).
Thank you, gentlemen.
Yes, it's good to be in the black with your business.
Well, let's continue, Uncle Bob.
OK. Uncle Bob was talking about the relationship between the lenders and his
company.
And he continues.
That meant... Excuse me.
Yes.
That meant we were able to borrow on better terms.
Wait. Excellent.
"We were able to borrow on better terms." Thank you, Uncle Bob.
We want to talk about that phrase there: to do something on some terms.
So you borrow on better terms.
What does that mean, Carolyn?
Well, it means that the situation or the agreement that you are able to use when
applying for a loan is more favorable.
It is better for you as the borrower.
So if you have a healthy balance sheet, you can get a better deal on your loan.
You can borrow on better terms.
You can borrow on better terms.
But how else might you use that kind of phrase, Nathanael, to do something on
some kind of terms?
Well, people could be on good terms or on bad terms.
Sometimes we also say that people are on speaking terms or not on speaking
terms.
If you're on speaking terms, of course, you're talking to each other.
But if you're not on speaking terms, you're not communicating very well.
Maybe you're not even saying anything to each other.
All right.
So you do want to make sure to try to stay on speaking terms with people to
maintain good relationships.
Well, if you're working for a company and you need to leave,
you want to make sure that you leave on good terms so that you maintain a good
relationship with that company, that there are no hard feelings.
You want to leave on good terms, not on bad terms.
Right now it's time for us to go and enjoy another line with Ben right here
before we go to Language Lab. Ben.
Yes. So... so you think we should wait before getting a loan?
Excellent. Excellent question.
Ben, I like that question.
And of course, I like spending time with Michelle too.
Let's go to the Language Lab.
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.