Week 5 - 6

A. How would you do it? Expanding a business

More than a good cup of coffee.  The secret of Starbuck's success

Listen to the following audio, read the company's overview and timeline and answer the questions below:

Company overview: http://www.starbucks.com/assets/9a6616b98dc64271ac8c910fbee47884.pdf

Timeline: http://www.starbucks.com/assets/e56b2a6b08244aaab0632dc6ac25ad0d.pdf

Audio File link: http://www.businessenglishstudy.com/mp3/10-intermediate.mp3


Questions:

1. What is the background of the founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz?
2. How does Schultz's trip to Italy play a role in the history of Starbucks? What did he want Starbuck to become?
3. What are the three principal's of Starbuck's success according to Schultz?
4. What is so attracting about Starbucks? Is it the coffee or something else? If something else, please describe
5. What is the similarity between Starbucks and McDonald?
6. Why are so many business people going to Starbucks?

Extra: interesting article of an interview with Howard Schultz and his views about marketing: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/981327/starbucks-chief-executive-howard-schultz-marketing

B. Starbucks Marketing Strategy

Watch the following video giving a quick overview of the company and its marketing strategies

Now that you have a good understanding about Starbucks, it's time to plan its expansion in France including Montpellier.  

1. Are there any cultural clashes between Starbucks and France?
2. Would you modify their marketing strategy in Europe and if so, how would you modify their strategy to succeed in Montpellier?.
3. What would be the strong arguments for the population in Montpellier to turn to Starbucks? What's attractive about Starbucks from a French point of view?
4. What's your conclusion regarding the secret to Starbuck's success in France outside of large cities like Paris?
5. What would be important for Starbucks to consider in their French market expansion plans to achieve sustainable growth?

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C. Technology in the news
Watch the following BBC special about a new technology invented in Tel Aviv

Video: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27681376

1. Summarize this new invention
2. What are your personal thoughts about this new technology
3. How do you see this new technology possibly playing a role in your Starbucks expansion plan

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D. Starbucks Business Plan

Over the last couple of week you have come up with tons of great ideas on how to do the expansion plan of this famous coffee shop. Thus, it's time to do the executive plan. It should not be between 3 - 5 paragraphs maximum. I am including a couple of the pictures of what we wrote down on the board about the expansion plan

The following is a quick guideline on what's necessary to put together an executive plan. Notice that I have marked in either Red or Blue some notes on how to proceed:

Executive Summary

The executive summary is probably the most critical part of the business plan format. Many business plan readers will read the executive summary and then decide whether to proceed further or discard the plan.

The executive summary should be written last, once all the other sections are complete. It should not exceed two pages and should eloquently summarise the most important aspects of the plan.

Key elements that should be included in the executive summary are:

• Business concept: A description of the business, its products and the market it will serve. You need to describe what will be sold, to whom and how it has a competitive advantage. (you have all the elements to do this)
• Financial features: The summary should highlight the important financial points like sales, profits, cash flows and return on investment. (we never discussed this as it was not necessary but you should come up with some overall numbers just to practice explaining goals and objectives using numbers and percentages)
• Financial requirements: You need to be clear about the capital needed to start and expand the business, as well as how the capital will be used. (you don't need to do this as it is not pertinent for our case....Starbucks has a lot of capital)
• Current business position: Provide an overview of the company, its legal form of operation, when it was formed, the principal owners and key personnel. (you don't need to include this part)
• Major achievements: Highlight any developments within the company that are essential to its success. This includes things like patents, prototypes, locations, contract that need to be in place and results from test marketing already conducted. (here I would like you to state what will make this place a success given the existing conditions)

If you finish it before our next session, then please send it to me via email so I can look at it before we start.  Good luck

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E. Useful phrases when seeking clarification

How to express lack of understanding

When you fail to understand what has been said to you you can use these expressions:

• I beg your pardon?
• I beg your pardon, but I don't quite understand.
• I'm not quite sure I know what you mean.
• I'm not quite sure I follow you.
• I don't quite see what you mean.
• I'm not sure I got your point.
• Sorry, I didn't quite hear what you said.
• Sorry, I didn't get your point.
• I don't quite see what you're getting at.

How yo ask for clarification

When you don't understand what someone has said, you can ask for clarification using the following expressions:

• What do you mean by...?
• Do you mean...?
• Could you say that again, please?
• Could you repeat please?
• Could you clarify that, please?
• Would you elaborate on that , please?
• Could you be more explicit?
• Could you explain what you mean by...?
• Could you give us an example?
• I wonder if you could say that in a different way.
• Could you put it differently, please?
• Could you be more specific, please?

Clarifying one's point or idea

To clarify your idea you can use the following expressions:

• Let me explain that...
• Let me explain that in more detail...
• Let me put it in another way...
• Sorry, let me explain...
• In other words...
• To say this differently...
• To put it differently...

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F. Phrasal Verbs with Make

Open up the following doc to review the most important phrasal verbs with MAKE

G. Recognizing and replacing phrasal verbs

Read the following story and identify all the phrasal verbs used and replace them with another verb.

Story 1: Sarah had a problem

For a long time Sarah wanted to go out with a very handsome man called James, and then one day he turned up at her door. Just like that! She asked him in. James took his coat off and sat down. Then he explained that while driving past her house his car broke down. It was outside.

Sarah said James could call out a mechanic and she looked up the nearest garage in the phone book. She offered him a cup of tea. He accepted. But then she realized there was no milk. “We’ve run out of milk” she said and popped out to buy some more.

While Sarah was away the mechanic turned up. He got on with mending the car and James watched. When it was mended James got in his car and drove away.

In the shop Sarah suddenly remembered her little baby sister who she was looking after was at home. She ran back to the house and saw that James had left. Her little sister was crying inside, and she had no keys!