Being a successful entrepreneur 1. Read the definition of ‘entrepreneur’ and name three advantages and three disadvantages of being an entrepreneur. entrepreneur: a person who uses a new idea to start a business and make a profit 2. Read the answers to some questions about being an entrepreneur. Create questions for the answers. EXAMPLE: People decide to start a business so they can do what they are passionate about. Why do people decide to start a business? A. Entrepreneurs find new opportunities by studying markets. _______________________________________________________________________________ B. It is important for entrepreneurs to think outside the box to be able to make better decisions. _______________________________________________________________________________ C. Entrepreneurs can expand their knowledge by networking at different events, which can make their business more successful. _______________________________________________________________________________ D. The hardest thing about creating a product is finding an original idea. _______________________________________________________________________________ E. If an entrepreneur doesn’t want to take risks, their business might stop growing. _______________________________________________________________________________ F. Qualities that can help an entrepreneur run a company successfully include leadership and the ability to build a strong team. _______________________________________________________________________________ Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license. Being a successful entrepreneur 3. Discuss other possible answers to the questions. • Why do people decide to start a business? • Why is it important for entrepreneurs to think outside the box? • How can entrepreneurs expand their knowledge and make their business more successful? • What qualities can help an entrepreneur run a company successfully? 4. Watch a video [https://youtu.be/rRpMrAMesbA] and compare your ideas from ex. 3 with the information in the video. 5. Watch the video again and complete each statement with one word. A. An entrepreneur decides to start a business to bring their ideas to ____________. B. Entrepreneurs ____________ thinking outside the box. C. Entrepreneurs don't just ____________ things as they are. 6. Choose a word from each pair of options and complete the statements with your ideas. • It is common/uncommon to be an entrepreneur where I live because… • I think/don’t think more people should become entrepreneurs because… • We should/shouldn’t encourage young people to become entrepreneurs because… • New technology can make it easier/harder for people to become entrepreneurs because… 7. Read the stories about two entrepreneurs and choose the best ending for the final sentence in each one. There are two endings you do not need to use. A. …success is impossible without people who can support you on your way. B. …no matter how hard life gets, you can change it. C. …a great team and hard work can a make a difference to the community and its economy. D. …it’s important to keep expanding your knowledge. Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license. Being a successful entrepreneur Josh Schmieder, from Rochester, USA, started mowing lawns when he was ten to save money. When he was 16, he founded JOSH Landscape. He continued to work in landscaping while studying at college. Twenty years later, Josh became New York State Small Business Person of the Year. Josh even got to meet President Biden during the National Small Business Week celebration. When he started his business, he worked from his family barn but later he bought a building for his company. Since then, the staff has grown from 15 to 150+, creating stable jobs and supporting the local community. Today, JOSH Landscape also sponsors youth sports organizations and donates to nonprofits. Josh believes that… Source: SBA Sophia Amoruso’s story is really inspiring. She had a tough time when she was young due to ADHD, so she didn’t finish school. In her early years, she did different jobs like working at a sandwich shop. After her parents’ divorce, she lived in Sacramento with no money and had to hitchhike, steal food from shops and look through trash to survive. When she was 22, Amoruso decided to make her life better. She began selling vintage clothes on eBay under the name Nasty Gal Vintage. At first, progress was slow, but she didn’t give up. In the first two years, she earned $223,000, and after three more years, she was earning around $23 million. The New York Times even called her the “Cinderella of Tech.” Later on, Sophia wrote a book that became a Netflix series and made millions working with big brands like Boohoo. Amoruso’s story tells us that… Source: Viliantceo Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license. Being a successful entrepreneur 8. Decide if each statement is about Josh (J), Sophia (S) or both (B). A. They started their company in their teens. B. They experienced big changes in their business over time. C. They didn’t go to college. D. They have received an award. E. It took them just a few years to become a millionaire. 9. Discuss the questions. • In which way are these stories similar and in which way are they different? • Which story do you find more inspiring? Why? • Can both Josh and Sophia be called successful entrepreneurs? Why/Why not? • Do you know stories of other entrepreneurs that inspire you? 10. Say what the pictures in each set have in common. Then, discuss the questions below. Use the phrases in the boxes. SET A create a product find new opportunities start a business run a company • Is it easier to start an offline or online business? Give reasons. • Do you think you need the same or different skills to run offline or online businesses? Why/Why not? Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license. Being a successful entrepreneur SET B take risks think outside the box expand your knowledge find new opportunities • Do you think young adults who study at college or university have more chances to become successful entrepreneurs than those who get work experience? Why/Why not? • Are there any skills people learn from their families that can help them become successful entrepreneurs? Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license.
