IELTS Energy 1625: IELTS-Centric Vocabulary to Describe Small Businesses

This is an IELTS Energy Podcast, Episode 1625, IELTS-centric vocabulary to describe small businesses. Welcome to the IELTS Energy Podcast from All Ears English. Downloaded more than 35 million times with examiner-trained IELTS whiz Aubrey Carter and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl. If you are stuck with a low score, our insider method will help you get the score you need to unlock your dreams.

Get your estimated band score now with our two-minute quiz at allearsenglish.com forward slash my score. You may be asked about small businesses on IELTS speaking or need to be able to write about them on IELTS. Today, we'll share four band nine phrases as well as two part three answers so you will be ready to tackle this topic on test day.

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Hello, Michelle. How are you today? Hi, Aubrey. I'm doing well. How are you? Excellent. Quick question for you to start us out. Are there any small businesses you frequent regularly?

Yes, definitely. Well, I love a little coffee shop called Starbucks. No, I'm just kidding. Yes, they're small companies. Well, there is a really nice I actually know the owner now.

But it's a it's like a consignment store for kids. Oh, yeah. Um, and they are, they've been around for just about a year and I'll go there and buy some clothes for my kids. Um, cause they have kind of like nice, like really nice brands, but at good prices.

So gently used maybe, but gently in really good shape at a yeah yeah yeah very good very good shape and um i know the owner now um and she's really nice and so i i like to go that's so genius especially for young kids because they often will wear something once and then you go to put it on them again and they've outgrown it so you give it away it's or they just are like no i don't like that and they refuse to wear it again that's also possible they strip as soon as you leave the room

Yeah, that's smart. Well, this is interesting. You may be asked about small businesses on IELTS speaking, or you might have to write about this on IELTS. For example, your task two topic might be about whether small businesses are more beneficial to local communities than multinational companies.

There are a lot of tasks two questions about globalization. So let's first share a few questions that you might see on IELTS speaking, Michelle. What about part one? What might students be asked?

Oh, okay. So you might hear, are there many small businesses in your neighborhood? Or have you ever worked for a small business? Or do you think running a small business is difficult?

Yes, you need to have good answers with topic specific vocabulary for all of those. Part two, you could also be asked to describe a family owned business you admire, or maybe describe a shop or company that has changed over time.

What about part three, right? These are about entrepreneurship, the economy, society, education. What are a couple of questions students might get? Yeah.

So you might hear, is it easier or harder to start a business today than in the past? Or something like, do people trust small businesses with more than large corporations? Yeah. Yes.

So you could hear this anywhere on the speaking exam. That's what's really tricky for a topic like this. You need to be ready with vocabulary that would work for more casual answers or more formal Part 3 answers. So today, we are going to teach some vocabulary that you could use on the IELTS exam, Band 9 vocabulary for these answers, and then stay to the end.

We are going to give two examples of Part 3 answers on this topic. Yes. Yes. All right. So let's get into it. The first one is carve out a niche. So this is to find or create a unique position in a market that distinguishes a business from competitors.

This is often the key, right, for success for a small business. Like there has to be some reason people will want to go there instead of the Walmart or whatever these big box stores that are sometimes more convenient. Yeah. Yeah.

So the bakery carved out a niche by specializing in gluten-free desserts. So yeah, people definitely look for that. Absolutely. Or she managed to carve out a niche selling handmade notebooks online.

Yeah. So anything handmade, artisan, often that's where these stores will be more successful, right? They've got their own niche. And then our second word is, our second phrase is a word of mouth reputation.

So this is popularity gained because satisfied customers, customers who like the store recommend this business to other people. Yeah. So the cafe grew almost entirely through word of mouth reputation, or sometimes people just might say through word of mouth. Exactly right.

You wouldn't have to add that now and there. You could just say grew through word of mouth. You know, how did you get all your business? Mostly word of mouth would just mean like this is just people recommending it to other people.

Yeah, yeah. Or even without advertising, the mechanic has an excellent word of mouth reputation, right? Or a lot of people find out about him through word of mouth. So yeah, it's not like, why would people talk about it only if they're impressed by the service, right?

Or it's interesting, they might be talking about don't go there, but we wouldn't call that word of mouth, right? That's just complaints, right? Yeah, right.

Word of mouth tends to be more positive. Yeah, that's true. And the next one is customer centric. I like this. So this is focused on meeting customers needs and providing excellent service.

So it's like, that's the focus. That's the most important part. So the company's customer centric approach keeps people coming back. Yes, definitely. Or a customer-centric business often succeeds even in competitive markets.

So yeah, this means you've all, of course, heard the phrase, you know, the customer is always right. And they aren't. If they're being terrible, they're not right. But this is that attitude of a business to be customer-centric.

They're focused on what does the customer want? How can we make sure that they're happy? So that you get that word of mouth marketing. Yes, exactly. All right, should we do one more?

Yeah, let's do it. Okay, so made a name for itself. So this is to become well known, respected or successful because of achievements, quality or a strong reputation. So for example, right after college, I worked for a company that made a name for itself by developing user friendly apps that solved everyday problems.

Or although the restaurant started with only a few tables, it quickly made a name for itself thanks to its creative menu and outstanding service. So this is a chunk all together, right? And we can change itself to a person can make a name for herself or himself, right? We change that, their self.

And if we're talking about a business, it makes a name for itself. Mm-hmm. In your first language, you have personality. You joke, you interrupt, you push back, but in English, you might feel smaller, more careful, less expressive than you really are.

If English feels like it's filtering your personality, it may be time to understand why. Our free two-minute fluency quiz helps you see what's holding you back from speaking freely and naturally and connecting. Plus, you get your current English level. Is it B1, B2, or C1?

Find out today. Take the quiz now at allearsenglish.com slash fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com slash F-L-U-E-N-C-Y-S-C-O-R-E. All right, let's dive in with some sample answers, Michelle.

Are you up for answering a part three question using some of this amazing high scoring vocabulary? Ooh, yes, I am ready. Okay, here is your question. Why do some small businesses succeed while others fail?

In my opinion, successful companies usually understand their customers very well and adapt quickly to changing trends. So a business that is genuinely customer-centric is more likely to build loyalty over time.

People appreciate being treated as individuals, and small businesses often provide a level of personal attention that large chains struggle to offer. As a result, many of them managed to make a name for themselves and earn loyal customers who return again and again. So, for example, I love shopping at this consignment store for kids because as I know the owner, I believe in her.

Um, and also I think her products are really great and I know that I can get stylish, fun, good quality clothes for my children there. Amazing. Okay. This is such, this is really good structure for a part three answer.

where at first you're staying really broad, you're answering the question, right? Giving these really clear answers why successful companies might be, and this is where you're using that really high scoring vocabulary. You said that a business that's customer centric will build loyalty, right? This is band nine vocabulary and ideas.

And then you said they could make a name for themselves and earn these loyal customers that will return and But then this is so great to do this on part three is then to shift to a personal example, right? You've answered the question. You've shared what these companies need to do.

And then you give an example of a company that you have had that type of experience with. So remember, don't hesitate to give personal examples on part three. You absolutely can. You just have to also answer the question directly, which is going to be broader.

It's going to be about some issues, society in general. So if you only answer about yourself specifically, you're not answering the question. But once you have, yes, share personal examples.

Yeah. Yeah. Really good. All right. Can I ask you a question? Yeah, let's do it. All right. Here we go. So Aubrey, will small businesses become more or less important in the future?

Oh, I definitely think that small businesses will be even more important in the future. Yeah. Despite, of course, all of the competition from large corporations, big box stores, online shopping. But one reason is that entrepreneurs are often able to carve out a niche by offering specialized products, handmade goods, personalized service that bigger corporations and companies need.

Simply cannot match. And another factor is the power of a good word of mouth reputation. Thanks to social media, online reviews, satisfied customers can recommend a business to hundreds or even thousands of people. in minutes.

So that kind of organic promotion can really help a local company grow without spending a fortune on advertising. A good example I have is Sunita, which is a company a friend of mine started, who got a great word of mouth reputation. They were able to build an online community through Facebook, and they were just selling like gangbusters, and they were a pretty small business.

Okay, very good. So I love that high level vocabulary you used, you know, you said entrepreneurs are able to carve out a niche, right? And I also liked how you started your answer. You said, Oh, I

definitely think, right? It was very natural sounding and, you know, that you were really interested in what you were talking about. So just like that vocabulary, but also you showed that you were able to very naturally use the language. Well, and that's such a good point for the pronunciation score.

Like all through part one, part two, part three, whatever part of the speaking exam you're on, you can't speak in a monotone, right? These questions might seem more academic or More, you know, formal, professional, that doesn't mean you can speak academically or, you know, you still can't use the monotone. You have to vary your tone, use interesting, engaging intonation in order to get the higher pronunciation score.

Yeah, so you did it. Okay, so you said they're able to carve out a niche, right? So and then you said you used word of mouth reputation, which we talked about as being a really good high level chunk high level phrase.

So yeah, and again, then you gave your example, which I remember you talking about Sunita before you told me about it. And I remember looking at the website and like finding all these things that I want to buy. So I have to get back on that. I love it.

My friend has since sold the company, but she really created an amazing company. I love the products. I still wear them all the time. It's similar to Lululemon, but more inexpensive, but really high quality.

I'm a fan. No, it's not an ad. I just wear them myself. But yeah, it's interesting. This structure worked for both of us here where you answer the question specifically about society at large and then share a personal example, share how it affects you or someone you know, a business you're familiar with, right?

Definitely share a personal example too in order to get the level of detail you need for a part three answer. Yeah, love it. So do we have a challenge for our listeners? Yes, we want to issue you a challenge.

So of course, you need to answer all of the questions we shared today. Practice your own answers with today's vocabulary. But we also want you to think of one local business, one online business, and one family-owned business that you know or are familiar with or have shopped at and practice describing it. Describe that business using

each of today's four phrases so that you can adapt them naturally to any question on this topic, right? You want to make sure that you're making it versatile. You don't want to have to have one specific question in order to use that phrase. Once you have it part of your active vocabulary, you want to be able to use it on lots of different answers so that you can use it on test day.

Yeah, love it. All right, guys, and check out episode 1623 of the IELTS Energy podcast. That was three tips to boost your IELTS pronunciation scores, speaking of pronunciation. Yes, exactly, right?

You'll get all of the tips, three really good tips for improving that score, which when it comes to IELTS speaking answers, it can't just be about vocabulary, right? There are four different scores you need to be thinking about. So scroll up and check that one out.

Awesome. All right, Aubrey. Well, I'm glad we talked about this today and happy shopping for small business. Awesome. Thanks, guys. We'll see you next time.

All right. Bye. Thanks for listening to IELTS Energy. Hit subscribe now and don't forget to find your estimated band score at allearsenglish.com slash myscore.