Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
There are many special terms in the world of business.
The following story is about a sweetheart deal which I made last week. I made the deal with a friend, and we both made a profit.
I had started a small company several years ago. I worked hard to make it successful. It was a sign-making business. It was a small company, not a blue chip company. It was not known nationally for the quality of its signs. It did not make millions of dollars in profits. And it was private. It was not a public company with shares traded on the stock market.
Still, I worked hard building up my business. I did not work only a few hours each day -- no banker’s hours for me. Instead I spent many hours each day, seven days a week, trying to grow the company. I never cut corners or tried to save on expenses. I made many cold calls. I called on possible buyers from a list of people I had never seen. Such calls were often hard sells. I had to be very firm.
Sometimes I sold my signs at a loss. I did not make money on my product. When this happened, there were cut backs. I had to use fewer supplies and reduce the number of workers. But after several years, the company broke even. Profits were equal to expenses. And soon after, I began to gain ground. My signs were selling very quickly. They were selling like hotcakes.
I was happy. The company was moving forward and making real progress. It was in the black, not in the red. The company was making money, not losing it.
My friend knew about my business. He is a leader in the sign-making industry – a real big gun, if you know what I mean. He offered to buy my company. My friend wanted to take it public. He wanted to sell shares in the company to the general public.
My friend believed it was best to strike while the iron is hot. He wanted to take action at the best time possible and not wait. He offered me a ball park estimate of the amount he would pay to buy my company. But I knew his uneducated guess was low. My company was worth much more. He asked his bean-counter to crunch the numbers. That is, he asked his accountant to take a close look at the finances of my company and decide how much it was worth. Then my friend increased his offer.
My friend’s official offer was finally given to me in black and white. It was written on paper and more than I ever dreamed. I was finally able to get a break. I made a huge profit on my company, and my friend also got a bang for the buck. He got a successful business for the money he spent.
国际英语资讯:Yemens govt delegation to withdraw from Geneva talks if Houthis remain absent
国内英语资讯:Chinese vice premier meets Djiboutian president
国内英语资讯:Chinas top legislator meets Ethiopian prime minister
国际英语资讯:UN disarmament chief laments lack of accountability for chemical weapons use in Syria
Are Overseas Returnees Superior to Us? 海归是否高人一等?
报告显示 中国继续保持出境游消费世界第一
国内英语资讯:Senior CPC official meets Tanzanian prime minister
娱乐英语资讯:Celebrated Chinese director Zhang Yimou makes triumphant return to Venice Film Festival
国际英语资讯:Ambassador says China is a responsible investor, lender in Africa
国际英语资讯:Kremlin denies Russias involvement in ex-spys poisoning
英语阅读:英国人真的还喝下午茶吗?
体坛英语资讯:China tops gymnastics medal tally at Jakarta Asiad, history made by host Indonesia
瞠目结舌! 50种驱蚊产品竟无一有效
国际英语资讯:Security check trays one of largest risks to health at Helsinki airport
什么是真正的智慧
国内英语资讯:China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Summit held in Zhejiang
国内英语资讯:President Xi meets UN chief
贸易战是否会给中国金融科技造成伤害
国内英语资讯:China to upgrade mass entrepreneurship and innovation
怎么戒掉甜食?胖够了
从70后到00后:大学生入学神器“三件套”的变迁
金融危机十年后 美国大学生专业选择有啥变化?
双语阅读:可口可乐天价收购costa!正面battle星巴克
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Trumps top aides scramble to deny authorship of anonymous op-ed
Can Online Course Replace Traditional Course? 网络课程是否可替代传统课程?
体坛英语资讯:Chinese shuttlers fare through badminton first round at Asian Games
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: DPRK leader calls for further efforts towards denuclearization
朝鲜称计划于2021年初实现无核化
国际英语资讯:Immigrant family use fake passports to seek asylum in Norway: report
朋友不需要太多,只要知心