Free Weekly Business English Lesson #26

Biz 英語術・Free Biz Lessons

Useful English Phrases for Business

Eggs and business

Put all of one’s eggs in one basket
If you put all of your eggs in one basket, then you put all of your efforts and resources into one idea.

Ex1.
I choose to put my money in a variety of investments. You should never put all of your eggs in one basket!

Ex2.
Ms. Jones: Jim wants to allocate all of our marketing budget to his TV commercial campaign. However, I think that’s a risky strategy.
Mr. Okamoto: I agree. It’s always dangerous to put all of your eggs in one basket.

A nest egg
A nest egg is your savings for after retirement.

Ex1.
Because I started saving when I was young, I hope to have a decent nest egg by the time I retire.

Ex2.
Ms. Jones: Did you hear that our company is doing a stock buy-back campaign now?
Mr. Okamoto: Yeah. I’m thinking about cashing in some of my stock options and putting that money towards my nest egg.

A rotten egg or bad egg
If someone is a rotten or bad egg, then they are a bad or despised person.

Ex1.
Although he came from a good family, he got into a lot of trouble and became a rotten egg.

Ex2.
Ms. Jones: I heard that the lead accountant at our rival company was arrested last week for stealing money. I think he was cooking the books!
Mr. Okamoto: I saw that on TV! He really looked like a bad egg when they were hauling him off to jail!

You cannot make an omelette without breaking (a few) eggs
The idiom you cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs means that you cannot achieve something important without causing a few unpleasant side effects.

Ex1.
The company had to cut 20 jobs to increase workflow and efficiency. However, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

Ex2.
Ms. Jones: I guess that the Nagoya branch office is going to be closed to move more staff over to our Osaka office with is much more profitable.
Mr. Okamoto: As they say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. If it helps the company, I’m all for it.

A hard egg to crack
If a problem or challenge is very difficult to solve, then it is a hard egg to crack.

Ex1.
I’ve been working on a strategy to reduce the overtime work of our team, but it’s a hard egg to crack. I think I’ll need to get some advice from my boss.

Ex2.
Ms. Jones: I can’t tell if Jim is on board with my marketing idea or not. He’s a real hard egg to crack!
Mr. Okamoto: If you really aren’t sure what he’s thinking, I suggest just asking him directly. At the end of the day this is business and we need to try to make the best choices possible.

Listen, shadow and learn!
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Buzzword of the Week

Vertical integration
Vertical integration is the merging of two businesses that are in different stages of production. For example, 7 and i holdings produces food products as well as distributes them at their retail shops, 7/11.

Ex.
Through vertical integration companies can become closer to the final consumer and control production based on demand metrics much more easily.

Quote of the Week

Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes and colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart. - Wolfgang Puck (Renowned Austrian Chef)

In business as well, there are only so many products, business models, and marketing techniques. It's how you combine all of these that will set yourself apart from the competition.
Question of the Week

My company is requiring me to improve my TOEIC score drastically. Do you have any advice?
(Answer in the audio)

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