Business idioms, jargon and abbreviations – Vocabulary and Phrases
SWOT – strength, weakness, opportunities, threats
CEO – chief executive officer
CRM – customer relationship management
SME – Small and Medium Sized Enterprise
HR – Human Resources
CAD – computer aided design
MBO – management by objectives
BEP – break even point, the volume of production required before there is any profit
USP – unique selling proposition
MBA – Master of Business Administration
HQ – Headquarters
VAT – value added tax
woofies – wholesale financial institutions
The legislation sanctioned a new type of financial entity: wholesale financial institutions, known as "woofies."
laggards – those who take more time than necessary; the last group of users to adopt an innovation
Once a laggard, Boeing 747 gets a sharp new lift
to make a killing – to do something that makes you a lot of money
They made a killing in real estate .
to sell like hot cakes – to sell very well
Houses in this area are selling like hot cakes.
to take on board – to understand and accept ideas and opinions which may change the way you behave in the future
Banks need to take on board the views of their customers.
state-of-the-art – the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time.
user-friendly – easy to use, operate, understand
It is the most user-friendly personal computer now on the market.
bottom line – the last line of a financial statement, used for showing net profit or loss
A company that is growing its net earnings or reducing its costs is said to be "improving its bottom line".
tailor-made – Perfectly fitted to a condition, preference, or purpose; made or as if made to order
We propose only tailor made solutions.
synergy – The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
If Company A has an excellent product but lousy distribution whereas Company B has a great distribution system but poor products, the companies could create synergy with a merger.
downsize – to reduce in number or size
The corporation has downsized its personnel in response to a poor economy.
to move the goalposts – to change the rules while something is in progress
The White House is now in the process of moving the goal posts, dropping its prior demands that Iraqi leaders meet certain political benchmarks in order to sustain the escalation.
to blow the whistle – to expose the existence of mischief or wrongdoing
The agent was taking bribes until someone finally blew the whistle.
ballpark figures – This phrase is related to another popular phrase, 'in the ballpark', which means 'close but not yet there'.
I'd say two hundred dollars, but that's a ballpark figure.
to sweep sth under the carpet – to try to hide a problem or keep a problem secret instead of dealing with it.
The incident has forced into the open an issue that the government would rather have swept under the carpet.
red tape – The collection or sequence of forms and procedures required to gain bureaucratic approval for something, especially when oppressively complex and time-consuming.
Three weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck, red tape and poor planning have left thousands of evacuees without basic services
to pour cold water on – to be discouraging or negative about
Experts pour cold water on climate policy.
to be in a minefield – A situation that has many potential hazards or dangers.
But practicing independent journalism in the year 2000 in Zimbabwe is still like a walk in a minefield.
to get a raw deal – to not be treated as well as other people
The fact is that kids who are taught in classes of over thirty get a raw deal.
to play your cards right – to play fair
If you play your cards right, you can have it all
an own goal – An own goal occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents. The term has become a metaphor for any action that backfires upon a person.
the own goal cost them the game
a stalemate – a situation in which neither side can win
California lawmakers ended a partisan two-month budget stalemate, signing off on a $145 billion plan to do away with the state deficit.
the odds – the chances or possibilities of winning
Odds of being killed sometime in the next year in any sort of transportation accident: 77 to 1
an injection of cash – financial help
5 M from the government was a welcome injection of cash.