What does Stay Ahead of the Curve mean? Business English

Staying ahead of the curve means more than just driving.  It means to be on top of your business and anticipating the market. How can this be done?  Pay attention to other companies in your niche, find customers before they do. 

Read this article (for advanced English speakers) and discuss it with your English teacher 

http://tweakyourbiz.com/growth/2013/05/09/staying-ahead-of-the-curve-and-in-step-with-your-growth-plan/

Key Terms
risky
loosely
‘tuned-in
 boardrooms
 proverb
remaining adept
strategising
market “swing
loaded-tang
Retaining
 innovation
intrapreneurship
 foster
forward-thinking
 route to growth
trundling along
first casualties 
 hostage to fortune
systematic
monitors successes
monitors successes
catastrophic
resilience
aka
bouncebackability
incidental discomfort
growing pains
testing experience
 the hurdles of growth

Questions
What does "Ahead of the Curve" mean to you? 
What type of research would you have to do to find out customer trends?
What service do your customers want the most? 
How can you design your customer service to give it to them? 
Which forward looking solutions can you find for your service?
Which is better for you, new services, new customers, new products? 
What does growth mean for your business?
How fast do you want the growth to be?
How many new customers can your company handle? 
How often do you review your business and see where you are? 
How often do you review  and revise your business plan? 


Case Study
You have advertised a new service for your company, and frankly it flopped.  Explain to your bank why you need to take out a new loan to finance a new project. Tell your banker the pros and cons.  What your new project is going to be, the customer base, and marketing options. 


Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach Professional English Teacher