English for Business Life Elementary

director: senior person who is in charge of a division or
department, e.g. Personnel Director, Finance Director
discount: percentage by which a full price is reduced (to a
buyer) by the seller
distributor: company or person that sells goods for another
company which makes them
division: main section of a large company,
e.g. manufacturing division
draft: preliminary rough version of a document, e.g. draft report
economist: person who specialises in economics
enterprise: a business or company, e.g. Telot Enterprises
executive: person in a business who takes decisions, a
manager or director (NB sales executive = sales rep)
executive vice president: (US) one of the directors of a
company who is in charge of a department or division,
e.g. sales manufacturing
export: to sell goods to buyers in foreign countries
extension: individual telephone linked to the main
switchboard
extension lead: an extra cable for a piece of electrical
equipment
facilities: equipment or buildings which make it possible to
do something, e.g. transport facilities
filing cabinet: metal or wooden box with several drawers
for keeping files
filing system: way of putting documents in order for reference
finance department: department which deals with the
money used by a company
firm: company or business
flipchart: stand with large sheets of paper clipped together,
used in presentations
goods: products
goods inwards: area where deliveries to a company are
received
guarantee: legal document which promises that a machine
will work properly or that an item is of good quality
head office: main office, where the board of directors works
and meets
hire: pay money to use equipment or people (sometimes
property) for a period of time; see also rent
hirer: person who pays money for the use of
equipment/machinery, e.g. a car
human resources department: see personnel department
import: goods bought from foreign suppliers and brought
into a country
Inc: Incorporated, e.g. ABC Inc.
industrial designer: person who designs products
made by machines, e.g. cars
industry: a branch or area of business activity which
includes many companies supplying similar or related
products or services, e.g. the car industry, the tourist
industry
inflation: economic situation where prices rise and the value
of money falls
insurance: agreement that in return for regular payments, a
company will pay compensation for loss, damage, injury, etc.
itinerary: list of places to be visited on a journey or trip
leave: permission to be away from work
legal department: section of a company dealing with
matters relating to the law
lessor: person who rents out property (or equipment) to a
tenant (or hirer)
limited company: company where members/shareholders
are responsible for the company's debts only up to the
value of the shares they hold
line: telephone line (outside line = line that connects to the
system outside the office)
log: book containing an official record, e.g. telephone log
logo: symbol or design used by a company as a mark on its
products and in advertising
Ltd: limited, e.g. Jim Haines Ltd
main market: main area where a product might be sold
maintenance: keeping things going or working
management: directing or running a business
management information systems: equipment and
procedures which provide managers with information,
usually computerised
manager: head of department in a company, e.g. sales
manager, advertising manager
managing director: director who is in charge of a whole
company
manufacturer: person or company that makes machinemade
products
marketing department: department in a company which
specialises in using marketing techniques (e.g. packaging,
advertising) to sell a product
MD: managing director
model number: reference number identifying style or type
of product
multinational (company): company which has branches
or subsidiary companies in several countries
non-executive director: director who attends board
meetings and gives advice, but does not work full-time for
the company
office manager: person responsible for the administration of
an office or group of offices
OHP: overhead projector
paint shop: department or area where products, e.g. cars,
are painted or sprayed
PC: personal computer
personnel: the people employed in an organisation
personnel department: section of the company which
deals with staff matters; also known as the human
resources department
Glossary 119