Listening Practice- Part 3- Multiple Matching

Part 3

You will hear five different craft workers giving advice to people who want to start a home-based business to sell the things they make. For questions 19-23, choose from the list (A – F) what advice each speaker gives. Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.

Check your answers⇓.

Answer Key

19 B 
20 D 
21 F 
22 A
23 E

Script

Speaker 1 Most people who are interested in starting craft businesses enjoy making or doing something, whether it’s making dolls, candles, or even cooking. But it’s not as easy as it might seem. Some think a good website and a few ads in the papers are all they need for their business to take off and provide a regular income, but there’s much more to it than that. I make silver jewellery, and you’ll find my style has changed over time, because I’ve kept doing research into the latest techniques. There’s nothing worse than thinking you know it all. However much you advertise, your business will slow down.
Speaker 2 There’s such a demand for handmade goods, because people are looking for the personal touch. One day I had the idea of covering some jars and bottles with cloth, then putting a thin coat of plaster on, and painting designs on the surface. I sold them so quickly that I decided to start a business. There were bottles all over my house, in different stages of development, and I wished I’d given more thought to setting up an area where I’d do the work. I lost time and money because I ended up getting in such a mess. So beginners, take notice! I also sell online now, but most of my sales are from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Speaker 3 Doing something you like to do and getting paid for it is great, and it doesn’t have to be scary. By the time you actually start selling things, though, it’s essential to have a rough bookkeeping system in place and to have worked out the profits you expect and deducted your expenditure and possible losses. I started my own craft business two years ago – making baskets, filling them with things like fruit and nuts, and decorating them with silk flowers. I wrapped them as gifts and sold them to friends at first, but now I have lots of orders. I’m even thinking of employing a couple of people.
Speaker 4 When you’re ready to launch your business, it pays to think carefully about how your prospective customers will hear about you. There’s little point in taking out ads in the national papers at this stage, but it may well pay to invest in a colourful brochure and posters, which can be left in shops in the area. That’s how I started my business, which is designing and making greeting cards. Mind you, friends and acquaintances gave me contradictory advice, and I ended up paying someone to design a website for me when I wasn’t ready for it. Anyway, my business is thriving and now takes up five rooms in my house!

Speaker 5 I started making lampshades, and it just went from hobby to career. My home no longer offers enough space, so I may rent some extra rooms from a friend. It was good to start small, though, I wouldn’t have been able to cope with lots of work then. I really knew nothing about marketing, and if you’re like me, don’t worry; if your products sell, it’ll sort itself out. I owe part of my success to my brother who designed an amazing website for me, which attracted lots of buyers. It does mean you need to organise a way to post things securely, but it’s all worthwhile doing.