A Guide to Business English Collocations

Business English collocations are common combinations of words used when speaking about business in English. Collocations can be understood as words that usually go together. For example, in English we do business, not make business. That business English collocation can make all the difference if you are trying to do business around the world. When decisions concern a lot of money, its important to get the phrase right. Here are common business English collocations used in various business operations: The Verb To Do Accounts: Mary does the accounts in bookkeeping. Business: We do business with countries around the world. Deals:  We did a deal with them last year. Due diligence:  Lets do our due diligence before we begin the project. Paperwork: First we have to do the paperwork. Research: Lets do some research on the subject. The Verb To Make An appointment: I made an appointment with the sales manager for next week. A calculation:  She has to make a calculation before she decides whether to approve. Cutbacks:  The company made cutbacks at their stores in New York. A deal: We made a deal with our competitor. An investment: The CEO  made an investment in a new factory. A loan:  The bank made us a loan of $750,000. Money:  The company made a lot of money in the last year. A profit: We  made a good profit on the deal. The Verb To Manage A business or factory: He manages two stores in California. Expectations:  Always manage your expectations during contract negotiations. A project or a team:  Susan is managing five projects at the same time. The Verbs  To Operate or To Run An airline: The company operates/runs an airline in Brazil. A facility:  We operate/run facilities in Germany and Japan. A service: We operate/run a tourist service in Boulder, Colorado. The Noun Deal Cut a deal: We cut a deal with our competition. Do a deal:  The company did a deal in Los Angeles. Give someone a deal:  Let me give you a deal on a new car. Close a deal:  Jake closed the deal yesterday. Hes celebrating today. Work on a deal:  Were working on a deal with a new client. The Noun Contract Write/draw up a contract: Lets write up a new contract for next year. Sign a contract:  Make sure to read it carefully before you sign any contract. Negotiate a contract: Accepting a first offer is no way to negotiate a contract. Offer someone a contract: Wed like to offer you a contract with our company. Bid on a contract: Were bidding on three contracts at the moment. Adjectives Modifying Customer Long-time customer: We treat our long-time customers with great respect and even better deals. Regular customer: Hes a regular customer. He comes in every Friday afternoon. Prospective customer:  Hes pitching the project to a prospective customer. Paying customer:  The only customer we need is a paying customer. Domestic/international customer: We have both domestic and international customers.