Shadowing Practice: Financial English VV 51 - Company Finance and Startups (1) | Business English Vocabulary - Learn English Speaking with Video

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You're watching Video Vocab by BusinessEnglishPod .com.
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In this lesson, We'll look at vocabulary related to company financing.
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All companies need to raise capital to begin operations.
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These startup companies may choose to bootstrap the company using personal funding to provide seed capital for the early stages.
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or, They may seek out angel investors and venture capital by offering equity in rounds of financing called Series A,
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B and C.
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they may also seek out strategic investors for extra capital and advice.
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Capital.
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to raise capital Capital.
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Is money or other assets used to start a business?
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A company may also raise capital to fund growth or expansion.
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Now that we've finished our business plan, we're looking to raise enough capital to make it happen.
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Startup.
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Startup.
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A startup is a relatively new business that has the potential for growth.
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Startups focus on a service that many people want, and aim to reach a large market by scaling up.
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After a couple of years at Facebook, I moved to a new startup in Silicon Valley.
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you Bootstrap.
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Bootstrap.
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Bootstrapping is when a person starts a business without a lot of capital or investors.
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Bootstrapping entrepreneurs often invest their own money and a lot of hard work to grow their company.
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We bootstrapped our first company because we couldn't attract any investors.
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you personal funding Personal funding.
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Personal funding, is an entrepreneur's own money and assets.
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used to start a new company.
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Personal funding might also include loans or gifts from family or friends.
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I started my business with just personal funding, including $20 ,000 from my parents.
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Seed Capital.
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Seed Capital.
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the money used initially by a business to begin operating is seed capital
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Seed capital often includes personal funding or money from wealthy investors.
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Our seed capital came from several outside investors and some personal funding from the founding partners.
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you angel investor Angel Investor.
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Angel investors are individuals or groups who give money as well as business advice and contacts.
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Angels often invest in the early stages of a startup and typically receive equity in the new company.
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After getting us through the first two years, our angel investor sold off his stake and moved on to another startup.
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you Equity financing
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Equity financing is when a company offers a share of ownership in exchange for money to start or grow the company.
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We're looking at equity financing for our company, but we don't want to give up more than 25 % ownership.
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you Venture Capital.
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VC.
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Venture capital or VC is a business that invests other people's money in new businesses with good potential for fast growth.
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Unless you can show the potential for long -term growth, you're going to have trouble attracting venture capital.
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you Series A, B, and C.
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If it is successful, a new business may seek additional rounds of financing called series a B, and C.
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Each round of financing corresponds to a different stage in the growth of a company.
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After a successful first year of business, Chatbot is hoping a round of Series B financing will help them expand.
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you Strategic Investor.
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Strategic Investor.
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a strategic investor lends a company not just money but also experience knowledge, and business contacts.
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Strategic investors normally focus on one industry, or field that they know well.
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We are looking for a strategic investor with the experience and contacts to help us succeed in the food industry.
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Now it's your turn to practice some of the words we've looked at in this lesson.
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In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
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Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
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For example, if you hear: We were fortunate to get funding from an angel.
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Early on.
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You can say: "We were fortunate to get funding from an angel investor early on."
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We'll provide the correct answer after each question.
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Ready?
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Let's give it a go.
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you I've put over $50 ,000 of personal into this new business.
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I've put over $50 ,000 of personal funding into this new business.
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Many young people dream of getting rich off their own.
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Company.
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Many young people dream of getting rich off their own startup company.
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Bob has lots of great ideas, but no seed to make any of them happen.
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Bob has lots of great ideas, but no seed capital to make any of them happen.
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That's all for this episode of Video Vocab.
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Be sure to check out our website at www .videovocab .tv For more videos on Business English Vocabulary,
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Thanks for watching and see you again soon.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video on company finance and startups is an excellent resource for learners aiming to improve their English speaking skills in a business context. By focusing on vocabulary specific to finance, such as "capital," "bootstrapping," and "angel investors," you gain critical language skills that are essential in the world of startups. Engaging with this content not only builds your vocabulary but also enhances your understanding of complex financial concepts.

Utilizing the shadowing technique while watching the video allows you to mimic native speakers. This practice will help you to internalize business jargon and improve your overall English fluency. As you repeat the phrases, you will immerse yourself in the rhythm and tone of professional dialogues, which is invaluable for effective communication in the workplace.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, the speaker uses several key structures that are beneficial for English learners:

  • Present Continuous Tense: The phrase "we’re looking to raise enough capital" shows how to express current intentions and actions, a crucial aspect of business communications.
  • Passive Voice: The sentence "Seed capital is the money used initially by a business" illustrates how to use the passive voice to emphasize the action over the subject, common in formal contexts.
  • Conditional Statements: The expression "unless you can show the potential for long-term growth" exemplifies conditional forms that are often used in financial discussions to outline requirements and consequences.
  • Gerunds as Subjects: The phrase "bootstrapping is when a person starts a business" effectively uses gerunds, which can enhance your grammatical range in speaking.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with the video, pay attention to several tricky words that may lead to pronunciation difficulties:

  • Capital: Ensure you pronounce both syllables clearly, as it's often mispronounced as 'capitol.'
  • Bootstrap: Note the blending of sounds in this term; practice pronouncing it smoothly as it features in various discussions about startups.
  • Equity Financing: This phrase may be challenging due to the rapid speech in the video. Take your time to break it down when practicing to enhance clarity.

Incorporating these phrases into your English speaking practice will not only help you sound more professional but will also assist in improving your English pronunciation. Dive into the content and practice alongside the video to capitalize on this engaging way to learn English with YouTube.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.