COLLOCATIONS WITH THE WORD BUSINESS

Organizer: Teacher Antonio Leão

COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the activity of making money by producing or buying and selling goods, or providing services VERBS

• do business – A lot of firms are keen to do business in Japan.
• conduct business formal (=do business) – It is not a sensible way to conduct business.
• go into business (=start working in business) – A lot of university graduates want to go into business.
• set up/start up in business- The bank gave me a loan to help me set up in business.
• stay in business (=continue operating and not become bankrupt)Even if they manage to stay in business for another year, their long-term survival remains under threat.Some stores are finding it hard to stay in business.
• go out of business (=stop doing business because of financial problems)In a recession smaller firms often go out of business.

NOUN + BUSINESS

• the music/entertainment/computer etc businessHe started out working in the computer business.

BUSINESS + NOUN

• a business deal (=an occasion when you buy or sell something) – Negotiation is the most important part of a business deal
• business activities – His wife refused to get involved in his business activities.
• business interests (=business activities, or shares in companies) – Both companies have substantial business interests in Indonesia.
• the business community (=people who work in business) – There was pressure on the government from the business community.
• the business world – You need to be flexible in today’s highly competitive business world.
• business studies (=a course of study about business) – She did business studies at college.COMMON ERRORS
• ► Don’t say ‘make business’. Say do business.

COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: an organization such as a company, shop, or factory that produces or sells goods or provides a service VERBS

• have/own a business – Nick owned a software business in Boston.
• run a business (=manage it) – There’s plenty of advice available on how to run your own business.
• start/set up a business – When you’re starting a business, you have to work longer hours.
• take over a business (=buy it or start running it) – When my father retired, I took over the business.
• build (up)/develop a business-  He spent years trying to build a business in Antigua.
• establish a business – She overcame many financial difficulties to establish her business.
• a business succeeds – Making a business succeed is not simple.
• a business collapses/fails (=stops operating)35% of small businesses fail in the first year of operation.

ADJECTIVES/NOUN + BUSINESS

• a small business (=that employs only a few people) – Many small businesses have been badly hit by the recession.
• a medium-sized business – They offer services to small and medium-sized businesses.
• a software/catering/construction etc business – His girlfriend runs a catering business.
• a family business (=owned and controlled by one family) – For many years the hotel was a family business.
• an import/export business – Kingwell had an export business in New Zealand.
• a successful/profitable/thriving business – Within a few years she had established a thriving business in London.
• a viable business (=one that is likely to be successful) – It soon became clear that the restaurant was not a viable business.

BUSINESS + NOUN

• a business partner (=someone who shares a business with you)Margie was his wife and also his business partner.
• a business manager – We need to take on a business manager to deal with some of the admin.
• a business customer/client – We’re providing our business customers with reliable, proven Internet technology.

Source:

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English for advanced learners 6th edition. England, UK: Pearson Education Limited, 2014.