英语听力文摘 English Digest 15、How To Start Your Own Business(3)

　　The economic fallout from the Enron bankruptcy¹ scandal is one example of why it's important for you to find a good accountant. Experts say start-ups and established businesses can avoid legal problems that can doom² their companies by finding trusted advisors³. In part 3 of How To Start Your Own Business, 90.3 WCPN?'s Mike West tells us how to go about finding trusted financial advice.
Mike West: New business owners need to make sure their legal and accounting⁴ bases are covered. To do that, lawyers and accountants are required. They can be hired or borrowed from agencies that provide at least some free advice. To get started with your search, you may check the phone book or search the internet. The local small business administration also can help, free of charge. Debbie Callen is the manager of Business Development and Outreach at the Cleveland office of the SBA. She advises going to the local Bar Association or joining a trade association that deals with the type of business you plan to start.
Debbie Callen: I think going to trade associations to get a referral is certainly a good idea because having an attorney and an accountant who know the specific problems of your industry is very, very important. For accountants sometimes I think it's just good to call some accounting firms, if that is a firm that specializes in serving the small business client.
MW: The SBA can also tell you how to research and check the background of the law or accounting firm you plan to hire. If you're short on cash, Callen says the SBA also sponsors free workshops conducted by the Service Core Of Retired⁵ Executives, or SCORE.
DC: And some of the speakers at these workshops are accountants; they always have CPAs at these workshops giving good advice about the types of things you have to do to set up your books, get in place a plan to pay your taxes on time and all the accounting issues you need to settle when you start up a business. Often times attorneys come in. Sometimes people just decide to go with somebody who's been a speaker at one of these types of seminars and I think have had good results.
MW: This is the Lusty Wrench⁶ garage. Its owner is Sam Bell. 14 years ago, he walked away from a law practice to fix cars. Because of (his) background in law, he's never hired, didn't hire a lawyer. But he needs professional help with his books.
Sam Bell: We've needed accountants - that's probably my weakest suit. I'm very deficient⁷ in clerical skills. So we defiantly⁸ had to hire accountants along the way and we have a wonderful accountant.
MW: Like many other small business owners interviewed for this series, Bell finds the professional help he needs through family and friends. They even helped finance his Cleveland Heights garage.
SB: I think a lot of people advised me not to do this, that it was really a bad idea. I'm not sure why I was so pig-headed and didn't listen to them.
MW: Bell admits he was very lucky to survive and probably should have done things differently. He didn't have a business plan and went broke setting up shop. His luck, if you call "luck" losing money for 3 years and working 7 days a week. Bell credits his turn around with seeking out others for their thoughts on business matters.
SB: I believe that networking is very valuable, especially when you're starting out - it would certainly be helpful to talk to other people who are experiencing or who have experienced and gotten through some of the problems that you're experiencing, just knowing that your not alone and that they are surmountable⁹.
MW: However, caution is also advised when it comes to advice. There can be a hidden agenda or sales pitch behind what seems like help. Ed Kroger has owned the Farkas Bakery on the west side for a year. He's says constantly bombarded with questionable¹⁰ advice which makes him very suspicious.
Ed Kroger: Just because of the sheer volume of calls that come in on a weekly basis of people who are so willing to help you out. I probably get 3 or 4 phone calls a week on people that can, that know best what's for my business. They want to increase your production and they can help you out with a small business loan because they know it's tough for you, meanwhile they have never stepped a foot in the door and they seem to know all my problems here.
MW: Kroger gets a lot of advice from fellow business owners and family. But he gets irritated when outsiders call. He says he can sniff¹¹ out a phony as easily as the smell of fresh baked bread.
EK: I get enough phone calls to realize that there are enough people out there looking to get a little cut of your money. That's what makes me suspicious. Again, they're coming in, claiming to be experts about something they know nothing about. At the moment I don't need their help and find it rather presumptuous¹² that they're telling me they know what's best for my business.
MW: SBA officials say when seeking help, don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions and for a client list so you can check for yourself whether other customers are satisfied. Steve Millard of the Council Of Smaller Enterprises says make sure you know the motives¹³ behind everyone you talk to about your business.
Steve Millard: Every organization or entity¹⁴ has a mission, it has goals, it has some authorization¹⁵ of some sort and I think its very fair game to ask these folks why they do this. Some just want to give freely of their time - the business advisors of Cleveland are people who have been successful and what to volunteer their time to help others COSE is a membership organization so we help with the goal of trying to gain more members but we also provide a service as non-profit that's helpful to those folks.
MW: The Cuyahoga County Public Library and many colleges also have resources you can use to assist your business planning efforts. Would-be business owners can also visit the Cleveland Score offices and get free advice from their councilors without an appointment. In Cleveland, Mike West, 90.3 WCPN News.

1 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

2 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

3 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

4 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 wrench   

v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受

参考例句：

• He gave a wrench to his ankle when he jumped down.他跳下去的时候扭伤了足踝。
• It was a wrench to leave the old home.离开这个老家非常痛苦。

7 deficient   

adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的

参考例句：

• The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。
• I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。

8 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 surmountable   

可战胜的，可克服的

参考例句：

• She guessed Bertha's present difficulty, and It'seemed easily surmountable. 她猜出了伯莎目前的为难之处；而这看来很容易克服。
• Those barriers that do exist are mostly surmountable. 确实存在的障碍大多是可以克服的。

10 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

11 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

12 presumptuous   

adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的

参考例句：

• It would be presumptuous for anybody to offer such a view.任何人提出这种观点都是太放肆了。
• It was presumptuous of him to take charge.他自拿主张，太放肆了。

13 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

14 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

15 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。