Cours d'Anglais Management BTS

Chapter 1: COMPANIES

Whether they are called companies, firms or corporations and enterprises,

they all can be referred to businesses.

1. SIZES: There are 2 sizes of companies: SME/ SMC and LARGE

While in France we distinguish small from very small neither in the UK nor in

the USA the distinction is done.

The word” medium” can be replaced by middle in British English.

In the USA a small and medium- sized company employs from 2 to 500

employees whereas in France, it employs less than 250 people.( In

France there are from 2 to less than 250 employees.)

A large company in the USA employs more than 500 employees and in France

more than 250.

2: TYPES OF COMPANIES:

2.1. There are four main types of companies in the UK and five in the USA.

A LTD:It is a private limited liability company.

This a privately owned company, meaning that the owner can be the founder

of a small business. Investors can be family members.

A Ltd is a SME/SMC and a small and medium-sized company. The equivalent is

the French SARL. The founder has invested his or her private capital.

A Ltd is a limited company as well as a PLC (Public Limited Company) but it is

not quoted onto the stock exchange market which means that the capital is

privately owned and the liability of owners is limited to the amount of their

contribution. The capital is often owned by the founders of the company and

known as a family company .This company is often a small business or a family

one run by founders. (LTD:A French SARL type).

The equivalent in French of the PLC is SA

A PLC:

When growing a Ltd (Limited liability company) can become a PLC (PUBLIC

LIMITED COMPANY)and becoming public meaning that the capital is no longer

owned by a family or founders but by shareholders who have bought shares (A

percentage of the capital being invested.)

Q1: what does the word “public” mean here?

It means that everyone can invest his/her money in a company they are named

“shareholders.” their liability is limited.

A PLC: A public limited company is quoted onto the stock exchange market

(the City , Wall Street…) meaning that the capital(money) is shared between

shareholders since the company has been sold to the public. A PLC is then,

listed or quoted onto the stock exchange by being incorporated. (ex : Apple)

A Partnership: They are non-profit organisations run by more than one person.

(EX : resto du Coeur)

A single proprietorship is also called self-employment they are companies

owned by one person who can work on his or her own for his or her own

account. They pay taxes to the state. (25% of their income); A self-employed

pays for his or her social contributions. This one –man/woman company.

Small and medium-sized can be Ltds or PLCs, large companies are mostly PLCs.

Many of them often decide to merge to fight against competition and gain

more profit on the market.

The LLC :This a small business, a limited liability company which a US one,

owners are not responsible for debts , but the business benefits from a pass

through taxation just like a partnership ( charity ).

Questions :

Q: What is a joint -venture?

This is the result of the merger of two companies or entities to create a group

operating on the same sector of activity .

Ex Thales Space merged with Alenia Space a couple of years ago to create a

joint -venture named Thales Alenia Space. (A JV).

JVs are created to make more profit and make the group more competitive .

EX2 : Create three sentences using those words : Competitiveness, competitive,

competitors

...