Kim Innes, the founder of Humble Crumble, a bakery specializing in crumbles, shares her business journey in a recent interview. Her bakery has sold over half a million sweet treats. In the interview, she discusses how pumpkins saved her business but also posed challenges.
In the interview, Innes provides insights into her business experiences, emphasizing the pivotal role of pumpkins in her business. She explains how the popularity of pumpkin-flavored crumbles helped her overcome a difficult period. However, she also highlights the challenges she faced in managing the sudden surge in demand.
Innes’ story serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, showcasing the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. Her experience with pumpkins demonstrates the potential for unexpected opportunities to drive business growth, but also the need for careful management to avoid being overwhelmed.
The interview offers valuable lessons for business leaders, highlighting the significance of identifying and capitalizing on market trends, while also effectively managing the resulting business implications. Innes’ journey underscores the importance of strategic decision-making and the ability to navigate challenges in the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship.
Overall, Innes’ story serves as a testament to the potential for creativity and innovation to drive business success, while also underscoring the need for careful planning and management to sustain and capitalize on such success.
Original news source: CEO Secrets: ‘Pumpkins saved my business but almost squashed me’ (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Pair up the students and have them assume the roles of a journalist and Kim Innes. The journalist should prepare questions to interview Kim about her business journey, while the person playing Kim should be ready to answer in detail based on the information provided in the article. Encourage the use of direct quotes and paraphrasing from the article.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about entrepreneurship and adaptability based on the article (e.g., “Pumpkin-flavored products are a smart business choice,” “Adaptability is more important than a solid business plan”). Students walk around the classroom and poll their classmates to agree or disagree with each statement. Afterward, discuss the results as a class, referencing the article for real-world context.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article (such as “entrepreneurship,” “resilience,” “innovation,” “market trends”) on slips of paper. Students take turns drawing the terms on the board without using words or letters while their classmates guess the vocabulary based on the article content. This activity reinforces the understanding of the article’s key concepts through a visual medium.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have students read the article individually and think about the key challenges and successes of Kim Innes’ business journey. Then, pair them up to share their thoughts with each other. Finally, bring the class together and have pairs share their insights with the whole group, fostering a deeper discussion about the article’s content and themes.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine they are business consultants for Humble Crumble. Based on the trends and challenges mentioned in the article, have them predict the future of the business and suggest strategies for continued growth or potential new products. They can present their predictions and strategies to the class, and other students can ask questions or offer feedback.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Who is Kim Innes and what type of bakery does she run?
2. How many sweet treats has Humble Crumble sold according to the article?
3. What flavor of crumbles played a significant role in helping Innes’ business during a difficult period?
4. What challenges did Innes face with the increasing popularity of her pumpkin-flavored crumbles?
5. What qualities does Innes’ story highlight as important for aspiring entrepreneurs?
6. What does Innes’ experience with pumpkins illustrate about unexpected opportunities in business?
7. What are some of the valuable lessons for business leaders mentioned in the interview?
8. What does the article suggest about the balance between creativity, innovation, and the need for planning and management in business success?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Kim Innes, the founder of Humble Crumble, a (1)______ specializing in crumbles, shares her business (2)______ in a recent interview. Her bakery has sold over half a million (3)______ treats. In the interview, she discusses how pumpkins saved her business but also posed challenges.
In the interview, Innes provides insights into her business experiences, (4)______ the pivotal role of pumpkins in her business. She explains how the popularity of pumpkin-flavored crumbles helped her overcome a difficult period. However, she also highlights the (5)______ she faced in (6)______ the (7)______ surge in demand.
Innes’ story serves as an inspiration for (8)______ entrepreneurs, showcasing the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. Her experience with (9)______ demonstrates the potential for unexpected opportunities to drive business growth, but also the need for careful management to avoid being (10)______.
The interview offers valuable lessons for business leaders, highlighting the significance of (11)______ and capitalizing on market trends, while also effectively managing the (12)______ business implications. Innes’ journey underscores the importance of strategic decision-making and the ability to navigate challenges in the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship.
Overall, Innes’ story (13)______ as a testament to the potential for creativity and (14)______ to drive business success, while also (15)______ the need for (16)______ planning and management to sustain and capitalize on such success.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is an example of a time when you had to adapt to a difficult situation, similar to how Kim Innes adapted her business with pumpkins?
2. How would you feel if a product or project you worked on suddenly surged in demand?
3. Do you like the idea of starting your own business, and if so, what kind of business would it be?
4. Do you think adaptability is the most important trait for an entrepreneur to have? Why or why not?
5. Can you think of a product that became unexpectedly popular in your country? What impact did it have on the market?
6. How important do you believe it is to follow market trends when running a business?
7. What are some challenges you think a business owner might face when their product becomes too popular too quickly?
8. Do you think creativity or strategic planning is more crucial for business success? Why?
9. Have you ever tried a pumpkin-flavored food item? Did you enjoy it, and why do you think pumpkin-flavored items might become popular?
10. What is a business you admire for its ability to navigate challenges, and what can be learned from it?
11. How would you manage the balance between innovation and careful planning if you were running a business?
12. Do you think every entrepreneur should be prepared for their product to potentially become a “hit”? How can they prepare for this?
13. What is a key lesson you have learned from observing successful businesses or entrepreneurs?
14. How do you think a small business can compete with larger companies when it comes to innovation and market trends?
15. Do you think the success of a business is more dependent on the product or the management? Why?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. bakery
2. crumbles
3. pumpkins
4. challenges
5. entrepreneurs
6. resilience
7. opportunities
8. innovation
Meanings:
(a) People who start their own businesses
(b) Chances to do something successful
(c) Difficulties or obstacles
(d) Small, broken pieces of something
(e) The ability to recover from difficulties
(f) New ideas or methods to improve things
(g) A place that sells bread and cakes
(h) Large, orange vegetables often used in pies
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is the main focus of Kim Innes’ bakery?
(a) Crumbles
(b) Cupcakes
(c) Donuts
(d) Cookies
2. What helped Kim Innes overcome a difficult period in her business?
(a) Chocolate-flavored crumbles
(b) Apple-flavored crumbles
(c) Blueberry-flavored crumbles
(d) Pumpkin-flavored crumbles
3. What does Kim Innes emphasize as important for business success in the interview?
(a) Speed and efficiency
(b) Adaptability and resilience
(c) Aggressiveness and competitiveness
(d) Ruthlessness and determination
4. What does Innes’ story showcase the importance of for aspiring entrepreneurs?
(a) Aggressiveness and competitiveness
(b) Ruthlessness and determination
(c) Adaptability and resilience
(d) Speed and efficiency
5. What does Innes’ journey underscore the importance of for business leaders?
(a) Blind risk-taking
(b) Hasty decision-making
(c) Strategic decision-making
(d) Reactive decision-making
6. What does Innes’ story serve as a testament to?
(a) The potential for creativity and innovation to drive business success
(b) The potential for laziness and complacency to drive business success
(c) The potential for dishonesty and manipulation to drive business success
(d) The potential for shortcuts and unethical practices to drive business success
7. What does Innes’ experience with pumpkins demonstrate the need for?
(a) Careless management to embrace chaos
(b) Careful management to avoid being overwhelmed
(c) Ignorant management to overlook challenges
(d) Hasty management to respond quickly
8. What does Innes’ interview offer valuable lessons for?
(a) Professional athletes
(b) Medical professionals
(c) Teachers
(d) Business leaders
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The interview offers valuable lessons for business leaders, emphasizing the significance of identifying and capitalizing on market trends while managing the resulting business implications.
2. Kim Innes is not the founder of a bakery called Humble Crumble that specializes in crumbles.
3. Innes’ journey underplays the importance of strategic decision-making and the ability to navigate challenges in the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship.
4. Innes’ story is not meant to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs by showcasing the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity.
5. In a recent interview, Innes discusses how pumpkins played a crucial role in saving her business but also presented challenges.
6. Innes emphasizes the popularity of pumpkin-flavored crumbles in helping her overcome a difficult period.
7. The interview provides insights into Innes’ business experiences and the pivotal role of pumpkins in her business.
8. The bakery has not sold over 500,000 sweet treats.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What specific event or product helped Kim Innes overcome a difficult period in her business?
2. How did pumpkins both save and challenge Humble Crumble, according to Kim Innes?
3. What key traits does Kim Innes’ story highlight as essential for entrepreneurs?
4. What does the interview with Kim Innes suggest about the importance of market trends in business?
5. In what ways does Kim Innes’ experience with Humble Crumble illustrate the balance between innovation and management?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Who is Kim Innes and what type of bakery does she run?
Kim Innes is the founder of Humble Crumble, a bakery that specializes in crumbles.
2. How many sweet treats has Humble Crumble sold according to the article?
Humble Crumble has sold over half a million sweet treats.
3. What flavor of crumbles played a significant role in helping Innes’ business during a difficult period?
Pumpkin-flavored crumbles played a significant role in helping Innes’ business.
4. What challenges did Innes face with the increasing popularity of her pumpkin-flavored crumbles?
Innes faced challenges in managing the sudden surge in demand for her pumpkin-flavored crumbles.
5. What qualities does Innes’ story highlight as important for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Innes’ story highlights the importance of adaptability and resilience for aspiring entrepreneurs.
6. What does Innes’ experience with pumpkins illustrate about unexpected opportunities in business?
Innes’ experience with pumpkins illustrates that unexpected opportunities can drive business growth, but they require careful management.
7. What are some of the valuable lessons for business leaders mentioned in the interview?
The valuable lessons for business leaders mentioned include identifying and capitalizing on market trends and effectively managing the business implications of those trends.
8. What does the article suggest about the balance between creativity, innovation, and the need for planning and management in business success?
The article suggests that creativity and innovation can drive business success, but they must be balanced with careful planning and management to sustain and capitalize on that success.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) bakery
(2) journey
(3) sweet
(4) emphasizing
(5) challenges
(6) managing
(7) sudden
(8) aspiring
(9) pumpkins
(10) overwhelmed
(11) identifying
(12) resulting
(13) serves
(14) innovation
(15) underscoring
(16) careful
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. bakery
Answer: (g) A place that sells bread and cakes
2. crumbles
Answer: (d) Small, broken pieces of something
3. pumpkins
Answer: (h) Large, orange vegetables often used in pies
4. challenges
Answer: (c) Difficulties or obstacles
5. entrepreneurs
Answer: (a) People who start their own businesses
6. resilience
Answer: (e) The ability to recover from difficulties
7. opportunities
Answer: (b) Chances to do something successful
8. innovation
Answer: (f) New ideas or methods to improve things
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is the main focus of Kim Innes’ bakery?
Answer: (a) Crumbles
2. What helped Kim Innes overcome a difficult period in her business?
Answer: (d) Pumpkin-flavored crumbles
3. What does Kim Innes emphasize as important for business success in the interview?
Answer: (b) Adaptability and resilience
4. What does Innes’ story showcase the importance of for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Answer: (c) Adaptability and resilience
5. What does Innes’ journey underscore the importance of for business leaders?
Answer: (c) Strategic decision-making
6. What does Innes’ story serve as a testament to?
Answer: (a) The potential for creativity and innovation to drive business success
7. What does Innes’ experience with pumpkins demonstrate the need for?
Answer: (b) Careful management to avoid being overwhelmed
8. What does Innes’ interview offer valuable lessons for?
Answer: (d) Business leaders
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The interview offers valuable lessons for business leaders, emphasizing the significance of identifying and capitalizing on market trends while managing the resulting business implications. (Answer: True)
2. Kim Innes is not the founder of a bakery called Humble Crumble that specializes in crumbles. (Answer: False)
3. Innes’ journey underplays the importance of strategic decision-making and the ability to navigate challenges in the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship. (Answer: False)
4. Innes’ story is not meant to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs by showcasing the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. (Answer: False)
5. In a recent interview, Innes discusses how pumpkins played a crucial role in saving her business but also presented challenges. (Answer: True)
6. Innes emphasizes the popularity of pumpkin-flavored crumbles in helping her overcome a difficult period. (Answer: True)
7. The interview provides insights into Innes’ business experiences and the pivotal role of pumpkins in her business. (Answer: True)
8. The bakery has not sold over 500,000 sweet treats. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
