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: βPumpkins saved my business but almost squashed meβ (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
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.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Kim Innes is the founder of Humble Crumble, a bakery that specializes in crumbles.
Humble Crumble has sold over half a million sweet treats.
Pumpkin-flavored crumbles played a significant role in helping Innes' business.
Innes faced challenges in managing the sudden surge in demand for her pumpkin-flavored crumbles.
Innes' story highlights the importance of adaptability and resilience for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Innes' experience with pumpkins illustrates that unexpected opportunities can drive business growth, but they require careful management.
The valuable lessons for business leaders mentioned include identifying and capitalizing on market trends and effectively managing the business implications of those trends.
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.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Kim Innes, the founder of Humble Crumble, a specializing in crumbles, shares her business in a recent interview. Her bakery has sold over half a million 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, 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 she faced in the surge in demand. Innes' story serves as an inspiration for entrepreneurs, showcasing the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. Her experience with demonstrates the potential for unexpected opportunities to drive business growth, but also the need for careful management to avoid being . The interview offers valuable lessons for business leaders, highlighting the significance of and capitalizing on market trends, while also effectively managing the 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 as a testament to the potential for creativity and to drive business success, while also the need for planning and management to sustain and capitalize on such success.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
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
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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