Describe a successful business person you know
Describe a successful business person you know
You should say:
- who this person is and how you know them
- what kind of business they run
- what they have achieved so far
and explain why you think this person has been successful
Practise this card
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- who this person is and how you know them
- what kind of business they run
- what they have achieved so far
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How to approach this cue card
This card checks whether you can describe a person and then justify a judgement about them. The first three bullets are factual, and the “explain” line asks for an opinion supported by reasons, so examiners listen for whether your reasons are specific and whether you can link ideas with phrases such as “mainly because” and “as a result”.
The easiest real angle is someone from your own circle: an uncle with a bakery, a neighbour who runs a small workshop, a former employer. You know how they behave day to day, which gives you far more to say than a famous founder you have only read about. Avoid a famous name entirely, since the card says “you know”, and a biography recited from memory sounds rehearsed.
Use the first half of the minute for who, how you know them and what the business does, then give the second half to two or three reasons for their success, each with a small example. Name the qualities through actions, for instance “he learned every customer’s name” rather than only “he is hard-working”.
Vocabulary that lifts this answer
These phrases describe a business and its owner more precisely than “good” or “famous”.
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| to start something from scratch | to begin with nothing prepared in advance | He started the bakery from scratch in a rented garage. |
| a loyal customer base | a group of customers who return regularly | Over the years he built up a loyal customer base. |
| to take a calculated risk | to risk something after thinking carefully | Opening a second branch was a calculated risk. |
| a strong work ethic | a firm belief in the value of hard work | His strong work ethic shows in his early mornings. |
| to expand | to grow bigger by adding new places or products | The business expanded to four shops in six years. |
| word of mouth | recommendation passed from person to person | Most of his customers came through word of mouth. |
| to keep your finger on the pulse | to stay aware of what is changing | He keeps his finger on the pulse of what people want. |
| to delegate | to give responsibility for tasks to others | He learned to delegate instead of doing everything himself. |
| hands-on | personally involved in the daily work | He is very hands-on and still works in the kitchen. |
| to earn a good reputation | to become known for being reliable | The shop earned a good reputation for fresh bread. |
A one-minute plan
- who: uncle Rustam, my mother’s brother
- business: bakery, Tashkent, one shop at first, four now
- what he did: early mornings, learned customers’ names, new recipes
- why successful: patient, listens, trained staff, never rushed to grow
The same answer at Band 6, 7 and 8
The three sample answers below tell exactly the same story, and only the language changes between them. Hover or tap a highlighted phrase to see what an examiner would notice about it, and treat these as illustrations of what each band typically sounds like, not scripts to memorise.
Band 6
I would like to talk about my uncle Rustam, who is my mother’s brother and ownSubject-verb agreement error: should be “owns” a bakery business in Tashkent. About twelve years ago he started with only one small shop, and he worked in it himself from five in the morning. I used to help him in the school holidays, so I knowTense slip: should be “knew” how hard the work was. Now he has four shops and about thirty workers, which is a very big successBasic vocabulary; limits Lexical Resource for a person who haveTense slip: should be “had” no experience in business. I think he is successful because he is very patient. He did not open new shops quickly, he waited until the first shop was working well. He also listenTense slip: should be “listens” to his customers, and when they said the bread was too heavy, he changeTense slip: should be “changed” the recipe. Another reason is that he teaches his workers carefully and he is kind to them, so they stay with him for many years. When I see him I think that success is not only luck, it is also about hard work every day and being honest to people.
Band 7
I’d like to talk about my uncle Rustam, my mother’s brother, who owns a bakery business in Tashkent. About twelve years ago he began with a single small shop, and he worked in it himself from five every morning. I used to help him during the school holidays, so I knew exactly how demanding it wasBackshift to the past keeps the tense consistent. Today he has four shops and around thirty employees, which is quite an achievement for someone who started from scratchNatural idiomatic phrase with no business background. I think he’s successful because he’s patient: he didn’t open new shops in a rush, he waited until the first one was running smoothly. He also pays attention to his customers, and when several of them said the bread was too heavy, he changed the recipe within a week. Another reason is that he trains his staff carefully and treats them kindly, so they tend to stay with him for yearsClear result link keeps the argument coherent. Watching him made me realise that success isn’t just luck; it comes from work hardForm error: should be “working hard” every day and being honest with people, a lesson I’d like to remember in my own career.
Band 8
I’d like to talk about my uncle Rustam, my mother’s brother, who owns a bakery business in Tashkent. About twelve years ago he began with a single small shop, which he ran single-handedly from five every morningPrecise, natural collocation. I used to help him during school holidays, so I knew exactly how demanding it was. Today he has four shops and around thirty employees, quite an achievement for someone who started from scratch with no business background. I think he’s successful chiefly because he’s patient: he never opened a new shop in a rush, but waited until the previous one was running smoothly. He also pays close attention to customers; when several mentioned that the bread felt heavy, he changed the recipe within a week. Beyond that, he trains his staff carefully and treats them kindly, which is why many of them have stayed for years. Watching him taught me that success isn’t simply a matter of luckFixed phrase placed naturally in a negative comparison but the result of working hard every day and dealing honestly with people, and that is exactly the lesson I’d like to carry into my own career.
What moved the band
- Band 6’s agreement and tense slips (“my uncle … own”, “he change the recipe”, “He also listen”) are accurate in Band 7 and remain clean in Band 8.
- Band 6 says “a very big success” and “he is kind to them”; Band 7 upgrades to “started from scratch” and “treats them kindly”; Band 8 adds precise phrasing such as “ran single-handedly”.
- Band 6 ends with a loose general statement; Band 7 links the ending back to the story (“Watching him made me realise”); Band 8 turns it into a personal lesson, which answers the explain line fully.
Common mistakes on this card
- Choosing a world-famous founder and reciting a biography instead of describing someone you know.
- Listing facts about the business without ever giving a reason why the person is successful.
- Using only adjectives such as “hard-working” and “smart” with no example of what the person actually did.
- Forgetting how you know the person, which is one of the three factual bullets.
Part 3 questions that often follow
After your turn of one to two minutes, the examiner usually moves into a related Part 3 discussion — these are the kinds of follow-up questions that commonly come up around this topic.
- Why do some people prefer to start their own business rather than work for a company?
- What qualities do you think a person needs to run a business well?
- Is it better for a young person to learn business skills at university or by working?
- Do you think family businesses are more likely to last than other businesses?
- How can local governments support people who want to start small businesses?
Frequently asked questions
Does the person have to be famous or very rich?
No. Someone you know personally, such as a relative who runs a shop or a neighbour with a workshop, is a much better choice than a celebrity. You can describe their work in real detail, and the examiner hears natural language instead of facts you borrowed from a news article.
How should I define "successful" in my answer?
You can define it in your own words, and doing so often helps. Success may mean a business that grew, lasted for many years, gave work to neighbours or earned a good reputation. Explaining your own definition early gives the final "why successful" line a clear structure.
What if I do not know much about their business?
Describe what you have seen yourself: the place, the daily routine, how they treat customers and staff. A modest but accurate account is stronger than technical business terms you cannot explain, because the examiner follows up in Part 3 and expects ordinary, honest opinions.
More cue cards in this family
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A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with a one-minute plan, vocabulary, and the same sample answer at Band 6, 7 and 8 about a person who has inspired you.
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A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about someone you met once, with a one-minute plan, useful vocabulary and one answer at Bands 6, 7 and 8.
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