Words and their stories: Let's do business
<p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Special">Special</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="WORDS">WORDS</span> <span word="AND">AND</span> <span word="THEIR">THEIR</span> <span word="STORIES">STORIES</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="business">business</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sweetheart">sweetheart</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="week">week</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="friend">friend</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="profit">profit</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="successful">successful</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sign">sign</span>-<span word="making">making</span> <span word="business">business</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="company">company</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="blue">blue</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="company">company</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="nationally">nationally</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="signs">signs</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="millions">millions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="profits">profits</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="private">private</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="shares">shares</span> <span word="traded">traded</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stock">stock</span> <span word="market">market</span>.</p><p><span word="Still">Still</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="business">business</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="day">day</span> -- <span word="no">no</span> <span word="banker">banker</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span>. <span word="Instead">Instead</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="week">week</span>, <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="corners">corners</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="save">save</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="expenses">expenses</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="calls">calls</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="buyers">buyers</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="list">list</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="seen">seen</span>. <span word="Such">Such</span> <span word="calls">calls</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="sells">sells</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="firm">firm</span>.</p><p><span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="sold">sold</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="signs">signs</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loss">loss</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="product">product</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="happened">happened</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="backs">backs</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="fewer">fewer</span> <span word="supplies">supplies</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="reduce">reduce</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="workers">workers</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="broke">broke</span> <span word="even">even</span>. <span word="Profits">Profits</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="equal">equal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="expenses">expenses</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="after">after</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="gain">gain</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="signs">signs</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="selling">selling</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="selling">selling</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="hotcakes">hotcakes</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="happy">happy</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="forward">forward</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="progress">progress</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="black">black</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="red">red</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="money">money</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="losing">losing</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p>
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