What does it mean to be innovative in business? In order for a business to survive in today's world, it is important that we regularly review what we are doing and how we are doing it. By considering new ideas and new ways of doing things, and trying to innovate, we can improve on our products/services, increase sales, reduce costs and make our processes more effective and efficient. Innovation is key to increasing profits. There are several ways a company can be innovative with their products and services. Today we will look at four of them. 1. Using the latest technology to improve your product/service When we think of innovation, we often think of new technologies. While they might be impressive, we should not use new technologies just because they are available. It is important to consider how the technology can improve our product/service and make a difference to our customer. Companies that produce cars, toiletries, household appliances, etc. often have a large R&D department to work on making their products better. 2. Responding to customer demands by changing what is on offer By listening to customer feedback, we can get their opinions on how we are doing and find out about what it is that they want. We also need to be aware of changes in customer demands and keep up with the times. When fast-food restaurant McDonald's realised that the market wanted healthier choices, they introduced fruit and salads, while removing the 'super-size' option from their menus.

Ingredients: 3 onions 3 carrots 2 potatoes 1 parsnip or turnip 3 celery sticks 250 g mushrooms 1 ½ tbsp plain flour 500 ml vegetable stock made with 1.5 stock cubes 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp tomato puree 1 tsp mixed herbs 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce 120 g frozen peas Freshly ground pepper Method: Roughly chop all the vegetables (except frozen peas) and place in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, herbs and pepper. Tip into slow cooker. To the stock add and mix in the Balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, tabasco sauce and tomato puree. Pour over the vegetables. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Learn some amazing business English today! We're covering the different elements of IKEA's business model that have led to the company's success. Best for upper-intermediate business English students!

In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us. Which one are you?

A boy named Merryl is on a date with a girl named Honey. He realizes he can't remember the names of certain items so he tries to explain what he means by using the wrong words. Later he goes to the store and to the doctor and has the same problem. This story is written by me. Vocabulary: salt and pepper shakers: containers for salt and pepper thingamajig: a word people use when they don't remember the right word pepper spray: a spray used for self-defense baby wipe: a moistened paper towel used to clean a baby napkin: a paper towel used to clean the mouth after eating food smushed: smashed pico de gallo: salsa used in Mexican food croutons: small pieces of toasted bread used in salad cooking spray: a spray that keeps food from sticking to the pan goo: sticky, thick substance salad dressing: a liquid mixture used for salads stethoscope: a tool doctors use to listen to a person's heartbeat

In todays episode I would like to discuss the importance of budgeting your income and thinking about your future.

In todays episode I would like to discuss the most common idioms used in English.

A visit to a Food Festival in Paisley, Southwest Scotland.

Every time you're online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. Sometimes they want you to click on another story or advertisement at their own site, other times they want to upset people for political reasons. These days it's so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news. There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don't get fooled! 1. Check the source Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? Is the text well written? Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don't have many real stories about other topics. If you aren't sure, click on the 'About' page and look for a clear description of the organisation. 2. Watch out for fake photos Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been changed. Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts. 3. Check the story is in other places Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn't fake (although there are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story. 4. Look for other signs There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it's probably designed to make you angry.

In this audio I go over my way of preparing my students to succeed in Part 2 of IELTS speaking exam. Please listen to it and try to catch the logic behind the process. The topic: The most important benefit of the internet. Connection, communication, sharing, other people, social media, internet wars, conflicts, misunderstandings, whatspp, wechat, fraud theft, banks, photos, videos, messenger. Let me know what you think, let me know what you'd like me to go over and if you need more from me - join my private classes now.