Intermediate - In Search of a Business Partner (C2126)

A: 我想创业,在找合伙人。
wǒ xiǎng chuàngyè, zài zhǎo héhuǒrén.
I would like to start a business and I'm looking for a business partner.
B: 创业好啊!做什么生意?
chuàngyè hǎo a! zuò shénme shēngyi?
Wow! Starting a business! Doing what kind of business?
A: 做网络教育。
zuò wǎngluò jiàoyù.
Doing online education.
B: 不错,这个市场还是挺大的。你需要怎样的合伙人?
bùcuò, zhè gè shìchǎng háishì tǐng dà de. nǐ xūyào zěnyàng de héhuǒrén?
Not bad. This market is still very big. What kind of partner do you need?
A: 我负责产品,需要懂销售和管理的合伙人。
wǒ fùzé chǎnpǐn, xūyào dǒng xiāoshòu hé guǎnlǐ de héhuǒrén.
I will be responsible for the product. I need a partner that understands sales and management.
B: 懂财务的行吗?
dǒng cáiwù de xíng ma?
What about someone who understands financial affairs?
A: 公司规模不会很大,到时候招个财务就行了。
gōngsī guīmó bùhuì hěn dà, dào shíhou zhāo gè cáiwù jiù xíng le.
The scope of the company won't be that big. When the time comes, we can just hire someone to do finances.
B: 网络教育的话,IT技术也很重要。
wǎngluò jiàoyù dehuà, IT jìshù yě hěn zhòngyào.
If you're doing online education, IT technology is also very important.
A: 是啊,能找到懂技术的合伙人也行。
shì a, néng zhǎodào dǒng jìshù de héhuǒrén yě xíng.
For sure. Finding a partner who understands the technology is also good.
B: 最好找能靠得住的朋友。
zuìhǎo zhǎo néng kàodezhù de péngyou.
The best is to find friends you can rely on.
A: 我听说合伙开公司,很容易从好朋友变成敌人。还不如找不太熟的人合作,完全按协议办事。
wǒ tīngshuō héhuǒ kāi gōngsī, hěn róngyì cóng hǎopéngyou biànchéng dírén. hái bùrú zhǎo bùtài shú de rén hézuò, wánquán àn xiéyì bànshì.
I've heard that when going into business together, it's easy for good friends to become enemies. It's not as good as finding someone you don't know as well to partner with and proceed entirely according to an agreement.
B: 有道理。我帮你问问吧。
yǒu dàolǐ. wǒ bāng nǐ wèn wen ba.
That makes sense. How about I help you ask around?

Key Vocabulary

创业 chuàngyè to start a company
合伙人 héhuǒrén business partner
生意 shēngyi business
网络教育 wǎngluò jiàoyù online education
网络 wǎngluò network, internet
教育 jiàoyù education
市场 shìchǎng market
负责 fùzé to be responsible
产品 chǎnpǐn product
dǒng to understand
销售 xiāoshòu sales
管理 guǎnlǐ to manage
财务 cáiwù financial affairs
规模 guīmó scale, scope
到时候 dào shíhou when the time comes
zhāo to hire
的话 dehuà if
技术 jìshù technology
重要 zhòngyào important
最好 zuìhǎo best
靠得住 kàodezhù to be able to depend upon
合伙 héhuǒ partnership
kāi to open, start (a business)
变成 biànchéng to change into
敌人 dírén enemy
不如 bùrú not as good as
shú familiar
完全 wánquán completely
àn according to
协议 xiéyì agreement
办事 bànshì to handle affairs
有道理 yǒu dàolǐ to make sense

Supplementary Vocabulary

行业 hángyè industry
产品经理 chǎnpǐnjīnglǐ product manager
开公司 kāigōngsī to start a business
员工 yuángōng employee, staff
招聘 zhāopìn to apply for a job
靠不住 kàobùzhù to be unable to rely on
如果 rúguǒ if

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