Describe a successful small business you know: cue card and sample answer

Cue card

Describe a small business that you think is successful.

You should say:

what the business is
where it is
what it sells or does

and explain why you think it is successful.

You have one minute to prepare and should speak for one to two minutes.

Try it before you read the sample. Answer this card out loud with our AI examiner and get an estimated band.

Practise with the AI examiner

Sample answer

About 265 words, or roughly two minutes of speaking.

The business I'd like to describe is a small bicycle repair shop at the end of my street. It's run by a man called Karim, who opened it about six years ago in what used to be an empty garage.

It's a tiny place. There's room for perhaps four bikes inside, so in good weather he works on the pavement. He repairs and services bicycles, and he also sells second-hand ones that he's rebuilt himself. He doesn't sell new bikes at all, which I think was a wise decision, because he could never compete with the big shops on price.

When he started, he was alone and the shop was open three days a week. Now he employs two people, opens every day except Sunday, and in spring you have to book a week ahead.

I think it's successful for three reasons. Firstly, he's honest. If a repair isn't worth doing, he tells you, even though he loses the work, and so people trust him and come back. Secondly, he chose the right place at the right time. More and more people in my city cycle to work, and there was no other repair shop nearby. And thirdly, he teaches. Once a month he runs a free evening class on fixing a puncture or adjusting brakes. You'd think that would cost him customers, but in fact it brings in new ones, because people remember who helped them.

I really admire it, because it shows that a business doesn't have to be big or clever to do well. It just has to be useful and fair.

Why this works: it covers every point on the card in order, gives specific details and a short story rather than general statements, and ends by explaining the feeling or reason, which the last line of the card asks for.

Useful vocabulary

run by: managed or owned by
services bicycles: checks and repairs them regularly
compete on price: try to sell more cheaply than others
book a week ahead: to arrange a time one week before
isn't worth doing: would cost more than the benefit it gives
brings in new customers: attracts new people to buy

Rounding-off question

After you finish, the examiner may ask one short question, such as:

Would you like to run a business like this?

Part 3 questions: Business and work

In Part 3, the examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the cue card topic. Give an opinion, explain why, and add an example.

Why do so many small businesses fail in their first few years?

Usually because of money, not because the idea was bad. New owners often underestimate how long it takes before a business earns more than it spends, and they run out of savings before the customers arrive. Lack of experience is another reason. Someone can be an excellent cook and still know nothing about rent, taxes or managing staff.

Do small local shops have a future, or will large companies replace them?

I think they have a future, but only if they offer something that large companies can't. A small shop will never win on price or choice. What it can offer is personal service, expert advice and repairs, and those matter more as everything else moves online. The shops that are disappearing are the ones that sold the same products as a supermarket.

Now say it out loud

Reading a good answer helps, but speaking is what improves your band. This set includes this cue card, Part 1 questions on markets and saving money, and a Part 3 discussion.

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This sample answer was written by TestWise Prep to show language that scores well. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas, not to memorise, because examiners mark rehearsed answers down.