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Useful Business Nouns and their Collocations

Below are some common business nouns along with their collocations. Also see these business verbs and their collocations.

To practice using these nouns, try:
Business Nouns Exercise 1
Business Nouns Exercise 2

 

advantage
comparative advantage
tax advantage
unfair advantage
take advantage

 

advice
sound advice
a piece of advice
expert advice
professional advice
legal advice
take (someone’s) advice
word of advice
bit of advice
piece of advice

 

agenda
hidden agenda
political agenda
next on the agenda

 

apology
heartfelt apology
accept an apology
deserve an apology
expect an apology
demand an apology
a letter of apology

 

bill
outstanding bill
unpaid bill
electric bill
send (someone) a bill
foot the bill

 

brand
leading brand
major brand
well-known brand
brand identity
brand awareness

 

budget
budget cuts
budget constraints
tight budget
shoestring budget

 

change
big change
radical change
drastic change
make a change
adapt to change
cause change
bring about change
change management

 

conclusion
draw conclusions
reach a conclusion
draw a conclusion
jump to conclusions
logical conclusion
In conclusion…

 

competition
stiff competition
foreign competition
competition between
enter a competition
win a competition

 

cost
prohibitive costs
rising costs
escalating costs
additional costs
operating costs
administrative costs
cut costs
lower costs
keep down costs/keep costs down
at all costs

 

customer
loyal customer
regular customer
satisfied customer
customer service
customer support
deal with a customer
help a customer
assist a customer
lose a customer
keep a customer
attract a customer

 

deadline
extend a deadline
have a deadline
meet a deadline
miss a deadline

 

debt
outstanding debt
burdened by debt
debt collection
be in debt
heavily in debt
have debt
pay a debt
be burdened with debt

 

decision
tough decision
hasty decision
majority decision
unanimous decision
make a decision
take a decision (British English)

 

decrease
sharp decrease
steadily decrease
significant decrease
decrease in value

 

delivery
fast delivery
free delivery
guaranteed delivery
scheduled delivery
next-day delivery
make a delivery
accept a delivery
receive a delivery
delivery service

 

department
run the department
department head/head of the department
department store
department manager
purchasing department
human resources department
marketing department
finance department

 

description
brief description
detailed description
full description
accurate description
provide a description
fit a description

 

difference
enormous difference
considerable difference
big difference
huge difference
mean the difference between
make a difference
pay the difference
highlight the difference
make up the difference
put aside differences
difference of opinion

 

employee
full-time employee
part-time employee
dismiss an employee
lay off an employee
potential employee
prospective employee
employee benefits

 

employer
major employer
potential employer
prospective employer

 

equipment
modern equipment
state-of-the-art equipment
high-tech equipment
office equipment
medical equipment
piece of equipment
provide equipment
supply (someone) with equipment

 

estimate
rough estimate
preliminary estimate
realistic estimate
reasonable estimate
conservative estimate
give an estimate
provide an estimate
estimates vary

 

experience
lack of experience
wealth of experience
considerable experience
valuable experience
hands-on experience
professional experience
gain experience
learn from experience
personal experience
rewarding experience
unforgettable experience

 

explanation
logical explanation
complete explanation
full explanation
partial explanation
detailed explanation
simple explanation
give an explanation
offer an explanation
demand an explanation
deserve an explanation
owe (someone) an explanation

 

facility
modern facility
state-of-the-art facility
existing facility
upgrade a facility
use a facility

 

factory
modern factory
chemical factory
clothing factory
open a factory
shut down a factory
factory workers
factory owner

 

feedback
positive/negative feedback
instant feedback
receive feedback
give feedback
feedback about

 

goal
short-term goal
long-term goal
ambitious goal
realistic/unrealistic goal
achievable goal
attainable goal
achieve a goal
set a goal
work towards a goal
goal of (+ ing)

 

growth
exponential growth
considerable growth
rapid growth
encourage growth
promote growth
stimulate growth
growth rate/rate of growth

 

guarantee
money-back guarantee
lifetime guarantee
long-term guarantee
one-year guarantee, two-year guarantee, etc.
come with a guarantee
personally guarantee
be fully guaranteed

 

improvement
big improvement
considerable improvement
dramatic improvement
continuous improvement
need improvement
room for improvement
signs of improvement
area of improvement

 

increase
dramatic increase
big increase
huge increase
sharp increase
gradual increase
substantial increase
expected to increase
cause an increase

 

industry
thriving industry
growing industry
automotive industry
oil industry
electronics industry
entertainment industry
insurance industry
tourist industry
regulate an industry
industry leader
industry standard

 

instructions
detailed instructions
step-by-step instructions
simple instructions
complex instructions
written instructions
carry out instructions
receive instructions
give instructions
follow instructions

 

interest (attracts attention)
generate interest
renewed interest
show interest
take interest
revive interest

 

interest (money earned)
compound interest
monthly interest
yearly interest
earn interest
make interest
accrue interest
pay interest
interest rate
interest payment
interest charge

 

inventory
take inventory
compile inventory
complete inventory

 

invoice
original invoice
final invoice
issue an invoice
send an invoice
receive an invoice

 

knowledge
working knowledge
technical knowledge
first-hand knowledge
acquire knowledge
gain knowledge
apply knowledge
broaden knowledge
knowledge transfer
to the best of one’s knowledge

 

limit
reach a limit
establish a limit
set a limit
raise a limit
lower a limit
exceed the limit
limit to
limit on
above the limit
over the limit

 

loss
heavy losses
significant loss
huge loss
profit and loss
mourn the loss of

 

margin
profit margin
narrow margin
margin for error
gross margin

 

market
competitive market
foreign market
global market
international market
black market
housing market
expanding market
growing market
stock market
market value
market conditions
market leader
to be in the market

 

message
urgent message
brief message
important message
clear message
convey a message
pass on a message
relay a message
send a message
receive a message
hidden message
deliver a message

 

mistake
big mistake
huge mistake
terrible mistake
honest mistake
common mistake
make a mistake
repeat a  mistake
learn from a mistake
an easy mistake to make
make the same mistake twice

 

objective
primary objective
main objective
stated objective
accomplish an objective
achieve an objective

 

offer
generous offer
job offer
make an offer
decline/refuse/turn down an offer
attractive offer
special offer
firm offer

 

opinion
express an opinion
second opinion
expert opinion
difference of opinion
public opinion

 

option
realistic option
available option
good option
have the option
choose/select an option

 

order (way things are arranged)
wrong order
descending order
chronological order
alphabetical order
in order
out of order

 

order (when rules are followed)
maintain order
restore order

 

order (command)
follow an order
carry out an order
issue an order
receive an order

 

order (request for something to be supplied)
bulk order
large order
small order
cancel an order
place an order
pick up an order

 

payment
annual payment
monthly payment
interest payment
down payment
make a payment
receive payment
stop a payment
demand payment
payment in advance

 

permission
special permission
real possibility
strong possibility
written permission
get/obtain/receive permission
grant permission
deny permission
permission for

 

preparation
make preparations
require preparation
preparations for
preparation time
be busy with preparations

 

price
high price
exorbitant price
low price
reasonable price
right price
asking price
half price
retail price
cut prices
quote someone a price
go up in price
price range
price increase
price rise
price cut
price war
price tag

 

product
innovative product
finished product
buy a product
sell a product
market a product
promote a product
develop a product
launch a product
product range/range of products
product design
product development

 

production
increase production
production costs
mass production
start production
stop production

 

profit
gross profit
first-quarter profit, second-quarter profit, etc.
annual profit
make a profit
generate a profit
maximize profit
profit margin

 

promotion (to a higher position)
get a promotion
deserve a promotion
recommend (someone) for a promotion

 

promotion (special offer)
special promotion
sales promotion
do a promotion

 

purchase
bulk purchase
point of purchase
proof of purchase
excellent purchase
make a purchase
pay for a purchase

 

raise
big raise
sizeable raise
get a raise
give (someone) a raise
pay raise (Note that this is a “pay rise” in British English)

 

refund
full refund
give (someone) a refund
entitled to a refund

 

reminder
powerful reminder
constant reminder
friendly reminder
serve as a reminder
send out a reminder

 

report
comprehensive report
in-depth report
preliminary report
quarterly report
annual report
final report
compile a report
write a report
submit a report

 

responsibility
financial responsibility
legal responsibility
accept responsibility
take on more responsibility
delegate responsibility

 

result
positive/negative result
encouraging results
indirect result
desired result
get results
results-oriented
results-driven

 

rise
slow rise
sharp rise
gradual rise
pay rise (Note that this is a “pay raise” in American English)

 

risk
high/low risk
big risk
considerable risk
calculated risk
safety risk
health risk
minimize risk
take a risk
run the risk of
at one’s own risk
outweigh the risk of

 

salary
high/low salary
competitive salary
starting salary
annual salary
monthly salary
receive a salary
salary cut

 

sale
make a sale
sale price
sales contract
sales agreement
annual sales
quarterly sales
monthly sales
total sales
domestic sales
international sales
sales drive
sales volume
sales figures
generate sales
sales + increase/rise (verb)
sales + drop/fall/decline/plummet (verb)

 

schedule
daily schedule
weekly schedule
busy schedule
grueling schedule
heavy schedule
hectic schedule
training schedule
work schedule
production schedule
have a schedule
arrange a schedule
keep a schedule
stick to a schedule
fall behind schedule
stay on schedule
be ahead of schedule

 

share (part of something)
significant share
modest share
have a share
receive a share
do someone’s share
the lion’s share
have/receive a fair share
do (someone’s) share

 

share (ownership of a company)
acquire shares
buy shares
purchase shares
own shares
share price
shares in (company)

 

stock (supply)
high/low stock
adequate stock
have stock
replenish stock
stock room
out of stock

 

stock (share of a company)
acquire stock
buy stock
invest in stock
purchase stock
sell off stock
trade in stock
stock exchange
stock market
stock index

 

strategy
effective strategy
long-term/short term strategy
have a strategy
change a strategy
follow a strategy
unveil a strategy

 

success
great success
remarkable success
moderate success
immediate success
have success
ensure success
be vital to success
success rate
success story
key to success
lack of success
the secret to (someone’s) success

 

suggestion
good suggestion
helpful suggestion
have a suggestion
take a suggestion
suggestion box
be open to suggestions

 

supply
abundant supply
endless supply
limitless supply
never-ending supply
adequate supply
inadequate supply
finite supply
limited supply
have a supply
restrict supply
supply + increase (verb)
supply of something
be in short supply
supply and demand
office supplies
medical supplies

 

support
complete support
total support
generous support
overwhelming support
tremendous support
growing support
increasing support
public support
moral support
technical support
have support
receive support
pledge support
require support
lack of support

 

target
hit a target
miss a target
target market
target date
target audience

 

wage
high/low wages
fair wage
hourly wage
minimum wage
earn wages
pay wages
wages + increase/decrease (verb)
wages + rise/fall (verb)

 

warranty
limited warranty
one-year warranty, two-year warranty, etc.
give a warranty
provide a warranty
come with a warranty
warranty + expire (verb)
warranty + run out (verb)
warranty period
under warranty

To practice using these nouns, try:
Business Nouns Exercise 1
Business Nouns Exercise 2