📚 Year 7 AQA Business: Key Terms Quick Reference Guide | AQA 七年级商务：核心词汇速记指南
Starting your business studies can feel like learning a new language. Every subject has its own vocabulary, and business is no exception: words such as 'scarcity', 'opportunity cost' and 'stakeholder' carry a precise meaning that examiners expect you to use correctly. This guide covers the essential terms for AQA Year 7 Business, grouping them by topic so that you can understand, and remember and apply key vocabulary quickly. Master these terms now and you will build a solid foundation for every topic that follows, from marketing and finance to enterprise and the wider economy.
初学商务就像学习一门新语言。每个学科都有自己的词汇系统，商务也不例外：'稀缺性'、'机会成本'、'利益相关者' 这些词都有精确含义，考官期待你能准确使用。本指南涵盖 AQA 七年级商务的核心术语，并按主题分类整理，帮助你快速理解、记忆并运用关键词汇。现在就掌握这些术语，你将为后续所有主题——从营销、财务到创业与宏观经济——打下坚实基础。
1. Why Key Terms Matter in Year 7 Business | 为什么七年级商务必须掌握核心术语
Business studies is assessed through your ability to use language precisely. AQA examiners award marks for accurate definitions, correct application to a case study, and clear analysis. If you write 'a need is something you want', you lose the mark, because the definition of a need excludes non-essential items. Learning terms in matched pairs - English term plus a short, exam-ready definition - is the fastest way to gain those marks.
商务学科考查的正是你精确使用语言的能力。AQA 考官会根据定义是否准确、能否正确应用到案例、分析是否清晰来给分。如果你写 '需要就是你想要的东西'，这一分就丢了，因为需要的定义排除了非必需品。把术语成对记忆——英文术语配一句简短、可直接用于考试的释义——是拿分最快的方法。
Key terms also act as mental hooks. Once you know what 'scarcity' means, the whole logic of choice, opportunity cost and resource allocation falls into place. Vocabulary is not extra content; it is the structure that holds the content together.
核心术语同时充当记忆挂钩。一旦你理解 '稀缺性' 的含义，选择、机会成本与资源配置的整套逻辑就会自然串联起来。词汇不是额外内容，而是把内容组织起来的骨架。
- Definition mark - one mark for a precise, complete definition. | 定义分——给出精确完整的定义得一分。
- Application mark - one mark for linking the term to the business in the case study. | 应用分——把术语与案例中的具体企业联系起来得一分。
- Analysis mark - one mark for explaining the consequence of that term for the business. | 分析分——解释该术语对企业造成的结果得一分。
A simple routine works well: read the term aloud, cover the definition, say it from memory, then write one sentence using the term about a real business you know, such as a local shop or a brand you buy from.
一个简单的练习流程很有效：朗读术语，遮住释义，凭记忆复述，然后用该术语写一句关于你熟悉的真实企业（比如街边小店或你常买的品牌）的句子。
2. Basic Economic Concepts: Needs, Wants, Goods and Services | 基本经济概念：需要、想要、商品与服务
Need: A need is something you must have to survive, such as food, water, shelter and clothing. Needs are limited in number because human survival requirements are finite.
需要：需要是生存所必需的东西，例如食物、水、住所和衣物。需要的数量是有限的，因为人类维持生存的基本要求是有限的。
Want: A want is something you would like to have but is not essential for survival, like a new video game or designer shoes. Wants are unlimited and constantly changing.
想要：想要是你希望拥有但不是生存必需的东西，比如新电子游戏或名牌鞋。想要是无限的，并且不断变化。
Goods: Goods are physical, tangible items that you can touch and own, such as a book, a bicycle or a smartphone. Goods can be durable, lasting a long time, or non-durable, used up quickly.
商品：商品是有形的实体物品，你可以触摸和拥有，比如一本书、一辆自行车或智能手机。商品可以是耐用品（使用时间长）或非耐用品（很快被消耗掉）。
Services: Services are intangible actions or activities that people perform for others, such as haircuts, teaching or transport by bus. A service is produced and consumed at the same moment.
服务：服务是无形的行为或活动，是人为他人提供的，比如理发、教学或公交车出行。服务在生产的同时就被消费了。
Businesses exist because people have needs and wants that they cannot satisfy by themselves. A firm that satisfies them well earns revenue; a firm that does not, fails.
企业之所以存在，是因为人们有自己无法满足的需要和想要。能够很好地满足这些需求的企业获得收入；做不到的企业则会被淘汰。
| Feature | 特征 | Goods | 商品 | Services | 服务 |
| Tangible? 有形吗？ | Yes 是 | No 否 |
| Can be stored? 可储存吗？ | Yes 可以 | No 不可以 |
| Example 例子 | School textbook 教科书 | Bus journey 公交出行 |
3. Scarcity, Choice and Opportunity Cost | 稀缺性、选择与机会成本
Scarcity: Scarcity means there are limited resources to meet unlimited wants. This forces people and businesses to make choices. Scarcity is the fundamental economic problem and it never disappears, however rich a country becomes.
稀缺性：稀缺性指有限的资源无法满足无限的欲望，这迫使人们和企业做出选择。稀缺性是基本的经济问题，无论一个国家多富有，它都不会消失。
Choice: Because of scarcity, we must decide how to use our resources. Choosing one thing means giving up another. Every choice therefore has a cost, even when no money changes hands.
选择：由于稀缺性，我们必须决定如何使用资源。选择一样东西意味着放弃另一样。因此每个选择都有代价，即使没有金钱交易也是如此。
Opportunity Cost: Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that you give up when making a choice. For example, if a business spends £10,000 on a delivery van, the opportunity cost is the best alternative use of that money, such as hiring two extra members of staff.
机会成本：机会成本是你在做选择时所放弃的次优方案的价值。例如，如果一家企业花 1 万英镑购买送货车，机会成本就是这笔钱的最佳替代用途，比如多雇两名员工。
Opportunity cost is not the same as money spent. It is what you could have done instead, which is why it applies to time as well as cash: an hour spent revising Business is an hour not spent revising Maths.
机会成本并不等于花掉的钱，而是你本可以做的另一件事。因此它不仅适用于金钱，也适用于时间：花一小时复习商务，就意味着少了一小时复习数学。
Opportunity Cost = Value of the Next Best Alternative Given Up
4. The Factors of Production | 生产要素
Factors of production are the resources a business needs to produce goods or services. Economists group them into four categories, often remembered as 'land, labour, capital, enterprise'.
生产要素是企业生产商品或服务所需的资源。经济学家把它们分为四类，通常记为 '土地、劳动力、资本、企业家才能'。
- Land - natural resources, including the physical site, water, minerals and raw materials. | 土地——自然资源，包括场地、水、矿产和原材料。 Reward: rent. 报酬：地租。
- Labour - the human effort, skills and time provided by workers. | 劳动力——工人提供的人力、技能和时间。 Reward: wages. 报酬：工资。
- Capital - man-made resources used in production, such as machines, tools, vehicles and buildings. | 资本——用于生产的人造资源，如机器、工具、车辆和厂房。 Reward: interest. 报酬：利息。
- Enterprise - the willingness of an entrepreneur to take risks and organise the other three factors. | 企业家才能——企业家承担风险并组织其他三种要素的意愿。 Reward: profit. 报酬：利润。
A useful exam technique is to name the factor and then explain the consequence of it being scarce. If labour is scarce, wages rise and the business may delay expansion.
一个实用的考试技巧是：先点出某一生产要素，再解释它稀缺会带来什么后果。如果劳动力稀缺，工资就会上涨，企业可能不得不推迟扩张。
Remember that capital in business means machines and equipment, not money. Money used to buy capital is finance, which is a different term entirely.
注意：商务中的 '资本' 指机器设备，而不是钱。用于购买资本的钱叫 '资金'，这是完全不同的术语。
5. Adding Value and the Purpose of Business | 增值与企业经营目的
Added value is the difference between the price a customer pays and the cost of the materials used to make the product. A business adds value by branding, design, quality, convenience or excellent service, which allows it to charge more than the basic cost of its inputs.
增值是顾客支付的价格与生产该产品所用材料成本之间的差额。企业通过品牌、设计、品质、便利性或优质服务来实现增值，从而能够收取高于基本投入成本的价格。
Added Value = Selling Price − Cost of Raw Materials and Components
The main purpose of most businesses is to make a profit, but businesses also aim to survive, grow, provide a service to the community and act responsibly towards the environment and their employees.
大多数企业的主要目的是获取利润，但企业也会追求生存、成长、为社区提供服务，以及对环境和员工承担责任。
Customer: the person or organisation that buys the product. Consumer: the person who actually uses it. The two are often, but not always, the same person.
顾客：购买产品或服务的人或组织。消费者：实际使用该产品或服务的人。二者常常是同一个人，但不总是如此。
6. Costs, Revenue and Profit | 成本、收入与利润
Cost: the money a business spends in order to operate and produce its output. Costs are described as fixed or variable depending on whether they change with the level of output.
成本：企业为运营和生产所支出的费用。成本分为固定成本和可变成本，取决于它们是否随产量变化。
- Fixed costs - do not change with output, for example rent, insurance and salaries. | 固定成本——不随产量变化，例如租金、保险和固定工资。
- Variable costs - rise and fall directly with output, for example raw materials and packaging. | 可变成本——随产量直接升降，例如原材料和包装。
- Total costs - fixed costs plus variable costs. | 总成本——固定成本加可变成本。
- Revenue - the money received from selling goods or services. | 收入——销售商品或服务所获得的钱款。
- Profit - what is left when total costs are subtracted from total revenue. | 利润——总收入减去总成本后剩下的部分。
- Loss - the result when total costs are greater than total revenue. | 亏损——总成本大于总收入时的结果。
Total Costs = Fixed Costs + Variable Costs
Total Revenue = Price × Quantity Sold
Profit = Total Revenue − Total Costs
A common Year 7 question gives you numbers in a case study and asks you to calculate profit. Always show the formula, substitute the figures, then state the answer in pounds with a short comment about what it means.
七年级常见的题目是在案例中给出数字，要求你计算利润。一定要写出公式、代入数字，然后以英镑为单位给出答案，并用一句话说明它的含义。
A related term is break-even: the level of output at which total revenue equals total costs, so the business makes neither profit nor loss.
相关术语是 盈亏平衡点：总收入等于总成本时的产量水平，此时企业既不盈利也不亏损。
Break-even Output = Fixed Costs ÷ (Selling Price − Variable Cost per Unit)
7. Entrepreneurship and Enterprise | 创业精神与创业
Entrepreneur: a person who organises, operates and takes the risk of a business venture, hoping to make a profit. Entrepreneurs supply the enterprise factor of production and turn ideas into trading businesses.
企业家：组织并经营企业、承担经营风险、期望获得利润的人。企业家提供企业家才能这一生产要素，把想法变成实际经营的企业。
Enterprise: the skill and willingness to take risks and to start a new business. It also describes a small business itself, and is one of the four factors of production.
创业精神：承担风险并开创企业的能力与意愿。它也可以指小型企业本身，同时是四种生产要素之一。
Risk: the possibility that things will not go as planned, such as losing money or failing to find customers. Reward: the benefit gained for taking that risk, usually profit and independence.
风险：事情可能不如预期发展的可能性，例如亏钱或找不到顾客。回报：承担风险所获得的收益，通常是利润和自主权。
- Initiative - the ability to see an opportunity and act on it without being told. | 主动性——发现机会并在无人指示时采取行动的能力。
- Innovation - introducing a new idea, product or process. | 创新——引入新想法、新产品或新流程。
- Motivation - the reasons someone wants to start a business, for example being their own boss or earning more. | 动机——某人创办企业的原因，例如自己做老板或赚更多钱。
In the exam, always give both a risk and a reward when discussing entrepreneurship, because the two are linked: no risk means no reward.
考试中讨论创业时，务必同时写出风险与回报，因为二者是相连的：没有风险就没有回报。
8. Stakeholders and Their Interests | 利益相关者及其利益
Stakeholder: any individual or group that has an interest in, or is affected by, the activities of a business. Stakeholders may be internal, working inside the business, or external, outside it.
利益相关者：对企业活动有兴趣或受其影响的任何个人或群体。利益相关者可以是内部的（在企业内部工作）或外部的（在企业之外）。
| Stakeholder | 利益相关者 | Main interest | 主要利益 |
| Owners and shareholders 所有者和股东 | Profit and growth 利润与增长 |
| Employees 员工 | Pay, security and good working conditions 薪酬、稳定与良好工作条件 |
| Customers 顾客 | Quality, value and reliability 品质、性价比与可靠 |
| Suppliers 供应商 | Regular orders and prompt payment 稳定订单与及时付款 |
| Local community 当地社区 | Jobs and minimal disruption 就业机会与减少干扰 |
| Government 政府 | Tax revenue, jobs and legal compliance 税收、就业与守法经营 |
Stakeholder conflict occurs when the interests of one group clash with another, such as employees wanting higher wages while owners want higher profit. A good answer explains the trade-off rather than simply listing groups.
当一类群体的利益与另一类冲突时，就产生了利益相关者冲突，例如员工想要更高工资，而所有者想要更高利润。好的答案会解释这种取舍关系，而不是简单罗列群体名称。
9. Market Research and Market Segmentation | 市场调研与市场细分
Market research: the process of gathering information about customers, competitors and the market, so that a business can make better decisions. It can be primary or secondary.
市场调研：收集关于顾客、竞争者和市场信息的过程，以便企业做出更好的决策。市场调研可分为一手调研和二手调研。
- Primary research - new data collected first-hand, for example surveys, interviews and observation. | 一手调研——亲自收集的新数据，例如问卷调查、访谈和观察。
- Secondary research - existing data that already exists, for example government statistics, company reports and internet articles. | 二手调研——已经存在的数据，例如政府统计、公司报告和网络文章。
- Quantitative data - numerical information such as sales figures and percentages. | 定量数据——数值型信息，如销售数字和百分比。
- Qualitative data - opinions and feelings, which explain the reasons behind the numbers. | 定性数据——观点和感受，用于解释数字背后的原因。
Sample: the group of people questioned in a survey. A sample should be large enough and representative of the target market, otherwise the results will be unreliable.
样本：调查中被访问的那组人。样本必须足够大，并且能代表目标市场，否则结果就不可靠。
Market segment: a group of customers with similar characteristics, such as age, income, gender or location. Target market: the specific segment a business aims its product at.
市场细分：具有相似特征的顾客群体，如年龄、收入、性别或地域。目标市场：企业将产品专门瞄准的那个细分市场。
Market research reduces risk, but it costs money and can never remove uncertainty completely, because customer tastes change.
市场调研能降低风险，但它需要花钱，而且永远无法完全消除不确定性，因为顾客的偏好会变化。
10. The Marketing Mix: The Four Ps | 营销组合：4P
Marketing mix: the combination of four elements a business controls in order to sell its product successfully. The four elements are product, price, place and promotion, known as the four Ps.
营销组合：企业为成功销售产品而控制的四个要素的组合，即产品、价格、渠道和促销，合称 4P。
- Product - what is sold, including design, quality, features and packaging. | 产品——所销售的东西，包括设计、品质、功能和包装。
- Price - what the customer pays. | 价格——顾客支付的金额。
- Place - how the product reaches the customer, for example shops, websites or apps. | 渠道——产品如何到达顾客手中，例如实体店、网站或应用。
- Promotion - how customers are told about the product, for example advertising, social media, discounts and sponsorship. | 促销——如何让顾客知道产品，例如广告、社交媒体、折扣和赞助。
Common pricing strategies include cost-plus pricing (cost plus a mark-up), competitive pricing (matching rivals), price skimming (a high launch price for a new product) and penetration pricing (a low launch price to win market share quickly).
常见定价策略包括 成本加成定价（成本加一定利润）、竞争定价（与对手价格相当）、撇脂定价（新产品高价上市）和 渗透定价（低价上市以迅速抢占市场份额）。
The four Ps must be consistent with each other. A luxury brand cannot use penetration pricing and cheap packaging without damaging its image.
四个 P 必须彼此一致。奢侈品牌若使用渗透定价和廉价包装，就会损害自身形象。
11. Sources of Finance and Business Ownership | 融资来源与企业所有权
Finance: the money a business needs to start up, operate and grow. Sources may be internal, raised from inside the business, or external, raised from outside it.
资金：企业创办、运营和发展所需的钱。资金来源可以是内部的（来自企业内部）或外部的（来自企业之外）。
- Owner's capital - money put in by the owner, an internal source. | 业主资本——所有者投入的钱，属于内部来源。
- Retained profit - profit kept in the business instead of being paid out, an internal source. | 留存利润——留在企业内而不分配的利润，属于内部来源。
- Bank loan - a fixed sum borrowed and repaid with interest over an agreed period. | 银行贷款——借入固定金额，在约定期间内连本带息偿还。
- Overdraft - permission to spend more than is in the account, useful for short-term cash problems. | 透支——允许支出超过账户余额，适合短期资金周转。
- Trade credit - buying now and paying a supplier later. | 商业信用——先拿货，之后再付款给供应商。
- Crowdfunding - raising small amounts from many people, usually online. | 众筹——通常通过网络向众多人募集小额资金。
Interest = Amount Borrowed × Interest Rate × Time
Business ownership describes who owns and controls a firm. A sole trader is one owner with unlimited liability; a partnership has two or more owners who share responsibility; a private limited company (Ltd) is owned by shareholders with limited liability and cannot sell shares to the public.
企业所有权说明由谁拥有和控制企业。独资经营者是一位所有者，承担无限责任；合伙企业有两位或以上所有者共同承担责任；私人有限公司（Ltd）由股东拥有，承担有限责任，但不能向公众发售股票。
Limited liability: the owner's personal assets are protected if the business fails, and they can only lose the money they invested. Unlimited liability: the owner is personally responsible for all the business debts.
有限责任：若企业倒闭，所有者的个人财产受保护，最多只损失投入的资金。无限责任：所有者需用个人财产承担企业全部债务。
The three sectors of industry are the primary sector (extracting raw materials, such as farming and mining), the secondary sector (manufacturing, such as making furniture) and the tertiary sector (providing services, such as retail and banking).
产业三大部门分别是 第一产业（开采原材料，如农业和采矿）、第二产业（制造业，如制作家具）和 第三产业（提供服务，如零售和银行）。
12. Exam Technique and Quick Revision Tips | 考试技巧与速记方法
Knowing the term is only half the task; showing the examiner that you know it is the other half. AQA command words tell you exactly how much detail to give.
知道术语只完成了一半任务；让考官看出你确实掌握，是另一半。AQA 的指令词明确告诉你需要写多少细节。
- State / Give - a short answer, often one word or phrase. | 写出 / 给出——简短作答，通常一个词或短语。
- Describe - say what something is or what happens, without explaining why. | 描述——说明是什么或发生什么，不必解释原因。
