Scaling a business

Jennifer | Aug 21, 2026Aug 20, 2026

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• discuss strategies for scaling a business;
• watch a video about the confectionery company Haribo;
• review vocabulary related to business growth.

In this lesson, students discuss how a business in their own industry could scale and review key vocabulary connected to growth and expansion. They watch a video about how Haribo became one of the largest gummy candy manufacturers in the world and discuss the company’s strategy. Students also evaluate different scaling strategies for various businesses and correct common vocabulary mistakes using real-life examples of company expansion.

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

This lesson starts with a warm-up in which students read a definition of scaling a business and discuss how a company in their own industry could do this. Afterwards, students choose the correct words to complete sentences about business growth (e.g. churn out, sustain momentum). Then, they match each phrase with its definition. Moving on, students complete further phrases with missing letters and choose three related questions to discuss.

VIDEO AND SCALING STRATEGIES

In this part of the lesson, students share what they know about Haribo and compare it with other confectionery companies. Then, they watch the first part of a video and explain why Haribo is one of the largest gummy candy manufacturers in the world. They then discuss the advantages and challenges of Haribo’s strategy. After that, students watch the second part of the video and note what’s mentioned about points such as core recipes, the factory in Wisconsin, focus groups and product adaptation for Scandinavia. Students go on to discuss confectionery preferences in their own country and think of other companies that have successfully scaled. Finally, they consider the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies of scaling a business and decide which strategy would work best for each.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students find and correct six vocabulary mistakes in sentences about real companies scaling a business internationally. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it, cut it up and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

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