Column 1
To be more successful than the competition
Ahead of the pack
To dominate a particular market
corner the market
Something is wasted or lost
down the drain
To start something over again because a previous attempt failed
back to square one
Very intense, aggressive, and merciless competition
cut-throat
To do more than what people expect
go the extra mile
A very inexact estimate
ballpark figure
A strategy or plan for achieving success
game plan
Not free to behave in the way that you would like
hands are tied
Everything that is involved with a particular situation
big picture
Stop making small talk and start talking about serious business topics
get down to business
Using as few words as possible
in a nutshell
To do things exactly according to the rules or the law
by the book
To start something (e.g. a project or a business)
get something off the ground
At a stage when the level of activity is at its highest
in full swing