Consumer topics can focus on a wide range of issues including those facing the household budget. Extemporaneous topics can include shopping on consignment, increasing gas mileage, buying environmentally green products and creating a household budget to save money. Topics can include the local impact when gas prices rise and governments increase sales taxes or negotiate trade agreements, which stores perform well in a recessed economy and why, how people shop differently during a recession, and how they shop selectively when it comes to high-value items.
Extemporaneous topics on small business can focus on regulation and workforce issues. Topics can address how environmental laws, insurance and tax loopholes can affect business. Speakers can also address paying for health care, applying for a start-up loan, managing employees, using social media to grow a business and networking with other business owners. In addition, speakers can address the benefits and demerits of hiring more employees and human resources issues such as dealing with employees with a drug or alcohol problem, firing a worker, and determining what to do when an employee steals from the company.
International business topics can center on financial risks of different markets and different banking and tax laws in other countries. Topics can focus on how political strife and war in a particular country affects operating costs, overall productivity and trade with other countries. Extemporaneous speeches can address cultural issues within advertising; examples include how selling the same product takes a different approach, depending on the culture, to prevent culture shock and respect other areas' values.
Speaking about how the media covers issues such as ethics, consumer spending and government involvement in business can make for a number of interesting topics. Issues about ethics can address media coverage of ethical scandals (such as embezzlement), reaction from experts and steps companies take to prevent future ethical breaches. Speeches about consumer spending can show how the media reports on trends in retail spending, the consumer price index and how gas prices affect consumer habits. Topics can also show media coverage of legislation that affects business interests. Speakers can address cable television channels dedicated to business and how the coverage helps to explain business to a mass audience.