Guideline on How to Write a Business Report Successfully

How to Write a Formal Business Report

Here are some steps and tips for you to consider if you wonder how to write a formal business report:

Business Report Structure

Supposing John wanted to impart information he has gathered concerning the best practices for teaching Latin. He could write a business report which may encompass some of the presented below typical sections:

Executive Summary

John intends to begin his report with an executive summary. Consider it Cliff’s Notes of the business report. Michael would sum up the most significant information about the report, such as the report topic, the data obtained, the data analysis methods, and recommendations on the grounds of the data. If John’s executive is pressed for time, Michael would present the executive summary to him. Although the executive summary is the first part of a business report template, it appears after the main part of the report.

Table of Contents

If John’s report is drawn-out, John should provide a table of contents which highlights the main topics which the report brings up and the page where one can find specific information.

Introduction

John’s business report writing process will definitely begin with an introduction. The introduction covers the main topics discussed in the report and gives background information on why the data was gathered. For instance, Michael can say that the report depicts the two most widespread teaching philosophies of teaching Latin and why he thought a change of the teaching style usually recognized by the administration was needed.

Body

John can now go about crafting the body of the report. The body of the report gives a description of the problem, gathered data, how it was gathered, and discusses major findings. The body can be divided into subsections, with subheadings that say that a certain point will be described in that subsection. John can use headings like “How Do We Master a Language.” Such an approach to writing reports on business will facilitate the process of reading.

Conclusion

Eventually, John will combine all the parts of a report with a conclusion. The conclusion elucidates what interpretations the data given in the body of the document can have or what conclusions can be made. The conclusion usually gives guidelines on how to use the data to refine some aspects of the business or provides reasons for further research. For example, John may recommend that the headmaster gives a permission to dispose of the desks in his room, on the grounds of his research, according to which making notes can distract from the language learning process.

Reference

The references section encompasses resources engaged in the process of writing a report. References serve as the proof to your points and give readerships an opportunity to consult the original data sources themselves.

Appendix

The appendix is not obligatory and can contain additional technical information needed for the explanation provided in the body and conclusion. It also backs up the findings or additional research not cited in the main part but which concerns the discussion.
If John has some doubts about the structure of his report, he may want to come to know various types of business reports which lots of businesses use. As a rule, business reports are divided into two types: informational and analytical.

Informational Reports

Informational reports give information based on facts and do not contain any analysis or recommendations.
Informational reports are divided into financial reports (contain cash flow statements, balance sheets, or the annual financial report), business management reports (reports about labor expenses, web traffic, or customer satisfaction survey responses), compliance informational reports ( where a company shows how it is observing required regulations), present research from a study (gives a summary of a research that contains data which is relevant to the business), situational reports (aimed at a supervisor to tell about a business situation (how it was sorted out, and how it influenced the business), improve policies or processes (for instance, employee handbooks).

How to Write a Business Analysis Report

Many people always ask how to write a business analysis report because this type of reports always causes lots of difficulties, as analysis reports presuppose providing data and an analysis, or interpretation of what the data means.
The business analytical report may include:

1. SWOT analysis: SWOT( Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). These reports analyze the company’s ups and downs, threats and opportunities for development.
2. Justification reports (aimed at justifying a proposed change in business processes).
3. Feasibility reports (investigation of how a proposed idea will work).

In business, one can also use a business valuation report, business assessment report, business case report, and business comparison report.

The Process of Writing

Having defined on a type of business report, John can consider the following steps for crafting his business report:

• Identify a purpose of business report writing.
• Define an audience.
• Decide on the type of business report.
• Identify the information needed to write the report.
• After that, John can gather the actual data for writing the report.
• When the data is gathered, John should arrange the information and write the report.
• John must make up conclusions from the data. After that, he can start working on an executive summary.
• Work on graphics and a list of his references.
• Proofread a couple of times.
• Create a table of contents.
• Once everything is done, the report can be presented to the audience.

Now you know everything about how to write reports on business successfully!