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Business Communication - How to Write a Powerful Business Report
Business communication -, how to write a powerful business report, business communication how to write a powerful business report.
Business Communication: How to Write a Powerful Business Report
Lesson 8: how to write a powerful business report.
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How to write a powerful business report
When a company needs to make an informed decision, it can create a business report to guide its leaders. Business reports use facts and research to study data, analyze performance, and provide recommendations on a company's future.
Watch the video below to learn how to write and format a business report.
The basics of a business report
Business reports are always formal , objective , and heavily researched . Every fact must be clear and verifiable, regardless of whether the report focuses on a single situation or examines the overall performance of an entire company.
Because objectivity is crucial in a business report, avoid subjective descriptions that tell the reader how to feel. For instance, if sales were down last quarter, don’t say “Sales were terrible last quarter,” but rather let the sales data speak for itself. There should also be no personal pronouns, such as “I think we should invest more capital.” A business report should remain impersonal and framed from the company’s perspective.
The structure of a business report
Although the size of a report can range from one page to 100, structure is always important because it allows readers to navigate the document easily. While this structure can vary due to report length or company standards, we’ve listed a common, reliable structure below:
- Front matter : List your name, job title, contact information, and the date of submission. You can also create a title for the report.
- Background : State the background of the topic you’ll be addressing, along with the purpose of the report itself.
- Key findings : Provide facts , data , and key findings that are relevant to the purpose stated in the background. Be clear and specific, especially because the entire report depends on the information in this section.
- Conclusion : Summarize and interpret the key findings, identify issues found within the data, and answer questions raised by the purpose.
- Recommendations : Recommend solutions to any problems mentioned in the conclusion, and summarize how these solutions would work. Although you’re providing your own opinion in this section, avoid using personal pronouns and keep everything framed through the company’s perspective.
- References : List the sources for all the data you've cited throughout the report. This allows people to see where you got your information and investigate these same sources.
Some companies may also require an executive summary after the front matter section, which is a complete summary that includes the report’s background, key findings, and recommendations. This section lets people learn the highlights quickly without having to read the entire document. The size of an executive summary can range from a paragraph to multiple pages, depending on the length of the report.
As mentioned in Business Writing Essentials , revision is key to producing an effective document. Review your writing to keep it focused and free of proofreading errors, and ensure your factual information is correct and presented objectively. We also recommend you get feedback from a colleague before submitting your work because they can spot errors you missed or find new opportunities for analysis or discussion.
Once you’ve revised your content, think about the report’s appearance . Consider turning your front matter section into a cover page to add some visual polish. You can also create a table of contents if the report is lengthy. If you’re printing it out, use quality paper and a folder or binder to hold the report together. To diversify the presentation of your data, try using bulleted lists, graphics, and charts.
Example of a business report
To demonstrate the principles of this lesson, we’ve created a brief business report for you to review.
Let's start by looking at the first page of this two-page report.
The layout of the front matter is simple and effective, while the background sets the stage in a quick, specific manner. The key findings provide the main takeaways that warrant further investigation, along with a chart to add emphasis and visual variety.
Now let's look at the following page.
The conclusion features a little of the writer's opinion on the key findings, although the writing is still centered around the company's perspective. The recommendations are clear and supported by the data, while the references are thorough.
While business reports may seem intimidating, you have the ability to create a thorough, informative document through practice and careful research. Collect the facts and present them in an organized, objective manner, and you’ll help your business make informed decisions.
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Business Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Format)
The shift from academic writing, such as essays and articles, to complex business reports, can be scary!
A business report is needed in almost any field of work. These are fact-based documents that are used to make decisions in a business.
You can use business reports for several purposes such as pitching an idea, analyzing an idea, pitching a merger, analyzing a merger, proving that your company complies with legal and social guidelines or any specific topic related to your job and work.
So if you have a job, it is crucial that you understand the concept of business reports and how to write them effectively.
In this article, we will talk about the different types of reports and their purpose, the importance of business reports, and how to structure your own in an impactful way!
But hey, first thing first. Let’s understand the concept of business reports a little better.
What is a Business Report? (Definition)
A Business report is defined as an official document that contains factual information , statistical data , research findings , or any other form of information relevant to the course of the job.
This report is a formal document written to-the-point to convey information in a concise yet clear manner. Business reports are majorly used for internal communication within an organization.
Objectivity is a major element while writing business reports. Whatever you say should be supported by data and facts, not opinion and perspective. For example, instead of saying ‘ sales in the last quarter were very low’, you show it by means of data.
The report can vary from one page to several pages depending on the purpose and type of report, which brings us to the second part: Types of Business reports.
Types Of Business Reports
There are many types of business reports used in an organization for various purposes. Obviously, you cant use the same report to analyze employee performance and sales in the last quarter, right?
Here are some common types of business reports:
1. Informational reports
You use this report when your boss asks for data that is purely objective i.e., just plain facts without any reasoning or potential outcomes. For instance, a workforce report stating the number of employees in the company, their duties, department of work, and responsibilities.
Read more: How to Write Project Reports that ‘Wow’ Your Clients? (Template Included)
2. Analytical Report
As the name suggests, this report is used when some critical company data has to be analyzed in order to make informed decisions.
For instance, analyzing the sales drop in the last financial year. This report consists of sales numbers, a comparison of those numbers with earlier years, and finding reasons for the fall. The report will also indicate possible measures the company can take to solve this problem.
3. Research Report
You use a research report when something big is coming up! It could be a potential merger, or a new product line, or a shift in the current way of working.
A big change requires a comprehensive report studying all its implications. For example, if the company wants to introduce a new product, the research report will consist of elements like target audience , marketing communication strategy , advertising campaigns, etc.
4. Explanatory Report
You use this report when you want to explain your individual project to the entire team. Let’s suppose you performed research.
An explanatory report will showcase the facts, list the findings, and determine the conclusion of the research. It should be written in very simple, concise, and clear words. Although the readers are mostly peers of the same industry, jargon should be avoided.
5. Progress Report
This is a small report used to notify updates in a company.
How was the previous week?
How is the sale for this quarter coming along?
What is the percentage change in conversions since the last week/month?
Questions like these are answered in a progress report. It does not contain analytics. Only information and changes.
Progress reports are a good medium for companies to track their day-to-day work and come up with new ideas for growth and expansion.
Still not convinced? Here are 4 compelling reasons why business reports are important for efficient workflow in an organization.
Read more: What is a Progress Report and How to Write One?
Importance of Business Reports
1. mode of communication.
You know how you text or call in daily life to communicate? In businesses, reports are prepared for it. We can say that business reports act as a medium of communication in an organization.
But why is it done?
Well, in big companies, there is an entire line of workflow that takes place. It is also known as a delegation of duties. In this workflow, there are branches, sub-branches, departments, and niche specific zones. If communication is done verbally, information may get lost or contaminated.
So for every important piece of communication, a written report is created. Anyone who needs access to that information can read the report and equip themselves with first-hand data.
2. Decision making
Thinking about launching a new product line? Prepare a report.
Aiming to cut company costs? Prepare a report.
From deciding the target audience to laying off employees, every decision is taken on the basis of detailed reports prepared with facts and stats.
Reports are transferred two-way in an organization. Employees create business reports and send them to higher management for decision making. Upper management creates reports to circulate information, tasks, etc. among the workforce.
3. Crisis management
In case of a crisis, chaos, and panic outbreaks, everyone has an opinion on the matter, and the transfer of thoughts verbally gives rise to workplace gossip.
In such a situation, business reports are created to get everyone on the same page and then factually analyze the problem.
Crisis management reports comprise of the cause of the issue, steps to take for damage control, and policies suggesting future protection from such crisis.
4. Effective management
The delegation of duties is done via reports. Every employee has their own to-do tasks with an assigned deadline. This helps in more sound and effective management of the company.
All the information is in viable written documents, decisions are taken upon careful analysis, and the overall functioning of the company is better using business reports.
So now that we know that we HAVE TO prepare business reports to survive in the corporate world, let’s move on to the next and probably the most important section where we teach you how you can get started on writing a proper report.
Read more: Business Requirements Document (BRD): What, Why, and How to Write?
How to write a business report? (Steps and Format)
Follow this step-by-step guide to create your powerful business report:
Step 1: Create a plan of action
You are writing a business report, not a school essay. You can’t base your report on thoughts as and when they come. Before starting the report, identify its purpose.
Define what you aim to achieve with the report and how you plan to present it. Do not beat around the bush! This will help you write a clear and concise report.
Step 2: Check for an in-house format
Your company may have a specific format for writing reports. Ask your supervisor or check the company’s handbook to find it. Do not blindly trust the internet.
However, if no such format is specified, you can use the standard global format listed in the following steps.
Step 3: Add a title
The title of the report may be specified in the brief you received from your supervisor. If not, you may write your own title. It should be clear, crisp, and be able to convey the purpose of the report.
You should avoid using very long and complicated titles. For instance, use ‘Sales report for FY 2020-21’ instead of ‘Analysing the customer interaction with the company in the last 12 months in comparison to previous years’. People will yawn and leave the room at the start of your report!
Also, add your name and the names of other people involved in making the report. Portraying someone else’s background hard work as your own is highly unethical in the workplace.
Step 4: Write a table of contents
You should include a table of contents page only if the report is long and contains sub-sections.
If this page is added, make sure to write contents exactly in the manner headings are written inside the report. All the contents should be properly numbered for the reader to easily navigate through the report or jump on a specific section.
Step 5: Add a Summary/ Abstract
This is a very important page in any report. You should write the abstract in such a manner that even if a person does not read the entire report, this page can give them a clear and detailed idea of the entire thing.
It should contain your title, issue, key findings, and conclusions. You should basically summarise everything you wrote in the report to fit in the abstract.
Step 6: Write an introduction
Now begins your actual report. On this page, specify the purpose of writing the report along with a brief idea of the main argument.
You can also include some background of the topic on this page.
Step 7: State your methodology
On this page, tell the readers how you created this report. It includes the sources of information, type of data (qualitative or quantitative), channels of receiving information, etc.
This is to equip your readers with the process you went through or, as we can say in the urban slang, the BTS of the report. It makes your report more credible.
Step 8: Present your findings
This is the main section where you present your findings. It should convey that you have done thorough research. So include stats, facts, and graphs to portray the information.
To prevent it from getting messy, align the data into various headings and subheadings. Use pointers, bulleted, or numbered whenever required.
Step 9: Give a conclusion or recommendation
End your report with a compelling conclusion. This should be drawn from previously stated findings.
You can also give recommendations for change or improvement in a policy, supported by valid documentation. The conclusion should come off strong, based on factual data, not biased views or opinions.
Step 10: Add bibliography and references
Adding this section is a legal compulsion in any report wherein the data is taken or inspired from previously published sources.
Let us explain it simply. If you have added any data or statistics in your report, you must give due credit to the original author. Else, it counts as plagiarism, which is a punishable offense.
Also, note the difference between references and bibliography, and don’t confuse the two!
Here’s an example:
Suppose you read a business report online and got inspired by it. Although, you didn’t use any of its data in your own report. In this scenario, you will list that report under the bibliography section.
However, if you took data from that report to directly include in yours, you will list that in the reference section.
Step 11: Proofread
Proofreading or revising is very important before finalizing a report. In this section, check for any spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or punctuations. These are small mishaps that can make a very bad impression.
Also, while proofreading, check the citations, footnotes, appendices, etc, according to the company standards. There may be guidelines you missed while writing the report!
Bit.ai : The Ultimate Tool For Writing Business Reports
With its new-age cloud technology bit gives your business report superpowers!
You can choose from pre-designed templates and just worry about putting your content into it.
With Bit’s smart integration, you can add rich media elements like cloud files , charts , pdfs, embeds, diagrams , graphs, and much more into your business reports within seconds.
Not only this, bit.ai lets you work with your team in real-time. You can co-edit and use inline comments to bring your colleagues to the same place to make decisions related to your business reports.
You even have document tracking to see who is opening your report and how much time they spent on it.
Few more business templates you might be interested in:
- SWOT Analysis Template
- Business Proposal Template
- Business Plan Template
- Competitor Research Template
- Project Proposal Template
- Company Fact Sheet
- Executive Summary Template
- Operational Plan Template
- Pitch Deck Template
As we have seen, writing a business report involves a lot of aspects. All of the time and energy is consumed in writing engaging content, and one tends to forget about the design element.
Yes, the design is a very important aspect of any report. When your report is visually appealing, it engages the reader and stands out in a room full of black and white text.
…and bit helps you do just that!
On bit, you can edit the document according to the type of report you created without compromising on the design. Play around with hundreds of fonts, themes, and color palettes with Bit to create an impact on your work!
Which was your last business report that really brought about a change? Which tool did you use to make it?
Tweet us @bit_docs and let us know!
Further reads:
7 Types of Reports Your Business Certainly Needs!
Performance Report: What is it & How to Create it? (Steps Included)
Formal Reports: What are they & How to Create them!
Business Documents: Definition, Types, Benefits & Steps to Create Them
Technical Report: Definition, Importance, and How to Write it?
16 Best Business Tools Every Business Needs in 2021
How to Write a Business Case: Step By Step Guide
Marketing Report: Definition, Types, Benefits & Things to Include!
Technical Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Structure Included)
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About Bit.ai
Bit.ai is the essential next-gen workplace and document collaboration platform. that helps teams share knowledge by connecting any type of digital content. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, anyone can work visually and collaborate in real-time while creating internal notes, team projects, knowledge bases, client-facing content, and more.
The smartest online Google Docs and Word alternative, Bit.ai is used in over 100 countries by professionals everywhere, from IT teams creating internal documentation and knowledge bases, to sales and marketing teams sharing client materials and client portals.
👉👉Click Here to Check out Bit.ai.
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How to Write a Business Report
A business report is a collection of data and analyses that helps make relevant information easily accessible to a company. There are many different types of business reports, but this guide will show you the basic outline.
Before You Begin:
- Think about your audience and their expectations, and plan your report accordingly. For example, are they expecting a formal or informal report? Do they have an understanding of the vocabulary/terms used? Do they require more background information? Do they need to be heavily persuaded?
- What is the purpose of the report? Make sure this is clear.
- Gather and organize your supporting information/data/visuals.
- Focus on the facts.
- Make sure to be clear and concise, so the report is easy for everyone to read and understand.
- Use a professional, standard font in a readable size.
Components of a Business Report
- Table of Contents: Depending on the length of the report, you might want to consider including a table of contents. This will make finding specific information easier for readers.
- Tip: Even though this is the first section, consider writing this section after you have finished the report. This will help you determine which points are the most important to address.
- Introduction: This section outlines what you will be going over in your report. It includes the main points, chosen report structure, and, most importantly, the objective of your report.
- Conclusion: In the conclusion, be sure to briefly summarize all of the main points in the order they were presented in the report.
- Recommendations: This section is where you provide your recommendations or suggestions based on the findings you noted in earlier sections. Indicate the potential benefits for the company to applying your suggestions.
- References: Be sure to cite all sources used in the report in this section.
- Appendices: In the Appendix, you can add relevant documents, surveys, graphs, etc. that you referenced in the report.
Business Report Writing - Step-By-Step (With Examples)
When it comes to business, a lot is riding on your reports. Whether presenting to clients, investors, or upper management, a business report can make or break opportunities for your business or organization. After all, that's the whole point of writing one—to convince your reader to see things from your perspective and make decisions accordingly.
If you're not sure how to get started, don't worry. This guide will show you how to write a formal business report step by step, complete with tips and examples. Let's get started.
What is a formal business report?
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A formal business report is a document that presents information or data in a structured, organized way. It's typically used to communicate research findings to decision-makers or organizational stakeholders, such as your manager, colleagues, or clients.
If you're wondering when you might need to write a formal business report, the answer is: pretty much any time you want to convincingly present information or data. This could be when:
- You're communicating the results of an investigation or analysis you conducted
- You're trying to make a case for a decision that needs to be made (by providing background information on the topic)
- You're informing others about changes or trends in your industry to keep them up to date (for instance, if there's an increase in regulation coming down from regulators)
- You're sharing best practices with your team (based on research, white papers , observations, or case studies )
Components of a business report
Typically, business reports contain three sections: an introduction, body paragraphs (or sections), and a conclusion that provides recommendations for future action. That's the basics of any report, which include a title page, table of contents, and appendices (if needed). Let's take a closer look at each section.
The title page is the first page of your report and should include:
- The title of the report
- Your name and contact information (as the author)
- The date the report was completed or submitted
- The name and contact information of the recipient (if applicable)
Table of contents
If your report is long (5+ pages), you might want to include a table of contents. This will help readers quickly find the information they're looking for instead of having to flip through the entire document.
To create a table of contents, start by looking at the headings and subheadings in your report. Then, list each heading and subheading along with the page number where it appears. Today's word processing software programs can automatically generate a table of contents for you—just be sure to update it if you make any changes to your report.
Some reports will begin with a summary, which is a brief overview of the main points in the report. This is useful if your reader only has time to skim the report (or if they need to quickly get up to speed on its contents).
If you decide to include a summary, ensure it's no more than a few sentences to a paragraph in length. You can think of it as an executive summary for your report—it should concisely give your reader a general idea of what the rest of the document will cover.
Introduction
The introduction is where you'll set the stage for your report by providing background information on the topic. This could include:
- The objective of your report
- The main points you'll be covering
- Your chosen report structure
Essentially, the introduction is your chance to explain what your reader can expect from the rest of the document. It should be clear and concise—after all, you don't want to lose your reader's attention before you even get to the meat of your report.
Next comes the body of your report. This is where you'll present the points you want to make in detail.
Depending on the type of report you're writing, the structure of the body will vary. It could be organized chronologically, by topics, or in another way that makes sense for your project. Some projects require a deep dive into data analysis, while others might be lighter on research.
The important thing to remember is that each section of the body should flow logically from one to the next. You'll want to use headings and subheadings to break up your text and help guide your reader through the information you're presenting. Here are some example headings you might use in a business report:
- Research Objectives
Recommendations
In this section, you'll state your recommendations or suggestions and provide justification for why the company should implement them. Remember to back up your points with data from your research and analysis in earlier sections, and always link your recommendations to the company's goals.
For instance, if your report is about increasing sales, your recommendations might focus on strategies for boosting marketing efforts. The justifications for these recommendations should be based on data that proves that marketing and sales are related (for example, increased marketing leads to more sales).
Next, you'll wrap up your report with a conclusion. This is where you'll summarize the main points of your findings (in the same order as the body) and reiterate your recommendations.
Your conclusion should provide a clear next step for the company (a call-to-action), as well as what will happen if they don't consider your recommendations. Will they miss out on opportunities? Lose market share? Make it clear what's at stake if they don't take action and the potential benefits.
As with any formal document, don't forget to include a references section if you've used any sources in your report. Cite any data, research, or other information you've used.
Finally, you'll include any additional information in the appendix section. This could be:
These are meant to supplement the information in your report and provide additional context or background for your reader.
Formal business report example
If you're still unsure how the final output should look, take a look at this formal business report example. This sample report looks at customer complaints from an automobile company and makes recommendations for improving customer satisfaction.
How to write a business report
Now that we've gone over the different parts of a formal business report and looked at an example. Let's dig a little deeper into how you can write one yourself. Here are the steps you'll need to take:
1. Create an outline for your report
Like you would with any project, it's important to start by creating an outline for your business report. Don't go straight into research and writing immediately; instead, take some time to think about what you want to achieve with your report.
What are your objectives? What kind of information do you need to gather? Once you have a good understanding of your goals, you can start mapping out the structure of your report.
That way, you'll organize your thoughts more efficiently and ensure you don't forget any important points. It'll also put things into perspective and help you see the "big picture" of your report. Maybe there are elements you can leave out or streamline if they're not directly related to your objectives, or maybe you need to address some gaps or missing points.
An example outline would look something like this:
- Introduction (the purpose of the report)
- Background information (informative context for readers)
- Problem identification/analysis (what is the problem/challenge being addressed?)
- Solution identification/recommendation(s) (your recommended solutions and why they're appropriate)
- Conclusion (a summary of your findings and recommendations, with a call-to-action)
Remember that this is just a general guide—you can (and should) adjust it as needed to fit the specific requirements of your report.
Pro Tip: If you need help putting together an outline, try Copy.ai's Essay Outline tool . It'll help you build a basic structure for your business report in minutes and save you precious time in writing.
2. Check for an in-house format
Before you start writing, checking whether your company has a standard format for formal business reports is important. This will usually be outlined in your company handbook. Alternatively, you can ask the person who's commissioning the report to see if there's a specific format they want you to use.
An established format will help give your report a more professional look. You won't have to start from scratch when putting together the final document.
3. Gather the data and prep your research
Now, it's time to start collecting the information you need for your report. This will involve reading relevant articles and papers, interviewing experts in your field, and contacting companies who have experience with similar issues (if applicable).
It's important to be thorough in your research—you want to ensure you have all the relevant information before you start writing.
To tick this off your list quickly and easily, the most important thing is to identify what your audience is actually looking for. Ask yourself:
- What kind of information will the reader want to see?
- How much detail do they need/expect?
- Is there anything else they should know about this topic or subject?
Answering these questions will help you focus your research and ensure you're on the right track. It may seem like a lot of work at first, but trust us—it'll be worth it in the end. The worst thing is to think you've finished your report only to realize you've left out some crucial information!
4. Craft your executive summary
This is probably the most important part of your report. Why? Because it's what readers will see first, it'll determine whether or not they actually continue reading. So you need to make sure it's clear, concise, and engaging—everything a good executive summary should be. And let's not forget short!
The executive summary describes the report in as few words as possible. Use strong verbs and active language to get your point across. Make sure you include the most important information: the problem being addressed, why it's important, your recommendation(s), and why those are the best solution(s).
For instance, let's say you're writing a report on customer complaints about your product packaging. Your executive summary might look something like this:
"Our company has seen increased customer complaints regarding our product's packaging design. As a result, we conducted a study to identify the root cause of the problem and propose a solution. Our findings indicate that the current packaging design is confusing and difficult to open, causing customer frustration. We recommend switching to a more user-friendly design that will be easier to open and reduce the number of customer complaints."
See how that gives a brief overview of the issue, the research conducted, and the proposed solution. That's what you're aiming for with your executive summary.
5. Format your main sections
After you've written your executive summary, it's time to move on to the rest of your report. The main sections will depend on the type of report you're writing, but they should all be clearly labeled and easy to read using headings and subheadings.
As mentioned earlier, the three main sections of a business report are the introduction, body, and conclusion. Here's a quick overview of what each section should include:
- The introduction : This is where you'll set the scene for the rest of the report by providing an overview of the report's main points and purpose.
- The body : This is the meat of your report, and it's where you'll present all the information you've gathered to support your findings and recommendations. Be sure to organize it in a way that makes sense and is easy to follow.
- The conclusion: This is where you'll summarize the main points of your report and stress the importance of your findings or recommendations.
No matter how many sections or subsections your report has, make sure each one flows smoothly into the next. You want your readers to follow along easily without getting lost or confused. Also, take care of too much jargon or technical language—simple is always better for business reports.
6. Add a strong conclusion and appendix
The conclusion is just as important as the executive summary, so don't skimp on it! You want to give your readers a strong sense of what your report was about and why it matters. When done right, it'll leave them with a lasting impression and entice them to take further action.
However, avoid using complex language, repeating yourself too much, or giving away too much information, as that will dilute the impact of your findings. Ensure all major findings are included so readers don't needlessly slog through portions of the report they already know about. Additionally, you should always provide a clear call to action for what you want the reader to do next.
You might also want to include an appendix at the end of your report, which is a great way to include additional information or data that supports your findings without taking up space in the main body of the report. This is especially useful if you have a lot of data or charts and graphs that would make the report cumbersome.
It also works well for including information that might interest some readers but not others, such as the detailed methodology used in your research. That way, people interested in that sort of thing can easily find it, while those who aren't can skip over it without having to wade through irrelevant information.
7. Have someone else proofread your final draft
Finally, once you've written, edited, and formatted your report perfectly, it's time to have someone else look at it. This is an important step that should never be skipped, as it's all too easy to miss your own mistakes.
When choosing someone to proofread your work , pick someone who is detail-oriented and has a good eye for grammar and spelling. It might sound like overkill, but if there are any typos or grammatical errors in your final draft, it will be a huge distraction from your overall message and make readers question whether they can trust anything else in the report.
If possible, have someone who wasn't involved in writing the report read it over, as they'll be able to provide a more objective perspective, especially on clarity. Your readers should be able to understand what you're trying to say without too much effort or outside research, so if your proofreader is struggling, that's a sign that something needs to be rewritten or clarified.
Lastly, you want to ensure that all the information you present is accurate and up to date. This might require doing additional research or checking your data against other sources.
Suppose you find any statements that don't seem factual enough or don't support other details provided earlier on in the document. In that case, you might have written something incorrectly or overlooked some crucial data when putting your report together. That's when it's time to go back and make the necessary changes before calling it quits.
In conclusion
Writing a formal business report isn't an easy task. Still, take the time to learn the proper format and put in the effort to gather accurate and reliable information. You'll be able to produce a professional, impressive, and useful document. It gets easier with practice, so don't be discouraged if your first few attempts aren't perfect. Just keep at it, and you'll eventually get the hang of it!
Also, don't forget that Copy.ai can help you with any writing project, big or small. From outlines to finished drafts, their artificial intelligence writing generators will help you every step of the way. So if you ever need a little help or inspiration, be sure to give it a try!
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Business Report: What is it & How to Write a Great One? (With Examples)
With so much experience under your belt, you already know a lot about business reporting.
So, we don’t want to waste your time pointing out the obvious because we know what you need.
Secrets. Tricks. Best practices.
The answer to how to write a mind-blowing business report that you don’t need to spend hours and days writing.
A business report that will immediately allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
A report that’ll help you learn more about your business and do more accurate forecasting and planning for the future.
We believe we have just that right here.
With this comprehensive guide, you’ll create effective sales, analytical, and informative business reports (and business dashboards ) that will help you improve your strategies, achieve your goals, and grow your business.
So, let’s dive in.
What Is a Business Report?
Importance of creating business reports, types of business reports, what should be included in a business report, how to write a business report: an 11-step guide.
- Business Report Examples
Although there’s a variety of business reports that differ in many aspects, in short, a business report definition would be the following:
A business report is an informative document that contains important data such as facts, analyses, research findings, and statistics about a business with the goal to make this information accessible to people within a company.
Their main purpose is to facilitate the decision-making process related to the future of the business, as well as to maintain effective communication between people who create the reports and those they report to.
A good business report is concise and well-organized, looks professional, and displays the relevant data you can act on. The point is to reflect upon what you’ve achieved so far (typically, over the past month, quarter or year) and to use the data to create a new strategy or adjust the current one to reach even more business goals.
Business reports should be objective and based on the data. When stating the facts, people rely on numbers rather than giving descriptions. For instance, instead of saying “our conversion rate skyrocketed”, you would display the exact percentages that back up that claim.
Business reporting matters for several reasons, among which the most important ones are:
Recognizing Opportunities to Grow
Detecting issues and solving them quickly, evaluating a potential partner, having a paper trail, keeping things transparent for the stakeholders, setting new company goals.
In fact, over half of the companies that contributed to Databox’s state of business reporting research confirmed that regular monitoring and reporting brought them significant concrete benefits.
If you never look back at what you’ve achieved, you can’t figure out what you’ve done well and what you can leverage in the future for even better results.
When you analyze a specific aspect of your business over a specific time period and present the data you gathered in a report, you can detect an opportunity to grow more easily because you have all the information in one place and organized neatly.
Is it time to introduce new products or services? Is there a way to enhance your marketing strategy? Prepare a report. Can you optimize your finances? Write a financial business report . Whatever decision you need to make, it’s easier when you base it on a report.
Reports are essential for crisis management because they can introduce a sense of calmness into your team. Putting everything on paper makes it easier to encompass all the relevant information and when you know all the facts, you can make a more accurate and effective decision about what to do next.
Writing business reports regularly will also help you identify potential issues or risks and act timely to prevent damage and stop it from escalating. That’s why monthly reporting is better than doing it only once a year.
Having an insight into your finances , operations and other business aspects more regularly allows you to have better control over them and mitigate potential risks more effectively.
Different types of business reports may be accessible to the general public. And if they’re not, specific situations may require a company to send them over to the person requesting them. That may happen if you’re considering a partnership with another company. Before making the final decision, you should learn about their financial health as every partnership poses a certain risk for your finances and/or reputation. Will this decision be profitable?
Having an insight into a company’s business report helps you establish vital business relationships. And it goes the other way around – any potential partner can request that you pull a business report for them to see, so writing business reports can help you prove you’re a suitable business partner.
In business, and especially in large companies, it’s easy to misplace information when it’s communicated verbally. Having a written report about any aspect of your business doesn’t only prevent you from losing important data, but it also helps you keep records so you can return to them at any given moment and use them in the future.
That’s why it’s always good to have a paper trail of anything important you want to share with colleagues, managers, clients, or investors. Nowadays, of course, it doesn’t have to literally be a paper trail, since we keep the data in electronic form.
Writing business reports helps you keep things transparent for the stakeholders, which is the foundation of efficient communication between these two sides.
You typically need to report to different people – sometimes they’re your managers, sometimes they’re a client. But your company’s stakeholders will also require an insight into the performance of your business, and relying on reports will help you maintain favorable business relationships. A business report shows you clearly how your company is performing and there isn’t room for manipulation.
Once you set business goals and the KPIs that help you track your progress towards them, you should remember they’re not set in stone. From time to time, you’ll need to revisit your goals and critical metrics and determine whether they’re still relevant.
When you write a business report and go through it with your team members or managers, you have a chance to do just that and determine if you’re efficient in reaching your goals. Sometimes, new insights will come up while writing these reports and help you identify new objectives that may have emerged.
Depending on your goals and needs, you’ll be writing different types of business reports. Here are five basic types of business reports .
Informational Report
Analytical report, research report, explanatory report, progress report.
Informational reports provide you with strictly objective data without getting into the details, such as explaining why something happened or what the result may be – just pure facts.
An example of this type of business report is a statement where you describe a department within your company: the report contains the list of people working in this department, what their titles are, and what they’re responsible for.
Another example related to a company’s website could look like this Google Analytics website traffic engagement report . As we explained above, this report shows objective data without getting too much into the details, so in this case, just the most important website engagement metrics such as average session duration, bounce rate, sessions, sessions by channel, and so on. Overall, you can use this report to monitor your website traffic, see which keywords are most successful, or how many returning users you have, but without further, in-depth analysis.
Analytical reports help you understand the data you’ve collected and plan for the future based on these insights. You can’t make business decisions based on facts only, so analytical reports are crucial for the decision-making process.
This type of business report is commonly used for sales forecasting. For instance, if you write a report where you identify a drop or an increase in sales, you’ll want to find out why it happened. This HubSpot’s sales analytics report is a good example of what metrics should be included in such a report, like average revenue per new client or average time to close the deal. You can find more web analytics dashboard examples here.
From these business reports, you can find out if you will reach your goals by implementing your current strategy or if you need to make adjustments.
Research is critical when you’re about to introduce a change to your business. Whether it’s a new strategy or a new partner, you need an extensive report to have an overview of all important details. These reports usually analyze new target markets and competition, and contain a lot of statistical data.
While not the same, here is an example of an ecommerce dashboard that could help track each part of a campaign in detail, no matter whether you are launching a new product, testing a new strategy, and similar. Similar to a research report, it contains key data on your audience (target market), shows your top-selling products, conversion rate and more. If you are an online store owner who is using paid ads, you can rely on this report to monitor key online sales stats in line with Facebook Ads and Google Analytics. See more ecommerce dashboards here.
As you might guess from its name, you write the explanatory report when it’s necessary for you to explain a specific situation or a project you’ve done to your team members. It’s important to write this report in a way that everyone will be able to understand.
Explanatory reports include elements like research results, reasons and goals of the research, facts, methodology, and more. While not exactly an explanatory report, this example of a HubSpot marketing drilldown report is the closest thing to it, as it helps marketers drill into an individual landing page performance, and identify how good their landing pages are at converting, or which ones have the best performance.
A progress report is actually an update for your manager or client – it informs them about where you stand at the moment and how things are going. It’s like a checkpoint on your way towards your goal.
These reports may be the least demanding to write since you don’t need to do comprehensive research before submitting them. You just need to sum up your progress up to the point when the report was requested. This business report may include your current results, the strategy you’re implementing, the obstacles you’ve come across, etc.
In many companies, progress reports are done on a weekly or even daily basis. Here is an example of a daily sales report from Databox. HubSpot users can rely on this sales rep drilldown business report to see how individual each sales rep is performing and measure performance against goals. Browse through all our KPI dashboards here.
What does a great business report look like? If you’re not sure what sections your report should have, you’ll learn what to include in the following lines.
Business Report Formatting
Different types of reports require different lengths and structures, so your business report format may depend on what elements your report needs to have. For example, progress reports are typically pretty simple, while analytical or explanatory reports are a different story.
However, most reports will start with a title and a table of contents, so the person reading the report knows what to expect. Then, add a summary and move on to the introduction. After you’ve written the body and the conclusion, don’t forget to include suggestions based on your findings that will help your team create an actionable plan as you move forward.
After that, list the references you used while creating the report, and attach any additional documents or images that can help the person reading the report understand it better.
This outline may vary depending on what kind of report you’re writing. Short business reports may not need a table of contents, and informative reports won’t contain any analyses. Also, less formal reports don’t need to follow a strict structure in every situation.
Business Report Contents
When it comes to the contents of your report, keep in mind the person who’s going to read it and try to balance between including all the relevant information, but not overwhelming the reader with too many details.
- The introduction to the report should state the reason why you’re writing it, and what its main goal is. Also, mention what methodology and reporting software you’ve used, if applicable.
- The body of the report is where you’ll expose all your key findings, explain your methodology, share the important data and statistics, and present your results and conclusion.
- The conclusion , similarly to the summary you’ll add at the beginning of the report, briefly singles out the most important points and findings of the report.
If you decide to include more sections like recommendations, this is where you’ll suggest the next steps your team or the company may want to take to improve the results or take advantage of them if they’re favorable.
PRO TIP: Are You Tracking the Right Metrics for Your SaaS Company?
As a SaaS business leader, there’s no shortage of metrics you could be monitoring, but the real question is, which metrics should you be paying most attention to? To monitor the health of your SaaS business, you want to identify any obstacles to growth and determine which elements of your growth strategy require improvements. To do that, you can track the following key metrics in a convenient dashboard with data from Profitwell:
- Recurring Revenue. See the portion of your company’s revenue that is expected to grow month-over-month.
- MRR overview. View the different contributions to and losses from MRR from different kinds of customer engagements.
- Customer overview . View the total number of clients your company has at any given point in time and the gains and losses from different customer transactions.
- Growth Overview . Summarize all of the different kinds of customer transactions and their impact on revenue growth.
- Churn overview. Measure the number and percentage of customers or subscribers you lost during a given time period.
If you want to track these in ProfitWell, you can do it easily by building a plug-and-play dashboard that takes your customer data from ProfitWell and automatically visualizes the right metrics to allow you to monitor your SaaS revenue performance at a glance.
You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.
To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:
Step 1: Get the template
Step 2: Connect your Profitwell account with Databox.
Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.
Note : Other than text, make sure you include images, graphs, charts, and tables. These elements will make your report more readable and illustrate your points.
Whether you’re writing a specific type of business report for the first time or you simply want to improve the quality of your reports, make sure you follow this comprehensive guide to writing an effective business report.
- Do Your Research
- Create an Outline
- Determine Formatting Guidelines
- Think of an Engaging Title
- Write the Introduction
- Divide the Body of the Report into Sections
- Choose Illustrations
- Conclude Effectively
- Gather Additional Documentation
- Add a Summary
- Proofread Your Work
Step 1: Do Your Research
A well-planned report is a job half done. That means you need to do research before you start writing: you need to know who you’re writing for and how much they know about the topic of your report. You need to explore the best business dashboard software and templates you can use for your report.
Also, if you believe you will need additional resources and documents to add in the appendix, you should do it during this phase of report writing.
Step 2: Create an Outline
Once you’ve gathered the resources, it’s time to plan the report. Before you start writing, create an outline that will help you stick to the right structure. A business report is complex writing in which you can get lost very easily if you don’t have a clear plan.
Moreover, the report shouldn’t be complicated to read, so sticking to a plan will allow you to keep it concise and clear, without straying from the topic.
Step 3: Determine Formatting Guidelines
Most companies have their in-house formatting that every official document has to follow. If you’re not sure if such rules exist in your company, it’s time you checked with your managers.
If there arent’ any guidelines regarding formatting, make sure you set your own rules to make the report look professional. Choose a simple and readable format and make sure it supports all the symbols you may need to use in the report. Set up proper headings, spacing, and all the other elements you may need in Word or Google Docs.
Pro tip: Google Docs may be easier to share with people who are supposed to read your business report.
Step 4: Think of an Engaging Title
Even if you’re writing a formal business report, the title should be clear and engaging. Reports are typically considered dull as they’re a part of official business documentation, but there’s no reason why you can’t make them interesting to read. Your title should suit the report topic and be in different font size so the reader can recognize it’s a title. Underneath the title, you should add the name of the author of the report.
Step 5: Write the Introduction
A good introductory paragraph for a business report should explain to the reader why you’ve written the report. Use the introduction to provide a bit of background on the report’s topic and mention the past results if there’s been a significant improvement since your last report.
Step 6: Divide the Body of the Report into Sections
As this will be the most comprehensive part of your report, make sure you separate the data into logical sections. Your report is supposed to tell a story about your business, and these sections (such as methodology, hypothesis, survey, findings, and more) will help the data look well-organized and easy to read.
Step 7: Choose Illustrations
Of course, each of these sections should be followed with charts, graphs, tables, or other illustrations that help you make a point. Survey results are typically best displayed in pie charts and graphs, and these enable the reader to visualize the data better. From the formatting point of view, breaking the long text sections with illustrations makes the report more readable.
Pro tip: Using centralized dashboard solutions like Databox can bring your reporting game to the next level. Sign up for a forever-free trial now to see how you can use Databox to track and visualize performance easier than ever before .
Step 8: Conclude Effectively
Finish your report with a to-the-point conclusion that will highlight all the main data from the report. Make sure it’s not too long, as it’s supposed to be a summary of the body of the report. In case you don’t want to add a specific section for recommendations, this is where you can include them, along with your assessments.
Step 9: Gather Additional Documentation
If you’ve determined what additional documents, images, surveys, or other attachments you may need for your report, now is the time to collect them. Request access to those you may not be able to get on time, so you have everything you need by the deadline. Copy the documents you can use in the original form, and scan the documents you need in electronic format.
Step 10: Add a Summary
The summary is usually at the top of the report, but it’s actually something you should write after your report is completed. Only then will you know exactly what your most relevant information and findings are, so you can include them in this brief paragraph that summarizes your report’s main points.
The summary should tell the reader about the objective of the report, the methodology used, and even mention some of the key findings and conclusions.
Step 11: Proofread Your Work
It may seem like common sense, but this final step of the process is often overlooked. Proofreading your work is how you make sure your report will look professional because errors can ruin the overall impression the reader will form about your work, no matter how great the report is.
Look for any spelling or grammatical mistakes you can fix, and if you’re not sure about specific expressions or terminology, use Google to double-check it. Make sure your writing is to-the-point and clear, especially if you’re writing for people who may not know the industry so well. Also, double-check the facts and numbers you’ve included in the report before you send it out or start your reporting meeting.
Business Report Examples (with Ready-to-Use Templates)
Here, we’re sharing a few business reporting examples that you can copy, along with ready-to-use and free-to-download templates. If you don’t know where to start and what to include in different types of business reports, these business report examples are a great way to get started or at least get some inspiration to create yours.
Activity Report Example
Annual report example, project status report example, financial report example, sales report example, marketing report example.
Note : Each of the business report templates shared below can be customized to fit your individual needs with our DIY Dashboard Designer . No coding or design skills are necessary.
For reporting on sales activity, HubSpot users can rely this streamlined sales activity report that includes key sales metrics, such as calls, meetings, or emails logged by owner. This way, you can easily track the number of calls, meetings, and emails for each sales rep and identify potential leaks in your sales funnel. Check all our sales team activity dashboards here. Or if you are looking for dashboards that track general sales performance, browse through all Databox sales dashboards here.
If you’re preparing for annual reporting, you will benefit from choosing this HubSpot annual performance report . It contains all the relevant metrics, such as email and landing page performance, new contacts, top blog posts by page views, and more. See all our performance dashboard templates here.
Project status reports can be very similar to progress reports. If you’re in need of one of those, here’s an example of a Project overview dashboard from Harvest that shows that can help you create simple, but well-organized report based on metrics that matter: hours tracked, billable hours, billable amount split by team members., and more. Check out more project management dashboard templates we offer here.
Are you creating a financial report? You will find this QuickBooks + HubSpot integration a great choice for a financial performance dashboard that makes creating a report simple. This dashboard focuses on the essential financial report
ting metrics and answers all your revenue-related questions. See all Databox financial dashboards here.
If you’re tracking your sales team’s monthly performance, this sales report template will help you prepare an outstanding report. Check out all the vital productivity KPIs, track your progress towards your goals, and understand well how your current sales pipeline is performing. See all sales performance dashboards we have available here.
Marketing reports can be easily prepared by using this monthly marketing report template . With HubSpot’s reporting, you can determine where your website traffic is coming from, how your landing pages and specific blog posts are performing, and how successful your email campaigns are. Browse all Databox marketing dashboards here.
Create a Professional Business Report in No Time with Databox
Does creating a business report still sound like a daunting task? It doesn’t have to be with Databox.
In times when we’re all trying to save our time and energy for things that matter rather than scattering valuable resources on tedious, repetitive tasks, it’s critical to optimize your business process. And we want to help you do just that.
Using a business reporting dashboard enables you to track data from all the different tools you’re using – but in one place. With Databox, you can monitor and report on performance in a single dashboard that is optimized for all your favorite devices and you can create streamlined and beautiful dashboards even if you are not that tech-savvy. (no coding or design skills are required).
Automating business reporting has never been easier. And with Databox, you can do exactly that in just a few clicks. Sign up now and get your first 3 business dashboards for free.
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Sales Pipeline Report: How to Build One, What to Include In It, Benefits, and Best Practices
Not sure how to create a comprehensive sales pipeline report here is everything you need to know to optimize the pipeline reporting process..
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What Is KPI Reporting? KPI Report Examples, Tips, and Best Practices
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How to Write a Business Report
Last Updated: December 13, 2022 References Approved
This article was co-authored by Michael R. Lewis . Michael R. Lewis is a retired corporate executive, entrepreneur, and investment advisor in Texas. He has over 40 years of experience in business and finance, including as a Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He has a BBA in Industrial Management from the University of Texas at Austin. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 12 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 731,536 times.
Business reports are one of the most effective ways to communicate in today’s business world. Although business reports' objectives are broad in scope, businesses or individuals can use them to help make important decisions. To write an effective business report, you first need to understand what it is and how it can be used.
Deciding What Type of Report to Write
- For example, you want a 3D printer for your division. To convince your manager to requisition one, you would write a justification/recommendation report to formally ask the management team for the printer.
- For instance, say pharmaceutical company X wants to partner with pharmaceutical company Y but has some concerns. Company X doesn’t want to partner with a company that has current financial problems or has had financial problems in the past. Company X conducts an investigation and uses an investigative report to discuss in-depth financial information on company Y and its directors.
- For instance, CALPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) needed to show its board of administration that it followed all applicable laws and rules in 2010. It put together an annual compliance report to show their activities for the year.
- Can this project be completed within its budget?
- Will the project be profitable?
- Can this project be completed within the allotted time frame?
- For example, a business might conduct a company-wide study on whether to ban smoking in its employee lounge. The person who writes up the study would produce a research studies report.
- For instance, a pharmaceutical sales representative might provide a monthly summary of his or her sales calls.
- As an example, a state’s governing body would like a situational report after a hurricane.
- For instance, ABC Auto Manufacturing, Inc., wants to open a plant in Asia. The report might narrow down three country options based on the company’s needs. The report would then conclude which of the three countries is the best location for the new plant.
Writing a Business Report
- Regardless of the answer, you need to make your objective concise. If it is muddled, then your report will only confuse your audience, which risks damaging the report's credibility.
- For instance, you may want to accomplish receiving a larger advertising budget for your department. Your report should focus on the current advertising budget and how you might effectively use a larger budget.
- Remember that regardless of your audience, no bottom line speaks louder than money to a company or client.
- For instance, say you want to implement a job-share program for your division. You decide your target audience is the company’s HR director, CEO and COO. Consider how much they likely know about job-share programs already. The answer will set the tone for the report. If your company has never considered a job-share program, then the report will be both informational and strategic. If the company has considered a job-share program, then the report will be less informational and more persuasive.
- Data may come internally, which means you'll be able to collect it quite quickly. Sales figures, for example, should be available from the sales department with a phone call, meaning you can receive your data and plug it into your report quickly.
- External data may also be available internally. If a department already performs customer analysis data collection, borrow that department's. You don't need to conduct the research on your own. This will be different for every type of business, but the writer of a business report often doesn't need to conduct firsthand research.
- For instance, if you are writing a justification/recommendation report, then you have to research all the benefits of your proposed idea and incorporate the research into your report.
- Break up relevant data into separate sections. A business report can't be a big flood of figures and information. Organizing the data into separate sections is key to the success of a well-written business report. For example, keep sales data separate from customer analysis data, each with its own header.
- Organize the report into appropriate section headers, which may be read through quickly as standalone research, but also supporting the basic objective of the report together.
- Since some of the sections may depend upon analysis or input from others, you can often work on sections separately while waiting for the analysis to be completed.
- Any goals should include specific, measurable actions. Write out any changes in job descriptions, schedules or expenses necessary to implement the new plan. Each statement should directly indicate how the new method will help to meet the goal/solution set forth in the report.
- The executive summary gets its name because it's likely the only thing a busy executive would read. Tell your boss everything important here, in no more than 200-300 words. The rest of the report can be perused if the boss is more curious.
- Generally speaking, visual figures are a great idea for business reports because the writing and the data itself can be a little dry. Don’t go overboard, though. All infographics should be relevant and necessary.
- Use boxes on pages with a lot of text and no tables or figures. A page full of text can be tiresome for a reader. Boxed information can also effectively summarize important points on the page.
- Use the appropriate formatting for the citations in your report, based on your industry.
- For example, don’t overuse fancy words or make your sentences too wordy.
- Avoid using slang.
- If your report and audience are both closely tied to a specific industry, it's appropriate to use jargon or technical terms. But you have to take care to not overuse jargon and technical terms.
- Generally, business writing is written in the passive voice , and this is one of the few instances where passive writing is usually better than active writing.
- You can often miss errors while proofreading your own work due to the familiarity from writing it. Consider asking someone else in your department who wants the report to succeed to read over it as well. Be open to the feedback. It's better to hear about mistakes from a co-worker than from a boss. Review each comment from the peer review and rewrite the report, taking comments into consideration.
- This applies to any graphs or charts included in the report as well.
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- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/formal-business-report-example
- ↑ https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/lbcctechwriting/chapter/7-7-feasibility-reports/
- ↑ https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ua/media/44/learningguide-businessreportwriting.pdf
- ↑ https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/learning-teaching/support/approach/steps-to-teaching-success/resources/WSBG-report-writing-guide-2017.pdf
- ↑ http://wac.colostate.edu/teaching/tipsheets/writing_business_reports.pdf
- ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/how-to-write-a-business-report
About This Article
To write a business report, start with an introduction that presents a clear idea, problem, or objective. Next, present the facts, focusing on one main idea per paragraph, and discuss benefits and possible risks associated with your objective. Then, present your research and proposed solutions. Be sure to organize the data into separate sections based on subject matter and include section headers for readability. Finally, summarize the main points of your report in the conclusion. For tips on formatting different kinds of business reports, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How to write a business report with ease
When it comes to sharing facts about your business, there are few better ways to communicate than through a formal business report. Business reports are often required to analyze past performance and make informed decisions about the future.
Knowing how to write a business report is an important skill, no matter what industry you're in. Today, we'll help you learn more about how to create a professional business report so you can more confidently share your business ideas with others.
What is a business report?
A business report is an official document to convey factual data about your business. Business reports can contain data, statistics, or any other information related to your company or industry.
A business report may simply be designed to convey information about your organization or your past financial performance. But business reports are often created to propose a new business idea or make decisions regarding your corporate strategy. This is why it's essential to hone your report-writing skills — so you can make a good impression and help guide the management of your company.
Types of business reports
Business reports come in different varieties, and each serves a slightly different purpose. Here are some of the most common forms:
Informational report
Informational reports are some of the most direct and simplest to write. They're designed to convey objective facts. Informational reports are often used to compile background information about the company or the industry, presenting statistical data on market performance, the number of employees, and other relevant data.
Progress report
A progress report is usually created to provide an update on a specific project or set of goals. For example, a progress report might include data on how sales are improving over the quarter, or it may highlight specific benchmarks associated with the completion of a particular project.
As with informational reports, a progress report doesn't seek to interpret data — it only sets out to present objective facts.
Analytical report
An analytical report is used when a financial decision is on the horizon. An analytical report will present data just like an informational report, but this type of report goes one step further by providing a detailed analysis of the data.
This type of analysis can be helpful when you want to examine efficiency for a particular process or if your company is looking to perform a SWOT analysis to explore your organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Compliance report
You can generate a compliance report when your organization needs to confirm accountability to industry or legal regulations.
For example, you can use a compliance report to demonstrate that your organization is spending money according to federal regulations or that you're adhering to specific environmental protocols in the way you conduct business.
Investigative or feasibility report
An investigative report analyzes the risks associated with a particular project and presents key findings so that you can decide whether to move forward with an investment or idea.
A feasibility report is very similar, but rather than analyzing risks associated with a proposed idea, a feasibility study determines whether a particular business venture is possible. For example, you could use a feasibility report to decide whether an organization can afford to offer a specific product or service.
Periodic report
A periodic report simply refers to a report generated on a recurring basis. This can be scheduled or unscheduled. It presents data relating to the past quarter, fiscal year, or other specified period of time.
Situational report
As the name suggests, a situational report is specific to a particular event. Information gained from a web seminar, for example, could be compiled into a situational report.
Yardstick report
A yardstick report is a slang term given to business reports that propose several solutions to a single problem. This helps companies brainstorm new approaches to historical challenges and refine their strategies for the future.
Research studies report
A research studies report (also called a "research report") presents research and statistics on a particular problem or issue. A research report is usually created when you face a major decision and need as much factual information as you can get to make the right call.
Even though the research you'll be sifting through may be advanced, you'll still want to be clear and concise and avoid any technical terms or insider jargon. Remember, the easier it is to understand, the simpler it will be to make an informed decision.
How to write a business report for your company
How to write a business report
Before you start researching and writing, you'll want to determine your exact plan. What is the purpose of your report? Who is your target audience? How do you intend to accomplish your goals? Your report's purpose might actually be given to you, especially if your report is made upon the request of upper management. If so, make sure to refine your goal carefully and ask any questions that can help you zero in on the exact aims of the finished document.
If you're working at an established company, you may be expected to adhere to company standards for writing a business report. Check to see whether there is a specific format you're expected to follow. You can also ask for copies of past business reports so you can match your organization's guidelines.
Here's where the fun begins! You'll want to gather as much data and information as possible about your report's topic. For reports about your own organization, you might rely on your company's internal reporting processes to provide up-to-the-minute sales data, employee records, or other important findings. Data about your industry might be found through online resources and popular journals. However, make sure to use reputable sources and note the references you use for inclusion in your bibliography.
Once you've organized your research data, you're ready to start writing. To start, you'll want to present the reader with a clear introduction. A good introduction will: - Help the reader understand the purpose of the report - Provide a summary of the main argument - Present any background on the subject matter of the report - Define any key or unfamiliar terms This sounds like a lot, but you'll want to be as concise as you can in your introduction. You'll present a more detailed explanation in later sections.
Next, you'll want to briefly explain how you acquired the information contained in your business report. You can simply give a brief overview of how you located your data, as well as how you analyzed your findings.
The main body of your business report will contain all the information necessary to accomplish the report's purpose. This will likely be your longest section, so you'll likely want to split your findings into multiple sub-sections to make it easier for your reader to follow along. The structure of this section should be clear and simple to follow. Make sure to use titles for each sub-section you include to help your reader understand the data that they're reading in your reports. Remember: you're not trying to draw conclusions just yet. Instead, you're presenting your findings in a clear, objective manner.
When writing a business report, you'll always want to end well. Your conclusion should summarize your main points and draw out the implications of your research findings. For example, your research could lead to the conclusion that your organization is not spending money properly. You can use this specific opportunity to make a recommendation in this section. Typically, you'll want to write a report that contains specific recommendations and measurable actions for the future. These conclusions can help with your organization's decision-making processes, so it's important to be clear and direct.
After your conclusion, you'll likely want to include a quick bibliography that lists any references and sources used to obtain your findings. This helps the reader know where to look to double-check any facts or data you've included in your report.
The executive summary and cover page appear first in your report, but you'll actually write these sections last. The executive summary should be a brief summary of your most important points, providing the reader with a one-page synopsis of the focus and conclusions of your business report. Instead of writing out long paragraphs, you can write quick bullet points to summarize the main contents of your report. Your executive summary should still follow the basic structure of the report itself, but provide a digestible version of your report for easy reading. You can also add a cover letter to your report. A cover letter can serve as an introduction to the report for any readers who might be unfamiliar with your organization or industry.
Longer reports can benefit from a title page and table of contents page. These can appear on the same page, but you might also consider using a separate table of contents page. Your table of contents should match the structure of the report itself (introduction, contents, conclusion, etc.) so that it's easy for readers to find the sections they need. Remember, your title page will not be numbered, so you'll actually start numbering your pages with your executive summary.
Tips for writing a business report
Writing business reports will get easier with time. But you'll always want to follow a few basic tips to help you write a report that's professional and helpful for your business.
Determine your purpose
First, always make sure you understand the purpose of the report. Are you simply presenting facts or are you performing a detailed analysis? Keeping your purpose in mind will also help you when attempting to draw conclusions after writing the report.
Avoid personal pronouns
Casual business writing can include personal pronouns ("I," "we," etc.). However, you'll want to avoid these on a formal report, as it simply makes your writing look informal and unprofessional. Likewise, avoid gendered pronouns like "he" or "she" and instead refer simply to "the client" or "customers."
Proofread, proofread, proofread
Don't just rely on spell check to distinguish between "there," "their," and "they're." Proofread carefully, looking for spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.
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Frequently asked questions
Need some help writing your report? Here are answers to some of today's most-asked questions.
Your organization may set the format of your report, but generally, every report should contain: - An executive summary - An introduction - Results/data - A conclusion/recommendation section - A bibliography Longer reports might also include a title page or table of contents and other supporting documents to provide additional data.
Typically, business reports are used by: - Upper management - Shareholders - Lenders - Business partners The report helps all interested parties understand what's happening in your organization and make decisions about future investments and other key decisions.
You may be asked to write the entire report on your own, but you might also collaborate with other members of your organization. Your accounting department, for instance, might have valuable data about the associated costs of particular projects that can help you write a more accurate, detailed report.
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How to write a formal business report · 1. Plan before you write · 2. Check for an in-house format · 3. Add a title · 4. Write a table of contents.
The structure of a business report · Front matter: List your name, job title, contact information, and the date of submission. · Background: State the background
A business report is defined as an official document that contains factual information, statistical data, research findings, or any other form of
How to Write a Business Report · Think about your audience and their expectations, and plan your report accordingly. · What is the purpose of the
How to write a business report · 1. Create an outline for your report · 2. Check for an in-house format · 3. Gather the data and prep your research · 4. Craft your
A good introductory paragraph for a business report should explain to the reader why you've written the report. Use the introduction to provide
Business Reports– You'll write a lot of them throughout your career in business. So it's probably worth you knowing what they are
How do you write a business report? ... Start with creating a plan before writing, and check whether the company has its format. Followed by a
To write a business report, start with an introduction that presents a clear idea, problem, or objective. Next, present the facts, focusing on one main idea per
How to write a business report for your company · Plan ahead. Before you start researching and writing, you'll want to determine your exact plan. · Check for in-