How to Write a Business Report
Knowing how to write a business report is very important especially if you are pursuing business studies. A business report is an assignment that entails analyzing a situation and applying business theories in producing different suggestions on what should be improved. The situation can be a case study or real- owll.massey.ac.nz. A business report serves several purposes.
They include:
- Examining potential and available solutions to a given situation, issue or problem
- Applying a management or business theory to the situation
- Demonstrating analytical, evaluation and reasoning skills in weighing up and identifying possible solutions as well as results
- Reaching conclusions about an issue or a problem
- Showing clear and concise communication skills
- Providing recommendations regarding future actions
In the contemporary business world, a business report is an effective communication tool. Business reports have broad-scope objectives but they are used by individuals and businesses in making vital decisions- wikihow.com.
How to write a business report that will impress the executive
You can make a good name in the business or company that you work for by writing a good business report. However, you need to write the report in a clean, professional and error-free manner. You need to present the findings in an organized and objective manner and back up the recommendations that you give with references and research. The goal should be to impress the readers by ensuring that they understand everything that you include in the report. Your business knowledge and writing skills should come out clearly in the report.
To write a good business report, follow these steps:
- Determine the kind of a business report to write
The kind of a report that you write depends on several factors.
They include:
- What the business report is about
- Who will read it
- What necessitated writing the report
These three prompts will determine the kind of a report to write and how to write a business report that will accomplish the main goals of writing it- businesstrainingcollege.com. Generally, there are three major types of business reports.
These are:
- Research reports
- Analytical reports
- Informational reports
However, each business report allows the writer to present relevant information; figures and facts for analysis- ehow.com.
- Write a clear executive summary
A good executive summary summarizes all major points in a business report. It also includes the purpose statement. Knowing how to write a business report starts with mastering how to write an executive summary because this provides an overview of the entire report. Your executive summary should include recommendations’ overview. You can also have a table of the report’s content depending on the report’s length. Writing a good executive summary is very important because this is usually the first part of the report that is looked at by the readers or the executive. An executive summary also sets a tone for the entire report.
- How to write a business report introduction
A business report’s introduction is very important because it sets stage for the executive or the readers. It gives the report a context while generating the interest of the readers. The introduction also orients readers to your report’s purpose- victoria.ac.nz. After reading the introduction, readers should know what to expect from the entire report.
The introduction of a business report should:
- Preview the structure of the report
- State specific questions that will be answered by the report
- Describe the problem or issue that will be reported
- Identify the subject matter in a general manner
- Provide a brief description of the context
- Write the business report’s findings and discussion section
After writing the introduction, you need to present the findings. Make sure that all major findings are included in the report. The findings should be written in a succinct and clear manner. You can use numbers and bullets to make the findings easy to follow and understand. The findings should be presented on the basis of the information that will be relevant to the target readers or the executive. Make sure that while presenting the findings, you employ objective statements. Also include figures and facts that support your statements. For example, you can state something like, “according to an entire company survey, our benefits package is impressive to 55% of all employees.”
Basically, the findings and discussion section should provide adequate information, evidence and analysis that support the conclusions and recommendations that you will give. This section should be organized systematically and logically. Subdivide the discussion into sections with each subsection providing descriptive headings and information.
- Write the recommendations
After presenting and analyzing the findings, you need to give relevant recommendations. Naturally, recommendations are subjective but they are usually important to the business executive. Basically, recommendations are part of the conclusions and findings in a business report. In your endeavors to know how to write a business report, make sure that you have mastered the art of writing great recommendations. In the recommendations, you need to showcase relevant ideas while explaining why the ideas are the most ideal for solving a problem. You also need to link the recommendations to the potential benefits. For instance, show how the recommendations relate to sales’ increase or improvement of the morale of the employees and increased productivity in the company.
- Write the conclusion
The conclusion of your business report should summarize the major findings. This section should be short but it should include findings that support the conclusions. For instance, “on the basis of the fact that the benefits package of our company satisfies 55 percent of the employees, it is possible to improve the morale of the employees by boosting the internal package of the employee benefits.”
How to write a business report conclusion
The conclusion enables you to make the last impression to the reader. It also allows you to show that the report has really accomplished the goals of writing it- smallbusiness.chron.com. Whether you want to request for more funding or a change in operations, ensure that the business report is concluded positively. Show the readers that the report has considered their needs and that there are benefits that can be achieved by implementing the recommendations of the report.
To write a good conclusion of a business report:
- Recap the report contents
- Include a subjective statement
- Show benefits
- Support the conclusion with graphs, charts, budget and photos among others.
- Include references
The reference part of a business report should include all the sources of information that were used in writing the report. References can be in a list or in-text. The organization or the faculty can dictate the referencing style to use in the report. Therefore, check with your organization or faculty to determine the best referencing style to use in the report.
- Include the appendices
The appendices should include materials that are vital for the discussion of the report that readers can be referred to directly. Appendices can also be used to provide supplementary materials that improve the understanding of the target readers. When you use the information from a material that you include in the appendices, indicate it in the text. For instance, you can say, “refer to appendix A”.
- Edit
After writing the report, edit it thoroughly. However, if editing gives you trouble, you can enlist a professional editing service. Having someone else edit your report is the best way of ensuring that you have presented your message in a clearer manner. Alternatively, you can keep the report away for some days before you edit it. This step should not be rushed. While submitting, presenting or distributing the report, make sure that you have attached all the necessary documents especially the appendices.
Additional tips on how to write a business report
While writing a business report, there are important tips that should guide you.
They are as follows:
- Use effective subheadings and headings
- Structure the paragraphs of the report properly
- Use plain language while constructing clear sentences
- Maintain professional writing throughout
- Use properly chosen fonts and white space
- Number the pages of the report
- Use tables, footnotes, appendices and figures appropriately
Throughout the writing process, have your readers in mind. Your writing should demonstrate logic and clarity. Ensure good readability of the report without leaving out vital information.
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Online Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Business-Report
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/write-business-report-executive-17048.html
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/write-business-report-conclusion-57523.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2059588_write-business-report.html
http://www.businesstrainingcollege.com/business/How-do-I-Write-a-Business-Report.htm
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/vbs/teaching/publications/VBS-report-writing-guide-2013-July.pdf
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/business_studies/intro/writing/writing.html
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/852.asp
http://owll.massey.ac.nz/assignment-types/what-is-a-business-report.php
http://www.ehow.com/list_7577612_types-business-reports.html