How to Write a Business Report

Business reporting is one of today’s most effective means of communicating business performance information. Although they have very broad goals, they are generally used when businesses or individuals need to make important decisions. To write effective business reports, you first need to understand what they are and how to use them.

Table of Contents

Determine the type of report to write

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Present ideas. This is the type of explanatory/proposal report . These reports, which can be used to make recommendations to management or key decision-makers in the company, usually consist of two parts: summary and body. The summary highlights your offer. The body (body) further analyzes the benefits, costs, risks, etc that come with it.

Let’s say you want to offer a 3D printer for your part. To convince management to approve the purchase of this machine, you need to write an explanatory report/suggestion to formally appeal to management.

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Present the risk associated with a particular opportunity. An investigative report helps determine the degree of risk associated with a given course of action. This type of report is extremely useful in helping a company forecast possible consequences. It includes an introduction, investigation and conclusion. The introduction emphasizes the issue under consideration. The survey body is used to discuss the facts and results of the survey. Conclusion is used to summarize the problem.

Suppose pharmaceutical company X wants to cooperate with pharmaceutical company Y but there are still some concerns. Company X does not want to do business with a company with current or past financial problems. This company will conduct an investigation and use the investigative report to discuss in depth the financial information of company Y and its directors.

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Presents information about compliance with a particular governing body. This is a compliance report , used to help a company demonstrate its accountability. It proves the company’s compliance with laws/regulations and reasonable spending before the governing body (city, provincial, state government,…). This report includes an introduction, a body of the report and a conclusion. The introduction usually contains an overview of the main contents of the report. The body section presents data, facts, etc. that the operator needs to know. Conclusions are used to summarize.

For example, Nestle needs to show its board of directors that it has followed local law and policy guidelines over the years. As a result, they used the annual compliance report to be transparent about the year’s activities. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Present the feasibility of the proposed idea or project. An exploratory report used to determine whether an idea is practical is called a feasibility report . This report should have a two-part structure: the summary and the body of the report. The body section presents the benefits, possible problems, associated costs, etc. of the proposed idea. A company can use the feasibility report to explore questions similar to the following:

Can this project be completed within budget?
Will this project be profitable?
Can this project be completed within the allotted timeframe?

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Presenting the results of the investigation. An investigative research report presents research on an issue or problem. It is usually an in-depth look at a particular particular issue, which should include the following sections: summary, introduction, research methods, results obtained, conclusions and recommendations. Related research should also be included in this report.

For example, a business might conduct company-wide research on whether or not smoking should be banned in employee lounges. The investigator will prepare an investigative report.

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Help the company improve policies, products or operational processes through continuous monitoring and testing. Prepared on fixed intervals, such as weeks, months, quarters, etc., periodic reports can scrutinize performance, profit and loss, or any other criteria in given time period.

For example, a pharmaceutical sales rep might tabulate their sales call volume on a monthly basis.

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Report on a specific situation. As opposed to a fixed time period, a specific situation requires a situation report . The situation here can be as simple as information obtained from a conference or as complex as a report on responding to a natural disaster. This report includes the following sections: introduction, content and conclusion. Use the introduction to identify the event and outline what will be covered in the body of the report. Conclusions are used to state the commitments or actions needed in this situation.

For example, after a major storm, the governing body will need a situation report.

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Present a solution to a problem or situation. The comparative report considers several possible solutions to a given situation. Based on the results, the writer will suggest a specific course of action. It usually consists of three parts: introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction states the purpose of the report. The middle section presents the situation or problem with possible solutions/options. The ending reveals the best solution or alternative.

Consider a car company ABC wants to open a factory in Asia. Based on what the company needs, the report can narrow the selection down to three countries. Next, it will conclude which is the best factory location among these three countries.

Write a business report

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Define your goals and report format. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with the report. ^{[2] X Research Source} Based on the desired objective, select the appropriate report type from the list listed above.

Regardless of the answer, you need to make sure the goal is short and concise. If the objective is not clear, the report will only confuse the reader and possibly compromise its credibility.
For example, let’s say you want to get a larger advertising budget for your department. The report should then focus on your current budget and how you can effectively use the larger budget.

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Identify target audience. Readers can include both outsiders (people who don’t work in your company) or insiders. Consider their existing knowledge or familiarity with their target topic, and think about how they would use the information presented in the report. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Remember that no matter who your audience is, no conclusion is more convincing than the amount of money it can bring to your company or client.
Let’s say you want to run a work-sharing program in your department and determine that the audience here is the human resources director, the CEO, and the general manager. Consider their existing interest in this program. The answer will shape the tone of the report. If the company has never considered a similar program, this report will be both strategic and informative. In the opposite case, the report should be less informative and more persuasive.

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Determine what to learn. The hardest part is not in the writing part but in drawing the conclusion and gathering the necessary data to support that conclusion. It takes many skills, including data collection and market analysis. What do you and later management need to know in order to make an informed decision on the topic at hand?

READ More: How to Peel Oranges

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Collect the right data for the report. It is important that your data is well researched. Otherwise, the report may be unreliable. The data collection itself depends on the type of report you write. Make sure the selected data parameter is concise and consistent with the thesis of the report.

The data can be inside information – that is, you can collect it quickly. For example, you can get sales figures from the sales department with just one call. In other words, you can get data and turn it into reports quickly.
External data can also be stored internally. If a department has ever collected customer analytics data, ask for it. You don’t need to do that investigation yourself. Although it is not the same across different types of businesses, it is often the case that the writer of a business report does not need to conduct a direct investigation.
Let’s say you are writing an explanatory/proposal report. You then have to research the full benefits of your proposal and incorporate that research into your report.

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Organize and write reports. The way you choose the layout and write the report depends on your goals. For example, the layout of the compliance report will be different from the layout of the feasibility report. Once you have an idea of how to organize your report, you can start with your content.

Break down related data into separate pieces. Business reports can’t be cluttered with loads of data and information. Organizing data into separate sections is key to the success of a good business report. For example, you can separate sales data from customer analytics data and give them separate headings.
Organize the report with appropriate headings, which can be skimmed as a standalone study but at the same time support the basic objective of the report.
Because some parts may depend on the analysis or input data of another, often you can still work on each part separately while waiting for the results of the analysis.

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Draw conclusions with specific recommendations. Conclusions should be clear and should be the logical result of careful consideration of the data presented in the report. If appropriate, clearly suggest the best course of action based on those conclusions. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Any goal should contain specific and measurable actions. Write down any changes in the job description, schedule, or expenses needed to complete the new plan. Each assertion should directly present new methods – those that will help meet the goal/solution given in the report.

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Write a project summary. The project summary should be the first page of your report, but it should also be the last thing you write. This summary presents the research findings and conclusions as well as a brief overview of what would be presented if the reader chose to continue reading the entire report. It is like an advertisement for a movie or a summary of an academic paper.

The Executive Summary gets its name because it’s pretty much the only thing a busy board member will read. State everything important to your boss here, 200-300 words maximum. The rest will probably get a closer look if they want to know more.

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Use infographics for data to be used if needed. In some cases, presenting quantitative data through tables or graphs can be useful. ^{[5] X Research Source} Use colors when presenting, as they will attract more attention and help distinguish information. Whenever possible, use bullets, numbers, or frame data to make them easier to read. That way, you’ll separate the data from the rest of the report and show what’s important.

Overall, the visual effect is a great element, making business reports more interesting when the text and figures themselves can be relatively dry. But you also do not go too far, should only use when appropriate and necessary.
A page filled with text and without tables or figures can tire the reader. Let’s frame the content there. Infoboxes can also effectively summarize the argument presented.

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Cite sources when necessary. Depending on the type of research being conducted, you may need to explain the source of your information. The purpose of a document or reference page in a business report is to provide a source of information so that others can learn more or find data if they want.

Use the appropriate format for citations in your report, depending on your line of business.

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Read it again twice. Spelling or grammatical errors can make the reader feel like you didn’t put enough effort into your report and put the credibility of your research results into question. Also, make sure you present the information in a clear, concise manner. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

For example, don’t overuse flowery words or use too long sentences.
Avoid using slang.
If both the report and the reader are closely related to a particular industry, you can use jargon or technical jargon. But be careful, don’t overdo them.
In general, business statements are written in the passive voice and are one of the few cases where the passive is better.
You can often miss errors when re-reading your work because of the familiar feeling from the moment you write it. Consider having someone else in the room, who also wants to report success, read through. Be open to feedback received. It is better when the error is pointed out by a colleague instead of a superior. Review each comment and rewrite the report.

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Create a table of contents. The business report format is as formal as possible, creating a table of contents for easy tracking and quick reading. Include all the important sections, especially the executive summary and conclusion.

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Make the cover for your business report. The best way to come up with a good, thorough investigative report is to make a matching cover. You can use a file, binder, or good paper. The key point here is that the business report needs to be eye-catching, easy on the eyes, enough to pique the reader’s interest.

This also applies to all tables and graphs included in the report.

Steps

Determine the type of report to write

Write a business report

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