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How to Write a Formal Business Report (Template and Examples)

Muthoni Wahome

Formal business reports are official documents that guide and inform stakeholders. These reports are valuable tools when solving company problems or making decisions. 

You should be clear and include all relevant information to make your report useful in decision-making and problem-solving. 

Here are five steps for writing a formal business report:

  • Define the purpose and intended audience
  • Gather and analyze data
  • Create an outline
  • Draft the business report
  • Revise and format your report

Keep reading to get valuable details under every step and learn to segment your report.

But first, let’s delve deep into formal business reports, the different types, and what differentiates them. We’ll also discuss the elements of a business report and cover valuable tips to perfect your writing skills.

Let’s get started!

Understanding formal business reports

Business reports provide an analysis of the current performance of a business and offer recommended actions to improve operations. A formal business report should include detailed data, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.

What is a formal and informal business report?

A formal business report is a detailed and organized document that provides information about a specific topic, like research findings, market trends, or a financial situation. It usually includes conclusions based on data collected during the research process. 

Formal business reports can present complicated topics in an easy-to-understand format, allowing company executives to make informed decisions. A formal report typically includes an introduction, a body of information, and a conclusion. It should consist of accurate data and reliable sources and be written formally with proper grammar and spelling.

An informal business report does not follow traditional, formal reports’ formal structure and layout. Instead, it is written in an easy-to-understand language and typically includes summaries of key points, along with recommendations or suggestions for further action. 

Unlike formal reports, informal business reports do not need to be approved by higher management and can be sent directly to the intended recipient. Businesses often use informal reports to quickly provide updates or summaries of projects, data, or other important information. They are also commonly used when sharing ideas, solutions, or findings that don’t necessarily require a formal response from the receiver. 

While informal reports may need more depth and detail than formal reports, they can still communicate important information concisely and clearly. 

Formal business report vs Informal Reports

Types of formal business reports

Formal business reports include different types that may be used to present data, analyze performance, or make recommendations. Examples of formal business reports include annual, research, feasibility, and marketing research reports. 

Feasibility Reports

A feasibility report is an analytical document that outlines whether an activity or project has the potential to be successful. It includes cost estimates, expected outcomes, and other factors affecting the project’s success.

Business Plans 

A business plan is a formal outline of a company’s objectives and strategies for achieving them. It is used to obtain financing, attract investors, and set goals for the company. 

Business plans typically include sections on market analysis, organizational structure, competitive analysis, product or service description, financial projections, marketing strategies, and tactics.

Progress Reports

A progress report is a document that details the current status of a project or activity. It outlines the progress made, challenges encountered, and a timeline for when the project should be completed.

Financial Reports

Financial reports provide information about the company’s financial performance over some time. They include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

A proposal is a document that outlines how an organization, company, or individual intends to complete a project. It usually includes information such as the purpose of the project, expected outcomes, methods, and associated costs. For example, businesses may use proposals to solicit funding from investors or government agencies.

Market Research Reports

A market research report is a document that provides information about customer needs and competitor activities to develop strategies for the organization. They typically include data on consumer preferences, product demand, market trends, and other relevant factors.

Risk Reports

A risk report is a document that details the potential risks associated with a specific activity or investment. It outlines possible losses and considers how they could affect an organization’s operations. Risk reports may also include measures the organization can take to mitigate losses and recommendations for further actions.

Technical Reports

Technical reports are documents that explain the results of a technical project or investigation in detail. They are used to document the findings of a project and provide a record that can be used as reference material. 

Technical reports typically include sections on research methods, results, conclusions, recommendations, and implementation plans. 

What are the key differences between writing a business report and writing an academic report?

Business reports inform a decision or provide direction in the form of recommendations. They may include factual data and analysis but are often practical and focus on the actionable steps needed to achieve a goal. 

Academic reports take a more analytical approach, emphasizing research and thought-provoking discussions that examine different points of view. 

Sources used

When writing business reports, only use real-world sources such as government reports. But when writing academic reports, you may cite theoretical works . 

Conciseness

When writing business reports, use concise points with stakeholders in mind . As for academic reports, you may use technical terms and lengthy explanations to support a point. 

Academic reports are often longer and more detailed than business reports and may also include recommendations but with a focus on developing new strategies or ideas.

When writing a business report, adhere to the following structure: cover page, table of contents, list of figures, executive summary, introduction, body, conclusion, and recommendations. 

But when writing an academic report, follow the structure: introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

The purpose of both types of reports is to provide information that is useful and relevant to the target audience. So keep the audience in mind when writing a report; what information do they need to know? How will it help them make decisions or understand a concept better? 

Elements of a formal business report

An excellent formal business report organizes information into these sections: 

  • Table of contents
  • List of Figures
  • Executive summary
  • Introduction
  • Recommendation

1. Title page

The title page indicates the company name (and logo), the author’s and readers’ names and positions, and the date.

formal report structure example

2. Table of contents

The table of contents lists the sections of a report with their page number and helps jump to a specific title. 

Table of contents

3. List of Figures

The list mentions every chart or diagram included in the report and its page number for easy navigation. 

List of figures

4. Executive summary

The executive summary briefly overviews the report’s key points, findings, and conclusions. It helps readers to understand the report’s data without reading the entire document. Therefore, this section should be the last to write since the facts in the report will form the executive summary. 

Executive summary

5. Introduction

The introduction outlines the research objectives and methods used to generate data for analysis. It sets the stage for what follows. Unlike the executive summary, it does not mention any conclusion or recommendation. 

formal report structure example

The body contains an in-depth review of the research results and their implications. It may include an analysis of trends, correlations, pictorial evidence, and other data supporting the report’s conclusions.  

formal report structure example

7. Conclusion 

The conclusion summarizes the data discussed in the body . It is a brief sentence that takes around three to six sentences. 

formal report structure example

8. Recommendation

The recommendation suggests an action based on the facts presented in the report. It outlines steps or policy changes necessary to solve a problem.

formal report structure example

9. Appendix

The appendix contains information that supports your report but would be distracting if you included it in the body. This information may consist of raw data, charts, transcripts, and surveys used for analysis or any additional resources used in the research process. You may also include acronyms used in the report.

Appendix

10. References/Bibliography

This section consists of all references you used in your report. Citations protect you from plagiarism and give credit to your sources. You can write citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles , depending on the style of your formal report. 

formal report structure example

11. Glossary

The glossary is where you define all technical terms used in the report. Use an asterisk next to words you will describe in the glossary to indicate that the reader should check the glossary for a definition. 

formal report structure example

How to write a formal business report step-by-step

When writing a formal business report, start by defining the purpose of the report and the intended audience. You then gather data and analyze it before writing the report. Finally, write the report and revise it accordingly.

1. Define the purpose and intended audience

Why are you writing the report? Consider what information you need to include and who will read the report. This will help you structure your document correctly and provide relevant information. 

Defining your target audience will help you tailor the language used and choose relevant information to include in the report.

2. Gather and analyze the data

Collect all data relevant to achieving the goal of your report. This should include quantitative and qualitative data, such as customer satisfaction surveys, case studies, performance metrics, or feedback from stakeholders.

Once you have collected all of your data, analyze it and identify any trends or patterns that may be useful in writing the report. You can use various tools and techniques like statistical analysis , gap analysis , or cause-and-effect diagrams .

3. Create an outline

An outline will help you organize your research data, stay on topic, and avoid including unrelated information under a particular title. Besides having a section of each formal business report element above, outline your key points, headings, and subheadings. 

Use self-explanatory headings, for example, “ Impact of expanding market share. ”

3. Draft the report

Organize the data you collected during research into the draft report. Start by introducing the topic, providing background information, and the report’s objectives. Then include each of the main points you want to discuss, supported by evidence from the research data.

Have the relevant elements mentioned above and write adequate information under each section. The draft does not have to be perfect; you just need to organize the data roughly. 

4. Revise and format your report

After completing your draft, proofread and edit it to remove irrelevant data or add forgotten information. Make sure everything looks good, including the formatting. It also helps to share the business report with someone who can review it and propose necessary changes. Once everything is settled, share the report with your intended audience.

Tips for writing a formal business report

When writing a formal report, use data and evidence to support your argument, add visuals, use consistent fonts and headings, and highlight important information. You should also use clear language that is easy to understand, considering the audience’s background knowledge.

1. Only use credible sources

Credible sources strengthen your report because they are factual, unbiased, and reliable. To identify a credible source, look out for the following markers. 

  • The source’s author should be an expert in their field.
  • The information in the source should be up-to-date. 
  • The source should include evidence. The author should not have their opinions or speculations.
  • A credible source is peer-reviewed by other experts in the field. 

2. Use diagrams in formal business reports

Use diagrams like graphs and charts to illustrate relationships between ideas. They are more engaging, easier to understand, and they capture your audience’s attention. 

Mind that you don’t clutter your diagrams with too much information. Excess detail will confuse your readers. 

Achieve simplicity by:

  • Removing backgrounds that cause distractions.
  • Removing or lightening gridlines. Gridlines clutter diagrams. 
  • Reduce the number of colors you use. Only use color on crucial data in the diagram. 
  • Instead of adding every tiny detail, use symbols and have a key. The key explains what each symbol, figure, or line represents. 

3. Use a consistent format

A consistent format makes it easy to follow your report. Keep the format headings and subheadings uniform throughout your report. And make your page margins and font styles consistent. 

4. Use bold fonts to highlight  

Bold fonts stand out against regular text to draw focus on essential data and make it easier to skim through the report. Use bolding sparingly; otherwise, the effect of highlighting will not work.

Formal business report template

A formal business report template will save both time and energy by providing a framework that simplifies the process of assembling data into a comprehensive document.  

Check out this collection of editable business report templates to find one that works for you.

Final Thoughts: Formal Business Report

Formal business reports are essential tools for any business. An excellent report drives company decisions and recommends solutions to company problems. Writing one may be challenging, but this guide gives you a clear pathway to ease the process. 

Remember to use visual aids and credible sources to fortify your report. Organize data into the above sections, and use the discussed tips to write your business report like a pro!

You may also like:

  • How to Write a Resignation Letter for a Better Opportunity [Samples + Template Included]
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  • How to Write a Subject Line for Job Applications [+Samples]

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11.2 Writing a Formal Report

Report organization.

Reports vary by size, format, and function. You need to be flexible and adjust your report to the needs of the audience. Reports are typically organized around six key elements:

  • Who the report is about and/or prepared for
  • What was done, what problems were addressed, and the results, including conclusions and/or recommendations
  • Where the subject studied occurred
  • When the subject studied occurred
  • Why the report was written (function), including under what authority, for what reason, or by whose request
  • How the subject operated, functioned, or was used

Pay attention to these essential elements when you consider your stakeholders. That may include the person(s) the report is about, whom it is for, and the larger audience of the organization. Ask yourself who the key decision-makers are, who the experts will be, and how your words and images may be interpreted.

While there is no universal format for a report, there is a common order to the information. Each element supports the main purpose or function, playing an important role in the transmission of information. There are several different organizational patterns that may be used for formal reports, but all formal reports contain front matter (prefatory) material, a body, and back matter (supplementary) items. The prefatory material is therefore critical to providing the audience with an overview and roadmap of the report. The body of a formal report discusses the findings that lead to the recommendations. The back matter provides additional information. Some common elements in a report are shown in Activity 11.1 below.

Activity 11.1 | Report Cover and Letter of Transmittal Binding Cover and Letter of Transmittal

Front Matter

Front matter includes all the information preceding the body of the report.

The title page provides the audience with the:

  • This should appear 2 inches from the top margin in uppercase letters.
  • Type “Prepared for” on one line, followed by two separate lines that provide the receiving organization’s name. Some reports may include an additional line that presents the name of a specific person.
  • Type “prepared by” on one line, followed by the name(s) of the author(s) and their organization, all on separate lines.
  • This date may differ from the date the report was written. It should appear 2 inches above the bottom margin.

The items on the title page should be equally spaced apart from each other.

A note on page numbers: The title page should not include a page number, but this page is counted as page “i.” Use software features to create two sections for your report. You can then utilize two different types of numbering schemes. When numbering the pages (i.e., i, ii, iii, etc.) for a formal report, use lowercase Roman numerals for all front matter components. Utilize Arabic numbers for the other pages that follow. Additionally, if you intend to bind the report on the left, move the left margin and center 0.25 inches to the right.

A note on font: If there is no specific preference for serif vs. sans serif font, choose one and use it consistently throughout the report. Do not utilize anything besides a traditional serif (e.g., Times New Roman) or sans serif (e.g., Arial or Calibri) font.

Letter or Memo of Transmittal

A letter or memo of transmittal announces the report topic to the recipient(s).

If applicable, the first paragraph should identify who authorized the report and why the report is significant. Provide the purpose of the report in the first paragraph as well. The next paragraph should briefly identify, categorize, and describe the primary and secondary research of the report. Use the concluding paragraph to offer to discuss the report; it is also customary to conclude by thanking the reader for their time and consideration.

A letter of transmittal should be formatted as a business letter. Some report writers prefer to send a memo of transmittal instead. When considering your audience for the letter or memo of transmittal, make sure that you use a level of formality appropriate for your relationship with the reader. While all letters should contain professional and respectful language, you should pay closer attention to the formality of the word choice and tone in a letter to someone you do not know. Figure 11.1 illustrates a report with a letter of transmittal.

Table of Contents

The table of contents page features the headings and secondary headings of the report and their page numbers, enabling audience members to quickly locate specific parts of the report. Leaders (i.e. spaced or unspaced dots) are used to guide the reader’s eye from the headings to their page numbers.

The words “TABLE OF CONTENTS” should appear at the top of the page in all uppercase and bolded letters. Type the titles of major report parts in all uppercase letters as well, double spacing between them. Secondary headings should be indented and single-spaced, using a combination of upper and lowercase letters. Figure 11.2 demonstrates the organization of a typical table of contents and executive summary for a report.

List of Figures and Tables

The list of figures has many of the same design considerations as the table of contents. Readers use the list of figures to find the illustrations, diagrams, tables, and charts in your report. Complications arise when you have both tables and figures. Strictly speaking, figures are illustrations, drawings, photographs, graphs, and charts. Tables are rows and columns of words and numbers; they are not considered figures. For longer reports that contain dozens of figures and tables each, create separate lists of figures and tables. Put them together on the same page if they fit. You can combine the two lists under the heading, “List of Figures and Tables,” and identify the items as figure or table as is done in Figure 11.2.

Executive Summary

An executive summary presents an overview of the report that can be used as a time-saving device by recipients who do not have time to read the entire report.

The executive summary should include a:

  • Summary of purpose
  • Overview of key findings
  • Identification of conclusions
  • Overview of recommendations

If the executive summary, introduction, and transmittal letter strike you as repetitive, remember that readers don’t necessarily start at the beginning of a report and read page by page to the end. They skip around; they may scan the table of contents and they usually skim the executive summary for key facts and conclusions. They may read carefully only a section or two from the body of the report, and then skip the rest. For these reasons, reports are designed with some duplication so that readers will be sure to see the important information no matter where they dip into the report.

To organize this section, type “EXECUTIVE SUMMARY” in all uppercase letters and centred. Follow this functional head with paragraphs that include the above information, but do not use first-level headings to separate each item. Each paragraph of information should be single-spaced with double spacing between paragraphs. Everything except for the title should be left-aligned.

An executive summary is usually ten percent of the length of the report. For example, a ten-page report should offer a one-page summary. A 100-page report should feature a summary that is approximately ten pages.

The body is the main section of the report and includes the introduction, discussion or findings, conclusion (and recommendations, if appropriate).

Introduction

The body of a formal report begins with an introduction. The introduction sets the stage for the report, clarifies what need(s) motivated it, and orients the reader to its structure. Most report introductions address the following elements: background information, problem or purpose, significance, scope, methods, organization, and sources. As you may have noticed, some parts of a formal report fulfill similar purposes. Information from the letter of transmittal and the executive summary may be repeated in the introduction. Reword the information in order to avoid sounding repetitive.

To begin this section, type “BACKGROUND” or “INTRODUCTION” in all uppercase letters. This functional head should be followed by the information specified above (i.e., background information, problem or purpose, etc.). You do not need to utilize any first-level headings in this section.

Because this section includes background information, it would be the appropriate place to address the needs of audiences that may need additional knowledge about the topic. Provide definitions of technical terms and instructions about the overall project if necessary. If you are uncertain if your audience needs a particular piece of information, go ahead and include it; it’s better to give your reader a little bit too much background than not enough. The organization of a typical introduction is illustrated in Figure 11.3.

Discussion of Findings

The Discussion of Findings section presents the evidence for your conclusions. This key section should be carefully organized to enhance readability.

To begin, type “DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS” in all uppercase letters. Center this and all other functional heads. Follow “DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS” with a brief paragraph that previews the organization of the report.

Useful organizational patterns for report findings include but are not limited to:

  • Best Case/Worst Case
  • Compare/Contrast
  • Journalism Pattern

Use a Best Case/Worst Case organizational pattern when you think that the audience may lack interest in the topic. When examining a topic with clear alternatives to your proposed solution, consider using a Compare/Contrast pattern. Geographical patterns work effectively for topics that are discussed by location. When describing the organization of the report in the first paragraph, broadly identify how the material in the report is organized rather than state that the report uses a specific pattern (e.g. Chronology, Geography). For example, write, “The research findings address curriculum trends in three provinces: (a) British Columbia, (b) Alberta, and (c) Ontario,” not, “This report uses a geographical organizational pattern.”

Follow the first paragraph with a first-level heading. Use first-level headings for all other major parts of this section. First-level headings should appear in bold, uppercase letters. Center first-level headings, but align any second-level headings with the left margin. Type any second-level headings in bold, upper- and lowercase letters.

As you present, interpret, and analyze evidence, consider using both text and graphics. Take into account what will be easiest for your audience to understand. Include citations for all quoted or paraphrased material from sources as well; check with your organization as to whether they prefer parenthetical citations or footnotes.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The conclusions and recommendations section conveys the key results from the analysis in the discussion of findings section. Up to this point, readers have reviewed the data in the report; they are now logically prepared to read the report’s conclusions and recommendations. Type “CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS” in all uppercase letters. Follow this functional head with the conclusions of the report. The conclusions should answer any research questions that were posed earlier in the report. Present the conclusions in an enumerated or bulleted list to enhance readability. Recommendations offer a course of action, and they should answer any problem or research questions as well.  Think back to the expectations of your audience.  Have all of their requirements been addressed?

The difference between the conclusions and recommendation section is detailed in Chapter 12: Recommendation Report . All reports will contain a conclusion section, but not all reports will have a recommendation section. Whether a recommendation section is included or not depends on the type and purpose of the report.

Back Matters

Back matters contain all the supplementary materials and can include works cited, appendices, a glossary and an index.

Works Cited

All formal reports should include a works cited page; this page documents the sources cited within the report. Documenting your information sources is all about establishing, maintaining, and protecting your credibility in the profession. You must cite (“document”) borrowed information regardless of the shape or form in which you present it. Whether you directly quote, paraphrase, or summarize it—it’s still borrowed information. Whether it comes from a book, article, a diagram, a table, a web page, a product brochure, an expert whom you interview in person—it’s still borrowed information. Use the documentation style appropriate to your industry (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago).

Appendices are those extra sections following the conclusion. What do you put in an appendix?—anything that does not comfortably fit in the main part of the report but cannot be left out of the report altogether. The appendix is commonly used for large tables of data, big chunks of sample code, fold-out maps, background that is too basic or too advanced for the body of the report, or large illustrations that just do not fit in the body of the report. Anything that you feel is too large for the main part of the report or that you think would be distracting and interrupt the flow of the report is a good candidate for an appendix. Notice that each one is given a letter (A, B, C, and so on).

Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022) by Venecia Williams & Nia Sonja is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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9.16: How to Write a Formal Report

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Learning Outcomes

  • Discuss how to write a formal report

Writing formal reports, like informal report, and that of any other writing task follows the same three steps. First is the planning. Second is the writing. Third is the revising.

formal report structure example

Planning Your Formal Report

In all business writing, the first step is to check and see whether there is a prescribed structure for the document that is about to be created. If so, follow that. Many formal reports have specific formats that must be followed exactly. For example, some sales proposal requests and responses become part of a contract; therefore, you should ensure documents such as these have a legal review both in the planning of the document and as a part of the final review step.

Other steps in preparation of a formal report follow in the same way as those for an informal report. In an informal report, however, it is less likely there will be multiple writers. With a formal report, there may be many contributors. If so, it is important to meet as a group to divide the work, talk about style, and plan how the final document will be assembled and edited to ensure a common voice or tone throughout. You may wish to consider some of the strategies discussed in Module 12: Collaboration in and Across Teams.

Next you’ll complete any data gathering needed. A formal report likely requires extensive planning and data gathering: some proposals may require weeks or months in researching and preparing. For example, think about a proposal for the next three years of new store locations or construction. The author (likely a team of authors) will need primary and secondary research, which takes a great deal of time to gather and analyze.

You will use knowledge of that data to create the report’s outline. In constructing that outline, again consider the depth of understanding of the reader and the likelihood the reader’s views align with that of the report’s determination.

With group writing, there may be several coordination meetings at each stage of the document’s creation.

Writing Your Formal Report

Writing the formal report is a much easier task once you have created a detailed outline in the planning process. This outline is what helps the writing move along, as you already know exactly what is to be provided where and when. When writing a formal report as a team, a carefully constructed outline facilitates assigning sections of the report to different authors from the team. The writer or writers can then focus on paragraph structure, wording, and phrasing using the lessons found in Module 2: Writing in Business.

With a formal report, it is extremely rare to see the casual phrasing that might be found in a short message or informal report. Formal reports rarely use personal pronouns, contractions, or passive verb structures. However, this does not mean the language should be stilted or use excessively long words. You’ll continue to use the same clarity of wording as in all business communications.

Formatting Your Report

Formal reports implement many of the formatting skills you learned earlier. Usually formal reports are single spaced with double spaces between paragraphs. Usually paragraphs are not indented, but this may vary from organization to organization. The right hand side of paragraphs are left ragged.

Section headings are always provided in a formal report. It is acceptable to use labels to match the section’s purpose (e.g., Introduction, Findings, Research Methods). The headings may also use terms directly related to the report’s purpose such as “Fruit Spoilage Problem,” “Facts about Fruit Spoilage,” “Suggestions to Improve Fruit Freshness.” You may also have specific subheadings within more general section titles.

Formal reports of all types use page numbers.The pages may be numbered in a format such as 1–50, or they may be numbered by the section, such as Methods 1–Methods 50. The material in the front part of a report is generally numbered in lowercase roman numerals (i–ix).

Revising Your Formal Report

because of the length and possible subject complexity of formal reports, the final review takes more time than you might expect and involves more people. As mentioned in the start of this section, some reports may require additional legal review.

The most effective way to ensure a professional document is to have a team of individuals independently read the document, marking changes, corrections, and questions as they go. This team then meets as a group with one individual charged with collecting all corrections. This person ensures continuity across the entire document. If such a formal process cannot be completed, then you should work to ensure there are at least two reviewers who review work they themselves did not write.

As mentioned before, the final revision must consider both grammar and style issues as well as revisiting the primary purpose of the document.

Practice Question

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Contributors and Attributions

  • Plan, Write, Revise Formal Report. Authored by : Susan Kendall. License : CC BY: Attribution

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6.7: How to Write a Formal Report

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Learning Objectives

  • Discuss how to write a formal report

Writing formal reports, like informal report, and that of any other writing task follows the same three steps. First is the planning. Second is the writing. Third is the revising.

formal report structure example

Planning Your Formal Report

In all business writing, the first step is to check and see whether there is a prescribed structure for the document that is about to be created. If so, follow that. Many formal reports have specific formats that must be followed exactly. For example, some sales proposal requests and responses become part of a contract; therefore, you should ensure documents such as these have a legal review both in the planning of the document and as a part of the final review step.

Other steps in preparation of a formal report follow in the same way as those for an informal report. In an informal report, however, it is less likely there will be multiple writers. With a formal report, there may be many contributors. If so, it is important to meet as a group to divide the work, talk about style, and plan how the final document will be assembled and edited to ensure a common voice or tone throughout. You may wish to consider some of the strategies discussed in Module 12: Collaboration in and Across Teams.

Next you’ll complete any data gathering needed. A formal report likely requires extensive planning and data gathering: some proposals may require weeks or months in researching and preparing. For example, think about a proposal for the next three years of new store locations or construction. The author (likely a team of authors) will need primary and secondary research, which takes a great deal of time to gather and analyze.

You will use knowledge of that data to create the report’s outline. In constructing that outline, again consider the depth of understanding of the reader and the likelihood the reader’s views align with that of the report’s determination.

With group writing, there may be several coordination meetings at each stage of the document’s creation.

Writing Your Formal Report

Writing the formal report is a much easier task once you have created a detailed outline in the planning process. This outline is what helps the writing move along, as you already know exactly what is to be provided where and when. When writing a formal report as a team, a carefully constructed outline facilitates assigning sections of the report to different authors from the team. The writer or writers can then focus on paragraph structure, wording, and phrasing using the lessons found in Module 2: Writing in Business.

With a formal report, it is extremely rare to see the casual phrasing that might be found in a short message or informal report. Formal reports rarely use personal pronouns, contractions, or passive verb structures. However, this does not mean the language should be stilted or use excessively long words. You’ll continue to use the same clarity of wording as in all business communications.

Formatting Your Report

Formal reports implement many of the formatting skills you learned earlier. Usually formal reports are single spaced with double spaces between paragraphs. Usually paragraphs are not indented, but this may vary from organization to organization. The right hand side of paragraphs are left ragged.

Section headings are always provided in a formal report. It is acceptable to use labels to match the section’s purpose (e.g., Introduction, Findings, Research Methods). The headings may also use terms directly related to the report’s purpose such as “Fruit Spoilage Problem,” “Facts about Fruit Spoilage,” “Suggestions to Improve Fruit Freshness.” You may also have specific subheadings within more general section titles.

Formal reports of all types use page numbers.The pages may be numbered in a format such as 1–50, or they may be numbered by the section, such as Methods 1–Methods 50. The material in the front part of a report is generally numbered in lowercase roman numerals (i–ix).

Revising Your Formal Report

because of the length and possible subject complexity of formal reports, the final review takes more time than you might expect and involves more people. As mentioned in the start of this section, some reports may require additional legal review.

The most effective way to ensure a professional document is to have a team of individuals independently read the document, marking changes, corrections, and questions as they go. This team then meets as a group with one individual charged with collecting all corrections. This person ensures continuity across the entire document. If such a formal process cannot be completed, then you should work to ensure there are at least two reviewers who review work they themselves did not write.

As mentioned before, the final revision must consider both grammar and style issues as well as revisiting the primary purpose of the document.

Practice Question

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Contributors and Attributions

  • Plan, Write, Revise Formal Report. Authored by : Susan Kendall. License : CC BY: Attribution

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  • Business Report Format Guide

Business Report Format Guide: Formal Structure & Examples

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When it comes to reporting, it may be the least fun of business daily tasks, yet, they are vital to your business growth as a good report can help you refine your strategies and plan for the future. Therefore, it is important to have an appropriate business format to present everything clearly and make your content easy to understand.

In this article, we will clarify the definition of a business report, its benefits to any organization, different types, and ways to structure it, some examples, and, more importantly, how to format a simple one.

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What is the business report?

What is the business report?

A business report is a compilation of data that presents historical details related to the activities, development, perspectives from particular departments of an organization, and creates a framework for potential decision-making processes or factual perspectives required to coordinate business functions.

It is important to identify these types of reports to recognize the best uses for business reports better. It organizes information for a particular sector. While some reports will go through a more comprehensive approach for evaluating a specific department’s functionality and policies, other types of business reports will focus more on the bigger business management picture.

Why a business report is important

Why a business report is important

Such reports also allow for data collection by tracking the progress. You can compare the different periods and operations, development, etc. You can also see which goods or services are more effective than others, which marketing campaigns perform better than others, and which markets or segments need more focus.

It’s useful to acquire all this data, and in so doing, you’re creating a paper record of your past events. They allow individuals outside the business, like banks or investors, to be aware of your activities and results and let stakeholders know your business’s tangible and intangible assets.

The following benefits of doing a proper business report can contribute to your business growth.

Risk Assessment and Opportunity

Risk Evaluation and Opportunity

You will improve the awareness of threats and opportunities within your organization through business report samples. Sample reports emphasize the connection between financial and non-financial performance: they streamline processes, cut costs, and enhance overall consistency.

Trends and Connections

Trends and Connections

Samples of the business report will allow you to compare your results with other business units or businesses in the same industry. A report template on a more detailed level will help you dig deep into organizational indicators, specifics and find similarities that would otherwise be unnoticed. Obtaining a deeper understanding of your data in the modern-day digital time will allow you to develop strategies that enhance major aspects of your business growth thru trend detection. The value of a business report is illustrated by this aspect alone.

Business Intelligence (BI)

Business Intelligence

The useful BI tools may decide your survival on the market.

By producing a company’s business report designed to enhance your BI operations and address critical corporate questions, you can obtain the opportunity to discuss unique observations that can create a significant benefit and monitor overall spending. You could provide basic components to develop an effective business intelligence plan by understanding how to build a report with particular examples and templates.

Buy-in

While there are many different types of business reports for a company, they all have one common trait: gathering data and tracking the business activities related to something specific. By working with the right reports, users can perform in-depth visual analyses of many key business areas or functions and provide informed recommendations that will ultimately improve efficiency and encourage innovation.

Although an organization has several different types of business reports, they all share one similar characteristic: collecting information and monitoring business activities linked to something particular. Users may conduct an in-depth visual analysis of many important business areas or functions by communicating with the correct reports and make educated suggestions that will eventually boost productivity and foster innovation.

Operational Efficiency

Operational Efficiency

The more the report becomes objective, the clearer the data. If the data is well structured and clear, it is best to observe the business operations cost-effectively, minimizing the time needed to review findings.

A strong structure for business reports provides an in-depth review in which the authors demonstrate how their results were interpreted.

A marketing report, for instance, can minimize the time taken to evaluate a particular campaign. In contrast, an HR report can provide perspectives into the recruitment process and determine, for instance, why the cost per hire has escalated.

Specificity

Specificity

You will be offering yourself a vital opportunity to discuss specific concerns if you complete a business report, which is also used when decisions need to be taken. They serve many purposes: some record future planning details, some record historical data to explain a scenario, and others provide a viable alternative to a business issue. Some executive dashboards are for daily use, while a monthly business report template can allow you to more steadily and incrementally characterize your activities. They are all key to business success since they make complicated analysis results simpler.

As previously stated, the clearer the data, the more cost-effective results would be, so it should be important to bear in mind the specific data to be integrated into this type of report.

In different industries, you can find several main performance indicator examples that should be considered when creating this type of report. To compare industry values to see your competition, you can also create an inter-departmental report and between companies.

Accuracy and Consistency

Accuracy and Consistency

Data is a vast environment in the digital world, and if you want to make full use of it, it is important to strive for consistency and precision. If your data is missed, it might hurt the company in the long term. Using an online dashboard platform to compile your reports is an enormous benefit in terms of ease of use, time saved but most significantly, the accuracy of the information you are going to use.

All on your report will be up-to-date when you deal with real-time data, and the decisions you will make will be supported with the latest facts. Business reporting examples are incredibly useful when exploring the data and performing data analyses to obtain valuable insights. With the results’ visualization, they will provide a substantial added value to the report, adding more clarity and understanding to the analysis, which is the ultimate goal of business reporting examples.

Engagement

You can understand intuitive and visual business-centric reporting tools that communicate a message relevant to the audience. With only some clicks, you can get deep insights while examining your data. A clean and customized report is valuable.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking

You will keep your company going while catalyzing your overall growth and productivity levels by regularly setting goals centered on your most critical business priorities and operating with visual reporting tools.

Communication

Communication

Improving internal coordination and connectivity is one of the key applications of business reports. You will motivate everyone in the organization with greater access to knowledge by having real-time access to the most important business data whilst improving the way you interpret and present it, which, in turn, will strengthen internal communication and collaboration.

These reports may also be of several different kinds, but they all have one common characteristic: collecting data and monitoring anything particularly relevant to business activities. From there, their author will also conduct a review and provide the organizations with insights.

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Types of business report

The informal report.

One or two pages in length and formatted as a letter or memo can be the informal report. It could also be shared by email. Your business will have a particular format to adopt, so it would help to use past reports as a reference.

Alternatively, to allow for easy reading, you can select a style with headings and subheadings, numeric lists, or an outline. As a subject line, the title of the report should be added.

Make sure to take into account the reader of your report and using your audience-appropriate vocabulary and tone. Even so, accessibility and precision continue to be important components.

The formal report

Typically, the formal report is more detailed and runs many pages long. Factual accuracy, pronunciation, and grammar are a must.

If more than one person writes the report, make sure it has consistency (no abrupt leaps from one subject to another) and a clear voice (no distracting style contrasts). Your business would have its report format, or you may have to create one from scratch.

The structure of a business report

A business report’s content can rely on what you’re writing about. Even the writing style can rely on whom you are writing about. There is a general framework, though, which most market reports adopt. In this article, then, we can glance at how to structure a business report for full consistency and professionalism.

Title Page

Each business report should have a page for the title. The title itself should state what the report is about. You should include your name and the report date, too.

Summary

A review of the key points is the beginning page for most business reports. Strive to give a brief outline of what the article is about. How the study has been conducted (e.g., methods for collecting data), the major results of the study. Also, bring to light the main conclusions and suggestions.

If a report with a paragraph or two, this part may not be necessary. Yet, a full executive summary is required for longer or more comprehensive reports.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

For long reports, this page should be added. You should include each section’s title and the report’s structure. Try to match the headings for those used in the main text exactly. Also, number the sections properly.

Introduction

Introduction

The first section of the study is the formal introduction. Here, explain the synopsis of the report you got when requested to prepare the paper. This structures the remainder of the study by covering background information (for example, company history or market data), report intent (i.e. what you’ve reached out to attain), and its scope (i.e. what will be included the article, and what will be dismissed).

Methods and Findings

Methods and Findings

Have a section about the methodology while performing research work ,incorporating a software diagramming tool . This can be as straightforward as identifying the sources you are using and why you have picked them. Show the reader how the data were gathered and analyzed.

You ought to clarify your results afterward. This section will simply and concisely describe the findings of your analysis, ensure that all the key points pointed out in the abstract are addressed.

The advice here is to split the results into subsections, including headings to direct the reader with the information you presented. In the meantime, using charts and diagrams to convey information visually, yet ensure they are clearly labeled so that the reader understands its relation to the text.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions and Recommendations

Your report’s final key section includes conclusions and recommendations. The conclusion section should summarize what the study has shown you. If asked to do so, you can also, recommend relevant steps based on your results. If you are not certain about what to propose in this, then reflect the targets defined in your brief.

References

Show third-party sources in a bibliography if you have used them when writing the report. Examples are business documents, academic articles, or even news reports.

The objective is to demonstrate what you have premised your results and conclusions on.

Appendices

Lastly, throughout your study, you might have obtained additional documents, like interview transcripts, marketing content, or financial details. It would make it too lengthy and confusing to include this in the main report, however at the end of the paper, you may move it to an appendix (or many appendices) in case the reader looks for it.

Examples of a business report

White paper template.

White papers are an ideal instrument for educating and persuading stakeholders. They can also be used by consultants to boost their popularity with large consulting firms and boutique companies or to use them as lead magnets in Facebook advertising, etc.

A polished template is, as always, much more prone to engage senior leaders or potential customers. The easiest way to create something that is both appealing and easy to comprehend is a business report template or consulting report template.

For example, this consulting report has a full page devoted to visuals to avoid the report being dull. It supports data as well.

Project Plan Template

The easiest way to keep a project on track is through a project schedule.

But it can be difficult to show the steps towards completing a project and to show how each step is actionable and observable. If you’re a consultant and you don’t have business models to depend on, this is extremely challenging.

An ideal way to imagine what needs to take place, and when, is this project plan template. With bar graphs, icons, and color-coding, this template presents information effectively. You can customize the schedule by entering the editor and clicking on the bar graph.

Business case study template

Business case studies typically provide resources to explain how actual businesses have handled a specific scenario or problem. Normally, the case study includes business theory and illustrates its relevance to actual situations.

For instance, this template illustrates how Gen Led uses high quality to boost sales in a competitive market.

How to format a simple business report

Using the conventional Single Spaced Template in Word is best when typing and formatting one-page business reports.

Start Word and maximize the Word window, and then click the File tab > New and pick Traditional Single Spaced Blank Document .

Character Formatting can be used when you want to format text like individual words in a document. It can be done by using the Mini Toolbar, which is only displayed when you point to a selected text in a document or from the Home Tab Font Group. There are widely used buttons in the Font Group that you can use to add bold, italic, underline, shadow, stroke, or color to your text.

The default font form and size are 11-point Calibri, but you can change its attributes or the way it looks after you have picked a font type. For instance, by having the font bold, italic, or underlined, you can adjust the font size or adjust its style.

To spice up your papers, you can also add color and apply special text effects. The font size is calculated by estimating the character height in units called points. The regular font sizes are 10, 11, and 12 points for text.

By changing the spacing between characters and words, you can now also add kerning to your word text. You may also adjust the document case, including the upper or lower case.

Turn on the Symbol for Show / Hide. At the top of the page, which is the existing insertion point, your I-beam will flash. Then turn the Show/Hike symbol on so you can see your paragraph and line space marks.

Tap on the Home Tab > Paragraph Group > Show/Hide Button

Click ENTER 5 times to start on the report’s first line that is 2 inches from the top of the page

Choose the first two lines of the report’s title and from the Home Tab > Font Group , adjust the font size to 14 points , bold and center.

With the text already chosen, tap on the Home Tab > Font Group > Change Case button and change the Case to UPPERCASE.

Click ENTER once after the TITLE to add line space between the TITLE and SUBTITLE. Choose the next 3 lines (the SUBTITLE, BYLINE, and DATE) and change the font size to 12 points, bold and center. Click ENTER after each line in order that the SUBTITLE, BYLINE, and DATE are double spaced.

Capitalize and Bold the SIDE HEADINGS. To capitalize all three at the same time, choose the first heading then hold the down the ctrl key on your keyboard and tap on the other titles.

Under the heading LibreOffice WRITER, choose the 3 lines of text

Tap on Home Tab > Paragraph Group and choose the Numbering to apply your numbering style.

Remember to Spell check, proofread and preview your document for spelling and formatting

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Final thoughts

Presenting a business report in a straightforward and succinct a manner as possible is vital. Your reader wants to easily and conveniently understand the key points and you should therefore evaluate how well the structure and format of your report serve to convey this information.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment in the box below. We are glad to help you out. If you find this post useful, you can share this with your friends.

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