Published by Programme B
A business report is important because it helps company leadership make important business decisions. They are backed by data contained in the reports when developing new products, restructuring departments, hiring and firing. Shareholders also need the reports to make decisions and track their value.
A business report is just as important as any other marketing tools when it comes to elevating your business. Just like a Pro Rank Tracker can help you rank SEO rankings, a business report will help in benchmarking and goal setting. Of course, the report has to be of the highest quality.
Here are some of the essential elements of a business report:
1. Cover page
This is what lets readers know what the report is about and its author. You can have a simple page that has the title of the report, the business name, contact information and the author. The title simply describes the content. If it is a private and confidential document, that should also be indicated on the cover page.
2. Contents page
This will depend on the report’s length. It helps the reader find specific information quicker and also makes it easier to revisit any section they had read earlier. If the report is divided into sections, the contents page will have just a small number of lines to help readers find each section by its page number. If it’s a much longer report, the contents page can have headings as well as the subheadings under each.
3. Executive summary
Here, the entire report is condensed into a one-page summary. It is created for managers who handle a high amount of paperwork every day. It gives them a quick understanding of the report, its findings and any recommendations and findings. It’s only a half-page long or less and doesn’t have any supporting documentation.
4. Sections
When the report is broken into sections, it flows seamlessly from one topic to the next and is much easier to read and understand. For example, if it’s a sales report, can have sections such as previous sales, performances by sales executives, current sales projections, key customers, products, prices and recommendations among others.
5. Supporting information
If you have financial documents, statistics, charts and graphs, you may want to put them in an appendix. This will be useful to readers who might want to verify claims made in the report. If they enhance a point you are trying to make, you can include them in the page that contains that point.
6. Glossary
This is a list of definitions in alphabetical order. This is necessary in a case where the audience is broad and may include readers who don’t understand the technical vocabulary contained in the report. A glossary can either be placed at the end or just before the appendixes.
In summary
Structuring a business report can be a tough task. The most important thing is to ensure that it is as clear and concise as possible. You want the reader to grasp the gist of the report easily and understand all the main points.