4 Essential Tips For Writing An Excellent Business Report

The primary motive of a business report or any kind of business writing is to satisfy the purpose of such writing. There might be some new and innovative ideas to propose or some significant information and data to convey. The simple and straightforward way to draft a purpose-driven business report is through a clear and concise expression of thoughts. The target should be to bring the main points to the notice of the reader as quickly and precisely as possible.
A good business report should be both informative and motivating. It can be either formal or an informal one. While a formal report is usually more complicated and continues for several pages, an informal report might be a couple of pages long. Below are four essential tips that can help you to compose a well-drafted business report.

1) Defining the purpose of business report

You should be clear regarding the purpose of writing a business report. If you do not know the intent or motive behind writing the same, it may cost you a substantial amount of time and effort later on. You might need to make a lot of corrections or even rewrite the same if the purpose is not served. You should know the answer to some basic questions such as who, what, when, why and how to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
If you are addressing a particular issue, you should know how to solve it, what your call to action should be and how you want the readers to respond. Once you have specific answers to these questions, you will be ready with the basic structure of your business report.

2) Collecting relevant data

Once all the information that is required to write the business report has been obtained, you need to represent them in a logical pattern so that the thought process is interlinked. It will make the report more comfortable to read and grasp the necessary details quickly. To do so, you should draft a clear structure of the entire report.

Outline structure: Your report should have an introductory portion, a body and a concluding section with a proper title.
An example of a business report regarding a change in the payroll deadlines is as follows –
a) Provide a history of earlier and prevailing payroll dates.
b) State the purpose of the report to inform the employees that a change in the payroll dates has taken place.
c) Explain the reasons for such a change and how it will affect the functioning of the organization.
d) Affirm that such change will benefit the employees and the organization as a whole.
e) Invite any queries or concerns from the employees.

Proper formatting: The format of a report is an essential part of its presentation. Different types of business documents have different kinds of presentation, and it is an implied condition that the writer or draftsman adheres to such specifications. This, in a way, can also contribute to the structure and proper flow of ideas.

3) Drafting the report

Whenever you undertake to write any business report or memo always keep the target audience in mind. Collect as much information as possible about the background of the principal members and play to that. Always try to focus on the main points without compromising on the professional tone of the report. Try to be clear and concise and refrain from using ambiguous words as that might affect the interest of the reader in a negative manner. Alongside, you need to keep the business report interesting and informative while keeping a check on passive and wordy expressions.
A business report should be segregated into five separate parts for its proper presentation –

Part-1 Terms of Reference: This is the portion which includes the reason for which the report has been prepared.
Part-2 Procedure: This includes the steps followed and methods undertaken in preparing the report. It constitutes the entire structure of the business report writing.
Part-3 Findings: The outcome of the report is provided here wherein the discoveries and revelations made during such report are presented herewith.
Part-4 Conclusion: This provides the logical conclusion that has been arrived at based on the findings of the entire report.
Part-5 Recommendation: This is the portion where the writer provides his suggestions and actions that are needed to be taken from the findings and conclusion of the report.

4) Editing and Proofreading

Expressing your ideas in pen and paper is just a minor portion of the business report. The editing and proofreading constitute a significant part of the entire task. After you have completed writing your business report, you should go through the lines over and over again to cut any unnecessary or irrelevant information. Proofread your report after every single edit so that it brings out the best in your content. Take a break and conduct a re-check to identify any mistakes you have overlooked the first time. This can help you develop a flawless report and serve its purpose in the best possible manner. It’s also time to get a plagiarism software to thoroughly scan your writing.

Some important points to remember

There are specific guidelines to remember that can help you draft an engaging and professional business report.

• The content of the report should be factual and concise. Any opinion about the report should be provided in the conclusion section. However, any such opinion should be solely based on the findings of the report.
• Try to avoid past or future tense and stick to simple present tense while narrating facts. This will make the report more engaging and draw the attention of the reader.
• It is recommended that you discuss the possibility and outcome of your report, give priority to target areas in the recommendation section as these are apply not only to the company but the business as a whole.

Following the above-mentioned tips can help you write a business report that sells. Just make sure that you abide by the rules of business report writing word by word as stated above.You can of course get help for custom writing your report from professional writers.