A business report is primarily used to communicate detailed information on a specific topic, unlike a letter that conveys messages in a summarized form.

Reports are frequently written in a chronological manner from one reporting period to another so that information published in successive reports can be compared. A report may be published or sent to individuals outside of the company.

Format of a Business Report

A formal business report normally contains the following elements −

●      Title Section − includes the Table of Contents and definitions of terms used. Optional details like the writer’s name and date prepared on may be mentioned.

●      Summary − an overview of all relevant information on major points, conclusions, and recommendations. It’s a good practice to write this at the end to include all the last minute modifications.

●      Introduction − specifies the reason the report was written and the problem it addresses; generally it is the first page of the report.

●      Body − the main section of the report; it includes industry jargon. Information is arranged in sections, in decreasing order of importance.

●      Conclusion − this, along with Summary, is the most read section of the report, hence the language should be simple and specific.

●      Recommendations − actions to be followed in an increasing order of priority.

●      Appendices − technical details and industry facts to support your conclusions.