Business Report Writing Advice
by Timothy Anderson

There are several ways to improve your business career. One of them is report writing.
Business report writing requires basic structure. Main advice on writing a report is that it has to be effective. It has to reach its goal. What are the requirements for the successful report writing?

First of all, do not be too general. There will be plenty of time to explore other topics, so for the beginning concentrate on just one of them.

Good report writing takes the audience into consideration. If you want to be successful, you need to know your listeners’ education level, preferences and attitudes. The ability to use such information will help on writing a report.

Now that you know your purposes and audience, proceed writing a report by gathering facts and materials. You can get them either from mass media (but be aware of inaccuracies), or from your own surveys and observations. Cards, on which you write down your information, are of great help while writing a business report.

Make sure you have collected enough information to make a comparison – a key to good report writing. This comparison will help to come up with solutions needed for writing a report.

When you organized your thoughts, try to write them down. Do not bother about spelling and grammar, for at this stage they are not necessary. But there is still and advice on writing a report draft: be logical. Start at the beginning and try to finish your thought. Sometimes editing does not help in successful report writing; on the contrary, it blocks your thoughts and creativity.

Headings are often used in business report writing. They help by putting the accents on the places you find important. Sometimes they are go-betweens in your contact with the audience. And if you are concerned about establishing a warm atmosphere for your listeners, your report writing is already a success.

Okay, you have your draft organized. Now it is time to start writing a business report itself. Double-check all the facts. Make sure that the information is up-to-date. Take care of grammar, spelling and style – important ingredients in good report writing.

One more thing you have to keep in mind when writing a business report is objectivity. Do not let your feeling get control over you. In report writing you must distinguish facts and opinions. This is the only way you can stay neutral. As to your style, there is an advice on writing a report: avoid emotional terms, and use impersonal style.

In your presentation make sure you presented both negative and positive sides of the question to your audience. This is what makes report writing effective. One more advice on writing a report is that the information found in the graphic should be interpreted within the text material. Textual material should not merely repeat what can be seen in the graph or table.

One more key to good report writing is visual effects. By using graphics you can save your reader’s time and add interest to your presentation. Mind that graphics are not a separate piece of work. They are to continue the ideas in your report writing.

Another idea for improving your business status is business letters. A good business letter includes:
- feelings (the writer does care about the reader)
- persuasion (write with the "you" attitude- the state of mind where you always emphasize the benefits to the reader and subordinate your interests)
- tone (avoid condescension and preaching your ideas)
- service perspective (the company shows its concern extends beyond purely profit objectives).

Of course, business letters and report writing are not the only way to be successful. But good report writing skills and your reputation are very valuable.

About the Author