Writing A Good Business Document – The Seven Things You Need to Know 

Business documents are files of various types that hold records of both internal and external dealings of an organisation.

They are indispensable for the management of any and every corporate body with an industrial sobriquet, as they provide the needed information required to properly steer the company to success, influence transactions, and build bonds with affiliates and other businesses.

There are two basic formats in which a business document can be presented.

• Digital format, which is also recognised as softcopy
• Physical copy is otherwise perceived as a hard copy.

There is an outsized figure announcing the overall types of business documents recognized in our contemporary time but for the sake of brevity and to proffer clarity in all its forms 8 of these documents which are most encountered would be displayed so as you can have an idea on the types of business documents and following such would be the general manner to how these documents are to be written.

Here Are Guidelines on writing A Good Business Document

1. Business reports

A business report is a document that provides insight to an organisation; they are the optical influence that summarises every internal dealing and focal aspect of a company. They sketch countless components concerning the enterprise’s transactions, employees, and contractors. They align management with the concept of informed decision making and dispel the present business atmosphere to prospects and potential investors.

2.       Business insurance

This detail outweighs the fact that a company can shield itself from looming threats and potential risks. When the term Risk in business is defined, it always hints at major business losses, fatalities incurred by natural occurrences, unavoidable catastrophes, accidents, and larceny.

3.       Company policy

Company policy documents are embedded with policies on the subjects of health, safety, office, employee conduct, salary disbursement and disciplinary guidelines. The chief role of a company policy document is to function as a reference point when employees fall out of place or are in dire need of direction on how to handle sticky situations and arrive at a doable solution. It also serves as a possible way to defuse internal differences.

4.  Trademark

This otherwise can be likened to a sigil, a product’s birthmark, a sign of ownership. A trademark is a document that projects intellectual ownership, designating such under a company name, which engages in the business of distinguishing elements from rivals. Anyone who bootlegs a trademarked item, brand, service, etc., would become susceptible to legal adjudication and castigation

5.       Business pitch deck

A business pitch deck is an exhibition that beginning companies likely create to outline the main features of the organisation, qualities, and vision. Its use is strictly for awareness purposes as they are vended out to parties radiating with interest the likes of clients, shareholders, investors, etc. some major components of a pitch deck are info revolving around employees, the company competitive benefits, issues, resolutions, products, services, influence on the open market, and required investments.

6.       Contractor agreement

A contractor agreement is that fine line that a contractor and representative cross in order to summarise their demands and reach a conclusion. In a document like this, all details are laid out in terms of their collaborative agreement, which mostly includes information such as the amount to be paid to the contractor, the owner of the work, the deadline, and may also house details referencing the demanded standard.

7.       Financial documents

To ensure long-term success, managing the company budget should be handled with both veracity and caution. Records holding financial articles and details such as balance sheets, income statements, payrolls, and receipt payments are primary elements that help keep a trail of all income and company expenditures, ensuring that the company’s financial structure doesn’t collapse.

8.       Contract

A contract is a legal document that details the agreement affirming the collaboration of two or more entities for reasons such as sales, purchase, licensing, etc. The details of the terms and conditions the parties have reached are all scribed in permanent ink and sealed with the signature of both parties. And as such, the parties involved, by law, are obligated to reach the demands agreed upon by all present parties involved. Contracts are legal bonds; all defaulters are liable for any breach of them, which would provoke legal actions.

I believe the above has given you a hint on what a business document is supposed to be, and as such, you can begin approaching a winning business document by enacting these steps while making one.

The seven steps  to writing a winning Business Document 

1.       Know your Audience

It always begins with the audience; your audience is central to your success; you can’t take walnuts to a fish market and expect success, no. You have to ensure your priorities are in check by placing round pegs in round holes, or at least consider placing round pegs in round holes. Believe that you’re writing an official document and as so adopt a formal tone which would be what your audience expect, just in same way heretics expect blasphemy and feminists anticipate sorority, you should suppose that your audience would demand a formally written work—not the ones raved with incomprehensible diction but rather the once that usher in clearness.

2.       Know the aim of the document

First off, know the kind of document you are writing; your work would be overridden by misinformation if you input data meant for a business pitch deck in a document designated to hold financial reports. Understanding the kind of document would help you express its objective to readers better.

3.       Follow through with an outline

The moment you uncover that a business document shouldn’t cave in any form of subconscious writing, you begin to wake up to a well-written work. They are two types of people in life, one is the merry band of individuals that make up what they write as they go, the other are the progenitors of standard pieces that outline their work before kick-starting, one factor you should latch on to is that there is a surviving chance that your work would appear repetitive, erroneous and prematurely written and this is a result of going with the flow, as in making up your work on a spot while writing it. Ask yourself fundamental questions before you begin, just as stated earlier, and construct a rigid understanding of the purpose of your document and who would read it. This would promote you to generate ideas, structure and;

4. Organise your writing

Before you begin writing what you suppose is readable and understandable, put yourself in the reader’s condition and assess if you’d be prone to falling out of understanding while reading your own work.

After writing what you’d later deem is worth everyone’s time, ask yourself, did I cohesively write this? Does the word flow direct the reader’s mind to the central reason for the document? Is every angle of the document working to promote a single cause? Is it interesting, precise, and informative?

If you are still not certain about how a business document should appear or in what format the contents should be arranged, endeavour to digest the below and read it till it becomes a part of you

• There isn’t a need for paragraphs
• Line spacing should be 1.0 (or 1.15)
• Left margin should be justified/aligned (it should be in a straight line)
• The right margin should be straight and in a block paragraph
• Font size should be within 10-12 while using Arial or Times New Roman.
• Your business document must house the sender’s address
• It must contain a date
• An inside address should be present
• There should be a salutation
• Body
• Conclusion
• Attachment

5.       Make use of active verbs

Use active verbs. Everybody believes they retain the ability to carve out a thriller from an ordinary text. Still, the unbelievable realisation you’d arrive at would do more to crush your beliefs when you are eventually tasked with writing a business document. It is ineluctable not to yawn or feel a pricking desire to sleep while browsing through a business document.

That’s their nature just like how DNA codes are embroidered to dictate the feature of a person that’s the same way the statements in a business document are programmed to make the entire work blunt and lackluster, nevertheless, there is a couple of cards that is you play way can indeed make your document a bit engaging than usual.  Use Active verbs

6.       Haul away the use of acronyms and jargon

At first, plaguing your documents with industrial acronyms, waffles, and fancy words may present you as erudite for a second, but picture it from the other end. How would your readers grasp what you are trying to convey?

Attempt to go around it in plain style with plain English, no need for idioms or slangs, acronyms can serve well in how-to articles but never involve such in a business document, you readers are not on the outlook to assess the quality of your education or how good you

are with complex words, there are simply seeking for the purpose of your business documents, words are mere directions leading there. Do not confuse your readers; make your piece concise and clear. Is that clear?

7.       Proofread.

Pay due caution to errors, number mistakes as well as words, they can give an entire paragraph or result in a whole new meaning, although another party might not require constructive criticism, it would be best to look at your own work and ensure it is readable, clear and brief. Be sure it hits the nail on the head.

Conclusion 

Now that you know how to write a good business document, and the seven things you need to know. You must note that, as it pertains to your business, you need to give it your best shot. You need to make it as clear and understandable as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to drop them in the comment section. We’ll be glad to have them.