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8 Critical Report Types for External Business Communication

Learn the types of reports you must create to nurture and grow business relationships with investors and stakeholders and impact long-term business success.

Jackie Plaza

9 minute read

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Short answer

What are the main types of business reports?

Investor reports
Annual and quarterly reports
ESG reports
Sustainability reports
Impact reports
Partnership reports
Client reports
Donor reports

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Reports are the unsung heroes of business communication. They bridge the gap between businesses and their external stakeholders, providing a platform for transparency, trust, and informed decision-making.

The role of reports in business communication

Reports are more than just a collection of data and facts. Contrary to its name a report is not meant to simply report.

Reports should be a narrative of the message a business wants to tell its stakeholders. The goal is not to convey information but to bring about an understanding that encourages action.

Business reports provide a comprehensive view of a company's performance, its challenges, and its future prospects.

They are a tool for businesses to showcase their achievements, demonstrate their commitment to their values, and outline their plans for the future. But above all, build authority and nurture long-standing professional relationships.

Understanding your audience: investors, partners, clients, and donors

Different stakeholders have different needs and interests. A well-crafted report addresses these diverse needs, providing each stakeholder with the information they need in a format they can understand.

What stakeholders care about:

Investors are interested in financial performance and growth prospects.
Partners want to see how the partnership is benefiting them.
Clients want to know they are getting value for their money
Donors want to see the impact of their contributions.

You can learn more about different report formats in our guide.

Types of business reports used in business communication with stakeholders

There are several types of reports used in external business communications, each serving a specific purpose and audience.

These include investor reports, annual and quarterly reports, ESG and sustainability reports, impact reports, partnership reports, client reports, and donor reports

1) Investor reports: your financial health card

Investor reports are like a business's financial health card. They provide investors with a snapshot of the company's financial performance and its future prospects.

What is an investor report and why it's important?

An investor report is a document that provides detailed information about a company's financial performance.

It includes information about the company's revenue, profits, assets, liabilities, and cash flow. It also includes information about the company's business strategy, market trends, and future plans.

Investor reports play a crucial role in building trust with investors and showcasing financial performance.

Building trust with investors

Trust is the foundation of any investment decision. By providing transparent and accurate information about their financial performance, businesses can build trust with their investors.

This trust is crucial for attracting new investors and retaining existing ones.

Showcasing financial performance

Investor reports are also a platform for businesses to showcase their financial performance.

By highlighting their financial achievements, businesses can demonstrate their financial health and growth potential to their investors.

Key components of an investor report

An investor report typically includes the following components:

Executive Summary: A brief overview of the company's performance and key highlights.
Financial Statements: Detailed information about the company's financial performance, including its income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
Management Discussion and Analysis: An analysis of the company's financial performance and future prospects, including an explanation of any significant changes in the company's financial performance.
Risk Factors: A discussion of the risks that could affect the company's future performance.
Future Outlook: A discussion of the company's future plans and growth prospects.

Using investor reports for investment decisions

Investor reports are a valuable tool for making investment decisions.

By providing detailed and accurate information about a company's financial performance and future prospects, they enable investors to make informed decisions about whether to invest in the company.

2) Annual and quarterly reports: a year in review and beyond

Annual and quarterly reports provide a comprehensive overview of a company's performance over a specific period.

They are a key tool for businesses to communicate their performance and plans to their stakeholders.

The role of annual reports

Annual reports are a key communication tool for businesses. They provide a comprehensive overview of a company's performance over the past year, including its financial performance, operational achievements, and strategic initiatives.

Key components of an annual report

An annual report typically includes the following sections:

Letter from the CEO: This section provides a high-level overview of the company's performance and key achievements during the year.
Business Overview: This section provides a detailed overview of the company's operations, including its products, services, markets, and competitive landscape.
Financial Performance: This section provides a detailed analysis of the company's financial performance, including its revenue, profits, assets, liabilities, and cash flow.
Corporate Governance: This section provides information about the company's governance structure, including its board of directors and executive management team.
Corporate Social Responsibility: This section provides information about the company's social and environmental initiatives.

Reading and interpreting an annual report

Reading and interpreting an annual report requires a basic understanding of financial statements and business operations.

Key things to look for include trends in revenue and profits, changes in assets and liabilities, and the company's strategic initiatives and future plans.

The role of quarterly reports

Quarterly reports provide a snapshot of a company's performance over a three-month period. They are a key tool for businesses to keep their stakeholders informed about their performance and plans on a more frequent basis.

Key components of a quarterly report

A quarterly report typically includes the following sections:

Financial Performance: This section provides a detailed analysis of the company's financial performance during the quarter, including its revenue, profits, assets, liabilities, and cash flow.
Business Update: This section provides an update on the company's operations, including any new products, services, or markets, and any significant changes in its competitive landscape.
Future Outlook: This section provides an update on the company's future plans and growth prospects.

Analyzing a quarterly report

Analyzing a quarterly report involves looking at the company's financial performance during the quarter, its business update, and its future outlook.

Key things to look for include trends in revenue and profits, changes in assets and liabilities, and the company's strategic initiatives and future plans.

3) ESG and sustainability reports: demonstrating corporate responsibility

ESG and sustainability reports are a key tool for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. They provide detailed information about a company's ESG performance and initiatives.

Importance of ESG reporting

ESG reporting is becoming increasingly important as investors, customers, and other stakeholders are demanding more transparency and accountability on ESG issues.

By providing detailed and accurate information about their ESG performance, businesses can build trust with their stakeholders, enhance their reputation, and attract investment.

Key components of an ESG report

An ESG report typically includes the following components:

ESG Strategy: This section provides an overview of the company's ESG strategy, including its ESG goals and targets.
ESG Performance: This section provides detailed information about the company's ESG performance, including its environmental impact, social initiatives, and governance practices.
Future Outlook: This section provides an update on the company's future ESG plans and initiatives.

Best practices for ESG reporting

Best practices for ESG reporting include aligning the report with recognized ESG reporting standards, providing detailed and accurate information, and engaging with stakeholders to understand their ESG expectations and concerns.

4) Sustainability reports: commitment to a sustainable future

Sustainability reports are a key tool for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. They provide detailed information about a company's sustainability performance and initiatives.

The role of sustainability reports

A sustainability report is a report published by a company about the environmental and social impacts caused by its everyday activities.

It shows a company's performance measured against sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals.

Key components of a sustainability report

A sustainability report typically includes the following components:

Sustainability Strategy: This section outlines the company's commitment to sustainability, including its sustainability goals and targets.
Sustainability Performance: This section provides detailed information about the company's sustainability performance, including its environmental impact and social initiatives.
Future Outlook: This section provides an update on the company's future sustainability plans and initiatives.

The value of sustainability reporting

Sustainability reporting can help businesses improve their reputation, increase customer loyalty, and attract investment.

It can also help businesses identify risks and opportunities related to sustainability, and develop strategies to address them.

5) Impact reports: showcasing social and environmental impact

Impact reports are a key tool for businesses to showcase their social and environmental impact. They provide detailed information about a company's impact initiatives and their outcomes.

What is an impact report?

An impact report is a document that outlines the social and environmental impact a company has made through its operations and initiatives. It's a way for companies to showcase their commitment to making a positive impact on society and the environment.

Key components of an impact report

An impact report typically includes the following components:

Impact Strategy: This section outlines the company's approach to creating social and environmental impact, including its impact goals and targets.
Impact Initiatives: This section provides detailed information about the company's impact initiatives, including their objectives, activities, and outcomes.
Future Outlook: This section provides an update on the company's future impact plans and initiatives.

The importance of impact reporting

Impact reporting can help businesses build trust with their stakeholders, enhance their reputation, and attract investment.

It can also help businesses identify opportunities to create more impact and develop strategies to achieve their impact goals.

6) Partnership reports: strengthening business relationships

Partnership reports are a key tool for businesses to strengthen their relationships with their partners. They provide detailed information about the partnership's performance and plans.

The role of partnership reports

A partnership report is a document that outlines the performance of a business partnership. It provides detailed information about the partnership's achievements, challenges, and future plans.

Key components of a partnership report

A partnership report typically includes the following components:

Partnership Overview: This section provides an overview of the partnership, including its objectives, activities, and partners.
Partnership Performance: This section provides detailed information about the partnership's performance, including its achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
Future Outlook: This section provides an update on the partnership's future plans and initiatives.

The value of partnership reporting

Partnership reporting can help businesses strengthen their relationships with their partners, improve their partnership performance, and attract new partners.

It can also help businesses identify opportunities and challenges related to the partnership, and develop strategies to address them.

7) Client reports: delivering value and building trust

Client reports are a key tool for businesses to deliver value to their clients and build trust. They provide detailed information about the services provided to the client and their outcomes.

What is a client report?

A client report is a document that outlines the services provided to a client and their outcomes. It provides detailed information about the service delivery process, the client's feedback, and the service provider's performance.

Key components of a client report

A client report typically includes the following components:

Service Overview: This section provides an overview of the services provided to the client, including their objectives, activities, and outcomes.
Client Feedback: This section provides detailed information about the client's feedback on the services, including their satisfaction level and any suggestions for improvement.
Performance Analysis: This section provides an analysis of the service provider's performance, including its achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

The importance of client reporting

Client reporting can help businesses deliver value to their clients, build trust, and improve their service delivery. It can also help businesses identify opportunities and challenges related to their services, and develop strategies to address them.

By using client reporting tools, businesses can also identify opportunities and challenges more effectively, enabling them to develop strategies to address these issues and optimize their services.

8) Donor reports: stewarding generosity

Donor reports are a key tool for nonprofits to steward the generosity of their donors. They provide detailed information about the use of donor funds and their impact.

What is a donor report?

A donor report is a document that outlines the use of donor funds by a nonprofit. It provides detailed information about the projects funded by the donors, their outcomes, and the nonprofit's financial performance.

Key components of a donor report

A donor report typically includes the following components:

Project Overview: This section provides an overview of the projects funded by the donors, including their objectives, activities, and outcomes.
Financial Performance: This section provides detailed information about the nonprofit's financial performance, including its revenue, expenses, and financial sustainability.
Donation impact: This section typically includes a short story of how donations made a difference for a particular person group or place backed by numbers.
Donor Recognition: This section recognizes the generosity of the donors and their contribution to the nonprofit's mission.

The importance of donor reporting

Donor reporting can help nonprofits steward the generosity of their donors, build trust, and attract more donations.

It can also help nonprofits demonstrate their impact and financial sustainability, and communicate their mission and values to their donors.

Building trust and transparency through reporting

Effective reporting is a powerful tool for businesses to communicate with their stakeholders, build trust, and drive informed decision-making. It's not just about providing information, but about telling a story that engages, informs, and inspires.

By providing detailed, accurate, and timely information, businesses can demonstrate their accountability, enhance their credibility, and foster trust with their stakeholders.

This trust is crucial for building strong and sustainable relationships with stakeholders, and for driving the success of the business.

Types of report design

Business reports are commonly designed in 3 ways:

as PDF
as PowerPoint
or as an online resource like a website or a landing page

Take into consideration that making a report as an online resource is vastly superior to the static PDF or Powerpoint formats.

That's because a web document can include multimedia and interactive content that makes your reports come to life.

Either way designing a report is expensive and time-consuming. Designing a report in PDF or PowerPoint normally requires the involvement of a design agency or an in-house design team.

But creating a report on your website requires not just your design team but also your web development team.

Even though, now there's a simpler more cost-effective way to make interactive reports with a dedicated interactive report maker in a fraction of the cost and in hours rather than weeks.

We’ve brought you here some interactive report templates you can test your next report on.

Any report you make with Storydoc comes with out-of-the-box analytics that lets you get instant insight into how your stakeholders are interacting or engaging with your deck with your report.

Grab a template!

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Jackie Plaza

Hi, I’m Jackie, Creative Marketing Specialist at Storydoc, I write on everything business presentations. I love to research and bring to light critical information that helps marketing, sales, and design teams get better results with their collateral.

Table of contents

Role of reports in business communication Understanding your audience Main types of external business reports Investor reports Annual and quarterly reports ESG reports Sustainability reports Impact reports Partnership reports Client reports Donor reports Building trust and transparency through reporting Types of report design

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