Business Letters

A business letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations
and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the
relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of contents, for
example to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier,
to point out a mistake by the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong,
or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent
written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication

General format
Margins[edit]
Side, top and bottom margins should be 1 to 1 1/4 inches (the general default settings in programs
such as Microsoft Word). One-page letters and memos should be vertically centered.

Font formatting[edit]
No special character or font formatting is used, except for the subject line, which is usually
underlined.

Punctuation[edit]
The salutation/greeting is generally followed by a comma in British style, whereas in the United
States a colon is used. The valediction/closing is followed by acomma.

Form[edit]
The following is the general format, excluding indentation used in various formats:

[SENDER'S COMPANY NAME]

[SENDER'S ADDRESS (optional if placed at bottom)]
[SENDER'S PHONE]
[THE SENDER'S E-MAIL]
[DATE]
[RECIPIENT W/O PREFIX]
[RECIPIENT'S COMPANY]

[RECIPIENT'S ADDRESS]
(Optional) Attention [DEPARTMENT/PERSON]
Dear [RECIPIENT W/ PREFIX]
[First Salutation then Subject in Business letters]
[CONTENT]
[CONTENT]
[COMPLIMENTARY CLOSING (Sincerely, Respectfully, Regards, etc.)]
[SENDER]
[SENDER'S TITLE]
[SENDER'S ADDRESS (optional if placed at top)]
Enclosures ([NUMBER OF ENCLOSURES])

Indentation formats[edit]
Business letters conform to generally one of six indentation formats: standard, open, block, semiblock, modified block, and modified semi-block. Put simply, "semi-" means that the first lines of
paragraphs are indented; "modified" means that the sender's address, date, and closing are
significantly indented.

Standard[edit]
The standard-format letter uses a colon after the salutation and a comma after the complimentary
closing.

Open[edit]
The open-format letter uses no punctuation after the salutation and no punctuation after the
complimentary closing.

Block[edit]
In a block-format letter, all text is left aligned and paragraphs are not indented.

Semi-block[edit]
In a semi-block format letter, all text is left aligned, paragraphs are indented, and paragraphs are
separated by double or triple spacing.

Modified block[edit]
In a modified-block format letter, all text is left aligned (except the author's address, date, and
closing), paragraphs are not indented, and the author's address, date, and closing begin at the
center point.

Modified semi-block[edit]
In a modified semi-block format letter, all text is left aligned (except the author's address, date, and
closing), paragraphs are indented, and the author's address, date, and closing are usually indented
in same position.

Business Letters
A business letter is more formal than a personal letter. It should have a margin of at
least one inch on all four edges. It is always written on 8"x11" (or metric equivalent)
unlined stationery. There are six parts to a business letter.
1. The Heading. This contains the return address (usually two or three lines) with the
date on the last line.
Sometimes it may be necessary to include a line after the address and before the date
for a phone number, fax number, E-mail address, or something similar.
Often a line is skipped between the address and date. That should always be done if
the heading is next to the left margin. (See Business Letter Styles.)
It is not necessary to type the return address if you are using stationery with the return
address already imprinted. Always include the date.
2. The Inside Address. This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it as
complete as possible. Include titles and names if you know them.

This is always on the left margin. If an 8" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a
standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in
the envelope.
An inside address also helps the recipient route the letter properly and can help should
the envelope be damaged and the address become unreadable.
Skip a line after the heading before the inside address. Skip another line after the
inside address before the greeting.
3. The Greeting. Also called the salutation. The greeting in a business letter is always
formal. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last
name.
It normally has a title. Use a first name only if the title is unclear--for example, you
are writing to someone named "Leslie," but do not know whether the person is male
or female. For more on the form of titles, see Titles with Names.
The greeting in a business letter always ends in a colon. (You know you are in trouble
if you get a letter from a boyfriend or girlfriend and the greeting ends in a colon--it is
not going to be friendly.)
4. The Body. The body is written as text. A business letter is never hand written.
Depending on the letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of
format, skip a line between paragraphs.
Skip a line between the greeting and the body. Skip a line between the body and the
close.
5. The Complimentary Close. This short, polite closing ends with a comma. It is
either at the left margin or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business
Letter Style that you use. It begins at the same column the heading does.
The block style is becoming more widely used because there is no indenting to bother
with in the whole letter.
6. The Signature Line. Skip two lines (unless you have unusually wide or narrow
lines) and type out the name to be signed. This customarily includes a middle initial,
but does not have to. Women may indicate how they wish to be addressed by
placing Miss, Mrs., Ms. or similar title in parentheses before their name.

The signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate. The term "By
direction" in the second line means that a superior is authorizing the signer.
The signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in the
space between the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink.
Business letters should not contain postscripts.
Some organizations and companies may have formats that vary slightly.
Use the "Edit" function in the Help Menu above if you need to make additions to the
information on this page.
Click here for various Business Letter Styles.
See also Commas in Letters, Special Colon Uses, and Capitalization in Letters

Complete Contents
Glossary
Grammar Contents
Copyright1997-2006 English Plus, All rights reserved.

Memo

a short message sent from one person to another in the same organization

Agenda means things to be done. It is usually sent along with the notice of the meeting.
It is a list of the topics to be discussed in a meeting.

Sometimes the agenda is prepared after the circulation of the notice in order to include
the members opinion. If the subject matter of the meeting is secret, the agenda may not
be circulated.
So, agenda is an items or issues prepared by the secretary and which are to be discussed or
transacted in a forth coming mitten.

Features or characteristics of agenda: The features of agenda can be state as

follows:
1.

Generally, agenda is sent along with the notice of the meeting.

2.

It is written at the end but before or after the signature of the convener of the
meeting.

3.

It is arranged according to the importance of the end.

4.

Controversial topics should be written at the end.

5.

The topics are determined by the secretary with consulting the higher authority or
the convener of the meeting.

6.

It written in brief but explicit manner.

Importance or necessities of agenda: Agenda is the explicit topics to be discussed in

a meeting the members. No one can ignore the importance of an agenda. The necessity
or importances of an agenda are as follows:
1.

As it is circulated in advance, the members of the committee or meeting can take

preparation to discuss the topics accurately.

2.

It helps to take prompt decision.

3.

Since it has a set of order, it helps the chairperson to conduct the meeting
smoothly.

4.

It can ensure covering all the topics that will be discussed in a meeting.

5.

It helps to control the unnecessary talking in the meeting.

6.

It is helps to write the minutes and resolution of the meeting.

7.

As it is served earlier, the members of the meeting can exchange their thought
and ideas informally before holding the meeting.

Your logo here

[Sample Meeting Agenda Template]

Pyramid Model Team Meeting

Date:
Place:

Meeting Roles
Host:
Facilitator:
Time-Keeper:
Refreshments:

Note-taker:
Buddy for absent members:

Meeting Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Next Meetings dates and places:

Agenda:

Time
Required?

9:00

Item

Welcome/Introductions

Type of Action

info sharing

no

9:15

Action plan updates

discussion

Selection of Coaches

discussion

Continued planning of train

discussion

yes

10:15
yes

11:15
yes

the trainer event

Noon

complete meeting evaluation &

adjourn

Decision

What are Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes keep an official account of what was done or talked about at formal
meetings, including any decisions made or actions taken.
They are taken during a formal meeting of the board of directors or shareholders of a
corporation, such as initial and annual meetings. Typically, meeting minutes are
recorded by the corporations secretary (or another individual appointed at the meeting).

What Should be Included in Meeting Minutes?

Your meeting minutes do not need to include every little detail. You just need to
document the key information and any decisions made or actions taken. In general,
your minutes should be detailed enough to serve as your corporations institutional
memory.
Typical minutes will include the following:

Basic information about the meeting: date, time, location.

Who attended, along with a special note in the cases where attendees came late or left
early.

Agenda items with a brief description of each item.

Voting actions with a detailed account of how each individual voted, along with any
abstensions.

Time when meeting was adjourned.

In most cases, you dont need to create minutes from scratch. You can find free
templates online to serve as a starting point. Choose your type of
minutes/documentations, fill in the blanks, and print it out, and you will have met your
recordkeeping obligations.

Who is Required to Keep Meeting Minutes?

The majority of states require both S Corporations and C Corporations to document
major business decisions and the major meetings you hold.
At present, the following states do not require minutes to be kept:

Delaware

Kansas

Nevada

North Dakota

Oklahoma

Additionally, LLCs are not required to keep minutes.

What Should I do With the Minutes After They

are Recorded?
Minutes do not need to be filed with the state, but can instead be kept with your other
corporate records, such as articles of incorporations, bylaws, and resolutions.
Like other documents, you should keep minutes on hand for at least seven years.
Members of the corporation, such as shareholders, officers, and directors, are entitled
to review the meeting minutes upon reasonable request to the corporation.
While you dont need to file these documents with the state, they should still be
considered important documents and are essential for protecting your corporations
good standing and your limited liability status.

MEETING MINUTES
Staff Meeting

Meeting Name:
Date of
Meeting:

Time:

Meeting
Purpose:

Meeting
Leader:
Prepared By:

1. Attendance at Meeting
Name

(add rows as necessary)

Position

Note

2. Meeting Notes, Decisions, Issues

3. Action Items

(add rows as necessary)

Actions

What is a report?

Assigned to

Due Date

A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence are
presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in a clearly
structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow.
When you are asked to write a report you will usually be given a report brief which provides you with
instructions and guidelines. The report brief may outline the purpose, audience and problem or issue that your
report must address, together with any specific requirements for format or structure. This guide offers a general
introduction to report writing; be sure also to take account of specific instructions provided by your department.

Report writing is an essential skill in many disciplines. Master it now at university and writing reports
in the workplace will be easier. A report aims to inform and sometimes to persuade. They should be
written as clearly and succinctly as possible, with evidence about a topic, problem or situation

Purpose

Reports communicate information which has been

compiled as a result of research and analysis of data and
of issues. Reports can cover a wide range of topics, but
usually focus on transmitting information with a clear
purpose, to a specific audience. Good reports are
documents that are accurate, objective and complete.
They should also be well-written, clearly structured and
expressed in a way that holds the reader's attention and
meets their expectations. The true value of the research
may be assessed through a report since the written
report may be the "only tangible product of hundreds of
hours of work. Rightly or wrongly, the quality and worth
of that work are judged by the quality of the written
report - its clarity, organization and content" (Blake &
Bly, 1993: 119). Often reports are structured in a way
that reflects the information finding process and the
writing up of the findings: that is, summary of the
contents, introduction or background, methods, results,
discussion, conclusion and/or recommendations. The
inclusion of recommendations is one reason why reports
are a common form of writing in industry, as the
informed recommendations are useful for decision
making.

The scope and style of reports varies widely. It depends

on three key factors: the report's intended audience, the
report's purpose and the type of information to be
communicated; for example, technical reports
communicate technical information, so the degree of
technicality in the report will depend on the reader's
familiarity and understanding of technical concepts.
At university, you may be required to write several
different types of reports.
Technical and Business disciplines with an applied
focus such as Engineering, Information Technology,
Commerce, Accounting and Finance, will set report
writing assignments that simulate the process of report
writing in industry. Assignments are set in the form of
a problem or a case study. The students research the
problem, and present the results of the research in a
report format to an imaginary client.
Field reports are common in disciplines such as Law,
Industrial Relations, Psychology, Nursing, History and
Education. These types of reports require the student
to analyse his or her observations of phenomena or
events in the real world in light of theories studied in
the course. Examples of field reports are a Court
observation report, an observation report of a child or
a patient for Developmental psychology or Nursing, a
History site report, and a teaching observation report
for Education.
Scientific reports (also called laboratory reports) are
another kind of report. They are common in all the
Sciences and Social Sciences. These reports use a
standard scientific report format describing methods,
results and conclusions to report upon an empirical
investigation. A more detailed and extensive type of
this report is the research project report for fourth
year honours students or research students involved in
postgraduate studies.

What are Features or Characteristics of Report ?

Profile writing

1. Know the rules of attribution. You must identify yourself as a reporter before
beginning any conversation with a source. If you don't, his or her comments will not
be considered "on the record" -- and therefore they will not be useable in your article.
A source cannot retroactively take his or her comments "off the record" -- so if a

source says at the end of an interview, "but that was all off the record," that person is
out of luck.
2. Ask open questions, be a good listener, and probe for anecdotes.Get a source
talking by asking questions that begin with "how" or "why." Once a source starts
talking, try to keep him or her going by asking follow-up questions like, "What do you
mean by that?" or "Can you give me an example?"
3. Prepare for your interviews. Come to any interview armed with a basic list of
questions you hope to ask. If the conversation goes well you can (and should) toss
your questions and go with the flow, but if you have a terse source your questions
should be a big help in keeping the conversation going. When interviewing leaders
and experts, you should always have a basic understanding of the work they have
done which has prompted you to look to those people as sources.
4. Interview with breadth and depth. Interview as wide a range of people as
possible, and probe them for thoughtful answers. You don't need to use quotes from
every person you interview -- but having a diverse collection of interviews in your
notebook will give you the best possible selection of quotes. Plus, good interviews
should help you expand your understanding of your topic.
5. Write for a national audience. Obviously, your story will be grounded by your
familiarity with your own school. But you should seek a variety of perspectives and
several expert opinions. Try to interview students from at least three different schools,
and look for recent research studies that may help illuminate some of the points your
article makes. Interview the authors of the studies if you can.
6. Keep an open mind. Don't assume that you understand all the nuances of your
topic. Expect that your understanding will evolve as you report. If it doesn't, you may
not have reported thoroughly or aggressively enough.
Once you're ready to write:
7. Decide on an approach. Outlining your story is the best way to start. This means
reviewing your notes, marking the most interesting or articulate quotes, making a list
of important points, and creating a structure into which you can fit your information.
Spend extra time of the beginning of your story. Readers will decide whether to
proceed based on the capacity of your lede to grab their interest.
8. Focus on what's most compelling. Before you start writing, think through all the
information you have and all the points you plan to make. What's surprising? What's
important? What's useful?

9. Show, don't tell. It is tempting to describe a room as messy or a person as nice. But
carefully-observed details and well-chosen verbs make a much stronger impression
than adjectives.
10. Put your story in context. You must help answer a reader's biggest question
about any story: Why should I care?
11. Don't overuse direct quotes. Sometimes you can best capture a mood with your
own prose. Think of direct quotes as icing on a cake -- they enhance, but they
shouldn't form the substance of your story. The quotes you do use must be attributed,
always. The reader should not have to guess who is talking.
12. Fill holes. Are there questions raised by your story that you have not answered?
Ask a friend, teacher, editor or fellow reporter to read through your story and tell you
what else he or she would want to know.
13. Triple-check for accuracy. Spell names right. Get grade levels and titles right.
Get facts right. If you are unsure of something and cannot verify it, leave it out.
Before you turn in your story, ask yourself these questions: Have I attributed or
documented all my facts? Are the quotes in my story presented fairly and in context?
Am I prepared to publicly defend my facts if they are questioned?
14. Proofread. Do not turn in a story with spelling or grammatical mistakes. If you're
not sure of grammar, consult a copy of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, or
read it online at http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk
.