Your company’s annual report is loaded with important information which is important to you and the stakeholders of your business. It gives you and other invested parties an idea of how well you are doing, what your profit margins are like, and it will detail management’s strategic business plan for the upcoming year.
We know how complicated and difficult taking and then sharing your annual report can be to those within your company and with stakeholders. Below we will give you a quick rundown on how you can compile the best and most useful report, and tell you just how easily it can be shared.
Write Down Your Accomplishments
Start your report writing off on a high note and think of the accomplishments that your business achieved over the last year. Consider items such as:
1. Successful product or service launches
2. Your impact on the community
3. Your lead conversion ratio
4. How a change in scripting doubled your sales figures
Create Personal Profiles
While you are writing the report for yourself, you are very much writing it for your stakeholders who may not be too actively involved in the day to day business operations. Take the time to interview those who support your business and who have positive stories to tell. Turn the stories they share into “personal profiles” in your report. These profiles will act as testimonials to the accomplishments of your company.
Share Financial Information
While it is not necessary to include your entire set of financial statements in your annual report (though you should advise people where they can find it), it is always a good idea to still give your readers a sense of how the business has done throughout the year. A line or pie chart works well. You should include a few paragraphs to explain where you received funding (i.e. through a loan from a bank, through an investor, etc.) and how it was spent.
Include Your Staff
The report you write should always include a list of everyone who is holding a leadership position in your company. This would include everyone on your board of directors and those who are part of your company’s executive staff.
A lot of customers also choose to include a list of all of their financial supporters and donors. Our recommendation: If you happen to have a lot of donors, consider setting a minimum donation level before you include them in your report.
Make It Easily Accessible
Having been involved in the financial industry for years, Business Name knows just how difficult it can be to distribute and share your report. An online solution allows for the report to be shared easily and emailed out to those who need it the most.
