Business Letter

A commercial business letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter will depend on the relationship between the parties concerned. There are many reasons to write a business letter. It could be to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to identify a mistake that was committed, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong or simply to convey goodwill. Even today, the business letter is still very useful because it produces a permanent record, is confidential, formal and delivers persuasive, well-considered messages. There are two main styles of business letters:
1. Full block style: Align all elements on the left margin. 2. Modified block style with other elements on the left page margin. Margins

In general, left and right margins are one inch (approx. 2.5 cm). For letters that are a full page or longer, top and bottom margins are likewise one inch (approx. 2.5 cm). For letters shorter than a full page, the text is centered vertically so that the top and bottom margins match.
Font Formatting

No special character or font formatting is used, except for the subject line, which is usually underlined.
Punctuation

The salutation/greeting is generally followed by a comma, although in the United States a colon is often preferred. The valediction/closing is followed by a comma.
Example Template

[SENDER'S NAME] [SENDER'S ADDRESS] (optional[SENDER'S PHONE] (optional[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.]

[VALEDICTION (Sincerely, Respectfully, Regards, etc.)],

[SENDER] [SENDER'S TITLE]

Enclosures ([NUMBER OF ENCLOSURES]) cc: [CC RECIPIENT], [CC RECIPIENT TITLE] [CC RECIPIENT], [CC RECIPIENT TITLE]

Indentation Formats
Business letters conform to generally one of four indentation formats: Block, Semi-Block, 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.
Block

In a Block format letter, (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, (2) paragraphs are not indented. 3) paragraphs are separated by double or triple spacing.
Semi-Block

In a Semi-Block format letter (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, (2) paragraphs are indented.

Modified Block

In a Modified Block format letter, (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, except for the author's address, date, and closing; and (2) paragraphs are not indented. The author's address, date, and closing are usually indented three inches from the left margin, but can be set anywhere to the right of the middle of the page, as long as all three elements are indented to the same position.
Modified Semi-Block

In a Modified Semi-Block format letter, (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, except for the author's address, date, and closing; and (2) paragraphs are indented. The author's address, date, and closing are usually indented in same position

Report writing
A report can be defined as a testimonial or account of some happening. It is purely based on observation and analysis. A report gives an explanation of any circumstance. In todays corporate world, reports play a crucial role. They are a strong base for planning and control in an organization, i.e., reports give information which can be utilized by the management team in an organization for making plans and for solving complex issues in the organization. A report discusses a particular problem in detail. It brings significant and reliable information to the limelight of top management in an organization. Hence, on the basis of such information, the management can make strong decisions. Reports are required for judging the performances of various departments in an organization. An effective report can be written going through the following steps1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Determine the objective of the report, i.e., identify the problem. Collect the required material (facts) for the report. Study and examine the facts gathered. Plan the facts for the report. Prepare an outline for the report, i.e., draft the report. Edit the drafted report. Distribute the draft report to the advisory team and ask for feedback and recommendations.

The essentials of good/effective report writing are as follows1. Know your objective, i.e., be focused.

2. Analyze the niche audience, i.e., make an analysis of the target audience, the purpose for which audience requires the report, kind of data audience is looking for in the report, the implications of report reading, etc. 3. Decide the length of report. 4. Disclose correct and true information in a report. 5. Discuss all sides of the problem reasonably and impartially. Include all relevant facts in a report. 6. Concentrate on the report structure and matter. Pre-decide the report writing style. Use vivid structure of sentences. 7. The report should be neatly presented and should be carefully documented. 8. Highlight and recap the main message in a report. 9. Encourage feedback on the report from the critics. The feedback, if negative, might be useful if properly supported with reasons by the critics. The report can be modified based on such feedback. 10. Use graphs, pie-charts, etc to show the numerical data records over years. 11. Decide on the margins on a report. Ideally, the top and the side margins should be the same (minimum 1 inch broad), but the lower/bottom margins can be one and a half times as broad as others. 12. Attempt to generate readers interest by making appropriate paragraphs, giving bold headings for each paragraph, using bullets wherever required, etc.

Memorandum A memo is a document typically used for communication within a company. memos can be as formal as a business letter and used to present a report. However, the heading and overall tone make a memo different from a business letter. Because you generally send memos to co-workers and colleagues, you do not have to include a formal salutation or closing remark.

Purpose of a Memo
Usually you write memos to inform readers of specific information. You might also write a memo to persuade others to take action, give feedback on an issue, or react to a situation. However, most memos communicate basic information, such as meeting times or due dates. While memos are a convenient channel to communicate, it is always necessary to determine if a meeting is more appropriate. For example, pretend your team needs to make a very important financial decision. A memo can ask for that information from team members and request a response by a specific date.

By meeting with everyone, however, you not only get to hear final decisions but the rationale behind them. In fact, new ideas may stem from face-to-face discussions. By writing a memo in this scenario, you may never invent alternative ways of solving the problem. Before writing a memo, outline what what your purpose is for doing so, and decide if the memo is the best communication channel. While writing a memo, we will follow a general format. For instance, a company might have a particular way of presenting a heading or may even use a specific type of letterhead or logo. However, usually a memo has a "to," "from," "subject," and "date" entry. Heading Message Tone Length Format Guidelines