Businesses and organisations use professional reports for myriad reasons. From sales reporting to product marketing. Whether you're analysing Q2 sales performance or exploring consumer trends for a new product, knowing how to write a professional report is essential.

Learn how to produce a clear and concise document that’s well-structured and easy to follow. We’ll cover structure, formatting tips, examples, and how Adobe Express can help.

What is a report?

A report is a structured document used to present facts, analysis, and recommendations on a specific topic. Reports are used in varied contexts and settings, including:

• Schools, where students might write book reports
• Academic settings, where research reports are common
• Workplaces, where teams develop technical and business reports.

The purpose of a report is to present data clearly using headings, charts, and references to support the findings or recommendations. They should be objective, formal in tone, and designed to inform or persuade their target audience.

In this guide we will focus on professional reports used in business or at work.

What is a professional report?

Professional reports are used in corporate settings to communicate findings or updates from teams and projects. Marketing, sales, HR, finance, and operations teams often compile reports on their work. For example, on quarterly sales data, consumer trends, feasibility studies, employee turnover, and much more.

The key purposes of a professional report are:

• To summarise performance of sales, or report on campaign metrics.
• To support decision-making and provide stats and recommendations.
• To track progress of projects or team goals.
• To present research or data, including market analysis and competitor insights.
• To document issues or audits, like risk assessments or internal reviews.
• To provide updates to stakeholders e.g. board reports, investor updates.

How to write and structure a report.

Writing a report is easier when you follow a clear structure. Here’s how to format each section professionally.

1. Title page.

This should include your report title, the author’s name, the publish date, and any relevant job title or company name. This page should have a simple but formal design with effective use of white space and a clear information hierarchy.

A legible sans serif font is preferred for readability from the title page and throughout the report.

2. Contents page.

A contents page lists each section of the report with the corresponding page numbers. This helps the reader quickly find what they need. It’s crucial the contents page is easy to navigate. That means using clear headings and sub-headings to break down the different overall sections and the sub-sections that sit within them.

It’s important to make sure this page is updated if any pages are added or removed.

3. Executive summary.

This is a short overview of the report’s purpose, findings, and conclusions. Though it comes at the beginning of the report it’s generally the final thing to be written.

The main thing to remember here is to keep things concise and only include essential information. You’re trying to paint a top-level picture, rather than cover in-detail the report’s contents.

4. Introduction.

The introduction to your report sets the context. It explains the aim, background, and scope. Lead with the most compelling statistic or problem and make clear how your report will address this.

Clarify what falls within the scope and outside of the scope – for example, if you’re only covering a specific time period or focusing on one product category. Consider briefly factors that may have contributed to the problem or challenge.

5. Main copy (body).

The body of your report should be divided into sections with subheadings to make it easy to scan and navigate. Sections may include methodology, findings, analysis, recommendations – as well as an introduction and conclusion.

Each section and page should have a clear visual hierarchy, so the reader knows where to look next. Pages should make use of bullet points to break down key points and bold text to highlight important phrases.

Favour Plain English, with short sentences and paragraphs and everyday language where appropriate. Include data, analysis, and discussions. If possible, use visuals such as charts and graphs to support your points.

6. Conclusion.

This is where you recap the key findings of your report. Your conclusion should offer clear, concise recommendations or next steps. The aim here is to contextualise the findings rather than simply repeat sections.

You want to show how your analysis has solved – or gone some way to solving – the problem it set out to tackle. It’s crucial to follow the data and evidence and remain objective and clear-headed. But make clear what needs to happen as a result of your findings and what could potentially go wrong if it does not.

Be concise too. A good conclusion should conclude its findings in no more than five paragraphs. And those paragraphs should ensure every word has earned its place. There should be no waffle or waste in a concluding statement.

7. References.

Your report is only worth the information it is based on, right. Whether that’s your own proprietary data or third-party data from the government or an industry body. Or you’re drawing on insights from reports published by other brands or influential organisations in your space.

Either way, it’s crucial to reference all this source information so readers can easily find where you got it and ascertain it can be trusted. At the end of your report, include a list of all sources of data, quotes, and research used in your report – and add in-text citations too.

Choose one referencing style and stick with it. If you’re familiar with one from college or university, it may be worth using that. In business, the main ones are Harvard and APA. Find the right citation style for your professional report.

Business report examples.

There are many types of business reports that each have a specific purpose. Here are a few common examples used in workplaces in the UK.

Financial reports.

These reports summarise financial performance, budgets, and forecasts. They’re usually presented to stakeholders and executives, and include income statements, cash flow data, and profit margins.

Progress reports.

Progress reports are used to track milestones on ongoing projects. Common in project management or client communications, they include status updates, delays, and risks.

Market analysis.

Market analysis presents data on market size, trends, competitors, and target audiences. It is often used in strategic planning or product development.

Marketing and sales reports.

If you need to detail campaign results, lead generation, and ROI, you’ll want to create a marketing and sales report. These usually include key metrics like CTR, conversion rate, and pipeline status.

Employee progression reports.

Used by HR or line managers to assess development, employee progression reports include goals, training updates, feedback, and promotion readiness.

Editable report examples and template ideas for your business.

How can Adobe Express help you create a professional report?

With Adobe Express, you can easily create impactful professional reports that are structured, visually appealing, and easy to share with your team. They’re perfect for internal meetings or client presentations and you don’t need any experience creating reports to get started.

1. Build a solid structure with free report templates.

Choose a report format example that suits your purpose. There are a range of report templates for everything from sales and marketing to business reports. You can customise the colours, layouts, and fonts to match your brand.

2. Share with co-workers to aid collaboration.

Once you’ve created your template you can send editable files to colleagues for cross-team collaboration. They can add their input or simply gather feedback before the report is sent. This is ideal for remote or hybrid teams.

3. Create charts and graphs for your report.

Visualise your data with pie charts, bar graphs, or infographics. This helps present your analysis simply and is a great way to make complicated information easier to digest.

Present your report findings with the help of the AI presentation maker.

Use Adobe Express’ AI Presentation Maker to transform your written report example into a clear and concise visual presentation. Simply input your topic, and the tool will generate slide structures, layout suggestions, and headline ideas tailored to your content. The tool is useful for summarising findings, presenting to clients, or updating internal stakeholders. Once your slides are ready, customise with charts, bullet points, or branded visuals.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

How do you start a professional report?

Start with a clear title page that includes your name, date and subject. Follow with an introduction that outlines the purpose of the report, what it covers, and any background the reader needs to know. This sets the tone and context for what your report contains.

How long should a report be?

The length of your report depends on its purpose. A short internal report might be just two to three pages, while a full business or research report could run for 10-20 pages. Focus on being clear and concise and only include what’s necessary to communicate your findings and recommendations effectively.

How do you write an introduction for a professional report?

Your introduction should explain the reason for the report, its scope, and any key background information. Keep it factual and professional. This section helps the reader understand what to expect and why the report is important, especially for stakeholders or decision-makers.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.