How to make an annual report of a company

Many companies, regardless of their form of ownership, annually prepare public reports on the results of annual activities. These documents serve as a source of information for the general public, and at the same time - they are visible evidence of the effectiveness or inefficiency of the organization.

The decision of the meeting of shareholders on the future fate of the company, the public’s assessment of the organization’s activities, etc. may depend on how well prepared the annual report is. In other words, the specialist or the structural unit developing the annual report should be aware that not only reputation depends on the quality of the final document, but also the further development of the enterprise.

Often the task of preparing the annual report lies with the analytical department or other structural unit that performs the functions of compiling information on the activities of the entire company for the annual period.

Depending on the type of activity of the organization and the nature of the audience for which the documents are intended, the report may be designed in the style of internal documents or public information for a wide range of readers. The stylistics of internal documentation is respected for reports presented to the founders and shareholders of the company. In this case, more attention in the report is placed on financial indicators, economic efficiency and the results of work to achieve the key objectives outlined in the plan.

For a public report, which, as a rule, is published on the official website for public viewing, a more detailed description of the organization's activities, its tasks and mission is required. A number of information provided needs a detailed explanation, for which a separate section is being prepared. As a rule, analytical services are involved in the development of a public report in close cooperation with public relations specialists, who are able to adjust the information depending on its significance.

Regardless of the nature of the target audience of the report, any final document has a clear grouping into sections. In the first section, as a rule, the tasks that were set for the organization and the results for their achievement are given. The following are the financial results for the year and production results.

The final section, as a rule, is the company's activity in the social direction. As a rule, this information is contained in a public report, which presents the results of the company's socially-oriented policy. As materials for inclusion in the report, information on the rewarding of the organization’s representatives for high achievements in the field of social support, the results of charity activities, etc.

It should be remembered that when selecting information for reflection in the report, it is necessary to maintain the objectivity of the information provided. This rule must be observed even if the results of the company’s performance on individual indicators are far from ideal or indicate insufficient work efficiency. Speaking of this, the report needs to reflect the possible reasons leading to similar results, as well as to fix the audience’s attention about the firm intention to eliminate the problem in the future period.