How To Write An Annual Report

Use this step-by-step guide to create your annual reports, easily. This guide will highlight the key aspects of a modern annual report template, from structuring your content to using compelling visuals. Let’s learn how to create a meaningful and impactful financial report that drives stability, and commitment to stakeholders.

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Table of Contents

Your guide to creating a branded annual report for your organization

Annual reports are a crucial part of your business and its yearly operations. The annual report is a financial document that businesses provide to shareholders, potential investors, employees and analysts as a source of information about the past year’s performance and financial well-being. By effectively conveying your organization’s performance, achievements, and future goals, a good annual report can strengthen relationships with investors, employees, and customers.

Generally, the first half of an annual report is devoted to company information, industry trends, and other important business news, while the second half usually contains financial data. Sometimes companies are writing annual reports to use them as a marketing tool or a reminder to shareholders of their business achievements.

A creative annual report template will allow you to:

• Provide investors and shareholders with a thoughtful and visually appealing annual report design to share information on key milestones, mission statements, company’s financial status, and business performance.
• Highlight your company’s key achievements and goals for the coming year.
• Introduce key team members who joined during the previous year.

The annual reporting process should include members of all the departments within your company to get a full view of your organization’s financials and cash flow. Loop your team in to edit. Share the link so your managers and key external stakeholders are always updated.

It’s important to select the right report template as there are a number of annual reports online that you can edit or use. Let’s see what a strong annual report should contain!

Create your annual report header and table of contents

Introduce your annual report with your company or your client’s company name and logo, add the year you’re reporting for, and update the folio color scheme and background to match your company branding. You can also include an introductory quote or notable figure that has fueled your year.

Your creative annual report will provide a fundamental overview of the business for the previous year. Typically, the annual report contains categories such as a letter from the company CEO, data regarding the business’s finances and information about business activities. Use the table of contents to outline what the report will cover.

Quick Tip: Once you set up your header section, you can save a custom template to easily repurpose for your ongoing annual reports.