6 Types of Reports for Making Data-Driven Decisions

Reports are crucial for measuring performance and proving business success.

But they aren’t all created equal. Most businesses draw on a variety of reports to gauge how they’re doing and spot opportunities for growth.

In this article, we’ll discuss six types of reports you can create to help you assess your progress and plan for the future.

We’ll also show you the formats these can take, examples of reports, and some writing tips to help you streamline the process.

Why Do You Need Different Types of Reports?

A business report is a formal document that collects topical data or analysis in one place.

Each type of report has a different goal. You might use a monthly financial report to see how much you’re spending on products and where you could make cuts.

Or you might create a social media marketing report to track your Facebook visits and bounce rate:

Reports help business owners make decisions for different areas of the company. And the type and format can vary for each.

The structure and content of a report depend on several factors:

• The industry you’re in
• Who will be reading it
• The time frame you’re referencing
• The amount of data or information you’re covering
• Whether it’s meant to state facts or solve problems

A 200-page annual business report you share with the public will look a lot different from a weekly social media report for your eyes only.

Which means every business needs more than one type of report. And knowing which are available will help you choose...