Business Writing — Tips for Writing an Effective Company Profile

A company profile can be an effective tool for presenting your organisation to the rest of the world. Despite the rise of the internet and social media, there still is a place for the traditional company profile that doesn’t directly sell products or services, but builds the image and credibility of a business.

Also called a business profile or corporate profile, a company profile summarises an organisation’s purpose, history, function, and outlook. A well-written business profile makes it possible to quickly and easily present key information to the media, potential customers and investors, and the general public.

What should be included when writing a company profile?

There’s no exact formula for writing a company profile. The type of information you include and the length of the company profile will depend on your organisation and what you are trying to achieve.

Here are a few items that are typically included in company profiles.

• Mission statement – summarising the company’s purpose.
• Leader’s message – a short message from the CEO can briefly explain the mission, goals, achievements and importance of the business in a broader context.
• General overview of what the business does – this can include a brief explanation of the types of products and/or services offered. It’s not necessary to go into detail, as this can be covered in product or service brochures.
• Company history – established businesses often have notable stories behind them about past successes and the challenges they have overcome. New businesses might be able to highlight the experience of the founders and what led them to begin the venture.
• Successes and milestones – this can include short case studies explaining how your company has helped its customers and an overview of important accomplishments.
• Awards and certifications – include any awards or industry certifications that are required to do your work.
• Profiles of key personnel – these should be in a consistent in style and include the same type of information. When writing staff profiles, we ask these questions to get the information needed.
• Corporate governance – your approach to meeting legal requirements.
• Social responsibility – how your business aligns its values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders — customers, investors, employees, suppliers, communities, and society as a whole.
• Company culture – this might include your organisation’s outlook when it comes to staff development, occupational health and safety, and the overall work environment.
• Financial performance – if a publicly traded company, include a summary of the most recent financial data.

For most of these sections, the key questions to ask when writing your company profile is “What makes us stand out from others?” and “What makes us memorable?”  By no means is this a complete list; your company profile might need to cover other subject areas not included here.

As we mentioned, the aim of a company profile is to lift your organisation’s image and raise its credibility. So it’s okay to boast a bit about your company and its achievements.