Business Profile Templates For Internal and External Use

A company or business profile is a document that contains an overview of the business, the business’s current status, and future goals.  There is no universal template as profiles can be as short as one page or a lengthy report.  We suggest businesses have both, a short one-page company profile that can be shared publicly with potential clients and a longer version to be used as an internal company resource.

A business profile is a necessity for companies of all sizes because it clearly states who the company is, where it came from, and where it is going.  When shared publically, business profiles can provide information to customers, be used to seek new investors and employees, and provide basic information to media sources.  Business profiles not only give factual and financial information, but also set the tone, style, and personality of the company.

Every company profile should contain some of the same basic information including historical background information (when the company was formed, founders, status of company in the early days, etc) and the business contact information (addresses, emails, phone numbers, fax lines, website addresses, social media handles, etc).  If you do not know what a “social media handle” is, take this social media for business class to learn how to utilize these valuable online platforms. Profiles can also include information about future plans.  Consider adding information about future expansions, new products and services, or plans about restructuring.  This information should only be included if it has been approved by company leaders and shareholders.

Short Public Version

Think of the short public version of your business profile as your company’s “business card”.  This document is not only about the information you are trying to convey but also about presentation.  It should be professional looking yet appealing to the eye.  This is the version of your company profile that you will present to the press, place in company newsletters, attach to public articles, and much more.

Business Profile Template

1. Logo and Business Name

2. Company Description

   1. What do you do and what is your value promise?  This should be one to two sentences.

3. Brief history

3.1This should be one paragraph and include the founders, the date the company was founded, and any other essential historical information.

4. Infrastructure

4.1 Legal Business Name

4.2 Business Type (i.e. Sole Proprietorship, Closed Corporation, Private Company, Public Company, Trust, etc)

4.3 Contact Information

4.3.1 Headquarters Address

4.3.2 Mailing Address

4.3.3 1 – Contact Telephone Number

4.3.4 1 – Contact Fax Line

4.3.5 1 – Contact Email

4.3.6 Social Media Handles

4.4 CEO or Owner

4.5 Directors

Longer Internal Version

Business owners should modify this longer business profile template to their specific needs.  The following outlines crucial and confidential company information.  If you are planning on sharing this business profile with people outside of your company, make sure to redact this information.  Because this document is internal facing, focus more on the quality of information being presented rather than how it looks visually.  Your company information should be written in a clear tone with the personality of the company in mind.  Anyone who reads it should be able to understand what you are conveying.

Business Profile Template

1. Logo and Business Name

2. Business, Administrative, and Contact Information

2.1. Legal Business Name

2.2. Business Type (i.e. Sole Proprietorship, Closed Corporation, Private Company, Public Company, Trust, etc)

2.3. Business Registration Number

2.4. Business Tax Reference Number

2.5. VAT Number

2.6. Contact Information

2.6.1. Telephone Numbers (Include mobile numbers when appropriate)

2.6.2. Fax Lines

2.6.3. Emails

2.6.4. Social Media Handles

2.6.5. Headquarters/Physical Address

2.6.6. Postal Address (If different than physical address)

2.7. Banking Details

2.7.1. Bank Name and Branch Number

2.7.2. Routing Number

2.7.3. Account Names and Numbers

2.7.4. Account Manager and Contact Information

3. Business Introduction

3.1. Company History (Can be as concise as one paragraph or several pages)

3.2. What the Company Does (Include what the business is and the market sectors it serves)

4. Business Strategy

4.1. Vision Statement

4.2. Mission Statement

4.3. Values (If you forgot to define this when you started your business, do not worry. You can learn how to define your business for success here.)

4.4. Business Goals and Objectives

4.5. Business Strategy

4.6. Economic Intent

5. Business Concept

5.1. Business Concept (What the business does)

5.2. Products

5.3. Services

5.4. Business Competitiveness (Your competitive advantages)

5.5. Quality Policy and Objectives (ISO ratings, SABS standards specification, etc)

5.6. Service Pledge (How the business will deliver services)

5.7. Business Model (Describe your business model and the reasoning behind it)

5.8. Value Chain (Explain the value chain you operate in and where your business fits)

6. Management and Ownership

6.1. Management Structure (Try using a diagram to show the management structure and reporting hierarchy)

6.2. Ownership Structure (Ownership percentages, structures, and current share distribution)

6.3. Business Board

6.4. Advisory Board

6.5. Management Team

6.6. Office and Administrative Personnel

6.7. Attorneys

6.8. Accountants

7. Current Customers and Projects 

7.1. List of customers, projects, and contact information

8. Completed Projects

8.1 List of customers, projects, and contact information (If this section is looking weak, brush up on your project management skills with this project management training course.)

9. Attachments and Supporting Documentation

9.1. Copy of Identity Documents of Directors and Shareholders

9.2. Company and CC Documents

9.3. Any Other Relevant Company Documentation

Summary

It is important to revisit and update your business profiles annually.  Business team members can retire or leave the business, locations can open or close, and products and services can be added or discontinued. Past business profiles also serve as a useful tool to analyze how the business is performing and where it is going.  Consider keeping a physical record of your business profiles in one place like a company binder or in a shared documents folder on your company’s computers.  This way company members will be able to quickly access data they may need for projects.

If you are new to business and writing your first business profile, consider learning more about about business basics by taking an introductory course.  Understanding the business basics will help you write a more complete and useful business profile.