Recently, I have been contacted by friends to outline the information required for preparing a business profile. For the benefits of young entrepreneurs and to contribute to the information available on the subject, I have decided to share my knowledge on Business Profile preparation in a simple and non-academic style. Please note that the information provided is a guide and not a one size fit all template. The content and structure of a business profile depends on an organizations industry.

A Business Profile can simply be defined as an organisations “Curriculum Vitae”. It serves one/all of the following purpose;

+Requirement for a Tender Submission
+Tool for Business Development efforts
+Record for keeping track of organisations history/activities.

It answers the questions prospective clients needs to know about your business. Questions like, what you do? How competent your company is? Why they should patronize your services?

A typical Business Profile includes the following:
+Title Page
+Content Page/Table of Content
+Who We Are (Company History/Introduction)
+Mission/Vision/Core Values
+Chairmans Address
+Meet our people (Key Company Personnel)
+What we do (Services)
+What we have done (Executed Projects)
+Owned Equipment
+Corporate Social Responsibility
+Meet our Clients
+Contact us
+Appendix/Attachments

TITLE PAGE

Title pages typically display the companys Name and Logo; and sometimes include the contact details – Company office address, website, email and contact Number(s).

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WHO WE ARE (HISTORY)

A brief history of the organization, it answers the questions when, how and why the organization was founded. Some organizations provide the information in an outlined/timeline format as described below:

1900 – Incorporated as a Limited liability company

1902 – The companys first Branch became operational

1903 – The company expanded her portfolio from selling women clothing to

manufacturing and distributing men wears.

The essay format is common to many organisations.

Company XYZ was founded in 1900 and incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The company’s main service was manufacturing and distribution of women wears. In 1903, the company expanded her portfolio to include making and distributing men’s wear……

Whichever style you choose, ensure to highlight the company’s formation process and the needs it was created to meet. Also emphasize how the company is meeting her founding objectives.

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MISSION/VISION/CORE VALUES

State the companys Mission/Vision/Core Values

See example below – For Real Habitats Ltd, a leading serviced apartment provider in Lagos, Nigeria.

VISION

To be the choice serviced apartment provider in Africa.

MISSION STATEMENT

Providing personalized accommodation experience that guarantees comfort, security, ambience and give the best value for money.

CORE VALUES

Integrity – We keep and deliver on our promise

Customer Focus – We listen to our clients and deliver a personalized accommodation experience - the home away from home treat.

Creativity – We draw on our creativity to ensure our clients get the best value for their money.

Excellence – We conduct our business with a touch of professionalism.

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CEO’s ADDRESS

The CEO’s address is a medium for the organizations Chief Executive Officer to reinstate the companys commitment to providing valuable services and present the company as product and customer focused; a way to gain stakeholders and prospective clients trust.

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MEET OUR PEOPLE

This section is used to highlight the experience of the company’s top management members and key personnel. The greatest resources of any organization are their people. Therefore, use this section to indicate the educational qualifications, certifications, professional memberships and experience of the key company personnel. Their profiles should demonstrate why they are a great asset to the company and your prospective clients. Top management staff includes, The Chairman, Chief Executive Director and other executive directors, Human Resource Manager, Head of Operations, Head of Business Development, Head of Finance among others.

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WHAT WE DO (SERVICES)

Highlight company products and services. You should develop the copy with your potential clients in mind. Demonstrate how your services are ideal for them and that you have the solutions that best meet their needs. Your description should communicate your companys strength, value and promise.

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

This often depends on a companys size and industry. Big corporations are expected to contribute positively to the growth and development of their host community. CSR promotes a brand and presents her as socially responsible. An example is the yearly Cowbellpedia Mathematics competition sponsored by Cowbell Nigeria. I have a lot of respect for the company.

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LIST OF VERIFIABLE PROJECTS/COMPLETED PROJECTS

This is mostly reported in tabular format, includes a description of work done, project timeline, Client, Project duration and Amount (Amount not always necessary, except when instructed to include it).

S/N Project Description Project Duration Client Client Representative
Dredging of Channel 6 Months XYZ Mr ABC, 0805236XXXX

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OWNED EQUIPMENT

Use this section to demonstrate capacity by providing images and list of equipment owned by the company. This information is often presented in tabular format.

S/N Name of Equipment Year Purchased Model No Manufacturer

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CONTACT DETAILS

This includes companys office and email address, website and mobile contact nos.

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APPENDIX

Some company profiles include the following attachments – Copies of Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Valid Tax Clearance Certificate and Awards.

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BUSINESS PROFILE FORMAT/APPEARANCE

Business profiles have evolved from been a dull A4 sized document to colorful and appealing document. This is made possible by the creativity of graphic artistes and business development personnel, who include images, choose font types and color carefully to show the company brand colors.

Every organization looking to be competitive, work with government agencies and reputable organisations need to have a company profile. It should also be noted that company profiles require regular updates – either yearly or quarterly. Before preparing your company profile, consider studying the business profiles of your competitors and leading organizations’ in your industry.

Follow the guide above to create a Business Profile for your company. I hope you find this information timely and useful. I look forward to reading your comments and inputs.

Finally, my organization, Application Wheel Koncepts has a tradition and commitment to helping businesses grow through provision of Business development and ICT (Website Designing, Digital Marketing and Copy Writing) services. We are available to create a business profile for your company at moderate and affordable rates.

Contact Appswheel: No 58, Bode Thomas Street Surulere

Mobile No: 07052193183

Source: http://olorunfemibabatunde.com/the-elements-of-a-business-profile/