25+ Printable Business Memo Templates (Word / PDF)

A memo is a mass communication approach used for one to all perspectives of communication. It isn’t an interpersonal communication tool like a one-to-one perspective of communication. It is a kind of broadcasting information to a particular audience. It’s important to understand and answer the following questions before going into the details of the business memo template.

• What is a Business Memo?
• What is the purpose of writing a Memo?
• What are the types of Memos?
• What is the key element or parts of the memo?
• How to write a memo?
• How to format a memo?

What is a Business Memo Template?

A business memo is a short note or record used for future reference in businesses for internal communication that is being almost replaced by digital communication channels such as email. It is a kind of less formal written message from one person of a certain department to the other department within the same business. It is an abbreviation of a memorandum.

What to include in a business memo?

You should include the following key elements in a business memo;

• A clear and precise subject line
• A short introduction
• The why of the email
• The main text as well as a bullet list of action steps or related changes
• Related contact person and resources

In a sentence, the subject line should encapsulate the purpose of the business memo. The introduction must be precise. It outlines the reasons for the memo and set up employee expectations. You can use in the main body of the memo headers to divide up content and make it easy to read. In addition to this, to summarize the highlights and make a scannable text, you can also introduce bullet-point lists.

What is the purpose of the business memo?

The main purpose of business memos are;

• They help you to identify the problems and solve them.
• They enable you to achieve your goals and also informs the recipients about new information such as policy changes, price increase, etc,
• It also allows the recipients to take actions such as attending the meetings, modify the recent production procedure, etc.
• Most importantly, it is used to communicate to a number of people about the company’s objectives.

Significance of Business Memo Templates:

Business memos are a very useful way of communication inside the business. It greatly serves many purposes to the organization such as;

• It informs the message or note to the targeted audience.
• It inquires about the required information.
• It can be used as a report.
• It can be used for giving suggestions.
• It is a generic type of reminder.
• It can be used for giving instructions.
• It can be used to promote goodwill inside the business.
• It can be used to communicate ideas to the targeted audience.
• It eliminates the existence of grapevine or rumors.
• It can be used to communicate procedural changes and policy additions.
• It can be used to communicate the meeting schedules and agendas in the form of a meeting memo template.

Type of Business Memo Templates:

There are many types of business memos based on their end-use and the nature of the information it is representing;

Directive Memo:

This memo is used to state the procedures and policies the organization wants the audience to follow. It also provides directions for proceeding in a certain circumstance. All HR policy announcements and amendments communication come under this type of memo.

Status Memo:

It is a kind of memo that is also known as a progress report. Its key purpose is to report the progress of a particular task to the head. Such memos are commonly used in project management in the form of a project progress report.

Trip Memo:

This type of memo is used for reporting an outcome of a certain seminar or business trip. It states detailed information about the event such as summary, statement of purpose, discussion, and actions.

Field Report Memo:

These memos are used for reporting methods, procedures, and inspections. The best example of such a type of memo is a lab or filed report. It includes information about the problem statement, objectives, methodology, results, conclusion, and recommendations.

Response Memo:

These memos are generated on request to provide certain information to the audience. The structure of these memos is similar to trip memos such as summary, statement of purpose, discussion, and actions.

Request Memo:

These memos are written to achieve a favorable response to a request. This memo should clearly state the request, present reasons for the request, and financial costs with justification.

Confirmation Memo:

These memos are written the confirmation of the verbal agreement. This memo should clearly state major points, enumerate the major points, and encourage feedback.

Periodic Report Memo:

These memos are used for reporting at regular intervals. These memos are designed to be duplicated and as fill-in forms.

Ideas and Suggestion Memo:

These memos are used to present suggestions and ideas.

What are the different types of the memo?

There are 5 different types of memos that are provided in a company or organization;

1. A request memo
2. A confirmation memo
3. A periodic report memo
4. A suggestion memo
5. The informal study results memo

The different types of memos:

Let us discuss below the different types of memos;

A request memo

The management uses this type of memo to get a good response to any request they made. So, you have to make it convincingly. The following details should be included in an excellent request memo;

• Make the request in a clear and concise way so that the reader or employees must understand and they won’t have any questions about it.
• State the reason that indicates why the request is made. However, you may not get a very favorable response from them if you don’t specify it. If they don’t know why it has been made, they might not agree to fulfill a request.
• It is also important to specify in detail any costs or expenses involved.
• You should provide recommendations to the employees for carrying out the tasks so that they know how they would complete the request.

A confirmation memo

A confirmation memo is created to formally validate and document a pre-made agreement. It should include the following;

• You have to clearly state the most essential points which were discussed and agreed upon by both parties.
• Be very specific while explaining these points so that you can easily access them when you need them in the future for reference.

A periodic report memo

A periodic report memo is distributed daily to provide information about the company. This information could be in the form of monthly or quarterly sales reports. Some important points about these memos are;

• You’d have to make a template such as a form while making this kind of memo. This form should be filled out so that this information can easily enter each time.
• Create a sample memo template so that you can reuse it every time the memo is due.
• For any descriptive or narrative comments, the memo must have a space.

A suggestion memo

This type of memo is used to include different ideas and suggestions from employees or from management. Suggestions may include how to improve the workplace or ideas and how to deal with issues or concerns. Consider the following tips while making these types of memos;

• You should always begin with good comments and then provide ideas and suggestions for modifying them.
• Make use of the headings and titles to describe the ideas and suggestions.
• To avoid confusion, use precise statements and be straight to the point.

The informal study results memo

Sometimes, specific panels do studies in organizations and companies informally. This memo is usually presented as a form. It should include the following;

• You should clearly state the purpose of the informal study in the memo.
• Make use of headings and subheadings to explain specific points. This makes your memo easily readable.
• Again, you have to be precise and specific while stating your points, issues, or concerns.
• Use formal language to write these types of memos.

The Format and Elements of a Business Memo Template:

Although the format of a business memo totally depends on the type of memo. Still, the key elements of the business memo are the same in each type of memo. Following are the key elements of the memo format template;

Heading or Header: There are four basic elements of the heading section that are To, From, Date, and Subject.

Opening Section: This section describes a basic overview of the memo with the purpose of writing it. The motive for writing a memo is also explained in this paragraph.

Context Section: The context of the memo is clearly stated in this segment. It is linked to the reason for writing the memo.

Task Section: This section describes the steps for solving the subjective issue. All necessary information is included in this section with proper planning of what to write and what not to.

Summary Section: This section is necessary for long memos that are written over more than one page. It gives a basic idea about the memo.

Discussion Section: It gives the details of ideas starting from general to more specific one. It includes facts and research.

Closing Section: For positive action, courteous words are used at the end of the memo and it’s ensured that tasks have been completed efficiently.

Necessary Attachments: Reference documents of the memo are attached such as graphs, tables, and lists.

Why should you use a business memo template?

Most importantly, the business memo can speed up your internal communication. This, in turn, helps departments run such as well-oiled machines. Almost all employees believe that the main reason of company failures stem is a lack of clear communication. Therefore, streamlining employee interactions could be important for averting disaster. You can adapt quickly and respond in the case of disruptions such as breaking news that affects your business or unexpected client requests.

Furthermore, a large group of employees within a company typically use business memos. The templates assist you in drafting that message while factoring in comprehension and scannability. The template can be filled out quickly so it can save the company time.

In a more remote workplace, keep connected

Almost 71% of workers in 2020 were forced to start working remotely. The significance of clear communication to keep everyone on the same page is emphasized. If you effectively keep in touch online then a lack of in-person meetings can’t slow down your communications.

By having clearer messages, avoid misunderstandings

The business memo template has a uniform structure that boosts comprehension among employees and peers. It helps them act on the information quickly. The better you’ll be able to respond to as a single unit on a company-wide level if faster you can get the update to everyone it relates to.

What are Policy and Credit Memo Templates?

A credit memo or credit note is a document that is issued to the buyer by the seller to return or reduce the amount given by the buyer under the agreed terms of invoices or mature letter of credit. It clearly states the reason for return or reduction such as unsatisfactory or partial satisfactory performance of the product, marketing allowance, and pricing disputes. In the case of us once letter of credit, the buyer can use the credit memo for partially offset the total amount of ULC’s. Credit Memo Template can be of both internal and external memo types.

Policy Memo Template is used for a particular problem or situation to provide recommendations and analysis to a particular audience. These memos are written with clear jargon relative to the well-known audience keeping in view their needs and expectations. The following points require special focus while writing a policy memo;

• Introduction
• Background
• Analysis and Supporting Arguments
• Format and Styles
• Length of Memo

How do you create your own business memo?

Let us discuss some steps and tips on how you create your own business memo;

1. At first, you have to select the software of your choice, and then open it, and format your page.
2. The first and foremost part of a business memo is the title. Give your memo a title such as ‘memo’ or ‘memorandum’.
3. After that, address your recipient in a formal way. Write down the full name of the recipient.
4. Then, in the ‘From’ line enter your name and title.
5. The next thing is to mention the proper date.
6. Next, enter the subject which gives an idea of a memo to the recipient. However, the heading section must appear at the top of the page.
7. The next step is to write the body of your memo. The first paragraph describes what the memo is about. Then, explains the whole issue and also detailed the key points.
8. When you have all done with the above steps, close your memo by providing a positive ending note. After that, proofread your memo to ensure that it is readable and well-spaced.
9. In the end, print out your memo and write down the initials by hand next to your name, and spread it.

How do you write a business memo?

For addressing a certain audience in a formal context a business memo is such a great way. However, it typically starts with a header section. The header section lists recipients and other information in the below format;

To: It contains the name of every recipient and job title. But if you are going to communicate with a designated group then simply write down the name of a group.

From: Here you have to write down your name and title.

Date: Enter the complete date.

Subject: Draft the subject precise and descriptive.

Some business memos usually leave greetings. They direct go into the body text. You should always explain the main point of the paragraph first when you begin it in a memo.

Business memos usually don’t have a farewell. It depends on you whether you want to add it or not. If you add a farewell, then make it precise.

Some tips to write an effective business memo:

Consider the following tips to write an effective business memo;

In the introductory paragraph, specify the purpose of the memo

In the introductory paragraph, let your readers know what you’re communicating to your audience. You have to create your memo’s content that answers employees’ questions. Before expanding on details regarding the decision-making or what led to the existing situation, specify the purpose of the memo.

Be concise

Keep your memo’s language positive as you write this to coworkers and managers you interact with regularly. Make use of active voice that helps you get your purpose across and keep the sentences precise and clear. This can enhance your credibility with your colleagues.

In the subject line, write the message of the memo

Use the subject line to inform the readers what they should expect to learn from the memo. It should guide them on where to file it in their email folders.

In the body paragraph and conclusion, break down the information

You have to demonstrate the decision the company is announcing in the body paragraph. You need to state potential feelings for employees that are relatable to staff members. Show your gratitude for their hard work. To navigate recurring changes, indicate your plan to work with employees.