by Laura Jones
Updated on January 5, 2024
7 tips for writing business essays
If you’re looking for business essay writing tips, we’ve got you covered. Creating an interesting, well-structured, and readable business essay isn’t easy, but there are a few simple steps to follow to take the stress out of it and make sure you get it right every time. Read on to learn what to write in a business essay introduction and conclusion and how to structure a body paragraph perfectly. Here are our tips on how to write an English business essay.
The first thing to do when you’re writing a business essay is to analyze the topic and the essay question closely. If there’s a word in the question like ‘explain’ or ‘compare’ this will affect how you write your answer. Decide what your position is; do you need to agree or disagree with something, or come up with a solution? When you’re clear about what the question is asking and how you want to answer it, do some reading on the topic,find some sources that you want to use in your essay, and make an outline with the headings and paragraphs that you want to cover
Writing any type of essay requires you to use formal language, but this is even more true of a business essay. Get into the business essay mindset and avoid using contractions, slang, and other colloquial language in your writing.
Bad: It’s going to be bomb.
Good: It is going to be excellent.
Wondering how to start a business essay? Like any other essay, you start with an introduction. A business essay format isn’t very different from any other type of essay. In your introduction, you should explain why the question (and therefore your essay) is important. This will hook your reader and make them interested in what you’re going to say next. Set out the order in which you’ll address the points in your body paragraphs – this is usually called a signpost introduction. And, very importantly, keep it short.
Your body paragraphs should take up between 60 and 80% of your business essay. Most essays should have at least three paragraphs, and you should focus on one point per paragraph. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is about, and then have a supporting sentence to develop your point. After this, you can provide some evidence to support your argument.
You should also use transition words, like ‘however’ and ‘although’ in your paragraphs to help link ideas together. Using transition words at the start of paragraphs is also a good idea and helps the reader follow your argument. For example, you might start one paragraph with ‘On the one hand,…’ and the next with ‘On the other hand,…’.
We just mentioned that you should put some supporting evidence into your paragraphs in a business essay. This is the time to use the sources that you found before you started writing. You might have a quotation to add, some statistics, a graph, or a summary of an expert’s point of view. Whatever you do, make sure you cite the source correctly.
When you’ve put your research in, interpret the evidence so it supports your idea. Throwing a graph into an essay is meaningless if you don’t have a sentence saying, ‘As the graph shows, public parks are increasingly…’
Finally, you reach the conclusion. Use your conclusion to briefly summarize your answer, and make sure you don’t introduce any new points or arguments. You might want to mirror the introduction in your conclusion. This doesn’t mean rewriting the introduction or using the same words.
Introduction: This essay will discuss the benefits to public health of having green spaces in towns.
Conclusion: In summary, outdoor spaces in cities can contribute positively to public well-being.
You might also want to include ideas for further research or a call to action in your conclusion, like in the following example:
Local councils should allocate a greater part of their budget to improving and expanding public parks.
The first draft of your essay is for your eyes only. Once you’ve finished writing, step away for at least a few hours and then go back and read it through again. Check that your argument is clear in the essay and that you’ve answered the question. Ensure that it makes sense not only to you but to anyone who might read it. An online tool like Grammarly can help pick up spelling and punctuation errors, but it’s not a replacement for careful proofreading.
Starting with a thorough understanding of the question, formulating your answer, and finding unbiased research to back up your argument are your first steps. Follow the format of a business essay – introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion – and then edit ruthlessly to create your perfect business essay.
