Part 1 Business Writing Steps……………………………………………………………..3
Part 2 Portfolio:
Store Manager Letter……………………………………………………………...4
Store Employee E-Mail……………………………………………………………6
Retail Customer and Public Memo………………………………………………..8
Part 3 Reflection ………………………………………………………………………….9
References………………………………………………………………………………..11

Part 1: Business Writing Steps

Store Manager:
1. Address the reasons for the changes
2. Address store hours and changes to daily operations
3. Address no employee layoffs
4. Address no store closures

Store Employees
1. Address the reasons for the changes
2. Address no employee layoffs
3. Address no store closures
4. Address store hours and changes to daily operations

Retail Customers and the Public
1. Address the reasons for the changes
2. Address store hours and changes to daily operations
3. Address the product line, prices, and purchase/return polices

Part 2: Portfolio

Store Manager Business Letter

June 7, 2010

Dear Store Managers, Because of the mounting cost of business expenses and the increasing price on gasoline, store management has decided to reduce the daily operations of all retail stores. There will be no stores will be closed and no employees will be laid off. After several meetings and lengthy budget conference’s management has decided to take the following steps. By following threw with these strategies management is confident that profits will continue to be advantageous, employment rates will not drop, and the customer base will not diminish.

 Effective August 1, 2010 all stores are going to be closed on Sundays. In addition, every store will open one hour later and close one hour earlier. This will decrease the expenditure of store operations and will simply allow for larger revenue profit earnings.
 All fulltime employees will work ten hour days four days a week while keeping their fulltime status. This will allow the employees to maintain their current income and decrease their travel days by at least one day. Working ten hour shifts will also allow for one extra day off a week.
 Parttime employees will decrease their number of days worked but will not reduce the amount of hours worked per week. This will be done by merging the hours worked into fewer actual days being worked.
 There will be no store closures do to this restructuring.
 No employee are faced with layoffs or reduction in pay in light of the operational restructuring.

We ask that all store managers explain the changes to the employees and the momentous change that the corporation will experience due to the changes and support of the employees. Each employee’s dedication and hard work has made us what we are today. All managers are instructed to take all of the necessary measures needed to make this a successful and seamless transition for the employees and our customers.

Sincerely,
Public Relations Manager
Christopher J. Smith
Store Employee E-Mail
July 10, 2010
Dear Colleagues, As many of you have already heard from your store managers we are restructuring the daily operational procedures. With the increase in business operating cost and the continued increased price of gasoline management has made the decision to restructure the daily operations of the company. With these changes there will be no store closures and no employee lay offs. While we are still a profitable company these modified procedures will keep us on track with continued profits and customer satisfaction. As I previously stated there will be no store closures and no employee lay offs. Effective August 1, 2010, daily store operations are going to change in that every store will be closed every Sunday. Store hours will be decreased every day by two hours. All stores will open one hour later and close one hour earlier. These two measures will help decrease the daily operational cost of doing business. All fulltime employees will begin working ten hour shifts, four days a week. This will help the daily cost of traveling back and forth to work by eliminating at least one day of travel. Parttime employees will decrease their number of days worked but will not reduce the amount of hours worked per week. This will be done by merging the hours worked into fewer physical days at worked. These changes in personnel scheduling will benefit you, the employees, by allowing less money spent on traveling, more time off with out sacrificing your income, and vacation days can be saved. Store managers are going to work with each employee to reach a concurrence in scheduling changes. These changes are going to be conducted in a way that allows for smooth transition causing as little disruption as possible to your personal lives.
The composition of the company is changing but the mission is not. We are dedicated to serving our employees and customers to the best of our abilities. With these changes in place our organization will continue to be profitable, our employees will be able successfully continue their careers, and the customers will continue to be served by a dedicated team of professionals. I want to thank you for your continued service and dedication to our company.

Sincerely,
Public Relations Manager
Christopher J. Smith
Retail Customer’s and Public Memo

Memo

To: Valued Retail Customers
From: Christopher J. Smith, Public Relations Manager
Date: 2/19/2011
Re: New Store Hours

Valued Retail Customers, Due to the mounting cost of business expenses and the increasing price on gasoline, store management has decided to reduce the daily operations of all retail stores. No stores are going to be closed and no employees will be laid off. Effective August 1, 2010 all stores will be closed on Sundays. Every store will open one hour later and close one hour earlier. This is being done in an attempt to keep our prices low and the quality of our products high. We are striving to bring you the best quality at the best price. Our product line will not change and there are no plans to increase product prices. Also there will be no changes to our purchase/ return policies. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and we look forward to our future business together.

Part 3: Reflection I found this assignment to be very enjoyable. I have never done a portfolio and was a little over whelmed at the beginning. Coming from a Law Enforcement back ground I really had to concentrate on the three different business messages I was attempting to deliver and maintain a business way of thinking. As I began my writing I realized that I was relaying a message that could be perceived as negative or positive depending on my audience. Some people would prefer to work Sundays while some would prefer to have Sundays off. Working ten hour shifts and consolidating working days could be beneficial to some employees because they have an extra day off, while others may be inconvenienced because of scheduling conflicts. Starting work one hour later for example might benefit a younger employee but could cause child care issues for a parent. My main objective was to give the audience the bad news, have the audience read, understand, and accept the message, and maintain as much goodwill as possible (Locker & Kienzler, 2008, p. 337). One key area I tried to focus on with out sound insincere was, “Don’t forget to add “please” and thank you.” By adding these two phrases I tried to remove snippiest of demands into polite request

In academic writing the author must cite the references that were used to gain the information needed for the writing. In business writing citing references is not necessary. Academic writing tends to be more formalized and structured. Business writing tends to be less strict and more persuasive. When writing an academic paper the purpose is to display ones knowledge of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and analytical skills. In business writing the main objective is to persuade ones audience into some the author feels is beneficial to the business objective. In academic writing proper formatting is also required. APA and MLA are different formatting styles. In business writing proper formatting is important but is not a requirement.

References:
Locker, K. O., & Kienzler, D. S. (2008). Business and Administrative Communication (8th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url&db=bth&AN=26564221&site=ehost-live http://www.freetemplatesdepot.com/depot/catalog/blue-gradient-memo-template-free-template.html