Background Information for Assignment $3$: Business Writing

You are the administrative assistant at the new Edmonton branch office of Canada Consulting. You report directly to the branch manager, Sandra Chang, who in turn reports to the manager of the head office in Winnipeg, Tanya Smith.

Canada Consulting is a national firm, and the Edmonton branch was established three weeks ago. It is now time for a progress report to be sent to Tanya Smith, and Sandra Chang asks you to write it$.$

To date you and other members of the Edmonton office staff have devoted most of your time to the routine chores involved in opening a new office. You rented a suite of four offices and a reception area in the Centre Port building at $180$ Main Street. The rent is $$4000$ per month.

You also ordered and recently received a shipment of office furniture consisting of the following: eight desks at $$1200$ each; eight swivel chairs at $$750$ each; computer equipment totalling $$20000$; six metal file cabinets at $$300$ each; four bookcases at $$325$ each; miscellaneous items $($stationery$,$ supplies, etc.$)$ in the amount of $$2500.$

During the second week of operation, you and Ms$.$ Chang interviewed a number of applicants for the position of secretary$/$receptionist$.$ Your initial advertisement in the local newspaper cost $$375.$ You received $87$ applications for the position. You then created a short list of $12$ applicants, each of whom you interviewed. Four applicants were then recalled for second interviews. You subsequently hired Derek Ens, a college graduate with several years of related experience. His salary is $$3500$ a month. This is the specified rate of pay for secretary$/$receptionist positions. The salary for an administrative assistant is $$4700$ a month; branch managers receive $$5400$ a month.

In order to create a high profile in the Edmonton community, you placed ads in both the local newspaper, Community Bulletin, and social media announcing your new location. The costs were $$375,$ $$250,$ and $$400$ respectively.

A real bonus for the company was a feature story in the Town$-$Standard about Ms$.$ Chang and her status as a manager with a large national corporation. This has attracted a lot of attention to the new branch office, and you decide to attach a copy of the article for Tanya Smith.

DInstructions:

For this assessment you will demonstrate a variety of business writing skills. You will write:

one progress report

one email

one persuasive letter

It will be up to you to decide the format, style, tone, formality, and design of each of each of the pieces of writing. Be sure to review your textbook and other resources for best practices. Use the information on pages $285-310$ in your textbook to help you complete this assignment.

Background:

You are an administrative assistant at the new Edmonton Branch Office at Canada Consulting. Your branch has been open for $3$ weeks and your boss has asked that you write a progress report that will be sent to the head office.

Step $1$:

Review the background information from the attached document.

Use that information attached to write a progress report.

In your report, be sure to consider issues such as headings, fonts, space, lists, title, etc.

Include at least one chart.

If you require more data to create the report, you may create it or make it up on your own in order to create the final professional document.

Step $2$:

Write an email to your boss, Sandra Chang, to inform her that the report is complete. Ask her if she wants to review it before you send it to Tanya Smith at head office.

HINTS for step $2$:

Examine closely $($or print to paper or PDF$)$ any email you choose. Examine it and make note of what signifies it as an email.

Look at some professional emails in your inbox. What sets them apart from a casual email?

Read this article on $15$ Tips For Writing An Excellent Email Subject Line

Ask yourself: What else might a professional email have?

Step $3$:

After reading the report, Tanya Smith at head office realizes that the new office opening is under budget and is consideringuring your third week of operation, Sandra Chang visited Alberta University and interviewed several members of the faculty from the School of Business. The purpose of these interviews was to attract people with outstanding credentials to do some consulting work for the company on a contract basis. Ms$.$ Chang has obtained a commitment from two faculty members who are interested: Dr$.$ W$.$ Thompson, a marketing consultant; Dr$.$ J$.$ Lawson, a specialist in human resources. Ms$.$ Chang also has the names of certain members of the business community with outstanding qualifications in quality management and organizational behaviour. She is in the process of calling on them now at their places of work in order to create a more extensive list of experts she might employ in the future.

Costs for your first month of operation include telephone, $$305$; internet, $$155$; cleaning, $$98$; security, $$105$; and hydro, $$155.$