| Course | C716 Business Communication |
|---|---|
| Task | Task 2 |
| Paper type | Formal business report |
| Length | About 1,100 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 |
| School | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Program | BS Business Management |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for C716 Task 2
Recommendation to Open a Two-Person Sales and Support Office in Monterrey: A Formal Business Report for the Vice President of Sales at a Composite Ohio Auto Parts Supplier
Student Name
School of Business, Western Governors University
C716: Business Communication, Task 2
Course Instructor
Month Day, Year
Recommendation to Open a Two-Person Sales and Support Office in Monterrey: A Formal Business Report for the Vice President of Sales at a Composite Ohio Auto Parts Supplier
Memo of Transmittal
To: Dana Whitaker, Vice President of Sales. From: Jordan Ellis, International Sales Coordinator. Subject: Report on a Mexico sales office. As you requested in March, this report evaluates whether Brennan Precision should open a sales office in Mexico to serve our new customer and pursue additional business there. It recommends a small office in Monterrey beginning next quarter. I would be glad to discuss the findings at your convenience.
Executive Summary
Brennan Precision should open a two-person sales and customer support office in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in the second quarter, at a first-year cost of about $260,000. Mexico is now the United States' largest trading partner in goods, and Monterrey sits at the center of northern Mexico's automotive supply base. Our first Mexican customer accounts for $1.4 million in annual revenue, and three other assemblers in the region have requested quotes. Communication problems and slow responses have already strained our first relationship; a local presence would address them directly. The office would break even if it secured one additional mid-sized contract within 18 months.
Purpose and Scope
This report answers one question: should Brennan establish a physical presence in Mexico, and if so, where and at what scale? It considers market opportunity, customer needs, costs, staffing and risks. It does not evaluate manufacturing in Mexico, which would require a separate study. Information comes from trade statistics, the terms of the trade agreement governing the region, interviews with our Mexican customer and two prospects, and cost estimates from a commercial real estate broker and a regional staffing firm.
Findings: Market Opportunity
Mexico has become a central part of North American auto manufacturing. In 2023, Mexico was the United States' largest trading partner in goods, with total trade of about $799 billion, 15.7% of all U.S. goods trade (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in force since 2020, sets rules of origin for vehicles that require a high share of North American content to qualify for tariff-free treatment (Office of the United States Trade Representative, n.d.), which encourages assemblers in Mexico to source parts from suppliers in the region, including the United States.
Monterrey and the surrounding state of Nuevo León host a concentration of automotive and industrial manufacturers and their suppliers, including our current customer. Three additional assemblers within 90 minutes of Monterrey have requested quotes, representing potential annual revenue of $2 million to $3.5 million.
Findings: Customer Needs
Interviews show that our Mexican customer values Brennan's quality but is frustrated by slow responses and misunderstandings. The customer's operations manager said that problems are resolved faster with suppliers who have people nearby who speak Spanish and can visit the plant. Two prospects said a local contact would be a factor in awarding business. Our recent misunderstanding over a late shipment, when an escalation email was received as a sign of distrust, illustrates how distance and cultural differences slow problem-solving.
Findings: Costs and Staffing
A small office in a business district of Monterrey would cost about $30,000 a year including utilities. A bilingual sales engineer and a customer support coordinator would cost about $175,000 a year in salaries and benefits through a local employer of record, which handles payroll and compliance without requiring Brennan to form a Mexican subsidiary immediately. Travel, legal setup and equipment add about $55,000 in the first year, for a total of about $260,000.
Findings: Risks
The main risks are currency swings between the peso and the dollar, which affect local costs; possible changes to trade policy; security concerns, which the office will manage by following the practices of other foreign companies in the area; and the challenge of hiring experienced bilingual staff in a competitive market. The employer of record arrangement limits legal risk while Brennan tests the market.
Findings: Alternatives Considered
Three alternatives were weighed against a local office. Serving Mexico from Toledo with more frequent visits would cost less, about $60,000 a year in travel, but would not solve slow responses between visits and would signal a lower commitment to customers who value a local presence. Hiring a commission-based sales agent in Mexico would cost little up front but would give Brennan no control over how customers are served and no support capacity for quality issues. Partnering with an established distributor would provide reach but would place a middle company between Brennan and its customers, weakening the relationships this report finds most important. A small office balances cost and commitment, and it can be expanded or closed based on results.
Conclusions
Mexico's role in North American auto production, favorable trade rules and specific customer demand make a local presence valuable. The cost is modest relative to current and potential revenue, and a small office addresses the communication problems already affecting our first customer relationship.
Recommendations
First, approve a two-person office in Monterrey to open in the second quarter, staffed through an employer of record. Second, recruit a bilingual sales engineer with automotive experience and a support coordinator who can handle orders and quality issues. Third, set targets of one new contract within 18 months and response times to customer issues under 24 hours. Fourth, review results after one year and decide whether to form a Mexican subsidiary or expand. Clear, respectful communication practices, including local problem-solving before escalation, should guide how the office works with customers.
Implementation Timeline
If approved this month, legal setup with the employer of record and the office lease can be completed within six weeks. Recruiting would begin immediately, with the sales engineer hired first so that he or she can help select the support coordinator. The office would open at the start of the second quarter, with the first month spent visiting the current customer and the three prospects alongside Brennan's Toledo sales team. Progress would be reported to you quarterly, covering new quotes, contracts won, response times and costs against budget. To avoid repeating past misunderstandings, the office will follow simple communication guidelines: address customers' issues locally and personally before escalating, confirm agreements in writing in both English and Spanish, and write in plain, direct language that is easy to translate (Plain Language Action and Information Network, 2011).
References
Office of the United States Trade Representative. (n.d.). United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/united-states-mexico-canada-agreement
Plain Language Action and Information Network. (2011). Federal plain language guidelines. https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). Top trading partners: December 2023. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top2312yr.html
What the C716 Task 2 instructions ask
In the second C716 task you write a formal business report that answers a question for a decision maker. Most versions expect the standard parts: a transmittal message, an executive summary, purpose and scope, findings, conclusions and recommendations, and often an implementation plan. Evaluators look for a report a manager could read and act on. The executive summary should state the recommendation and its main reasons in a few sentences. Findings need evidence from credible sources, and they should be organized by topic under clear headings. Conclusions interpret the findings, and recommendations say what to do. Keeping those three apart is a common test of report writing. Plain language, headings and tables help the reader. Alternatives considered show that the recommendation was weighed, not assumed.
How this C716 Task 2 example is built
The report begins with a short memo from the international sales coordinator to the vice president of sales. The executive summary states the recommendation, the cost and the main reasons in one paragraph. Purpose and scope define the single question and what the report does not cover. Findings are split under headings for market opportunity, customer needs, costs and staffing, risks and alternatives, with government trade data cited in the market section. The alternatives section compares serving Mexico from Toledo, hiring an agent and a larger office. Conclusions interpret the findings in a few sentences. Recommendations are numbered actions, and the timeline shows the steps after approval. Plain language guidance shapes sentence length and headings. Margin comments tie each section to its rubric aspect.
Where the C716 Task 2 rubric puts the marks
C716 Task 2 aspects earn competent, approaching competence or not evident. A format aspect asks for the parts of a formal report in the expected order. The executive summary aspect rewards a brief, complete statement of purpose, findings and recommendation. A findings aspect looks for evidence organized under headings and cited. The conclusions aspect checks that interpretations follow from findings, and a recommendations aspect wants specific actions. An audience aspect asks whether tone and detail suit the decision maker. Evaluators notice when the report separates what was found from what it means and from what should be done. Mechanics and APA citations are scored, and because the course assesses writing, clear headings and short paragraphs affect the score directly.
C716 Task 2 help: what sends it back
Formal reports lose marks when the executive summary describes the report instead of summarizing it. State the recommendation and reasons up front. Findings, conclusions and recommendations often blur together; keep evidence in findings, interpretation in conclusions and actions in recommendations. Evidence may come only from opinion, so add credible data and cite it. Some reports skip alternatives, which makes the recommendation look predetermined. Transmittal messages can be too long or too casual. Headings that say findings without topics make scanning hard, so name each finding. Tables help with costs and comparisons. Proofread carefully, because a report is judged as a professional document, and check that figures match across the summary, findings and recommendations.
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C716 Task 2 questions, answered
What goes in a C716 executive summary?
The recommendation, its main reasons and key figures, in a short paragraph. The sample's summary recommends the Monterrey office, gives its first-year cost and names the market and customer reasons.
Is the C716 report real?
No. The company and its figures are fictional and were written for this example. The trade statistics and plain language guidance cited are real, so use credible sources in your own report.
Does C716 Task 2 need a transmittal memo?
Many versions include one, and it frames the report for the reader. The sample opens with a brief memo that names who requested the report, what it covers and its recommendation.
How are findings organized in C716 Task 2?
Under headings by topic. The sample groups findings under market opportunity, customer needs, costs and staffing, risks and alternatives, each with its own evidence and citations.
Where can I find a free C716 Task 2 sample paper?
The Mexico sales office report, transmittal memo included, can be read in full above. Send the question your report must answer, and your first custom C716 report is on us.