CHECKLIST: DEALING WITH SHAREHOLDERS AND INVESTORS

QUESTIONNAIRE: How User-Friendly Is My Annual Report?

Annual reports are an integral part of not only an annual shareholder meeting, but also your company’s reputation. The annual report must accurately describe the financial condition of the company and its future direction. The following questionnaire will help you determine whether your annual report satisfies the interests of analysts and shareholders.

Yes No

My annual report provides analysis and a sense of my company's direction for the next year, not just a recap of the past year.

My annual report makes financial data immediately available and encapsulates it through charts and graphs.

My annual report's narrative is future-oriented, and describes management philosophy and growth plans.

My annual report is written in a way that appears to tell my company's story to the average shareholder.

My annual report uses descriptive headings and sub-headings to communicate to readers who only skim the report, and to draw them into reading more thoroughly.

My annual report contains a brief but thorough synopsis of my company's markets and lines of business.

My annual report's operations review tells the story quickly and concisely, and describes how divisions fare in their respective markets.

My annual report is attractively packaged, with an engaging cover, pictures, captions, and other elements that catch an average shareholder's attention.

My annual report is written with its role as a marketing tool in mind, and would be useful to a shareholder recommending my company's stock to a friend or relative.

The more "Yes" answers you gave, the more your annual report satisfies the reported interests of both analysts and shareholders. The more "No" answers you gave, the more you may wish to explore reformatting your annual report to fulfill its potential value to your