FBLA-PBL Format Guide

FORMAT

GUIDE

OVERVIEW

In today’s business world, written communication

remains important. One aspect of successful

businesses is consistent messaging throughout the

organization through a specific format guide. For FBLA-

PBL, this format guide is offered to assist members in

specific competitions and to assist advisers with

classroom resources.

COMPETITION USE

The format guide is approved for use during the

production portion of specific production tests in both

the FBLA and PBL divisions. In FBLA, the guide may be

used in Computer Applications and Word Processing.

PBL members may use the format guide in

Administrative Support Technology, Business

Communication, and Desktop Publishing.

Memorandums & Email

Reports

General Business

Documents

nvelopes & Labels

ulleted Numbers & Lists

Font Information

Spacing

Common Abbreviations

Letters

Tables

Standards of Mailability

Appendices

A: Fair Use Guidelines

for Educational Use

B: Agendas

Meeting Minutes

C: Itinerary

D: Letters & Envelopes

Personal Business

Letter

Business Letter with

All Features

Address for

Envelopes/Labels

E: Memos

F: Press Release

G: Academic Reports

H: Corporate Reports

CONTENTS

General Guidelines &

Document Formatting

FORMAT GUIDE

General Guidelines & Document Formatting

FONT INFORMATION

• Size: 11 or 12

• Font Style: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Cambria

SPACING

• 1 space after punctuation ending a sentence

• 1 space after a semicolon

• 1 space after a comma

• 1 space after a colon

• 1 space between state abbreviation and ZIP Code

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS

• DS: Double Line Spacing

• SS: Single Line Spacing

• QS: Quadruple Line Spacing

LETTERS

For competition, students may be asked to do a business or personal business

letter. In the business world, knowing how to merge data into letters to mass

produce them is essential. The following formatting procedure should be followed:

• Block style

• Open Punctuation

• Top Margin: 2 inches

• Side and Bottom Margin: 1 inch

• 2nd Page Top Margin: 1 inch

• 2nd Page Information: Name of addressee or company, SS then Page Number,

SS and the date

• Enclosure notation: DS after signature name/title

• Copy notation: DS after enclosure notation or signature name/title

Some additional special features that may be included are a “CONFIDENTIAL”

notation and subject line. Both should be in ALL CAPS.

FORMAT GUIDE

General Guidelines & Document Formatting

ENVELOPES AND LABELS

Preparing envelopes for mailing can include printing directly on the envelope or

printing labels to be attached to envelopes. The usage of OCR software to read

addresses is used in the sorting of envelopes.

The United States Postal Service recommends the following for delivery addresses:

• Required components include recipient name, delivery address, c

ity, state and

ZIP Code or ZIP+4

• A company name, if present, should go below the recipient name and above

the delivery address

• States should be in the two-letter abbreviation format

• The address should be parallel to the longest side of an envelo

• Address should be in ALL CAPS

• No punctuation should be utilized

• One space should be used between the s

tate and ZIP Code

• Address should be left justified

• Address should be printed in black ink

on white or light paper

• If the address appears inside of a window, make sure there is a

t leas

t 1/8”

clearance around the address

• If using address labels, make sur

e that the printed label does

not cut off any

important information and that the label is on straight.

The United States Postal Service has the following recommendations for

return addresses:

• Many times, these are optional and are used to highlight a company brand

• The same elements of an address should be included

• The return address goes in the upper left corner

BULLETED AND NUMBERED LISTS

Lists may be inserted into most business documents.

• SS between items

• DS between item groups

FORMAT GUIDE

General Guidelines & Document Formatting

MEMORANDUMS (MEMO) AND EMAIL

These are traditional and typically short documents to be shared within a company. Email

and other electronic communications often take the place of printed memos.

• Standard Style

• Top Margin: 2 inches

• Side and Bottom Margins: 1 inch

• Email contains many of the same features as a memo and should be sent with

attention paid to a proper subject line and appropriate signature section.

REPORTS: ACADEMIC UNBOUND AND LEFT BOUND

In the competitive events, students may be asked to do one of these reports. These

are the most common type of reports used in academic research. FBLA-PBL

follows the MLA style for citations in all reports.

• Body: Double spaced

• Top Margin: 1 inch, running header with page number right corner ½”

• Bottom Margin: 1 inch

• Left Bound Side Margins: Left 1.5 inches, Right 1 inch

• Unbound Side Margins: 1 inch

• Page number is placed 0.5 inches at the right margin. Page numbers could

start on the first or second page depending on instructions.

• All references/citations should be in MLA format and placed in a

lphabetical

order.

• • Gridlines should not be used in the title of a table

•

GENERAL BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

These documents may include items such as an agenda, itineraries,

meeting minutes, press releases, outlines and tables of contents.

• Top Margin: 1 or 2 inches as indicated

• Bottom Margin: 1 inch

• Side Margins: 1 inch

• All documents should be left justified unless otherwise noted.

• Main and subheadings should be keyed in boldface.

STANDARDS OF MAILABILITY

Producing customer ready documents is an important business function. Following

this guide along with proofreading and format review are important steps in the

completion of any document.

The following errors will incur a 2-point penalty for each occurrence in a document:

• Omission of a nonessential part of a document (e.g., reference initials,

enclosure notation, etc.)

• Minor errors in vertical or horizontal placement

• Minor spacing errors

• Inserted or omitted words that do not change the meaning of a sentence

The following errors will incur a 5-point penalty for each occurrence in a document:

• Keying or spelling errors

• Inserted or omitted words that change the meaning of a sentence

• Formatting errors

• Failure to follow directions

FORMAT GUIDE

General Guidelines & Document Formatting

TABLES

Tables are commonly inserted into a variety of documents. While word processing

software makes inserting tables easy, some standard business format guidelines

remain.

• Titles and column headings should be in bold face

• Column headings may be centered over the column or blocked at the left of a

column

• Tables using both one- and two-line column headings should be aligned at the

bottom of the cell

• For two-line column headings in tables without gridlines, underline the bottom

word of the heading

• Gridlines are optional unless specifically stated otherwise

• If gridlines are not used, underline column headings and DS after heading

• Do not include $ with dollar amounts in columns. Dollar signs may be placed

in the total row.

• All columns containing text should be left aligned

• The body of the table may single (SS) or double spaced (DS)

• Tables within another document should be centered horizontally unless

otherwise indicated

• DS before and after the table

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix A

FAIR USE GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATIONAL USE

MEDIUM

Printed Material

(short)

SPECIFICS

• Poems less than

250 words, 250

word except from

a poem of more

than 250 words

• Articles, stories,

or essays less

than 2,500 words

• One chart,

picture, diagram,

or cartoon per

book or per

periodical issue

• Two-pages (max)

from an illustrated

word of less than

2,500 words

USE

• Teachers may

make copies for

classroom use

• Students may

incorporate into

multimedia

projects

CAUTIONS

• Copies should be

made from legally

obtained copies

• Teachers can

make copies nine

times per term

• Usage must be

initiated by the

teacher and not a

district directive

• Cannot be used to

make anthologies

or workbooks

Archived

Printed Material

• An entire printed

work

• Portions of a work

• A work in which

the existing

format has

become obsolete

• Copies must

contain copyright

information

• Archiving rights

are for libraries to

share with

libraries

• A librarian may

make up to three

copies

“solely for the

purpose of

replacement of a

copy that is

damaged,

deteriorating,

lost, or stolen”

Illustrations

and Photos

• Photograph

• Illustration

• Collection of

photos

• Collection of

illustrations

• Single works may

be used in their

entirety, but no

more than five

images from a

single artist or

photographer

• From a collection

no more than 15

images or 10

percent

(whichever is

less)

• Older

illustrations may

be in public

domain but may

be part of a

collection. Be

sure to check

ownership at

www.loc.gov or

www.mpa.org

Viewing Video

• Rented or

purchased DVD/

Blu-Ray/Tapes

• Digital videos

• Teachers may use

for the classroom

• Copies for archive

or replacement only.

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix A

FAIR USE GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATIONAL USE

MEDIUM

Video for

Projects

SPECIFICS

• Videotapes/DVD/

Blu-Ray

• Web-based video

clips

USE

• Students “may

use portions of

lawfully

acquired

in their

academic

multimedia”

defined as 10

percent or three

minutes

CAUTIONS

• The material must

be legally

acquired

• Copyright works

included in

multimedia

projects must give

proper attribution

to copyright holder

Music for

Projects

• Records

• Cassette tapes

• CD

• Digital Files

• Audio clips on the

Web

• A maximum of 30

seconds per

musical

composition may

be used

• The project must

have an

educational

purpose

• Up to 10 percent

of a copyright

musical

composition may

be reproduced,

performed, and

displayed

Software

• Licensed

software

• Purchased

software

• Library may lend

software to

patrons

• Software can be

installed on

multiple

machines or

distributed via a

network

• Software may be

installed at home

and at school

• Libraries may

make copies for

archival use or to

replace lost or

damaged copies

• Only one

machine at a

time may use

the program

• The number of

simultaneous

users must not

exceed the

number or

licenses

Viewing Video

• Rented or

purchased DVD/

Blu-Ray/Tapes

• Digital videos

• Teachers may use

for the classroom

• Copies for archive

or replacement only.

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix A

FAIR USE GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATIONAL USE

MEDIUM

Internet

SPECIFICS

• Internet

connections/

Internet of Things

• World Wide Web

USE

• Images may be

downloaded for

student projects

and teacher

lessons

• Sound and video

files may be

downloaded for

use in multimedia

projects

CAUTIONS

• Resources from

the Web/IoT may

need permission

except links to

resources

• Downloaded

resources must

have been

legitimately

acquired

Television

• Broadcast

• Cable

• Copies/

recordings of

broadcast and

cable programs

• Schools can retain

broadcasts for a

minimum of 10

days

• Cable programs

are not covered by

the same

guidelines as

broadcast

television

• Broadcasts or

recordings of

broadcasts may be

used for instruction

• Cable channel

programs may be

used with

permission. See

Cable in the

Classroom

www.ciconline.org

for more

information

Adapted from Technology & Learning, “Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers”

Sources: United States Copyright Office Circular 21; Sections 107, 108, and 110 of the

their associations).

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FBLA

(DS)

Chapter Meeting

(DS)

Wednesday, September 15, 20XX

(DS)

1. Call to Order – Suzanne Smith, Chapter President

(DS)

2. Roll Call – Tessa Ross, Secretary

3. Reading of the Minutes – Tessa Ross, Secretary

4. Treasurer’s Report – Mark Simmons, Treasurer

5. Other Officer Reports

6. Adviser Update – Cindy Fraser, Chapter Adviser

7. Committee Reports

Fundraising – Beth Poole

Competition Prep – Korrie Williams (SS) Social –

John Roberts

8. Unfinished Business

9. New Business

10. Date of Next Meeting

11. Adjournment

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix B

AGENDAS AND MEETING MINUTES

The following pages show the format of a meeting agenda and sample minutes from that

meeting. Creating an agenda several days/weeks ahead of a meeting can help

participants be better prepared for productivity. Using the agenda as the basis for minutes

can help facilitate accurate and timely completion.

Top Margin: 2"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FBLA

Chapter Meeting

Wednesday, September 15, 20XX

1. Call to Order – Suzanne Smith, Chapter President

2. Roll Call – Tessa Ross, Secretary

3. Reading of the Minutes – Tessa Ross, Secretary

4. Treasurer’s Report – Mark Simmons, Treasurer

5. Other Officer Reports

6. Adviser Update – Cindy Fraser, Chapter Adviser

7. Committee Reports

Fundraising – Beth Poole

Competition Prep – Korrie Williams

Social – John Roberts

8. Unfinished Business

9. New Business

10. Date of Next Meeting

11. Adjournment

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

FORMATTED EXAMPLE

WITH NOTATION

WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FBLA

(DS)

Minutes of September 15, 20XX

(DS)

Call to Order

(DS)

The regular meeting of Washington High School FBLA was called to order on

Wednesday, September 15, 20XX at 3:00 p.m.

(DS)

Attendance

Fifteen of 20 members were in attendance.

Minutes

The minutes of the August 15, 20XX meeting were read. Justin Vaugh moved to

approve the minutes as read. The motion was seconded, and the minutes approved.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Mark Simmons reported a chapter balance of $375 as of September 1,

20XX. The report was filed.

Adviser Update

Adviser Sharon Reese reminded all members that dues must be paid by October 1

for students to be eligible for the fall business tour.

Unfinished Business

None.

New Business

None.

Announcements

The next meeting will be on October 1, 20XX at noon.

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

(QS)

Tessa Ross, Secretary

Top Margin: 2"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

Appendix B

AGENDAS AND MEETING MINUTES

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FBLA

Minutes of September 15, 20XX

Call to Order

The regular meeting of Washington High School FBLA was called to order on Wednesday, September

15, 20XX at 3:00 p.m.

Attendance

Fifteen of 20 members were in attendance.

Minutes

The minutes of the August 15, 20XX meeting were read. Justin Vaugh moved to approve the minutes as

read. The motion was seconded, and the minutes approved.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Mark Simmons reported a chapter balance of $375 as of September 1, 20XX. The report was

filed.

Adviser Update

Adviser Sharon Reese reminded all members that dues must be paid by October 1 for students to be

eligible for the fall business tour.

Unfinished Business

None.

New Business

None.

Announcements

The next meeting will be on October 1, 20XX at noon.

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

Tessa Ross, Secretary

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix C

ITINERARY

Itineraries are used to facilitate both personal and business travel. Chapters may find

preparing an itinerary for conferences to attendees ahead of departure helpful.

There are several digital resources for itineraries used by regular business travelers.

The app TripIt and online calendars through such services as Google and Outlook

automatically aggregate confirmation emails from hotels and airlines.

While similar to a meeting or conference agenda, the itinerary focus is on travel and

agendas focus on specific items within a meeting or conference.

Key pieces include:

• Travel Information

o Flight information including flight numbers, airports, layover times

o Rental car information

o Public transportation information

• Lodging Information

o Name of lodging

o Address

o Confirmation number

• Key Activities

o Dates/times

o Location

o Short description (optional)

TIP: It may be easier to design the document inside of a table and use merge fields

and remove guidelines.

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

NLC ITINERARY

Lucy Morgan, Washington HS FBLA

June 28-July 3, 20XX

DATE TIME EVENT NOTE

June 28 8:30 AM

Check-In for Flight

to Anaheim (SNA)

BNA to SNA, United

Flight 990 Confirmation 56782

2:00 PM Arrive Anaheim (SNA) After collecting bags,

proceed to Shuttle Stop

21 for shuttle to hotel

4:00 PM Hotel Check-In Anaheim Hilton,

777 Convention Way

Anaheim, CA 92802

Confirmation #457869

6:00 PM Evening at Disney Park closes at 11:00 PM

June 29 6:00 PM

June 30 8:00 AM

Opening Session, Anaheim

Convention Center, Hall E

Preliminary Competition–

Various Locations

6:00 PM

Regional Meetings Various–

Locations

July 1 8:00 AM

Final Competition–

Various Locations

6:00 PM

July 2 7:00 PM

July 3 7:00 AM

Bus Departs - Medieval Times

Awards of Excellence Program

Airport Shuttle Departure Be at the shuttle stop at

7:00 AM with all luggage

8:00 AM Check-In for Flight to Nashville SNA to BNA United Airlines

Flight 890 Confirmation 1224

3:00 PM Arrive at Nashville (BNA)

Appendix C

ITINERARY

Top Margin: 2"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

NLC ITINERARY

Lucy Morgan, Washington HS FBLA

June 28-July 3, 20XX

DATE

TIME

EVENT

June 28

8:30 AM

Check-In for Flight to Anaheim

(SNA)

2:00 PM Arrive Anaheim (SNA)

4:00 PM Hotel Check-In

6:00 PM Evening at Disney

NOTE

BNA

to SNA, United Flight 990

Confirmation 56782

After collecting bags, proceed to

Shuttle Stop 21 for shuttle to hotel

Anaheim Hilton, 777 Convention Way

Anaheim, CA 92802

Confirmation #457869

Park closes at 11:00 PM

June 29 6:00 PM Opening Session – Anaheim

Convention Center, Hall E

June 30 8:00 AM Preliminary Competition–

Various Locations

6:00 PM Regional Meetings – Various

Locations

July 1

8:00 AM Final Competition – Various

Locations

6:00 PM Bus Departs for Medieval Times

July 2

7:00 PM Awards of Excellence Program

July 3

7:00 AM Airport Shuttle Departure Be at the shuttle stop at 7:00 AM with

all luggage

8:00 AM Check-In for Flight to Nashville SNA to BNA United Airlines Flight 890

Confirmation 1224

3:00 PM Arrive at Nashville (BNA)

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix D

Letters and Envelopes

For the purposes of the types of letters students will see in competition, the following

pages show samples of a business and personal business letter in block style. A sample

delivery address as it would appear on an envelope or label is also shown.

The business letter sample shows a letter with all the additional features that may be

asked for during competition. The top margin on the business letter accounts for a printed

business header, potentially including company logo.

For businesses, the Mail Merge tool is often used to combine data from a spreadsheet or

database into the letters for personalization. Having the knowledge to complete a merge

is a key skill.

Appendix D contents:

• Personal Business Letter

• Business Letter with all Features

• Delivery Address in USPS Format for Envelopes/Labels

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/addressing-mail.htm

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

1912 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1591

Current Date

(QS)

Mr. Jim Abel

1000 Multnomah Street

Portland, OR 97232

(DS)

Dear Mr. Abel

(DS)

This letter is an example of a personal business letter in the format used in

FBLA-PBL competition. This basic format is identical to the more formal

business letter. One component that would not be used in this type of

letter is the typist initials. Since it is a personal business letter, it is

understood that the creator of the letter is the one that would be keying the

document.

(DS)

Thank you for taking time to read this description.

(DS)

Sincerely

(QS)

Jennifer Maldanado

Appendix D

PERSONAL BUSINESS LETTER

Top Margin: 2"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

1912 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1591

Current Date

Mr. Jim Abel

1000 Multnomah Street

Portland, OR 97232

Dear Mr. Abel

This letter is an example of a personal business letter in the format used in FBLA-PBL competition. This

basic format is identical to the more formal business letter. One component that would not be used

in this type of letter is the typist initials. Since it is a personal business letter, it is understood that the

creator of the letter is the one that would be keying the document.

Thank you for taking time to read this description.

Sincerely

Jennifer Maldanado

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

Current Date

(DS or QS if no mailing notation)

CONFIDENTIAL

(DS)

Attention FBLA-PBL Competitors

FBLA-PBL, Inc.

1912 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1591

(DS)

To Whom It May Concern

(DS)

FORMAL BUSINESS LETTER WITH ADVANCED FEATURES

(DS)

This letter serves as an example of a formal business letter that includes all

advanced letter parts that you may be asked to include during a production test. It

is in block style with open punctuation.

You will notice that the sender’s address is not listed. This is to leave room for

printing with a digital letterhead or on formal company stationery.

The word confidential in all caps is the mailing notation. There is a DS between the

date and this notation. There is a DS between the notation and the inside address.

The subject line, if indicated for inclusion, is DS below the salutation. Should a

subject line not be required, there is a DS between the salutation and body of the

letter.

At the conclusion of the body of the letter is the closing. Use a QS after the

closing. The signature of the person sending the letter would go in this space. The

typed name of that person is next. Immediately below that is their title. The

company is not usually printed in the signature information as it would be

redundant given it is in the letterhead. In more modern letters, both phone number

and email address are included below the title.

If someone other than the sender keyed the document for the content author, their

initials would be placed a DS after the signature information. The most current

information on this format is to have the author’s initials in all caps followed by the

typist initials in lower case. The two sets of initials would be separated by a colon.

Appendix D

BUSINESS LETTER WITH ALL FEATURES

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

FBLA-PBL Competitors

Page 2

Current Date

(DS and notice change to 1" top margin)

There are several times when creating a formal business letter that a copy

notation would be used. Prior to electronic word processing, the notation cc was

used to indicate carbon paper was used to create a copy. Today, a simple c is

used, followed by a space and the name of the person being copied. If multiple

people are being copied, the subsequent indications would be on separate lines

with an indent of two spaces to three spaces to line up with the first name.

The enclosure notation is utilized to indicate if there are additional documents

that have been placed in the same envelope. This is a courtesy notation. To

indicate an enclosure, key the word enclosure, a colon, two spaces and then

the title of the enclosure. If there are additional enclosures, place them directly

underneath the title of the first, paying attention to spacing.

The last additional feature that you may find in your production test for

competition is a formal business or personal business letter that extends to a

second page when proper formatting is used. The top margin of the second

page is one inch. There would be no letterhead used on this page. However,

the name of the addressee is listed followed by the page number and date.

The body of the second page would begin a DS following this information. It is

important to make sure that if the page break separates a paragraph that at

least two lines of that paragraph extend to the new page.

My hope is that this letter has been instructive in the parts of a formal business

letter that you may encounter during your exam. Please do not forget that mail

merging and proofreading skills are also important.

(DS)

Sincerely

(QS)

Cindy Fraser

Letter Formatting Specialist

555-555-5555

[email protected]

(DS)

CF:cb

(DS)

c FBLA NAP Committee

PBL NAP Committee

National FBLA-PBL Education Director

(DS)

Enclosures: Sample Letter Updated Scoring Guide

Appendix D

BUSINESS LETTER WITH ALL FEATURES - PAGE 2

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

Current Date

NFIDENTIAL

Atten

tion FBLA-PBL Competitors

FBLA-PBL, Inc.

1912 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1591

Whom It May Concern

FOR

MAL BUSINESS LETTER WITH ADVANCED FEATURES

is letter serves as an example of a formal business letter that includes all advanced letter parts that

you may be asked to include during a production test. It is in block style with open punctuation.

u will notice that the sender’s address is not listed. This is to leave room for printing with a digital

letterhead or on formal company stationery.

e word confidential in all caps is the mailing notation. There is a DS between the date and this

notation. There is a DS between the notation and the inside address.

e subject line, if indicated for inclusion, is DS below the salutation. Should a subject line not be

required, there is a DS between the salutation and body of the letter.

At the conclusion of the body of the letter is the closing. Use a QS after the closing. The signature of the

person sending the letter would go in this space. The typed name of that person is next. Immediately

below that is their title. The company is not usually printed in the signature information as it would be

redundant given it is in the letterhead. In more modern letters, both phone number and email address

are included below the title.

If so

meone other than the sender keyed the document for the content author, their initials would be

placed a DS after the signature information. The most current information on this format is to have the

author’s initials in all caps followed by the typist initials in lower case. The two sets of initials would be

separated by a colon.

Ther

e are several times when creating a formal business letter that a copy notation would be used. Prior

to electronic word processing, the notation cc was used to indicate carbon paper was used to create a

copy. Today, a simple c is used, followed by a space and the name of the person being copied. If multiple

people are being copied, the subsequent indications would be on separate lines with an indent of two

spaces to three spaces to line up with the first name.

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

FBLA-PBL Competitors

Page 2

Current Date

e enclosure notation is utilized to indicate if there are additional documents that have been placed in

the same envelope. This is a courtesy notation. To indicate an enclosure, key the word enclosure, a

colon, two spaces and then the title of the enclosure. If there are additional enclosures, place them

directly underneath the title of the first, paying attention to spacing.

he last additional feature that you may find in your production test for competition is a formal business

or personal business letter that extends to a second page when proper formatting is used. The top

margin of the second page is one inch. There would be no letterhead used on this page. However, the

name of the addressee is listed followed by the page number and date. The body of the second page

would begin a DS following this information. It is important to make sure that if the page break

separates a paragraph that at least two lines of that paragraph extend to the new page.

My hope is that this letter has been instructive in the parts of a formal business letter that you may

encounter during your exam. Please do not forget that mail merging and proofreading skills are also

important.

incerely

indy Fraser

Letter Formatting Specialist

555-555-5555

[email protected]

F:cb

FBLA NAP Committee

PBL NAP Committee

National FBLA-PBL Education Director

nclosures: Sample Letter

Updated Scoring Guide

TONY SHAW

TONY SHAW CONSULTING

516 EAST HIGHWAY Z

JEFFERSON CITY MO 65043-1234

Appendix D

DELIVERY ADDRESS in USPS FORMAT FOR ENVELOPES/LABELS

FORMATTED

WITH NOTATIONS

MEMO

(DS)

TO: Lisa Morris

(DS)

FROM: Tessa Davis

(DS)

DATE: Current Date

(DS)

SUBJECT: Formatting Memos

(DS)

Memos are formal documents with a simple format. Memos have largely been

replaced by email, though they still exist in the workplace.

(DS)

There are five key words that should be in all caps, Memo, To, From, Date, and

Subject are the words which define a memo. The word Memo should be bold

and centered at the 2” top margin. The other key words should also be in bold.

Double line spacing separates these key words, paragraphs and any typist

initials.

(DS)

To line up the data that goes into the To, From, Date and Subject areas, tabs are

used. A five space, normal tab is used. Tab twice for To, From, and Date. Only

tab once for Subject.

(DS)

Appendix E

MEMOS

Top Margin: 2"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

MEMO

TO: Lisa Morris

FROM: Tessa Davis

DATE: Current Date

SUBJECT: Formatting Memos

Memos are formal documents with a simple format. Memos have largely been replaced by email,

though they still exist in the workplace.

There are five key words that should be in all caps, Memo, To, From, Date, and Subject are the words

which define a memo. The word Memo should be bold and centered at the 2” top margin. The other key

words should also be in bold. Double line spacing separates these key words, paragraphs and any typist

initials.

To line up the data that goes into the To, From, Date and Subject areas, tabs are used. A five space,

normal tab is used. Tab twice for To, From, and Date. Only tab once for Subject.

WITH NOTATIONS

FORMATTED

For Release

TIME DATE

(DS)

WASHINGTON FBLA MEMBERS QUALIFY FOR

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

City – Date – Ten members of the Washington High School chapter of Future

Business Leaders of America have qualified to represent Rhode Island at the National

Leadership Conference this June in Anaheim, California.

The qualifying members will have the opportunity participate in competition

and leadership workshops with more than 11,000 other members from across the

country and several international locations.

To cover the costs of this conference, the members are actively raising

needed funds. Community members can assist by attending a pancake breakfast on

May 15 from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM in the high school cafeteria. The cost of the

breakfast is

$10 per person. Children under two may eat for free.

Any community member that wishes to make a donation may do so through

the chapter’s portal at www.washingtonfblachapter.org.

###

(DS)

CONTACT: Susan Edwards, Adviser

Washington HS FBLA

100 East Washington Street

Providence, RI 02860

(Phone) 555-555-5555

Email: [email protected]

Top Margin: 2"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

Appendix F

PRESS RELEASE

press or news release is a document sent to news outlets to highlight completed or

upcoming events or milestones. These are commonly emailed to news outlets and

an be sent with digital images to help tell the story.

These are normally between 300 and 800 words. Utilize short sen

tences and clear

descriptors. The press release should be double spaced.

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

For Release

TIME DATE

WASHI

NGTON FBLA MEMBERS QUALIFY FOR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

City – Date – Ten members of the Washington High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of

America have qualified to represent Rhode Island at the National Leadership Conference this June in

Anaheim, California.

The qualifying members will have the opportunity participate in competition and leadership

workshops with more than 11,000 other members from across the country and several international

locations.

To cover the costs of this conference, the members are actively raising needed funds.

Community members can assist by attending a pancake breakfast on May 15 from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM

in the high school cafeteria. The cost of the breakfast is $10 per person. Children under two may eat for

free.

Any community member that wishes to make a donation may do so through the chapter’s portal

at www.washingtonfblachapter.org

###

CONTACT: Susan Edwards, Adviser

Washington HS FBLA

100 East Washington Street

Providence, RI 02860

(Phone) 555-555-5555

Email: sedwards@whsfbla.org

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix G

ACADEMIC REPORTS

For the purposes of production test competitions, FBLA-PBL follows the MLA Format.

Other than the left margin, the format is the same for left-bound or unbound reports. The

only difference is that the left-bound has a left margin of 1.5 inches instead of 1 inch.

Endnotes follow the end of the report body. These are indicated by a superscript number.

A Works Cited page follows the body and any endnotes of a report. All works are arranged

alphabetically.

In the production tests, the focus will be on citing books, a webpage, and online video.

https://style.mla.org/formatting-papers/

https://style.mla.org/mla-format/

https://style.mla.org/sample-papers/

WITH NOTATIONS

FORMATTED

Li 1

Formatting Reports

Ellie Li

Dr. L Warnock

12 June 20XX

Use of MLA

The Modern Language Association, MLA, is the basis for both formatting

the leftbound and unbound reports, but also for organizing the contents. This

format is used primarily in academic manuscripts and research papers. Standard

Margins

Except for the left margin, all margin settings are the same for unbound and

leftbound reports. The right margin is one inch. The top margin is one inch with a

header at one-half inch.

Page Numbering

The first page of a report may or may not be numbered, depending on the

requirement of the instructor assigning the paper. On the second and subsequent

pages, the page number along with the last name of the report author appear in the

½ header, right aligned. It is possible to set the document to automatically update

the header throughout the report.

Title Page

Academic research reports written by a single author do not need a title

page. If the report is the result of a group of authors, a title page should be created

with each author listed.

Long Quotations

If a quote is longer than four lines, it should be indented .5 inch from the left

margin. The text of the quote would still be double-spaced.

Appendix G

FORMATTING REPORTS

Top Margin: 1"

Side Margins: 1"

Second Page Top: 1"

WITH NOTATIONS

FORMATTED

Li 2

Headings and Subheadings

Headings and subheadings are organizational tools for content.

When used inside of a Word document or Google Doc, headings allow for

easy reference inside of the digital document and for automation of a table

of contents. The Modern Language Association states that a table of

contents would be suggested for a longer report “such as a theses or

dissertation.” (MLA, https://style.mla.org/paper-table-of-contents/)

Endnotes

Endnotes, if utilized, are placed at the end of the report, and the

endnote is cited by a superscript number in the text. A section titled “Notes”

should be used. Endnotes should be double spaced.

Works Cited Page

All referenced items will be listed alphabetically on a page with a

heading of Works Cited. Each referenced work should be double spaced,

with a second line indented .5 inches from the left margin. For the

purposes of FBLA-PBL production events, only books, websites and

videos will be utilized as references.

Notes

1. After review of the many different types of documentation now possible,

the decision to limit to these three types of sources was made

Appendix G

FORMATTING REPORTS

FORMATTED

Li 3

Appendix G

FORMATTING REPORTS

Works Cited

Tavano, Joy. Formatting Business D

ocuments. BE Publishing, 2013.

---. “Formatting a Research Paper.” https://style.mla.org/formatting-papers/ MLA

---. “How to set up MLA Format Paper with Works Cited Page in Microsoft Word.” YouTube, uploaded by

Xamplio, 9 October 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnhksX29HL0

WITH NOTATIONS

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

Li 1

Ellie L

Dr. L Warnock

12 June 20XX

Formatting Reports

Use of MLA

The Modern Language Association, MLA, is the basis for both formatting the leftbound and

unbound reports, but also for organizing the contents. This format is used primarily in academic

manuscripts and research papers.

Standard Margins

Except for the left margin, all margin settings are the same for unbound and leftbound reports.

The right margin is one inch. The top margin is one inch with a header at one-half inch.

Page Numbering

The first page of a report may or may not be numbered, depending on the requirement of the

instructor assigning the paper. On the second and subsequent pages, the page number along with the

last name of the report author appear in the ½ header, right aligned. It is possible to set the document

to automatically update the header throughout the report.

Title Page

Academic research reports written by a single author do not need a title page. If the report is

the result of a group of authors, a title page should be created with each author listed.

Long Quotations

If a quote is longer than four lines, it should be indented .5 inch from the left margin. The text

of the quote would still be double-spaced.

Headings and Subheadings

Headings and subheadings are organizational tools for content. When used inside of a Word

document or Google Doc, headings allow for easy reference inside of the digital document and for

automation of a table of contents. The Modern Language Association states that a table of contents

would be suggested for a longer report “such as a theses or dissertation.” (MLA,

https://style.mla.org/paper-table-of-contents/)

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

Li 2

Endnotes

Endnotes, if utilized, are placed at the end of the report, and the endnote is cited by a

superscript number in the text. A section titled “Notes” should be used. Endnotes should be

double spaced.

Works Cited Page

All referenced items will be listed alphabetically on a page with a heading of Works Cited.

Each referenced work should be double spaced, with a second line indented .5 inches from the left

margin. For the purposes of FBLA-PBL production events, only books, websites and videos will be

utilized as references.

Notes

1. After review of the many different types of documentation now possible, the decision

to limit to these three types of sources was made.

Li 3

Works Cited

Tavano, Joy. Formatting Business Documents. BE Publishing, 2013.

---. “Formatting a Research Paper.” https://style.mla.org/formatting-papers/ MLA

---. “How to set up MLA Format Paper with Works Cited Page in Microsoft Word.” YouTube, uploaded by

Xamplio, 9 October 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnhksX29HL0

FINAL LAYOUT

EXAMPLE

FORMAT GUIDE

Appendix H

CORPORATE REPORTS

While the formal leftbound and unbound format is used for production events in FBLA-

PBL, much more creativity and formatting flexibility is available as members work on

project events that contain reports. Examples of company reports are:

Amazon

Twitter

Walt Disney Company

March of Dimes

For competition examples, please look at the competition web page to view the winning

reports from the last several years.

The works cited should utilize the MLA format.