Learn How to Create a Fact Sheet — Steps and Templates Included!
Looking to create a fact sheet for your business? Read on to find simple steps on how to create a fact sheet, templates to create a fact sheet quicky, and even some amazing fact sheet creator tools.
Since a day only has 24 hours, we all are running through our lives, trying to jam in as many tasks as possible.
Even in our reckless pursuit of making the most of our time, nobody seems to have enough of it.
This is one of the reasons why productivity hacks and tools have become so popular in recent decades.
One such productivity tool is a fact sheet. If you are a business owner, the value of your time increases exponentially.
You only have limited time in a day to convince your clients, partners, prospects, or investors about the value proposition your business or product brin gs to the table and how you are better than your competitors.
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This is where a fact sheet comes in.
Fact sheets play an important role in onboarding new employees, pitching to investors, convincing a prospect, giving a company overview to partners, and more.
It’s a quick and easy way to ensure all parties understand the key aspects of your business or product.
But before we tell you how you can create an amazing-looking fact sheet, let us first understand what exactly a fact sheet is! Read on…
This article was originally published on Remoteverse.com
What is a Fact Sheet?
A fact sheet is a single-page document comprising all vital information about a company or an organization and the products and services that it offers.
A fact sheet, also known as a fact file, can be printed on a piece of paper or created digitally.
The key thing about fact sheets is that the information they display is concise and in simple language.
Information is usually displayed in a visual manner, with the help of charts, images, graphs, etc.
The information can be company overview, technical data, FAQ about the company and its services, educational materials about the products, “how-to” pages, and much more.
The primary feature that distinguishes a fact sheet is that it’s simple enough to explain all the key features of the company on a single page.
Why Facts Sheets are Important
You may wonder why to create a fact sheet when all the information is anyway available in their designated folders or database.
But in reality, fact sheets can simplify the work process by manifolds.
Here’s why fact sheets are an important part of your business management:
- You can create fact sheets about your products and services for the sales and marketing team to distribute. It can be distributed among existing and prospective customers, clients, and partners.
- Fact sheets can be created by start-ups as an introduction about the company to prospective investors.
- Internal reporting can also be done through fact sheets. For example, a fact sheet on Q4 earnings can be created by the finance department of a company and distributed among the shareholders or internally, if required.
- The HR department can create fact sheets about the company to better onboard new hires. In one single document, new hires can get accustomed to your company’s history, founders, mission, vision, and other key information.
- Businesses can also create PR and media relations fact sheets. Such sheets can be given to journalists, assisting them with all the necessary information they need to write about you.
In short, fact sheets are important for all businesses and can be used in a ton of different ways.
With so many use-cases, learning how to create a fact sheet effectively is crucial.
Things to Keep in Mind Before Writing a Fact Sheet
Though it seems rather easy and straightforward, creating an effective fact sheet takes some creativity and a lot of thoughtfulness.
Here are a few things which you must keep in mind before you start creating one of these documents:
1. Small fonts
The sheet should be clear enough for the readers to read at a glance.
Small fonts may let you fit in more information but not the best way to cater to all prospective clients and viewers in general.
2. Overwhelming information
Keeping the document concise and to the point and is the key to writing a good fact sheet.
When you stuff too much information, its purpose is thwarted as the reader gets more confused.
Keep only the essential information and leave out the rest.
3. Too many sources
Citing the sources is evidence of your authenticity, but it is important to strike a balance.
The sources should not clutter the sheet or overshadow the actual content.
At most, add a short footnote section at the bottom of the sheet if you must cite a different source.
4. Updated information
The information in the fact sheet should be up to date.
In case the sheet is not frequently updated, avoid putting in variable information like statistics that may come from outdated studies.
When the sheet is being used over the years, the data gets old and someone reading the sheet may perceive this as negligence that can damage your reputation.
5. Stick to the focal point
The focal point of all fact sheets should be the business and its salient features.
Hence, maintaining readability while sticking to the topics is important.
The end-users should get all their queries resolved from this one page itself.
Since its a part of the marketing toolkit of the business, it must be easy to read and at the same time catchy enough to attract potential clients or customers.
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Benefits of a Fact Sheet
Now that you know what to avoid while writing a fact sheet, let us describe the advantages and benefits associated with it.
Following are the main reasons why the fact sheet is an essential part of any business:
Time-Saving
The fact sheet is usually one page long so it is much easier to create and go through in less time.
The reader can quickly skim through the key points and will not miss out on any of the highlights about the business.
When it is such an information-rich brief, the investors will also appreciate the effort.
Easy to Read
All the key points are listed in one place and the language is very crisp and concise which makes the fact sheet easy to read.
Moreover, the overall design of the fact sheet is very visual and all information is provided in the form of tables, graphs, and charts.
The reader can easily get an idea about the key points and major highlights of the topic covered in the fact sheet.
Cost-Effective
Fact sheets are affordable to produce in terms of the tools and resources required.
Whether as a PR material, or sales enablement tool- this single-page document is a great way to propel your business within a budget.
How to Create a Fact Sheet: Fact Sheet Format
There are a few basic steps to creating a fact sheet:
- Create an Outline
- Choose the template
- Catchy headers
- Quick facts
- About the team
- Customer Segment
- Milestones and Accomplishments
1. Create an Outline
Start with a simple outline of what will go into the fact sheet. The following are the points that you must include at a basic level:
- Catchy Header
- Company Information
- Mission and vision
- About the Team
- Describe the products and services you offer
- Describe products and services
- Include milestones and Key Metrics
- Customer segments
Once you have chalked the basic structure and the idea of the fact sheet, you can improvise it further according to your requirement.
2. Catchy Headers
Once you have created an outline, it’s time to kickstart the process of creating a fact sheet.
The first section anyone will notice is your header, so put in extra effort to make it striking. Both content and design of the header section are bound to create the first impression of your fact sheet.
3. Company Information
Add your company’s name and a short description of what it’s about.
You can include some basic info like a year of establishment, locations, the total number of employees you have, industry, product or services it provides, and more.
4. Mission & Vision
Explain briefly, why your company exists, what it stands for, and what are its objectives for the future. You can also include your company’s slogan or tagline here.
5. About the Team
Introduce key leaders on your team and add a brief introduction about them. If you are a startup and have a small team, you can include all employees in this section.
This not only maintains transparency but also allows the readers to see the company as a compassionate one.
6. Products and Services you Offer
Describe your core product offering.
If you are creating a product fact sheet for your sales and marketing team, this the most important section of your fact sheet.
Describe how your product benefits your customers? ow is your product/service better than that offered by your competitors?
You can showcase your USP (unique selling proposition) and list down your features. You can also show a comparison between you and your competitor using tables and graphs.
7. Customer Segment
Who is your target audience? Are you a B2C (business to customer) or a B2B (business to business) organization?
Organize your customer base into customer segments and make it easy for your audience to understand your value proposition.
Adding your customers also shows the humane connection you maintain as a company with your clients.
Moreover, if you are a B2B business, showing off major names in your client list, adds to your authenticity and attracts more such clients.
8. Milestones and Accomplishments
This is an important part of your fact sheet.
Showcasing major milestones and accomplishments brings credibility to your business and sends a positive message to the reader.
You can include accomplishments like funding rounds, business expansions, usage and engagement metrics, and more.
List down all the major milestones using bullet points to make them easy to review.
These are the basic points every fact sheet should have. You can create a fact sheet using pre-defined templates or can use a fact sheet creator tool.
Fact Sheet Creator: Tools to Create a Fact Sheet
You can create a fact sheet using several tools- even Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
Many fact sheet creators offer pre-built fact sheet templates to make the process easier and faster. Here are some of the popular ones that you can try out:
1. Microsoft Word
Who hasn’t heard of Microsoft Word? One of the most popular documentation tools out there, Microsoft Word can be used to create amazing fact sheets.
Word has an easy-to-use interface with several elements that can be used to design a fact sheet from scratch.
Moreover, you can add elements and shapes of your choice as required to give more dimensions to the design of the fact sheet.
How to create a fact sheet in Word
- Open Microsoft Word
- Select the paper size (preferably A4) and set the margin as required.
- Write your header in H1 and make it bold. Add images as required.
- Organize the important information you want to appear on your fact sheet in order.
- Pick a layout and design your fact sheet in a way that is easy to read and comprehend.
- Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.
2. Google Docs
Next up is Google Docs, another great fact sheet creator tool.
Like Microsoft Word, Google Docs allows you to put together a fact sheet document easily.
Google Docs has a ton of different templates you can use to kickstart your effort.
Moreover, the platform has collaborative features. This means that you can create and edit your fact sheet doc along with your teammates and get their suggestions and feedback in real-time.
How to create a fact sheet on Google Docs:
- On your computer, go to docs.google.com.
- Create your account or sign up with your Gmail id.
- Once you are in, click “Blank” under the “Start a New Document” section in the top left.
- If you don’t want to start from scratch, go to the “Template Gallery” on the top right.
- Select any template you find appropriate and click on it.
- A new document will be created with the selected template. You can then edit the doc according to your needs and with your own data.
3. Xtensio
A document collaboration platform, Xtensio is another great tool to create a fact sheet.
In fact, Xtensio has dedicated fact sheet templates, making it a great fact sheet creator tool. Simply download the suitable template and start editing the content.
Xtensio has many different choices based on the industry you belong to. You can use a Business fact sheet, a Startup fact sheet, a Robotics factsheet, and Backpack fact sheet, and more.
Note that Xtensio is a paid tool and requires a subscription for you to download your fact sheet template.
How to create a fact sheet on Xtensio:
- On your computer, go to https://xtensio.com
- Click on the “Get Started” button. You will now be taken to Xtensio’s template library.
- Search for ‘fact sheet’ in the search bar on the top left corner of the screen.
- Click on the template and start editing!
4. Venngage
Venngage is an infographic creator that allows you to create visual documents using amazing templates.
From brochures and resumes to fact sheets and white papers- you can create anything using Venngage.
The tool is extremely simple to use and has over 400 templates to help you design anything you want personally or professionally, making it another great fact sheet creator.
How to create a fact sheet on Venngage:
- On your computer, go to https://venngage.com/
- Click on the “Sign up for free” button. You can create an account by entering your email or sign up using Facebook or Gmail.
- Browse through Venngage’s massive template library and pick the one that suits your needs.
- Click on the template and start editing!
Conclusion
Fact sheets are very useful for all types of businesses, thanks to their concise nature.
From introducing the company to a new hire or pitching it to notable investors, these single-page documents get the job done well.
With the colorful and vibrant structure along with the straightforward information-oriented design, fact sheets are the perfect choice for any business looking to showcase information.
Once you know the key points you want to highlight about your company to the reader, creating a fact sheet becomes quite easy.
If you are a beginner, there are many different fact sheet templates and fact sheet creator tools out there to simplify your work further.
Now that you know how to create a fact sheet and the tools that are suitable for the purpose, you can easily get going with designing one for your business!
Good luck!
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