B. USE OF DOCUMENTS
The typical document reading tasks of small business owner/operators are at Complexity
Level 1 to 4. Their most complex document reading tasks are at Complexity Level 4.
Examples:
Small business owner/operators:
- use a day-timer to record appointments and subsequently reference the information to verify scheduled meeting dates and times (daily).
- use checklists to ensure that required tasks have been completed (weekly).
- reference phone books to obtain phone and address information (weekly).
- check purchase orders for completeness, accuracy for substitutes and to ensure that the product has been received or shipped as ordered.
- read employment application forms to evaluate an applicant’s qualifications.
- read, understand and fill out government forms, such as GST, PST, T4 slips/summary, employee remittance, separation forms, business taxes and workers’ compensation.
- review financial data of previous year’s business plan in order to prepare an annual update.
- monitor income expense sheets in order to track income and expenses.
- interpret financial data in sales reports to evaluate business performance.
- reference database printouts in maintaining inventory.
- use spreadsheets to allocate marketing budget in developing marketing plans.
- assess advertising material, giving consideration to copy and layout, colour, logo or other images, spelling and grammar.
- interpret blueprints in order to build, maintain or renovate office facilities.
- interpret maps for directional information.
Document-use Profile
Small business owner/operators:
- read signs, labels or lists.
- complete forms by marking check boxes, reading numerical information or entering words, phrases or sentences.
- read completed forms consisting of check boxes, numerical entries, phrases or addresses, sentences, and a paragraph or more of text.
- read, create and enter information on tables or schedules.
- use graphical presentations such as line graphs, bar graphs, or pie charts.
- interpret scale drawings such as blueprints or maps.
- obtain information from sketches, pictures or icons.
C. WRITING
The typical writing tasks of small business owner/operators are at Complexity Level 1 to 3 .
Their most complex writing tasks are at Complexity Level 4.
Examples:
Small business owner/operators write:
notes to record and remember critical information (daily).
signage in order to provide information to customers or employees.
invitation, thank you or other such cards to build and nurture relationships with customers and/or industry contacts.
entries on forms, such as separation slips, GST and Statistics Canada forms.
memos to employees to provide information on policies and procedures.
press releases to make business-related announcements or comment on industry issues.
purchase orders to order supplies.
invoices to process customer sales (daily).
letters which sensitively respond to complaints or deal with personal/emotional issues.
letters of reference.
promotional materials such as brochures.
records or documents on employee performance or overtime.
business plans to detail strategic plans and their implementation (annually).
marketing proposals to promote sales.
speeches.
contracts with suppliers of goods and services.
research reports to approach banks for funding.
Writing Profile
|
Purpose for Reading
|
Type
|
To organize/
to remember
|
To keep a
record/to
document
|
To inform/to
request information
|
To
persuade/
to justify a
request
|
To present
an analysis
or
comparison
|
To present
an evaluation
or critique
|
To
entertain
|
|
|
Additional Information
Small business owner/operators revise the work of others, such as employees, for factual
accuracy, for grammar and spelling and for effectiveness. Small business owner/operators
also revise documents they have written in response to someone else’s evaluation, such as
their business partner, lawyer, accountant.
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