Business Memo Format, Templates and Examples

Three memos, one structure

Every memo follows BLUF: bottom line up front. The first sentence carries the news or the request; context, detail and actions follow. Choose a memo type.

MEMO

TO: All staff
FROM: Maria Lopez, Head of People
DATE: 3 June 2026
SUBJECT: New expenses policy from 1 July

From 1 July, all expense claims must be submitted through the Spendly app within 30 days of purchase.

Paper forms often arrive months late, which delays month-end accounts. The app lets you photograph a receipt and submit in under a minute.Claims older than 30 days will need approval from your director.

What you need to do

›Install Spendly from the staff app store by 30 June.›Join a 20-minute training session (dates on the intranet).›Submit any paper claims you are holding by 28 June.

The change and its date firstReaders learn what is different before why.A short reasonPeople follow rules more readily when they understand them.Actions as a listEach one starts with a verb and has a date.

How to write business memos people read →

How long, for whom

The more senior the reader, the shorter the memo. Detail moves into attachments rather than disappearing.

Executivedirectors, board 150 to 250 words

Cross-departmentother teams 250 to 400 words

Your own teamcolleagues you work with 400 to 600 words

Policy for all staffeveryone, with attachments 300 to 500 words + FAQ

Bars show typical word counts. An executive memo is a third the length of a memo to your own team.

The four header lines

Line	Convention	Example
TO	Names and titles, or a group name. List people by seniority or alphabetically.	Elena Brooks, Operations Director
FROM	Your name and title. Some organisations add your initials by hand on printed memos.	Sam Ortiz, Warehouse Manager
DATE	Written out in full to avoid confusion between date formats.	3 June 2026
SUBJECT	Specific and short; include the action or amount if there is one. Often written “RE:”.	Request: £12,000 for warehouse shelving

Memo format guide with templates →

Memo or email?

A memo is a formal internal document, usually sent as an attachment or posted on the intranet, that people may need to refer back to. An email suits quick updates. Use a memo when the message is a decision or a rule.

Send a memo for	An email is enough for
A new policy or procedure	A reminder of an existing rule
A change that affects many teams	A note to one person or team
A decision people must follow	A question or a request for opinions
Anything that may be checked later	Meeting times and quick updates

Tone in memos

Memos are direct but not cold. Use “we” for decisions the organisation has made, “you” for what the reader must do, and avoid passive sentences that hide who decided.

Instead of	Write
It has been decided that…	We have decided that…
Staff are required to…	Please…
Any queries should be directed to…	If you have questions, contact Ana Silva.
With immediate effect	From today