12.1 THELAYOUT OF BUSINESSPROFILES
Business profiles of corporations in different business lines vary in their contents.However，generally speaking，a business profile may begin with some general introduction to the corporation，such as its ownership，business domains and position in the trade.Then comes the section describing the corporation's history，status quo and management structure.Most business profiles end with prospects of the corporation.Some other information，like the operating system，guiding principles，and corporate values，may also be included in a business profile.
Some business profiles have headlines，which fall into two types.One kind of headlines contains only the name of the corporation，such as the one“Toshiba Group INC”in the profile of Toshiba.Other headlines are written in the form of“Brief Introduction to...”.For example，the headline of Northwest Airline is“Brief Introduction to Northwest Airline”.
The section of general introduction usually describes the ownership of the corporation，its business domains，main product or service，and position in the trade.For example，
Morris Companies Inc.is a holding company whose principle wholly owned subsidiaries include Philip Morris Incorporated，Philip Morris International Inc.，Kraft Foods Inc.，and Miller Brewing Company.These companies are engaged in manufacture and sale of various consumer products.Another wholly owned subsidiary，Philip Morris Capital Corporation，is engaged in various leasing and investment activities...
For another example，
Toshiba，a world leader in high technology，is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products，spanning information and communications equipment and systems，Internet-based solutions and services，electronic components and materials，power systems，industrial and social infrastructure systems，and household appliances.
In business profiles，the corporation's history is an important component for those long-established ones.For example，Heinz writes in its profile，“The history of Heinz is rich in goodness and tradition”.
In some profiles this section is highlighted through a detailed account of the development of the corporation.The following is an extraction of history description of Toshiba.
1873—1890 First steps taken toward creation of Toshiba
1891—1931 Growth，disaster and reconstruction
1932—1939 Integrated electrical equipment manufacturer formed from merger of Shibaura Engineering Works（heavy electrical machinery）and Tokyo Electric Company（small electrical equipment）
1940—1956 Major government supplier during the war；exports to Southeast Asia begin in postwar period
1957—1972 Revitalization of management and business structures paves way for overseas expansion
1973—1983 Technical capabilities reinforced to realize consistent growth
1984—1999 Name changed to Toshiba；in-house company system promotes swifter decision-making
Since 2000 Creating World's First and World's No.1 products and services to prevail amid global competition and become an even stronger global contender
Description of the status quo of the corporation is the most important component of a business profile.This part usually includes accounts of the scale，management structure and business portfolio of the corporation.
Large corporations often highlight their size in their profiles.For example，Coco Cola in its profile writes，“People around the world invite our beverages into their lives more than 1.3 billion times a day”.In the profile of Northwest Airline，the corporation is described as“one of the world's largest airlines with hubs at Detroit，Minneapolis/St.Paul，Memphis，Tokyo and Amsterdam，and approximately 1，400 daily departures”.
Sometimes numbers are used in a profile to show the large scale of the corporation，as can be seen in Toshiba's profile：
Management structure of the corporation is also an important component of a business profile.Take for example this part in the Toshiba profile：
Now many corporations cover a wide range of trades，which is illustrated in the part of business portfolio.For example，in the profile of General Electrical，this part is emphasized：
From jet engines to power generation，financial services to plastics，and medical imaging to news and information，GE people worldwide are dedicated to turning imaginative ideas into leading products and services that help solve some of the world's toughest problems.
GEis made up of six businesses，each of which includes a number of units aligned for growth.
GEIndustrial
GEIndustrial provides a broad range of products and services throughout the world，including appliances，lighting and industrial products；factory automation systems；plastics，silicones and quartz products；security and sensors technology，and equipment financing，management and operating services.
GECommercial Finance
GECommercial Finance offers an array of services and products aimed at enabling business worldwide to grow.GE Commercial Finance provides loans，operating leases，financing programs，commercial insurance and reinsurance，and other services.
GEInfrastructure
GE Infrastructure is one of the world's leading providers of fundamental technologies to developed and developing countries，including aircraft engine，energy，oil and gas，rail and water process technologies and services.GE Infrastructure also provides aviation and energy leasing and financing services.
GEHealthcare
GEHealthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care.Our broad range of products，service and expertise in medical imaging and information technologies，medical diagnostics，patient monitoring systems，performance improvement，drug discovery，and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to better diagnose and treat cancer，heart disease，neurological diseases and other conditions earlier.
GEMoney
GEMoney，formerly known as GEConsumer Finance，is a leading provider of credit services to consumers，retailers，auto dealers and mortgage lenders across 50 countries worldwide，offering financial products such as credit cards，personal loans，mortgage and motor solutions，corporate travel and purchasing cards as well as debt consolidation and home equity loans.(https://www.daowen.com)
GEUniversal
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development，production and marketing of entertainment，news and information to a global audience.
Another component that is often found in business profiles is corporate value，which is now attracting more and more attention.Take for example the sections in the profiles of Toshiba and General Electrical.
Toshiba
We，the Toshiba Group companies，based on our total commitment to people and to the future，are determined to help create a higher quality of life for all people，and to do our part to help ensure that progress continues within the world community.
Commitment to People
We endeavor to serve the needs of all people，especially our customers，shareholders，and employees，by implementing forward-looking corporate strategies while carrying out responsible and responsive business activities.As good corporate citizens，we actively contribute to further the goals of society.
Commitment to the Future
By continually developing innovative technologies centering on the fields of Electronics and Energy，we strive to create products and services that enhance human life，and which lead to a thriving，healthy society.We constantly seek new approaches that help realize the goals of the world community，including ways to improve the global environment.
Committed to people，committed to the future.TOSHIBA
General Electric
While GE has always performed with integrity and values，each business generation expresses those values according to the circumstances of the times.Now more than ever the expression and adherence to values is vital.
More than just a set of words，these values embody the spirit of GE at its best.They reflect the energy and spirit of a company that has the solid foundation to lead change as business evolves.And they articulate a code of behavior that guides us through that change with integrity.
They are our words and our values...in our own voice.
Passionate
Curious
Resourceful
Accountable
Teamwork
Committed
Open
Energizing
Business profiles often end with prospect of the corporation.For example，the profile of Northwest Airline ends as follows：
The Checklist For the Future
Run a Great Airline
Providing safe，clean，on-time air transportation with luggage，in a professional and consistent manner，is the core of Northwest's mission.We provide prompt and appropriate service recovery when，despite our best efforts，something goes wrong.Northwest leads the industry in consistent reliability，a source of competitive success and employee pride.
Put Customers First
Employees have made the Northwest Customers First Plan the industry leader.We have an ongoing commitment through Customers First Plans to continue to outpace our competitors by providing the best customer service in the industry.We will also do our utmost to offer the best service recovery in the industry by solving problems on the spot.We will strive to be the first choice for passengers and shippers with innovative technology and courteous，convenient service.This allows us to create more choices and make it very easy for customers to do business with us，with the best schedules and the simplest access to our network.
Focus on People
By taking care of Northwest people—our greatest asset—they will take care of our customers and our customers will come back in increasing numbers to travel on the Red Tail.We will achieve this objective through enhanced communications，fair and progressive labor relations，state-of-the-art training，and continued improvements to employee services and facilities.
Build Our Network
By expanding service from each Northwest hub，domestically and internationally，by expanding our flying and building our alliances with other carriers we will create robust，profitable and sustainable growth.We will further develop cargo and mail services，enhance sales relationships，and grow capacity by flawlessly executing the long-term fleet plan to take delivery of a new aircraft every two weeks for the next five years.
Secure Our Future
The Company must ensure sustainable financial stability through a commitment to profitability and shareholder value.This is the key to each employee because job security and prosperity are only guaranteed if we are financially successful.To do this we will execute strategies to improve performance，increase productivity，grow revenues，identify high potential areas for expansion，and strengthen our balance sheet by controlling the cost of doing business.We will continue to improve facilities in all service areas and make the investments necessary to execute the checklist.Significant improvements are underway to the terminals and runway systems of all five Northwest hub airports.The best single example of this is the new Northwest World Gateway in Detroit.