10 Business Phrases Founders Should Replace for Clearer, More Professional Writing

Clear business writing is a competitive advantage. Whether you are launching an LLC, managing a corporation, or handling customer communication for a growing startup, the words you choose shape how people perceive your business. A message that is direct, polished, and human can build trust. A message that is cluttered, overly formal, or vague can create confusion at the exact moment clarity matters most.

For new business owners, writing is not just a support skill. It is part of how you sell, explain, confirm, and resolve. Every email to a client, every internal memo, every vendor note, and every follow-up message tells readers something about your company. If your writing sounds dated or stiff, your business can feel harder to work with than it really is.

This is especially important for founders and small business teams that are juggling incorporation, compliance, operations, and customer service at the same time. When you are moving quickly, it is easy to fall back on phrases that sound official but add little value. The result is writing that feels generic instead of confident.

Below are 10 common phrases that weaken business writing, along with better alternatives and practical guidance for choosing language that reflects a modern, trustworthy company.

Why clear business writing matters

Strong writing helps your business in several ways:

• It reduces misunderstandings.
• It helps customers act faster.
• It makes your company seem organized and credible.
• It saves time for your team.
• It improves the tone of difficult conversations.

For a company owner, clarity is not a cosmetic preference. It is operational efficiency. The more clearly you can communicate policies, timelines, next steps, and expectations, the fewer back-and-forth messages you will need.

That is why replacing outdated phrases is more than a style exercise. It is a way to make your communication easier to read and easier to trust.

1. “Please be advised”

This phrase is common in formal emails and notices, but it usually adds distance without adding information.

Instead of writing:

Please be advised that your payment is overdue.

Try:

Your payment is overdue.

Or, if the message needs a softer tone:

Your payment is now past due. Please submit it by Friday.

Direct writing is not rude when it is respectful. In most business settings, readers prefer a short sentence that tells them exactly what is happening.

2. “Kindly”

“Kindly” often sounds outdated or overly ceremonial in modern business communication. In many cases, “please” is simpler and more natural.

Instead of:

Kindly review the attached document.

Use:

Please review the attached document.

The message is the same, but the tone is cleaner and more current. For founders communicating with customers, vendors, or partners, natural language usually works better than elevated language.

3. “Please do not hesitate to contact me”

This phrase became popular because it sounds polite, but it has become so familiar that it can feel generic. It does not add much value and can make your message sound formulaic.

Instead of:

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

Try:

If you have questions, please contact me.

Or:

Reach out if you need anything.

Shorter phrases are often warmer because they sound like something a real person would say. That matters when you are trying to create a professional but approachable brand voice.

4. “Under separate cover”

This phrase is an old-fashioned way of saying something will be sent separately. In practice, it is usually unnecessary.

Instead of:

The signed agreement is being sent under separate cover.

Use:

The signed agreement is being sent separately.

Or:

I will send the signed agreement in a separate email.

Modern business communication should make the delivery method obvious. If you are sending a document by email, mail, or courier, say so plainly.

5. “Enclosed please find”

This phrase is stiff and usually redundant. If you are attaching a file or including a document, the reader already understands that you are providing it.

Instead of:

Enclosed please find our updated operating agreement.

Use:

Attached is our updated operating agreement.

Or:

I have attached our updated operating agreement.

If you are sending a physical package, a straightforward phrase still works:

Included with this letter is the signed form.

The goal is to reduce friction. Readers should not have to work to understand where the document is or why it is there.

6. “Above referenced” or “above captioned”

These phrases force readers to look elsewhere in the message to understand what you mean. That interrupts flow and creates unnecessary effort.

Instead of:

Regarding the above referenced matter, please review the documents.

Use:

Regarding your LLC filing, please review the documents.

Or be even more specific:

Please review the documents related to your LLC filing for Texas.

Specificity improves comprehension. It also helps when your emails are forwarded, searched later, or read out of order. A reader should be able to understand the subject without hunting through the message.

7. “Please note that”

This phrase often signals that important information is coming, but it can make the sentence feel padded. In many cases, you can simply state the fact.

Instead of:

Please note that the filing deadline is next Monday.

Use:

The filing deadline is next Monday.

If you want to emphasize importance, use formatting or structure instead of filler words. For example:

Important: The filing deadline is next Monday.

Or:

The filing deadline is next Monday, and late submissions may delay processing.

The point is to alert the reader, not to announce that you are alerting them.

8. “Respectfully” in the wrong context

“Respectfully” can be appropriate in highly formal settings, but it often sounds too stiff for routine business messages, especially when used as a closing or to soften a disagreement.

Instead of:

Respectfully, we cannot approve your request.

Use:

We cannot approve your request at this time.

If the tone needs to remain courteous, rely on the structure of the sentence rather than a ceremonial closing word. Respect comes through in the quality of your explanation, not in decorative language.

9. “I am forwarding this to you” when “sending” is enough

In email, “forwarding” has a specific meaning: passing along a message or file that was originally received from someone else. In other contexts, people use it when they really mean “sending.” That can create confusion.

Instead of:

I am forwarding the invoice to you.

Use one of the following if appropriate:

I am sending the invoice to you.

I have attached the invoice.

I am sharing the invoice below.

Choose the verb that matches what you are actually doing. Precise verbs make your communication easier to trust.

10. “Yours very truly” and other dated closings

Traditional letter closings still appear in some industries, but many of them now feel old-fashioned. If you are writing to customers, vendors, or partners in a modern business context, a simpler closing is usually better.

Instead of:

Yours very truly,

Use:

Sincerely,

Or:

Best,

Or:

Thank you,

The best closing depends on the relationship and the purpose of the message. A short, natural closing usually feels more confident than a formal phrase that belongs to another era.

How founders can build a clearer writing style

Replacing a few weak phrases is a good start, but clear writing is really about habits. If you want your business communication to sound more professional, focus on these principles.

Use short sentences when possible

Short sentences are easier to read, especially on mobile devices. They also make your message feel decisive.

Compare these two versions:

We wanted to let you know that, in order to complete the process, we will need the final signed document at your earliest convenience.

Please send the final signed document by Friday.

The second version is easier to process and harder to misread.

Put the main point early

Do not bury the request, deadline, or update in the middle of a long paragraph. Start with the important information.

Example:

Your EIN application has been submitted. We will update you once the IRS processes it.

Readers appreciate getting the bottom line first.

Use specific nouns and verbs

Words like “thing,” “matter,” and “information” can weaken writing if used too often. Clear writing uses exact terms.

Instead of:

We need to review the thing you sent.

Use:

We need to review the operating agreement you sent.

Specific language reduces back-and-forth and makes your company sound more organized.

Cut extra filler words

Many business sentences become stronger when you remove unnecessary words such as:

• very
• just
• basically
• actually
• please be advised
• at this point in time

That does not mean you should write in a cold or robotic way. It means every word should do useful work.

Match tone to the situation

A good business writer does not sound the same in every message. A payment reminder, a welcome note, and a compliance notice should not have identical tone.

For example:

• A welcome message can sound friendly and encouraging.
• A compliance reminder should sound clear and professional.
• A dispute response should sound calm and factual.

Tone is a business decision. It affects how people interpret your message and how they feel about your brand.

A simple editing checklist for business emails

Before sending an important email, review it using this checklist:

• Is the main point clear in the first one or two sentences?
• Have I removed outdated or overly formal phrases?
• Is every sentence necessary?
• Did I say exactly what I need from the reader?
• Is the tone professional but human?
• Would this message still make sense if read quickly?

If the answer to any of these is no, revise before sending.

Why this matters for new business owners

When you are launching a company, every detail contributes to your credibility. Your formation documents, customer service emails, internal notes, and follow-up messages all form part of the experience people have with your business.

A well-run company does not need to sound grandiose. It needs to sound clear, dependable, and easy to work with.

That is why simple writing is often the best writing. It shows that you respect the reader’s time. It reduces confusion. It helps your company appear more capable and responsive.

If you are building a new business, whether as an LLC, corporation, or nonprofit, the communication habits you create now will shape how your company operates later. Clear writing supports better decisions, cleaner processes, and stronger relationships with customers and partners.

Final thoughts

Good business writing is not about sounding impressive. It is about making communication effortless to understand.

By replacing outdated, formal, or wordy phrases with plain English, you make your messages stronger and your business more credible. That applies whether you are sending a compliance reminder, confirming a filing, responding to a customer, or coordinating with a vendor.

The best business writing is direct, respectful, and easy to act on. If a sentence does not help the reader move forward, it probably needs to be shortened, simplified, or removed.

For growing companies, that discipline pays off every day.