The Goal of an Executive Summary

The goal of writing an Executive Summary section of a business plan is to invite your reader to learn more about you and your business. Where you are currently and where you are going over the next few years.

The Structure of an Executive Summary

• Make the Executive Summary two pages or less (ideally a single page)
• Read thru your entire Business plan when it is complete (edit & absorb)
• Make it enthusiastic, professional, comprehensive, and concise
• Create an elevator pitch and use this in or as your first paragraph

The Content of an Executive Summary

• Express your businesses key differentiators: Describe your most important company strengths and core competencies. What elements will make the company be successful? What are the company’s key competitive advantages?
• Explain the basics of the business: What products and services will the company offer? Who are your customers? What is the structure of the ownership? What type of employees will you hire? What will make your business stand out from the other like businesses?
• Formulate a take away or ask from your audience: If you are looking for a loan or other means of funding, state clearly how much you need, precisely how you are going to spend it, and how this funding will make the business more profitable, thereby reassuring repayment.

The Audience of an Executive Summary

If the goal of your summary is to inform, motivate, and inspire your partners, employees, or others you work with, than write it with them in mind and focus your goals on performance and deliverables as well as incentives and rewards for the positive results. Often times your readers are some or all of the above.
Make sure you think of all these different perspectives as you author your section the “Executive Summary”.