(C)2021 by Brent Duncan, PhD

The executive summary provides an overview of the entire business plan. This is the first, and maybe only, thing an executive or investor is going to read. If you get it right, your audience might dig further. If you get it wrong, your plan may be discarded. The executive summary is also the last thing you write because it recaps the entire business plan you just finished.  

Here are some tips: 

• Your job with the executive summary is to get the interest of your audience and provide them with an overview of your business plan. 

• Your goal is to get them to accept and support your new venture; essentially, the executive summary is like a movie trailer that gives away all the plotlines while motivating the audience to buy tickets. 
• Highlight the business, the problems you solve, your differentiation, your customer, and expected outcomes.  
• Remember that you are not writing an academic paper you are building a business plan. Don’t write about planning do the planning. 
• Do not include an introduction or a conclusion; the executive summary is all you need. 
• Keep the plan and executive summary simple and concise. Limit narration and recap essential ideas concisely. 

• Limit the executive summary to 1 or 2 pages.  
• Establish credibility by supporting your assertions with research and demonstrating mastery of business terms, concepts, and tools.  

What should I include in the executive summary? 

Consider the following headings for your executive summary: 

Company summary 

What business are you in? What is the problem you are solving for customers? Tell a story that gets your audience wanting to learn more.  

Mission 

What is the purpose of your organization? 

Goals 

What do you want to accomplish? List your top three SMART goals. 

Product/Service 

What are you offering? Why is it important to your customers? 

Market focus 

Who is your ideal customer, your target market? Have you found a niche? 

Competitive advantage 

Who are your key competitors? What is your value proposition: How are you different, why should someone select your offering over others? 

Team 

How do the founders, leaders, primary players contribute to the success of the venture? 

Action 

What are the major milestones you will accomplish? What is the timeframe? 

Financials 

Summarize the key points from your financials. How much will it cost? What should your audience expect to get out of it? When is your forecasted break-even point? 

Challenge 

Close the deal. Tell the readers what you want them to do. Leave them with a challenge.