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How to write a killer business plan executive summary.

Guest post by: Marcus Tarrant

Article Overview: The executive summary is the most read and often hardest to write section of a business plan.

How to write a killer business plan executive summary.

A great executive summary can be used as a teaser to prospective investors, collaborators or partners. It needs to sell the concept without giving away too much to the reader. It is a teaser that summarises the core outcomes of the opportunity without fully disclosing how it will be done. Ideally it will convince the reader that potentially it is possible to achieve what is outline, but leave them wanting more – to read the full business plan.

After having advised hundreds of clients throughout the business planning process, we believe the use of an “Opportunity Profile” as well as a formal executive summary can pay dividends. Particularly for organisations that are seeking to raise capital, the investor will have a sector and venture profile they are seeking to invest in. The Opportunity Profile enables them to quickly skim the parameters of the opportunity and clearly identify if it fits with their portfolio.

In writing numerous business plan executive summaries and submitting these to potential investors, we have come to understand the need to be brief and concise. To assist clients in meeting this need, we have developed a unique and proven approach called “Question Led Planning”. This approach is applied across the entire business planning process, with the answers to key questions being populated in the main body of the document as well as in the executive summary.

By asking clear concise questions, planners are able to simply provide answers to questions rather than letting their writing style get in the way of the message. As an example, it is far easier to answer a question “When was the business formed”, than to write a free form section called “Business Overview”. The question led approach automatically embeds the answer into the appropriate places within the document. By using concise facts about the business the quality and clarity of the executive summary is significantly enhanced. Additionally and perhaps even more importantly this information is used in the body of the document, ensuring absolute consistency between what is disclosed in the executive summary and the broader body of the business plan.

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Article Tags: Business Plan, Business Planning, Entrepreneur



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Re: looking for partner - Hey Brad, Do you have an executive summary or business plan created for your venture yet? Having these 2 documents prepared is critical to finding a good partner. These documents will also educate you on what you are going to need other than a partner. Good luck.
Re: help - Hi Will - congrats on getting in front of an investor who is interested! "Spec sheets" is not a commonly used term in the world of entrepreneurship and angel financing. They basically are created for investors who are interested in buying speculative stocks. Perhaps your investor has purchased a number of penny stocks in the stock market and is expecting to see the same document for a private company. Basically you just want to provide him / her with the executive summary of your business plan - the 2-3 pages that explain who you are, why it's a valuable investment, and what opportunities lie ahead for your business. Make sure to include a lot of financial information as this will be what your investor is used to if he / she normally look at spec sheets. From there if the investor is interested you can offer the full business plan. Good luck - and keep us posted!
The Old Girl's Network - (2003) - Haven't read this one yet... Contents A business of one's own: setting the stage Passion: Turning what you love into a real business Vision: Bringing Your Idea Into the World Pioneering Spirit: Discovering new frontiers Tenacity: Passions Bulldog Raising Capital: Translating your vision into dollars and cents Focus, feedback and flexibility Leadership lessons Life after the survival stage: Managing onward There's a Took Kit in the back that has lots of good stuff, including: Outline for competitive analysis: the basic issues to address before starting your company Outline for executive summary and business plan, with sample summary Explanation of non-disclosure agreement Milestone setting "Do you have what it takes" quiz Sample financing term sheet Due Diligence checklist Sample advisory agreement Process and systems review Outsourcing overview
Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? - According to various government statistics, up to 80% of businesses will fail within their first five years of operation. That number is staggering to me. At the same time, when I look at most business owners, most of them do not have a business plan for where they want to go. When you ask entrepreneurs why they don’t have a business plan, most of them will say something like: “it’s too much work”, “I’m not trying to raise money”, “it’s all in my head already”, or “my business changes too often for a business plan to be worthwhile.” Sound familiar? Did you write a business plan for your company when you first started? Are you planning on doing it for your new business idea?
Suggestion for an Entrepreneur Looking for Funding - I am new to this forum but have been actively assisting my husband with his cash flow business for a number of months. One issue that I have seen that often occurs from those looking for funding is the lack of paper work that is needed when a funding request is presented. It is so vitally important for an Entrepreneur to have their paper work up to date (business plans, executive summary) before they look for funding. In addition, it is so vitally important to keep in touch with the funding source to expediate their funding project.


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