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Your Executive Summary is the single most important part of your business plan—particularly if you are seeking outside funding. Busy investors and lenders start reading here and use the Executive Summary to get an understanding of your business quickly.

KEY TO SUCCESS

First Things Last!

Even though your Executive Summary comes first in your business plan, you’ll find it much easier to prepare—and much more compelling—if you write it last. Once you’ve completed the rest of your plan on the pages that follow, you’ll find it much faster to come back and produce this section.

In fact, some investors ask entrepreneurs to first send only their Executive Summary and financial statements (Step 9). If they like what they see, they’ll request the full plan. So if you can hook your readers here, they’ll ask for more. Your goal is both to summarize the major components of your business and to make your readers want to learn more.

This doesn’t mean you can misrepresent your business. As in all parts of your business plan, the information and data you present in your Executive Summary must be truthful. But you can, and should, focus on those aspects of your business that show it in the very best light.

Your Executive Summary provides a brief snapshot of your business. Highlight the most important facts and concepts from your full business plan as concisely as possible. When completed, your Executive Summary will answer these questions for your readers:

 Does your basic concept make sense?

 Has your business been thoroughly planned?

 Is the management team capable?

 Is there a clear-cut market need for your product/service?

 What advantages do you have over your competition?

 Are your financial projections realistic?

 Is the business likely to succeed?

 Will investors be able to make money? Will lenders be able to get their money back?