Tips to a Top Executive Summary

These quick tips tell you the details to make your executive summary stand out from the crowd.

An executive summary is a one page document that gives a general brief detail of your business. It is a short written version of you business plan that is supposed to sell your idea to investors, bankers or simply used for presentations during a pitch session or business plan competition. Here are few tips on how to write an executive summary that will clinch you the deal.

1. Get your idea to stand out
In your executive summary point out why your business idea is unique to catch your readers attention. Why should a financial institution spend time looking at your business strategy? –  Perhaps you’ve made the highest sales since you began operations, maybe you’ve just set up a website and are receiving good customer ratings…whatever it is, bring this out.

2. Explain your product
What does your business do? State your business idea or operation. Indicate why your product or service is different from what is already available in the market. If it is a new product, why did you come up with it? What problem does it solve? The idea here is to sell your products and services!

3. Show your market knowledge
This is where research comes in handy. Indicate what you know about the market for your product and services. What percentage of the market do you control? Who is your target market?  Remember you can only sell to a market you know and understand.

4. Indicate the sustainability of the business
Before they invest in your business or give you a loan, most financiers would like to know how your business is going to be sustainable – in other words how are going to make profits? Clearly point out how you plan to generate income. 

5. Highlight the strengths of your management team
Most financiers are keen to know who you are working with and what their contribution to the growth and success of the company will be. As much as you may have a brilliant idea, your management team is just as important.  Do they understand the business idea? Do they have the expertise to implement this idea?.

6. Outline your future plan
Give an indication of your future plans. You can state if you plan to expand operations of your business across the region or diversify the services offered. Paint a picture of where the business will be in three to five years.