What Is an Executive Summary?
The executive summary is the first part of a business plan that people read — and sometimes the only part. The U.S. Small Business Administration says it should briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful (SBA).
What to Include
Keep each point to one or two sentences:
- What the business is — the problem, your solution, and your customer.
- What makes you different — your unique value.
- Your market — who will buy and who you compete with.
- How you will win customers — your main marketing plan.
- Who is behind it — the founders and their experience, and where you are based.
- Key numbers — startup costs, expected sales, and when you expect to break even.
- What you need — if you are asking for money, how much and what it will pay for.
The SBA notes that financial information and high-level growth plans are especially important if you plan to ask for financing.
How to Write It in 4 Steps
1. Finish the rest of your plan first
You cannot summarize what you have not written yet.
2. Pull one key sentence from each section
Go through your plan and highlight the most important line in each section.
3. Put them in order and connect them
Start with what the business is, end with what you need. Make it read like a short story, not a list.
4. Cut it down
Aim for one page. Remove anything the reader does not need to decide whether to keep reading.
Executive Summary Example (Illustrative)
About 2,000 office workers are within a 10-minute walk, and our research suggests about 800 of them buy breakfast on the way to work. Our main competitors are a supermarket bakery and a slow café. We will win customers with flyers in office lobbies and a launch-week coffee offer.
The bakery is run by a baker with ten years of experience, supported by one counter staff member. We need 9,500 to start, including a three-month cash cushion. The founder is investing 6,000, and we are looking for 3,500 to cover the rest. We expect sales of 45,000 in the first year and to break even at about 1,000 pastries a month.
Common Mistakes
- Writing it first. It ends up vague and needs rewriting anyway.
- Making it too long. One page is the target; two is the limit.
- Hiding the ask. If you need money, say how much, clearly.
- Big claims with no proof. Use real numbers instead of words like "huge" or "guaranteed".
Where It Fits in Your Business Plan
The executive summary sits at the very start of a full plan, before the eight sections. In Founderplat, it is part of the full business plan, which is coming soon.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Write your business plan (checked November 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an executive summary in a business plan?
A short overview of the whole plan, placed at the start. It explains what the business is, why it will succeed, and what you need.
How long should an executive summary be?
Usually one page, and no more than two.
Should I write the executive summary first or last?
Last. It summarizes every other section, so write it once the rest of the plan is done.
What is the difference between an executive summary and a one-page business plan?
An executive summary introduces a full plan and is read before it. A one-page plan is a complete short plan on its own.
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