What to Include in a Business Plan Executive Summary
Updated: Oct 22
The executive summary sits at the front of your business plan, and it is often the first thing a busy reader looks at. A lender, a funding program officer, a landlord or a potential partner may use it to decide whether the rest of your plan deserves a closer look.
That is a lot to ask of a page or two. Government of Canada business planning resources, such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's guide to preparing a business and marketing plan, suggest keeping the summary to about one page, two at most, and writing it once the rest of the plan is done. Here is what to put in it and how to make each line count.
What an executive summary needs to do
A good summary is not a teaser or an introduction. It is the whole plan in miniature, and it should make sense to someone who reads nothing else. In plain language, it should answer five questions:
What does the business do, and for whom?
Why will customers choose it over what they use today?
Who is running it, and why are they able to deliver?
What do the numbers look like?
What are you asking the reader for, and what happens next?
If a reader cannot answer one of these questions after reading your summary, that part needs more work.
The core elements to include
Most strong summaries cover the same building blocks, roughly in this order:
Business overview: your business name, legal structure (sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation), location, what you sell and your stage, from pre-launch to established.
The opportunity: the customer problem or need, and your evidence that it is real, such as customer interviews, pre-orders, letters of intent or market data from sources like Statistics Canada.
Your solution and advantage: what you offer and why customers will prefer it, in concrete terms rather than adjectives.
Target market and competition: who your customers are, how many you can realistically reach and the main alternatives they use now.
Management team: the owners and key people, their relevant experience and any gaps you plan to fill.
Marketing and sales: the main ways you will reach customers and win their business.
Financial highlights: projected sales and profit for the first one to three years, your expected break-even point and the key assumptions behind them.
The request: if you are seeking financing, the amount, what it will pay for, how much you are contributing yourself and how you plan to repay it.
Milestones: what you have already achieved and your main goals for the next 12 months.
A simple structure you can follow
If you are facing a blank page, write one short paragraph for each of these points, then trim:
What the business is, in one or two sentences.
The problem, the opportunity and your evidence.
Your solution, your advantage and your team.
Your financial highlights and key assumptions.
Your request and next steps.
Your opening sentence does a lot of work. A useful pattern is: "[Business name] is a [legal structure] in [city, province] that provides [product or service] to [target customer]." For example, a new catering business might write: "[Business name] is a sole proprietorship in Edmonton that provides weekday lunch catering to local offices. We are seeking a [amount] loan to buy a refrigerated van and kitchen equipment, alongside an owner contribution of [amount]." In two sentences, the reader knows what the business does, who it serves and what you need.
Tailor it to your reader
The facts in your plan stay the same, but the emphasis should shift with the audience:
A lender focuses on whether the business can repay: expected cash flow, your own investment in the business, your experience and how the loan will be used.
A grant or program reviewer looks for fit with the program's objectives, eligible costs and expected results. Follow the program's own format, headings and word limits exactly.
A potential investor wants to understand the size of the opportunity, the team, how the business could grow and how their money would be used.
A landlord, supplier or partner is usually checking stability: whether you can meet your commitments and whether working with you makes sense for them.
Keep a master version, then adjust the order and emphasis for each reader instead of starting from scratch.
Writing tips for a clear summary
Write it last. Finish the full plan and financial projections first, then pull out the essentials.
Keep it short. Aim for one page, and use a second only if your reader needs the extra detail.
Use specific numbers. "Projected break-even in month 14" tells a reader more than "rapid profitability."
Keep figures consistent. Every number in the summary should match your financial section exactly.
Use plain language. Skip jargon and acronyms your reader may not know.
Get an outside read. Ask someone who does not know your business to read the summary and explain back what you do and what you are asking for.
Common mistakes to avoid
Writing the summary first and never updating it as the plan changes.
Making claims you cannot support, such as "we have no competition" or "everyone needs this."
Leaving out the request, so the reader has to guess what you want.
Describing your market only at the national level instead of the customers you can actually reach.
Ignoring risk. Briefly naming your biggest risk and how you will manage it builds credibility.
Copying generic template wording that does not reflect your business.
How First Global Citizen can help
We help founders prepare business plans and feasibility studies, including an executive summary that reflects the full plan. We can draft or review your summary, check that its figures match your financial projections and adjust the emphasis for a lender, a funding program or a partner. Decisions on loans and funding rest with the lender or program, so our focus is on making your plan clear, complete and consistent.
As outlined in how we work, you receive a fixed fee in a written proposal before any work begins. When you need legal, tax or accounting advice, we coordinate with independent licensed professionals. Learn more about our business plan services, or book a free consultation to talk through your plan.
This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Fees and requirements can change, so confirm current details with the relevant government agency or registry. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified professional.
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