Writing a Winning Executive Summary An executive summary outlines your strategy for creating, launching and managing a new venture. It answers the questions of What, Why, Who, When, Where and How. Idea or Opportunity? Meal Cooling Fan Dog Wigs Toilet Golf New Coke French Fry Lip Balm Donut Seeds Snuggie True Business Opportunity • Clearly Meets a Need • Credible Experience • Access to Resources • Buying Customers • Sound Business Model Components of the Summary • • • • • • • Cover Page Company Overview Market Description Product or Service Sales & Marketing Strategy Team and Student Involvement Brief Financial Summary Cover Page • • • • Name of new business Names of team members Contact information Date of plan Company Overview • • • • What does the company do What problem is it solving History of background of company General business model/strategy Market Description • • • • Overall size and growth of market Current trends relevant to business Evaluation of major competitors Overall competitive advantage Product or Service • Description of product/service • Current stage of development • How product or service meets the needs of potential buyers • Prices and costs for the product Sales & Marketing Strategy • • • • Channels for product distribution Sales and marketing strategies Target customers and/or companies Key partnerships and relationships Team and Student Involvement • Members of the management team • Specific role of each team member • Contribution of student members Brief Financial Summary • Sources of funding for the launch • Expected revenue, costs and earnings over the first three years of business Sample execution summaries can be viewed on the following websites: www. bplans.com www.businessplans.org