A business plan executive summary is a one- to two-page overview at the front of your plan that tells the reader what your business is, why it will succeed, who runs it and, if you’re asking for money, how much you need and what it’s for. You write it last, after every other section is done, because it summarizes them. It should make sense to someone who reads nothing else.
This guide covers what to put in it, how long to make it, a fill-in-the-blanks executive summary template, and two complete examples: a startup asking for a loan and an existing business asking for expansion funding.
What is an executive summary in a business plan?
The executive summary is the first section of a traditional business plan. The SBA’s guide to writing your business plan describes it as the place to “briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful.”
It isn’t a teaser. It’s the whole plan in miniature: the business, the market, the people, the numbers and the request. A loan officer or investor reads it first to decide whether the rest deserves a close look, so every sentence should carry a fact.
Do you always need one? Not always. A BDC article on how to write a business plan notes that many templates include one, and its advice is to leave it out unless your partners ask for it. In practice, if you’re sending the plan to a lender, investor or program, check their template. If it has an executive summary section, write one.
Why you write the executive summary last
It comes first in the plan but is written last. The BDC article gives the same advice: write it after the rest of the plan is finished. Three reasons:
- The numbers aren’t final until the end. Your funding request depends on your startup costs, and your revenue figures come from your financial projections. Write the summary first and you’ll be rewriting it every time a spreadsheet changes.
- You find your strongest points while writing. The market analysis may turn up a better argument for the business than the one you started with.
- It keeps the plan consistent. A lender who spots a mismatch between page one and page twelve will trust neither.
What to include in a business plan executive summary
The SBA’s guide lists what to cover: your mission statement, your product or service, and basic information about your leadership team, employees and location. If you plan to ask for financing, it says to also include financial information and high-level growth plans.
Turned into a working checklist, that gives you these parts:
| Part | What to write | Comes from |
|---|---|---|
| The business in one or two sentences | What you sell, to whom, and where | Company description |
| Mission statement | One sentence on what the business exists to do | Company description |
| Product or service | What it is and why customers will pick it | Products or services |
| Market and customers | Who buys, how many of them, and the gap you fill | Market analysis |
| Team and location | Who runs it, relevant experience, staff, where you operate | Organization and management |
| Track record or milestones | Sales to date for an existing business; what’s done so far for a startup | Throughout |
| Financial highlights | Revenue forecast, when you expect to break even or current profit | Financial projections |
| Funding request | How much, debt or equity, what it pays for, and your own contribution | Funding request |
| Growth plans | Where the business is headed over the next few years | Throughout |
Not asking for money? Leave out the last three rows.
How long should an executive summary be?
Aim for one page, two at most for a more complex business, such as a multi-location expansion. That’s a rule of thumb, not an official requirement: if a lender or program sets a page limit or a form, follow it.
Past two pages, you’re explaining instead of summarizing. Move the explanation back into its section.
How to write an executive summary for a business plan, step by step
- Finish the rest of the plan first, including the funding request and the financial projections.
- Pull one or two key facts from each section. Copy them onto a blank page as bullet points: the product, the customer, the market gap, the team, the numbers, the request.
- Write the opening sentence. Say what the business is, who it serves, where, and, if you’re borrowing, how much you’re asking for. A reader should know what you want by the end of the first paragraph.
- Turn the bullets into short paragraphs in the template’s order.
- Use the exact figures from your spreadsheets. Same totals, same years, same rounding.
- Cut every sentence without a fact. “We are passionate about quality” can’t be checked. “We have 140 repeat customers” can.
- Test it. Ask someone who hasn’t seen the plan what the business does and what you’re asking for. If they can’t say, rewrite.
Executive summary template
Copy this into your document and replace each blank. Delete any line that doesn’t apply.
The business. [Business name] is a [type of business] that sells [product or service] to [target customer] in [location]. [Founded in year / Opening in month and year.] We are seeking [amount] in [loan / investment] to [main use of funds].
Mission. Our mission is to [what the business does for its customers, in one sentence].
Product or service. We offer [main products or services]. Customers choose us because [your main advantage: price, speed, quality, location, specialization]. Our prices range from [low] to [high].
Market. Our customers are [specific customer group]. [One or two facts from your market analysis, with the source named in the main plan.] The gap we fill is [what competitors don’t offer].
Team and location. [Owner name] brings [years and type of relevant experience]. [Other key people and their roles.] We [will] employ [number] staff and operate from [location or “customers’ homes,” “online”].
Progress so far. [Startup: lease signed, supplier quotes, pre-orders, permits applied for.] [Existing business: years open, revenue last year, profit, number of customers.]
Financial highlights. We forecast revenue of [year 1 amount] in year one and [year 2 amount] in year two, [reaching break-even in month X / with net profit of Y]. Full projections are in section [number].
Funding request. We are requesting [amount] as a [term loan / line of credit / equity investment] over [term]. It will pay for [use 1: amount], [use 2: amount] and [use 3: amount]. The owner[s] will contribute [amount]. Total project cost is [total].
Growth plans. Over the next [number] years we plan to [next steps: new location, new product, hiring].
Executive summary example 1: a startup seeking a loan
Example: a made-up mobile dog-grooming business called Tidewater Mobile Grooming, and a made-up owner. All names and numbers are invented for illustration.
The business. Tidewater Mobile Grooming is a mobile dog-grooming service that grooms dogs in a fitted van parked at the customer’s home. It will serve households in one mid-sized city and its suburbs, opening in March 2027. We are seeking a $75,000 term loan to buy and fit out the van and equipment.
Mission. Our mission is to give dogs a calm, one-on-one grooming appointment without a trip to a salon.
Product or service. We offer full grooms, bath-and-tidy appointments and nail trims, priced from $35 to $140 by size and coat. Customers choose us because the dog is groomed alone, at home, with no kennel wait. The average appointment is planned at $90.
Market. Our customers are dog owners with busy schedules, older dogs, or dogs that get anxious in salons. Our market analysis found few mobile groomers serving our area, with waitlists at two of them.
Team and location. The owner, Jess Moreau, has eight years of experience as a groomer in salons and holds a grooming certification. She will run the business alone in year one and handle bookings through online scheduling software.
Progress so far. We have written quotes for the van conversion and insurance, and a waitlist of 60 customers.
Financial highlights. At full capacity of five appointments a day, five days a week, for 48 weeks, the van can handle 1,200 appointments a year, or $108,000 in revenue at $90 each. We forecast $79,000 in year one while bookings build and $104,000 in year two. The cash flow forecast shows the business covering its monthly costs, including loan payments, from month five.
Funding request. We are requesting a $75,000 term loan over seven years. The owner will contribute $25,000 from savings. Total project cost is $100,000:
| Use of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| Van purchase and grooming conversion | $68,000 |
| Grooming equipment and tools | $9,500 |
| Licenses, insurance and business setup | $4,500 |
| Launch marketing and booking website | $3,000 |
| Working capital | $15,000 |
| Total | $100,000 |
Growth plans. In year three, if the first van is fully booked, we plan to add a second van and hire a groomer.
The request is in the first paragraph, every claim can be checked elsewhere in the plan, and sources match uses: owner $25,000 + loan $75,000 = $100,000.
Executive summary example 2: an existing business seeking expansion funding
Example: a made-up bakery called Larch & Rye Bakery. All names and numbers are invented for illustration.
The business. Larch & Rye Bakery is a retail bakery selling bread, pastries and coffee from one storefront, open since 2022. We are seeking a $180,000 term loan to open a second location in a neighborhood 6 kilometers from the first.
Mission. Our mission is to bake bread from scratch every morning for the neighborhoods we’re in.
Product or service. We sell sourdough and rye breads, pastries, sandwiches and coffee, with most items priced from $4 to $12. About a third of sales come from three wholesale accounts with local cafés, which the new location’s ovens will also serve.
Market. Our customers are local residents and nearby office workers. Our survey of the new area, detailed in the market analysis, found no independent bakery within walking distance.
Team and location. The owners, Priya and Tom Castellan, run the business full time: Priya manages baking and production, and Tom manages sales, staff and finances. We employ 9 staff and plan to hire 6 more for the second location, including a store manager promoted from our current team.
Progress so far. Last year the bakery had revenue of $640,000 and net profit of $58,000. Revenue has grown each year since opening. We have a letter of intent on the new lease and written quotes for the build-out and ovens.
Financial highlights. We forecast combined revenue of $910,000 in the first full year after the second location opens and $1,040,000 the year after. The cash flow forecast shows that existing cash flow can cover loan payments while the new store builds up its sales. Three years of historical financial statements and five years of projections are attached.
Funding request. We are requesting a $180,000 term loan over ten years. The owners will contribute $45,000 from retained earnings. Total project cost is $225,000:
| Use of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| Leasehold improvements | $120,000 |
| Ovens and bakery equipment | $70,000 |
| Opening inventory and pre-opening wages | $15,000 |
| Working capital | $20,000 |
| Total | $225,000 |
Growth plans. Once the second location is profitable, we plan to use its extra oven capacity to supply more cafés.
The difference from the startup is the evidence: an existing business leads with real revenue and profit. The SBA’s guide suggests established businesses include income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements for the last three to five years. Sources match uses: owners $45,000 + loan $180,000 = $225,000.
Common executive summary mistakes
- Writing it first. It ends up describing the plan you meant to write.
- Hiding the request. If you need money, say how much in the first paragraph. Don’t make a lender hunt for it on page two.
- Numbers that don’t match the rest of the plan. Check every figure against the funding request and the projections before you send it.
- Vague claims. “Huge market” and “experienced team” mean nothing. Name the customer, the advantage and the experience.
- Too long. Past two pages, it’s no longer a summary.
- Leaving out your own money. Lenders want to see what the owners are putting in. State it next to the request.
- Projections without a basis. A revenue figure in the summary should trace back to stated assumptions in the projections, such as price times volume.
Where to go next
Haven’t written the rest of the plan yet? Start with our guide on how to write a business plan.
For free official templates, BDC offers a business plan template (it asks for your email address), and Futurpreneur has an online Business Plan Writer with examples. The Government of Canada’s page on planning a business links to more resources. In the US, the SBA’s business plan guide includes downloadable example plans from fictional business owners.
Applying for a loan? Ask the lender for their template or page limits. Their format comes before any general advice, including ours.