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1. Your Business Name Executive Summary • Grab/Hook – Your first impression is 2 or 3 sentences. Don’t start with your mission statement! Hook the reader with what makes your business special. Examples include: • Partnership with Google • Recently signed first major contract • Endorsement from industry VIP Insert Logo Above Year Founded: Industry: Annual Sales: Request: • Problem – The first ingredient of a great business idea is a: • Pain • Problem • Annoyance • Unique Solution – Anyone can come up with a problem, but do you have a unique solution for the problem? Are you the: • Fastest? • Cheapest? • Highest Quality? • Market Potential – This should be YOUR market potential not simply a quote from a research organization that says your industry will reach $100 Billion on 5 years. How much of the market can your business realistically capture based on your: • Geographic Location • Capacity to Fulfill Sales • Access to Financing Unique Selling Proposition – This section simply answers the question, “What makes you special and sustainable. For instance, Wal-Mart is special because of the low prices that they offer. Wal-Mart is sustainable because of their incredible infrastructure, systems, and brand. • Business Model – In every other section you want to think outside of the box. You want to stand out and differentiate yourself, but when it comes to your business model investors and bankers want: • Simple • Sustainable • Safe Visit us at www.theexecutiveplan.com

2. Management Team – Many will tell you that your management team is your most important section in your business plan. I disagree, but many decision makers may also agree. So unfortunately you need to come up with a solid management team even if you can’t afford them. Focus on experience, but you should also focus on: • Energy • Enthusiasm • Excitement • Financial Projections – Build your financial projections based on a set of data driven assumptions. For example: • Website receives 10,000 visitors per month • Historically we convert 5% of visitors into sales • Average sale is $25 This will give you a start on your revenue projections. You will want to do the same for your expenses. If you have room you should also consider a projected Statement of Cash Flows. • Request – Unless you want your plan to end up as an afterthought you must make a request, a call to action, at the end of your executive summary. Ask the reader to take some specific action such as: • Read Business Plan • Call • Send Email • Set up Meeting And remember Famous venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki said in his book, The Art of the Start, “Of the effort you put into write a business plan, 80 percent should go into the executive summary.  These are the most important paragraphs of your organization’s existence.” Visit us at www.theexecutiveplan.com