An executive summary is the first and best opportunity to attract favorable attention from Auseklis funding sources. The main concept to keep in mind is that the audience of these executive summaries is being exposed to tens, if not hundreds, of these summaries per day and your best chance of gaining favorable attention is to follow the guidelines set forth on this page. You should also keep in mind that it is the source of funds who holds all the cards at this stage in the process, and it is your job to live up to their expectations. The process becomes more "equal" as you move forward, but that's only relevant when--and if--they choose to move forward with you.

First, and foremost, the Executive Summary must be a single page. There are no exceptions to this rule. Many sources will simply discard or ignore anything beyond the first page. It is the purpose of the Executive Summary to get the potential source interested enough that they will want to review the full business plan or proposal.

There are three sections to an Executive Summary:

Overview: A clear and concise overview of what you want to do. Do not use fluff or unnecessary adjectives. You should also avoid any kind of broad or far-reaching generalizations.

 

UVP (Unique Value Proposition): Be specific about what makes your venture or opportunity unique and/or especially viable/profitable.

 

Financial Details: Outline what's in it for the funding source. Outline what funding you are requesting, how it will be used and how you propose to repay it. Do not be over-conservative since many sources assume you will bloat your numbers in your favor, but do not bloat them either since many sources will see through it and look upon you as untrustworthy. So, be straightforward, realistic, and optimistic.

Above all else, be brief and direct. Realize that you are not yet special to these potential sources. You will be noticed for professionalism, clarity of vision and a sound business plan. Ultimately, this is about the best plan winning, but first you must get into the race.

This summary is provided as a guideline for entities seeking funding who would like to compose their own Executive Summary. For those who are interested in assistance, we recommend the services of Izrunas Consulting Group. They offer a writing service for executive summaries, business plans, and marketing plans as well.