What is the purpose of an executive summary?

An executive summary is basically an elevator pitch for the whole document that follows. It needs to grab the reader’s attention and prove that reading the entire thing will be worth the time, so it has to be specific, valuable, and well-written.

What is included in an executive summary?

An executive summary should summarize the entire document that follows, state its purpose, the main findings, and the results of the analytics, as well as other relevant details. These things are key to understanding the paper, so they will both save the readers’ time and entice them to read the full document if they want to learn the details.

How long should my executive summary be?

A rule of thumb is to make your executive summary about 5 to 10 percent of the entire document. It shouldn’t be too long because it may not hold reader interest, but it shouldn’t be so short that it fails to showcase the resuts well enough.

Executive Summary Template

Created by:

[Sender.FirstName][Sender.LastName][Sender.Company]

Prepared for:

[Client.FirstName][Client.LastName]

[Client.Company]

[Sender.Company] overview

[Sender.Company] is a (describe the nature of your business (i.e., manufacturing business, marketing agency, etc.) founded as of (Date) to (talk about the ultimate goal of your company – the “big idea" – here.)

In (short/long duration of time), [Sender.Company] has made substantial progress towards (goal or mission of the company) and is on the verge of (hint at an exciting catalyst or development about to take place).

We believe [Sender.Company] is primed for immense success in the near future and that [Sender.Company] presents an outsized opportunity for interested parties to get involved in (market/industry).

1. The problem

The problem of (state brief description of the problem) that [Sender.Company] is solving is critical and on a large scale. In fact, it affects (number of people/businesses affected) today.

The solutions currently available in the market are ineffective/nonexistent, and they are provided by (names of competitors and/or fellow professionals in a specific industry.)

A better solution is sorely needed by (target audience/consumers), and we believe [Sender.Company] has come up with the best possible solution.

2. The solution

[Sender.Company] provides/makes/produces/serves (as applicable) the following: (Share details on the product or service your company provides. Or you can share what the product or service will be if it's still in development.)

This product/service is (elaborate on whether this solution is simple or complex) and will (state the effect that this product or service will have for your target audience) while fully solving the problem of (briefly restate the problem) that was previously detailed.

Our service/product effectively (state your selling point, such as "reduces waste by XX%," "boosts productivity by XX%," etc.) and has received rave reviews from (target audience).

3. Market

Our target customers include (If your company is business-to-consumer, state the demographic, (e.g., homeowners), whereas if it's business-to-business, your demographic will be the type of business you're serving (e.g., auto shops).).

The total addressable market is (insert dollar amount, if known, or audience size). [Sender.Company] is pre-revenue/revenue-generating (as applicable) but/and (as applicable) is gaining meaningful traction with customers.

Based on this plan, [Sender.Company] projects that it will be able to capture at least (number) percent of this market over the next (number) years.

4. Competition

Our competition is comprised of (generally state the other businesses that are competing for your audience). [Sender.Company]’s competitive advantage lies in (explain what helps your company stand apart from the competition).

5. Management

[CEO.FirstName][CEO.LastName], CEO of [Sender.Company] is tailor-made for this opportunity because (describe the CEO's experience and background in a paragraph or two. Did they start the company? Have they run other companies of a similar nature? Do they have extensive schooling? Include details such as these.). Other members of the management team include:

[CEO.FirstName][CEO.LastName] – (No more than a paragraph describing the experience & education of this person).

6. Funding needed

[Sender.Company] is seeking (dollar amount) for (describe the intended use of this capital), which will enable us to (describe the tangible results investors should expect from this). Our ultimate goal is an exit (if applicable) within (number) years by way of (an IPO, acquisition, etc.).

7. Financial projections

[Sender.Company] is pre-revenue/revenue-generating (as applicable), but/and (as applicable) we have (number) (Letters of Intent, POs, etc.) that should help us generate meaningful revenues in a relatively short period of time.

The graph below shows our five-year projections based on our extensive market research and detailed knowledge of what is needed to scale the business.

(Insert chart showing revenue and profit projections for your company.)

8. Final thoughts

Management believes that [Sender.Company] is an attractive opportunity for investors to get involved in (state industry is located) and to see a positive return on their investment. (Add some detail on any near-term catalysts that position the company for imminent success and that will excite readers).

Should this opportunity fall within your investing interests, please don’t hesitate to contact the undersigned at [Sender.Phone] or [Sender.Email].

Thank you for your consideration.

Signature

MM / DD / YYYY

[Sender.FirstName][Sender.LastName] [Sender.Title][Sender.Company]