Executive Summary: Best Tips for Entrepreneurs

You have recently chosen the entrepreneurial path and are focusing on meeting investors to nail your idea to them. Have you prepared an executive summary yet? And, if you haven’t, you need to know how to write one perfectly. After all, it’s the first thing the investor will see before granting you the funds. They want to know what’s in it for them right away. 

Nobody wants to read a report that takes ages to complete. It’s information overload. It’s too much effort to single out the key findings. You don’t want to shrink what is in the report, either. It’s about amplifying the value without burying someone in the details. You want to…no…You must prepare an executive summary. 

What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a concise and focused overview of a longer document, report, or proposal. It's like the "TL;DR" version for readers who do not have to read the whole document but the main elements and understand what’s in the document. 

This summary contains the most critical points of the document, and the inclusion of the info selected and presented is strategic. 

It is not just jotting the points to shorten the summary. The information presented should contain the business summary, problems and solutions, analysis, and conclusion.

Excise duty is a tax levied on the products manufactured within a country. Retailers or intermediaries collect this indirect tax from customers and pay it to the Central Government. Excise duty is a tax levied on the products manufactured within a country. Retailers or intermediaries collect this indirect tax from customers and pay it to the Central Government.

Benefits of an Executive Summary (for an Entrepreneur)

Here are some reasons for entrepreneurs to consider writing a succinct executive summary. 

• Captures Investor Attention: Investors receive countless pitches and proposals, often with limited time to assess each one. A strong executive summary grabs their attention quickly. And makes them want to learn more.
• Secures Funding: As said before, many investors rely heavily on the executive summary to decide whether to grant funding. It showcases your business's potential, feasibility, and ability to generate returns. 
• Enhances Credibility: Investors can generally sense your professionalism, strategic thinking, and ability to communicate complex information effectively. This establishes you as a credible and trustworthy entrepreneur. 
• Saves Time: When pitching your business or seeking partnerships, time is precious. An executive summary allows you to share key information efficiently, avoiding lengthy explanations and allowing you to move into deeper discussions if interest is sparked. 
• Helps Refine Business Plan: The process of writing an executive summary forces you to condense your business plan into its most essential elements. This helps refine your overall strategy, ensuring it's clear, focused, and impactful.

How is an Executive Summary different from a Pitch Deck and Business Plan?

Feature	Executive Summary	Pitch Deck	Business Plan
Length	Shortest (1-2 pages)	Medium (10–20 slides)	Longest (10+ pages)
Purpose	Briefly summarise key points	Persuade and excite	Provide detailed roadmap
Content	Highlights, findings, recommendations	A compelling story, key elements	In-depth analysis, strategies, numbers
Target audience	Readers of the full document	Investors/partners	Internal stakeholders + investors/partners (detailed)

What to consider when writing an effective Executive Summary?

Here are some key points to consider when writing a good executive summary. 

Preparation

• Understand your audience: Tailor the summary to their needs and level of understanding.
• Review your main document: Identify the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Define your objectives: What do you want readers to get from the summary?

Writing 

Hook them in: Start with a strong opening that grabs attention and highlights the main idea.

Example

Remote and hybrid work has become the new norm, businesses face unprecedented challenges in maintaining team cohesion and productivity. Our innovative solution offers a game-changing approach to address this pressing issue.

State the problem or opportunity: Briefly explain the context and what prompted the work.

Example

The shift towards remote work has left many businesses struggling to adapt to virtual collaboration. The lack of effective tools to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration has become a significant barrier to productivity and employee engagement.

Summarise key findings: Highlight the most impactful results without diving into details.

Example

Through extensive market research and user feedback, we've identified a clear need for a comprehensive virtual collaboration platform that goes beyond traditional video conferencing tools. Our solution integrates advanced features such as real-time document collaboration, task management, and interactive brainstorming sessions, all within a user-friendly interface.

Present conclusions and recommendations: Clearly state what you learned and what you propose.

Example 

Our findings indicate that investing in our virtual collaboration platform not only addresses the immediate challenges of remote work but also presents an opportunity for businesses to enhance team efficiency and innovation. By streamlining communication and fostering a sense of virtual camaraderie, our platform has the potential to revolutionise the way teams collaborate in the digital age.

Focus on benefits: Emphasise how your findings and recommendations can benefit the reader.

Example

By adopting our virtual collaboration platform, businesses can expect to see a significant increase in productivity, improved employee satisfaction, and reduced operational costs associated with remote work. Further, our scalable subscription model offers flexible pricing options to accommodate businesses of all sizes. This will ensure a high return on investment.

Do’s and Don’ts of an Executive Summary

Do’s

• Though not a strict rule, aim for 1-2 pages, focusing on the most essential information.
• Avoid jargon and technical terms unknown to your audience.
• Ensure clarity, accuracy, and professional presentation.
• Use visual aids (bullet points, tables) to improve readability.
• Maintain a consistent tone and format throughout.
• End with a call to action (optional), inviting further discussion or action.
• Get feedback from others before finalising the summary.

Don’ts

• Avoid including irrelevant details or going off on tangents that distract from the core message.
• Avoid assuming the reader is already familiar with the subject matter, and provide enough background information to set the stage for the rest of the summary.

What if you’re stuck in writing the executive summary?

It happens to many, and you are not alone. To help you with it, consider taking this Executive Summary Writing Course from Instructional Solutions. This course may not be all, but here are some serious advantages you may not want to ignore. 

• Instructional Solutions specialises in business writing training and has a team of experienced instructors with expertise in executive summary writing. 

• This course provider offers personalised coaching and custom exercises based on the types of executive summaries participants typically write. You get to practice and refine your skills in real-world scenarios.
• It also covers other topics, including optimal business writing processes, broad-based business writing improvement, and clear and correct writing techniques. 
• Enjoy live one-on-one coaching sessions with instructors who offer valuable feedback and guidance on their writing.