Writing the executive summary

The Executive Summary is the most crucial part of any business plan because it's the first section that readers see, making it essential to make an excellent first impression. With the LivePlan Assistant feature, you can automatically generate an Executive Summary based on the content you have already entered into your other plan chapters. This is a great way to save time while ensuring that all critical points are mentioned. 

In this article:

• Viewing & Editing the Executive Summary
• Writing the Executive Summary
• Using LivePlan Assistant to write your Executive Summary

Viewing and Editing the Executive Summary

The Executive Summary is located at the top of your outline in the Plan section:

The Executive Summary can be edited like any other topic in LivePlan. You can also use LivePlan Assistant to automatically summarize your plan content using the Help Me Write feature:

Both methods are covered below.

Writing the Executive Summary

I think your approach should be carefully considered when writing the executive summary of your business plan. We suggest that you leave this chapter for last once you have researched and covered all the necessary topics of your plan. This chapter should highlight the rationale behind your business plan, while the later chapters provide further context and details.

Some tips for an effective Executive Summary:

• Write it last: When writing a plan, starting with a detailed analysis of all the relevant data is important. This analysis should be used to create a comprehensive document that includes all the necessary facts and projections. Once you have completed all the sections, it's advisable to write your plan summary at the end. This is because the completed sections will make it easier to pick out the most important facts and projections to include. By summarizing your plan at the end, you can ensure that you have included all the relevant information and that it is presented clearly and concisely.
• Sell your idea: When you're presenting your business or idea to potential investors or supporters, it's essential to lead with a solid and compelling sales pitch. This pitch should clearly articulate why your idea is unique, valuable, and has the potential to succeed. Use descriptive language to describe your concept and its potential impact vividly. By capturing your audience's attention and interest from the start, you'll be more likely to convince them to invest in or support your venture.
• Tell a story: Your business plan is a powerful tool for selling your vision to potential investors or stakeholders. The objective, therefore, is not just to provide a brief overview but to craft a compelling narrative that excites readers enough to want to turn the page and delve into the details of your plan. By presenting your ideas in a clear, concise, and exciting manner, you can increase your chances of success and convince others to join you on this journey.
• Be direct: Your language should be clear and concise. Aim for a shorter summary that is less than 10% of the full plan. This will help you get your message across quickly and effectively. By using concise language and keeping your summary brief, you can ensure that your audience understands the critical points of your plan without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.
• Be complete: Remember to cover the business, including its products or services, target audience, and overall mission. Additionally, you should explain the problem the business aims to solve and how it solves it, highlighting its competitive advantage. Don't forget to introduce the team, their roles, and their relevant experience. Finally, relevant high-level financial projections should be included to give an idea of the expected revenues, costs, profits, or funding needed. It's important not to get stuck on the details here, but no reader should be surprised when a major factor in the business plan is revealed deep within the plan. 

Ultimately, you're welcome to write the plan document in any order you choose. If you'd like to see sample Executive Summaries, you'll find them in our sample plan library.

If you're interested in having a brief plan that's only an Executive Summary, consider using the Pitch section of LivePlan instead of the Plan section. The Pitch bears a lot of resemblance to an Executive Summary.

Using LivePlan Assistant to write your Executive Summary

LivePlan Assistant can analyze the completed material from your plan topics to craft an effective Executive Summary that touches on all of the key points laid out in your plan. Because it will summarize data already entered into your plan, we recommend using the Help Me Write feature last after the other topics of your plan have been completed.

Once Help Me Write is clicked, a summary of your plan will be generated:

You can either insert the generated text into your plan or regenerate a new Executive Summary: