Part 5. The Finishing Touches

Cover Sheet and Table of Contents

Cover Sheet

Create a cover sheet for your business plan.

Hint: The cover sheet should include the following:

  • Basic company information (name, address, phone number, and web address)

  • The company logo

  • Contact information of the owner(s) and any officers (names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses)

  • The date the business plan was created

  • The name(s) of those who prepared the plan

Table of Contents

Create a table of contents for the plan so a reader can quickly find information.

Hint: The table of contents should include the headings of each section and the page number of the first page of each section. All pages in the document should be numbered.

Executive Summary

After you’ve finished your business plan, write an executive summary that contains the key points of the business plan. The summary should be brief—no more than two pages—and cover the following points:

  • The name of your business

  • Where your business will be located

  • The mission of your business

  • The product or service you are selling

  • Who your ideal customers are

  • How your product or business will stand out in the crowd

  • Who the owners of the business are and what experience they have

  • An overview of the future prospects for your business and industry

  • An overview of the amount and uses of required initial financing

Hint: You’ve already answered these questions, so what you need to do is put the ideas together into a “snapshot” format. The executive summary is a sales pitch; it’s an investor’s first impression of your idea. Ultimately, you’re enticing a reader to want to read more. If investors don’t get excited about your business and the prospects of success from reading the executive summary, they’ll stop reading and most likely not consider the plan. Therefore, as with all parts of the plan, write in a clear and professional way but be compelling about your business.

Note: Once you have created the cover sheet, the table of contents, and the executive summary, move these sections to the beginning of your business plan, with the cover sheet as the very first element.

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