executive summary example business plan

executive summary example business plan

The Importance of an Executive Summary in a Business Plan

1. Introduction

An effective executive summary can mean the difference between a client win and the recycle bin. It is a hugely important part of the document and should be written and edited with great care. It is important to write the executive summary first. It is an overview of the entire plan and should contain the main points of the plan. When you’re writing your business plan, it’s important you don’t get bogged down in the details. You want to be clear and concise so the reader can understand the whole plan in a brief. This is exactly the purpose of the executive summary which needs to act as a teaser for the potential investor. In order to do this successfully, it is important to have a clear understanding of the structure. An executive summary needs to summarise the key points of the plan. This is a fundamental point which the process of writing the summary helps clarify because when summarising it, you are forced to comprehend and extract the key points. The summary also becomes the foundation on which to build a strategic plan. With the key points clarified, it is far easier to develop a strategic plan.

2. Key Objectives and Strategies

The next aspect of the essay will discuss the key objectives and strategies that Tesco is aiming to use. One of the most fundamental objectives of Tesco is “to be a successful international retailer”. Considering that Tesco currently has operations in 14 countries including 476,000 employees, it is clear that Tesco has achieved its primary objective of satisfying its UK customers. Such a successfully large scale of international diversification was merely a thought in the early 1990s when Tesco was looking to expand. Tesco’s visions and strategies have led to a progressive 40% growth of its international revenues and the broadening of its global capabilities which have created strong long term growth fundamentals. In order to further succeed as an international retailer, Tesco decided that it needs to pull out of the American market. This decision was fueled by a multiple loss in profits and a challenging competitive environment which has been a common issue for Tesco as mentioned in previous essays. Dropping Tesco’s American adventure and focusing more on Eastern European and SE Asian markets; Tesco aims to increase cost effectiveness and market retention by achieving a strong comporting position within up incoming market retailers in countries like Thailand and Malaysia. Next, Tesco is looking to re-create its success in the grocery aspect of the retailing in to its non-food operations. Currently non-food operations only account for 23% of total revenues even though there has been a steady growth of sales for the past few years. Tesco has a larger scale long term objective to create a universally relevant non-food brand. This will be done by offering premium grade products that are highly suitable for a wider range of customers. The only way to do this will be to match the accessibility and comfortability that customers already receive from Tesco’s food brands. In effect, Tesco will not only use its existing capabilities of understanding and satisfying customers with such things as the Clubcard, but develop a comprehensive understanding of customer responsive-ability in non-food. This can add a potential 100s of 1000s employees at all levels of operations and further challenge its competitors. Date created: 08-Nov-2013 Date updated: 08-Nov-2013

3. Market Analysis and Opportunities

Having a mission to provide a cordial and healthier product to society, our business is a fitness center. Thanks to the current status of the lifestyles adopted by people, who are now more inclined towards work that is less healthy for the body and mind. But all the work assigned for the day is important and essential to fulfill the dreams for life. In the prevailing cutthroat world, especially for urban youth, where people are running in the race of survival and growth, there is an eluding fragment of trust and comfort, leaving behind a very unhealthy lifestyle. They adopt shortcut methods to achieve success, but the irony is that this youth is the most precious and is the backbone of our society. By harboring all this, they are missing some real treasures of life. This very situation has good opportunities for our fitness center.

To identify these opportunities and threats and to set a clear defined track for the accomplishment of the business goals, there should be a prerequisite market analysis for the relevant market and contemplation on the current status of the business.

Every business plan must have defined in its numerous concerns the way it will make its place in the market to accomplish its goals. In the market, there are alterations that can confirm opportunities or pose threats for the businesses. There is a constant need for improvements to make a better place in the market and to rise with a new status and class to achieve the goals set. Therefore, the business has to keep a check on the opportunities available in the market and also needs to identify the threats and prospects that could come in the way of accomplishing their goals.

4. Financial Projections and Investment Requirements

Speaking, the main objective of preparing pro forma statements is to assess the expected financial effects of alternative plans in order to be able to choose the best prospects for the firm. This is crucial for a firm to be successful in the long run. After a sequence of trial and error, a company will look back at their financial statements to see what decisions were the most profitable so they can repeat those decisions in the future. This is important in the growth period of a business. Companies seeking investment should want to paint a very profitable picture for potential investors. Often, investors want to see that their return is guaranteed and the best way to show that is to show healthy financial statements. If a company is experiencing net losses or is barely breaking even, investment will be very difficult to obtain. Finally, financial statements are a way to provide realistic expectations for the company management and can be a valuable tool for monitoring the company’s progress.

Most business plans show three to five years of pro forma financial statements, including pro forma income statements, pro forma balance sheets, and pro forma cash flow statements. Pro forma income statements show the projected profit or loss of a firm. Pro forma balance sheets show the projected ending balances of each asset, liability, and equity account on the ending date. Pro forma cash flow statements show the estimated flow of cash into or out of a firm during different time periods. Entrepreneurs have to have all three in order to make decisions such as whether to take a customer discount in the future, increase inventory on a classified date, or walk into a new office.

Financial Projections and Investment.

5. Conclusion and Call to Action

Make a clear and realizable call to action: This does not necessarily mean a direct call to the investor asking for capital injection. It is more documentation of what you plan to do with your business in the future. It may still be to seek investment from a specific source. But nevertheless, it is essential to explain it now before the details of the plan are lost in the Executive Summary. A plan without a future is not worth investing in.

State the conclusions: Finally, given the information, what have you concluded? What is the final result? This should be directly related to the problem you stated in the previous section. This is the proof of success and is more powerful than simply saying you have been successful. It answers the questions “Has it been a success?”, “What was done?”, and “Why has it made a difference?”

Review the project: Discuss the methods you used to investigate the issue and achieve your plan. This might be best explained with a before and after scenario.

Restate the issues: First, revisit your initial business issue and then explain the problem that you have solved in your business plan. Explain what you set out to do and what you have done about it.