{"id":1037,"date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/articles\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:17:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:17:52","slug":"how-to-write-an-executive-summary","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/","title":{"rendered":"How to write an executive summary: a simple guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The executive summary can be the hardest part of a business document to write. If you\u2019re experiencing writer\u2019s block, we\u2019ve pulled together some tips to get you started, including an executive summary example and free template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatisanexecutivesummary\">What is an executive summary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An executive summary is usually the first section in a longer business document, or it can be a short document in its own right. It gives readers a brief but comprehensive overview of a more detailed document or report without them having to go through the whole thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"executivesummaryexamplesandwhentowriteone\">Executive summary examples \u2013 and when to write one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are several examples of documents for which a small business owner might need to write an executive summary, including but not limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">a client report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">a pitch for a new project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-a-business-plan\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1199\" >a business plan<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/marketing\/how-to-write-a-marketing-plan\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1456\" >a marketing plan<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">investment proposal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If it\u2019s a customer-facing document, your executive summary is your chance to hook them into your idea. You could even say it\u2019s the most important section of your document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-lead-50-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-lead-50-background-color has-background\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Executive summary template<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our article below explains how to write an executive summary. Why not download your free executive summary template, which you can fill in as you read our tips?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-size-medium\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/executive-summary-template-PDF.pdf\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-lead-50-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-lead-50-background-color has-background\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"executivesummaryformat\">Executive summary format<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your executive summary is your chance to pull out the key selling points of your business document for your readers to see at a glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this in mind, you\u2019ll need to have the rest of the document written before you can pick out its top highlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Top tip: as an executive summary is an overview of a wider plan or report, it\u2019s common to write it last.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatshouldbeincludedinanexecutivesummary\">What should be included in an executive summary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Start strong<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capture your reader\u2019s attention from the start by including an attention-grabbing statistic or research finding in the first line of your executive summary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Think about your core selling points<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point it might be helpful to do a <a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-do-business-swot-analysis-template\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"944\" >SWOT analysis<\/a> to really dig deep into what makes you stand out as a business. Use bullet points to summarise areas that would capture your audience\u2019s attention, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">any partnerships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">your marketing strategy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">innovative technology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">customers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Back up your claims<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re making claims about your business or project, make sure you back them up with research, and reference it in the footnotes for added credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"howlongshouldanexecutivesummarybe\">How long should an executive summary be?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Keep it short and concise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your executive summary should contain only the most important points from your wider document. This lets your readers quickly understand and buy into your ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Keep it positive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the risks and challenges relating to your proposal are important points to include in your wider document, it\u2019s best to limit the executive summary to the plus points. This way your reader won\u2019t be put off before you&#8217;ve had a chance to explain all the positives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tailor it to your audience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about who\u2019s going to be reading your executive summary and tailor it for them. If it\u2019s part of a client report, for example, you\u2019ll want to give an overview of performance and key wins. Whereas if it\u2019s for a potential investor, you\u2019ll want to highlight how your business is going to succeed and what\u2019s in the opportunity for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Top tip: spend time reading and refining your summary as it\u2019ll be the first thing your readers will read.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"howtowriteanexecutivesummaryasixpointplan\">How to write an executive summary \u2013 a six-point plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping the above points in mind, you can use the executive summary template below to write an effective document for your business. Each point below can represent one paragraph of your executive summary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1yourbusiness\">1. Your business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is your chance to tell your reader about your business, including its name and what it offers. You should include any insights into your industry that back up the aim of your document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2whatsetsyouapart\">2. What sets you apart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can then go on to talk about your target market and competition. Tell your reader about the problem your idea will solve. Explain what your competitors do and what sets your business apart from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3howyoullmarketyourideas\">3. How you&#8217;ll market your ideas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can then move on to describe the two or three main ways you\u2019ll market your idea to your target audience to pique your reader\u2019s interest. There\u2019ll be plenty of opportunity to delve into your marketing strategy in more detail later on in your document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4howyoulloperate\">4. How you&#8217;ll operate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, describe where and how you\u2019ll operate for this project. This includes a description of your business structure and where you carry out your business activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5yourprojections\">5. Your projections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your reader will want to see how successful your project is likely to be. Show them using sales projections for one and two years into the future. Explain how you\u2019ll know when you\u2019ve broken even and when you expect to turn a profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6themoneyyoullneed\">6. The money you&#8217;ll need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the place to talk about any money you\u2019re asking for \u2013 how much do you need to get your project off the ground? Make sure any number you include here tallies with your calculations in section 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lookingforfinancialinvestmentforyourbusiness\">Looking for financial investment for your business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we mentioned, an executive summary is useful if you\u2019re looking for financial investment. If you\u2019re not sure what options are available to you, take a look at some of our business finance guides below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/angel-investors-guide-for-small-businesses\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1020\" >angel investors for small businesses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/what-is-venture-capital\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1029\" >venture capital<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/crowdfunding-for-small-business\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"924\" >crowdfunding<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/small-business-grants\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1525\" >small business grants<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More useful guides for small businesses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/starting-out\/how-to-start-a-business\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1444\" >How to start a business<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-a-business-proposal\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1003\" >A guide to writing a business proposal<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/marketing\/how-to-write-a-marketing-plan\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1456\" >How to write a marketing plan \u2013 a guide for small business owners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/business-insurance\/faq\/what-type-of-business-insurance-do-i-need\/\">What type of business insurance do I need?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do you have other tips for writing an executive summary? Let us know in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"areyouprotectingyourbusiness\">Are you protecting your business?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">As the UK&#8217;s biggest business insurance provider, we know the importance of protecting your livelihood. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\" >business insurance quote<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photograph: Lek\/stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Executive summary template. There\u2019s no set structure, but use our tips on what to include and a handy template to help you write an executive summary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26283,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[341,110],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[75],"class_list":["post-1037","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A guide to writing an effective executive summary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Executive summary template. There\u2019s no set structure, but use our tips on what to include and a handy template to help you write an executive summary.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stuck on your executive summary?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Get tips on what to include when you write one, with a handy executive summary template to keep you on track.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Simply Business UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-22T13:17:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How to write an executive summary: a simple guide\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Lauren Hellicar\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/\"},\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Lauren Hellicar\",\"description\":\"\\n\"},\"headline\":\"How to write an executive summary: a simple guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-12T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-22T13:17:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/\"},\"wordCount\":1032,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/06\/strategy-planning.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Business strategy\",\"Small business news\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/\",\"name\":\"A guide to writing an effective executive summary\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-an-executive-summary\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/06\/strategy-planning.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-12T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-22T13:17:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"Executive summary template. 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