It’s important to think about and figure out your success factors. Conversely, if you have no unique qualifications, you will fail. Your success factors are simply the reasons why your company is uniquely qualified to succeed. And unfortunately, every other business plan template I’ve seen ignores this (that’s because, unlike Growthink, they haven’t gotten feedback from literally thousands of investors on plans we’ve written). Your Success Factors are the most important part of your plan. For example, “We are an organic restaurant located in Miami, FL” or “We operate a social networking website for working mothers” are good, concise overviews. Rather, clearly and concisely state what your company does. Importantly, don’t start your overview with a long story.
Are you a restaurant, a software company, a dry-cleaning company, etc.? The overview tells the reader what type of business you’re in. Your Executive Summary should include 3 parts: Business Overview, Success Factors and Financial Plan Business Overview In fact, most readers never get beyond the first page of your Executive Summary, so spend time making it great. If they’re not impressed or excited, the reader won’t make it any further in your plan. It gives the reader an overview of your company and the opportunity to get involved in it. The Executive Summary is the most important part of your plan. You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.