The executive summary is an essential component of the business plan, as it conveys a kind of “first impression” alongside the visual appearance.

The executive summary is intended to spark the interest of readers - typically potential investors. It provides a brief overview of all key aspects of the business plan, effectively representing the quintessence of the subsequent chapters. In particular, it should provide information about the product/service itself, the unique selling proposition (USP) and customer benefits, target groups, market potential and competitive landscape, the founding team's expertise and their areas of responsibility, as well as capital requirements and expected profitability.

Investors always look at the executive summary first, and most will only skim it. The quality of the executive summary alone will rarely convince decision-makers to fund your project. However, it can certainly convince them not to! By presenting your startup project clearly and coherently, you demonstrate your competence. Therefore, proceed with particular care when drafting the executive summary, as its quality determines whether the entire business plan will be read.

The executive summary is a self-contained part of the business plan. It should not contain any information that is not explored in greater depth later on. You should always review it critically, especially when elements of the concept change or are added. Ask yourself whether you have truly distilled the essentials of your business concept and formulated them precisely.

A good executive summary also includes a concise statement on the topic of “sustainability”. You should include one or two meaningful sentences addressing each of the following questions:

1. To which social or ecological sustainability challenges (education, health, climate protection, resource efficiency, etc.) do the products or services contribute, and in what way?
2. Which sustainability goals are you pursuing with the startup/company?

You should also refer to the detailed explanations in the various chapters of the business plan.