Great Executive Summaries Andrew Forbes

Why create an executive summary? Executive summaries put lipstick on the pig are the camel’s nose under the tent wall Get your foot in the door with investors, who are only interested in a huge payoff from a “sure thing” follow investment trends use your executive summary to make a decision about agreeing to a face to face meeting with you

Executive summaries

put lipstick on the pig

are the camel’s nose under the tent wall

Get your foot in the door with investors, who

are only interested in a huge payoff from a “sure thing”

follow investment trends

use your executive summary to make a decision about agreeing to a face to face meeting with you

What investors know Taking a company from startup to liquidity event and standing where lighting is going to strike have a lot in common – Andrew Nash The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity – Richard M. Nixon Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration – Thomas Edison

Taking a company from startup to liquidity event and standing where lighting is going to strike have a lot in common – Andrew Nash

The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity – Richard M. Nixon

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration – Thomas Edison

What investors want One big risk – can you profitably sell your product / service? All minor risks mitigated All the dots connected No learning on their nickel To know that you know the rules of the game To not wake up at night wondering what possessed them to put money into your venture

One big risk – can you profitably sell your product / service?

All minor risks mitigated

All the dots connected

No learning on their nickel

To know that you know the rules of the game

To not wake up at night wondering what possessed them to put money into your venture

Put on a happy face The one page executive summary opens the door Tells the investor how you plan to make money Shows that you: have connected all of the dots have minimized the risk on everything but selling your product are ready for money know how the game is played won’t wake the investor up in the middle of the night

The one page executive summary opens the door

Tells the investor how you plan to make money

Shows that you:

have connected all of the dots

have minimized the risk on everything but selling your product

are ready for money

know how the game is played

won’t wake the investor up in the middle of the night

Header Who are you Where are you What is your contact info That you have a working domain name That you have a web site That you have a logo That at 30,000 feet you are a real company

Who are you

Where are you

What is your contact info

That you have a working domain name

That you have a web site

That you have a logo

That at 30,000 feet you are a real company

Left Column Management Lawyer(s) Accountant Bank Amount sought Previous investors Use of funds – this is how you’re going to use the money you raise to resolve your one big risk That at 10,000 feet you still look like a real company

Management

Lawyer(s)

Accountant

Bank

Amount sought

Previous investors

Use of funds – this is how you’re going to use the money you raise to resolve your one big risk

That at 10,000 feet you still look like a real company

Business Description A paragraph that describes your business Should track with the first couple of sentences of your elevator pitch Clear, concise, and non-technical description

A paragraph that describes your business

Should track with the first couple of sentences of your elevator pitch

Clear, concise, and non-technical description

Business Strategy A paragraph that describes how your business is going to work Should track with your elevator pitch Clear, concise, and non-technical

A paragraph that describes how your business is going to work

Should track with your elevator pitch

Clear, concise, and non-technical

Product / Service A paragraph that describes your product and / or service Clear, concise, and non-technical

A paragraph that describes your product and / or service

Clear, concise, and non-technical

Unfair Advantage A paragraph about what makes you special Are there barriers to entry? What are they? What makes you better, faster, stronger? If you have IP, how are you protecting it?

A paragraph about what makes you special

Are there barriers to entry? What are they?

What makes you better, faster, stronger?

If you have IP, how are you protecting it?

Target Market A paragraph about your customers Who are they Why will they buy from you What about them will cause them to view your product / service as unique / special

A paragraph about your customers

Who are they

Why will they buy from you

What about them will cause them to view your product / service as unique / special

Sales Channels A paragraph about your sales channels How are you going to sell your product / service A couple of hints Do not mention channel partners unless the deal is already in place and generating revenue If you can’t sell your product yourself, it is very unlikely that other people will sell it for you

A paragraph about your sales channels

How are you going to sell your product / service

A couple of hints

Do not mention channel partners unless the deal is already in place and generating revenue

If you can’t sell your product yourself, it is very unlikely that other people will sell it for you

Competition Brief paragraph acknowledging your competition Do not dwell on this topic Hints Do not say you have no competition There are always other companies competing with you for your customer’s money

Brief paragraph acknowledging your competition

Do not dwell on this topic

Hints

Do not say you have no competition

There are always other companies competing with you for your customer’s money

Outlook A paragraph about where you’ll be in five years Employ every last bit of your Hemingway-eske abilities Don’t hold back

A paragraph about where you’ll be in five years

Employ every last bit of your Hemingway-eske abilities

Don’t hold back

Financial Projections Three lines Year (one through five) Revenue (in thousands) Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) Revenue should be at least $100 Million in year five EBITDA should be between 30% and 60% of revenue

Three lines

Year (one through five)

Revenue (in thousands)

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA)

Revenue should be at least $100 Million in year five

EBITDA should be between 30% and 60% of revenue

Footer If your complete address is not in the header, put it in the footer

If your complete address is not in the header, put it in the footer

Summary Your executive summary should Be one page Make it clear you’ve connected all of the dots Identify your one big risk Make it clear how your plans and the investor’s money will resolve the one big risk Make you look like a real company from 1000 feet And most importantly, cause the investor to take your call when you contact them to set up a face to face meeting!

Your executive summary should

Be one page

Make it clear you’ve connected all of the dots

Identify your one big risk

Make it clear how your plans and the investor’s money will resolve the one big risk

Make you look like a real company from 1000 feet

And most importantly, cause the investor to take your call when you contact them to set up a face to face meeting!

Contact Information Andrew Forbes [email_address]

Andrew Forbes

[email_address]