The executive summary that opens doors

The executive summary is the first page of your business plan, but it is also the only one many investors will actually read. In a funding round, in a bank credit application or in a dossier for a grant, it decides whether the reader continues or files it away. It is not a summary written at the end out of duty: it is the document that opens — or closes — the doors. Here is how to build it.

What it really does

An investor or a bank officer reads dozens of dossiers. They have a few minutes to grasp three things: what you do, why it works and how much you need. The executive summary must answer these questions in one page, two at most. If after reading it the reader cannot say what your company does, the document has failed, however fine the rest of the plan may be.

The structure that works

A good executive summary almost always follows the same scheme:

The problem: which concrete need you solve, for whom, and why now.
The solution: your product or service in two sentences, without technical jargon.
The market: size, target segment and why it is growing.
The revenue model: how you earn, with what expected margins.
The traction: customers, revenue, letters of intent, contracts already signed.
The team: who you are and why you are the right people to pull it off.
The ask: how much capital you are seeking, for what purpose and over what horizon.

You don’t need to follow the order to the letter, but none of these elements should be missing.

Numbers count more than words

The difference between a forgettable summary and a convincing one is the numbers. “We are growing rapidly” says nothing; “revenue up from CHF 120,000 to CHF 480,000 in twelve months” says everything. Include the figures that demonstrate the project’s soundness:

current turnover and recent growth;
gross margin and the main cost structure;
burn rate and months of financial autonomy (runway);
capital requested and planned use of funds.

Beware of consistency: the numbers in the executive summary must match exactly those in the detailed financial plan and the accounts. A Swiss bank that spots a discrepancy immediately loses confidence in the whole dossier.

The Swiss context

If you are approaching a credit institution or an investor in Switzerland, certain elements strengthen credibility: the legal form (GmbH or AG), the paid-in share capital, the entry in the commercial register and the situation regarding VAT liability. If your turnover exceeds CHF 500,000, full accounting is mandatory: mentioning it signals rigour. Stating clearly where the company is domiciled and how it is structured spares the reader from having to look up basic information elsewhere.

The most common mistakes

Too long: a four-page executive summary is no longer a summary. Condense.
Jargon and superlatives: “revolutionary”, “market leader”, “unique in the world” without proof ring hollow.
No clear ask: if you don’t say how much you need and for what, the investor doesn’t know how to help you.
Numbers without a source: every figure must be justifiable on request.
Writing it first: paradoxically, it should be drafted last, when the whole plan is clear.

Adapting it to the reader

The same project requires different emphases depending on the recipient. A bank looks at debt sustainability, cash flows and collateral. An equity investor looks at scalability and return potential. A public body granting subsidies looks at impact and alignment with the call for applications. Prepare a solid base and calibrate the emphasis for each interlocutor, without ever altering the numbers.

How we help you

At SIH ONE we support entrepreneurs and founders in building the business plan and the executive summary: document structure, consistency of the numbers with the accounts, financial plan and presentation to banks and investors. A well-ordered summary is not marketing: it is what makes a project readable and financeable.

Do you want a dossier that opens the right doors? Talk to the Ventures division.