PART 9 EXCUTIVE SUMMARY (PUT FIRST IN BUSINESS PLAN THOUGH TO BE DONE LAST) ? Brief Description of the Company ? Mission Statement/Value Proposition ? The Product and/or Service Being Offered ? Competitive Advantages ? Brief Financial Forecast ? Management Team ? Financing Requirements This section of the business plan is vital. Students can conceive of this section of the plan as the “hook” that encourages the reader to read the entire plan. The executive summary is very useful in ensuring that the small business person is focused in his or her analysis. If students cannot briefly and clearly explain their complete business concept in one to two pages, then they have not thoughtfully and thoroughly analyzed the potential business. Several aspects of the executive summary are particularly important. The ability to demonstrate to others that students are well prepared to succeed in the business should be clear in the executive summary. Therefore, issues such as how they will provide value to their customers, their competitive advantages, and how their background has prepared them for this business are very important.