Write this section last, but put it first. In a few short paragraphs, say what your business is, what you sell, who you sell it to, and why you believe it will work. A reader should understand your whole business after reading only this page.

Explain what kind of business this is, what form it takes (sole owner, partnership, or a formal company), where it will operate, and the story of why you are starting it. Say what stage you are at right now.

Describe what you sell in plain words. What does the customer receive, and what problem does it solve for them? If you already filled out the Product and Service Description worksheet, pull your summary from there.

Describe your customer and the size of the market you are entering. Who buys this, how many of them are there, and what trends make now a good time. Pull from your Target Market Worksheets if you have completed them.

Name your real competitors and say honestly where they are stronger than you and where you are stronger than them. A plan that claims no competition is not believable to a lender.

Explain how a stranger becomes a paying customer. What will you do to get noticed, what will make them choose you, and how will you actually make the sale and get paid.

Describe how the business runs day to day: where you work from, what equipment or suppliers you depend on, and how you will deliver what you sell on time.

Say who runs the business and what each person is responsible for. Include your own background and why you are the right person to make this work, plus any staff or advisors you plan to bring in.

Summarize how much money it takes to start and how much you are asking for, in plain terms. The detailed, itemized numbers belong in the Start-up Expenses worksheet and the money forms, not here. This section just states the total and what it is for.

In a short paragraph, summarize what you expect to earn and spend over the first year or two, and when you expect the business to support itself. The detailed month-by-month numbers belong in your projection worksheets, not here.

Gather these and attach them behind the plan when you send it to a lender or partner. Check off what you already have.