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How to Write a Company Description for a Business Plan

Nobody does what you do better than you, but … what is it that you do again? You might have trouble describing your business in one sentence or find yourself at a loss for words when writing a company description. Knowing how to write a company description for a business plan helps you communicate with lenders, investors, employees, and potential customers.

How to write a company description for a business plan

You put a lot of thought into your original business concept. Now you need to know how to succinctly describe your business.

Where better to describe your business than in the company description business plan?

What is a business plan?

A company description is just one part of your small business plan . The business plan outlines your goals and how to achieve them.

According to the Small Business Administration , a successful business plan should include the following:

• Executive summary
• Company description (Bingo)
• Small business market analysis
• Organization and management details
• Service or product information
• Marketing and sales overview
• Funding request
• Financial projections

Another thing to note about business plans is that you can’t write one and be done. Your business is always changing. And that means your business plan is always changing, too. Be sure to update it regularly.

What is a business description?

A company description provides an overview of key aspects of your business, like what you do and what makes your business unique. Anyone reading your business description should have no problem understanding the scope of your business.

Lenders and investors should see how your business has a place in the market, as well as its benefits to future customers.

Your business’s mission statement is the part of your company description that you want the public to see. And, you should include your vision statement, too.

Regularly update your company description as your business expands or changes.

Writing your company description

You need to know how to pitch to investors and lenders to captivate their interest. Your description should answer who, what, where, when, why, and how right off the bat.

So, do you know how to write a business description? We’ll walk you through the 5 W’s (and 1 H) to consider when drafting your first copy.

Who are you? Who is your business? Verify that the name of your business is clear in the business description section of your business plan. And, include your name (and the names of any other owners) because lenders and investors want to know the entrepreneur behind the business.

Who is your target customer? Who are you selling to? When describing your business, make sure you know who you appeal to. If you don’t know your target customer, there’s a chance that nobody will be interested in your business.

What is your product or service? If lenders and investors can’t understand what you’re selling or how it’s significant, they may pass on your concept. Be clear, narrow, and focused when telling lenders and investors about your business.

What are your goals for your business? Set realistic short-term and long-term goals. For example, if you plan on selling $20,000 worth of products by the end of the second month, include the goal in your description.

Where is your business located? If you are currently operating your business, list the address. Likewise, make sure you state where you want your business to be if you are still looking for office space.

When will you implement your business plan and see results? Include when you want to open your business (or when you opened it).

When do you plan on achieving your goals? Also, talk about the timeline for your main goals (both short-term and long-term).

When do you think you’ll leave your business? Don’t forget to discuss your exit strategy . Whether you plan on retiring in 20 years, selling your company in 15 years, or closing it down in 10 years, be clear about when you plan on parting ways.

Why would potential customers want to buy from you? Explain why you are different from the competition. This is where you can describe your business’s originality. Lenders and investors want to know why consumers would want to make a purchase at your small business instead of a competitor’s.

Why are you in business? Also make sure you include your business’s mission statement . A mission statement defines why you’re in business and what your goals are.

How are you going to structure your business? Which business structure will you form: sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or corporation? Explain your structure decision, too. Mention any small business advisor (e.g., business attorney) you work with to help with registration requirements, regulations, and liabilities.

How are you going to achieve the goals you set for your business? Are you going to hire employees to help you, or will you handle all responsibilities on your own? Talk about what steps you’ll take to reach the goals you outline.

How do you picture your company in the future? Include your business’s vision statement in your company description. A vision statement is an internal description that states what you want your business to look like in the future.

Business description example

Still unsure? Take a look at this business description example for more information:

Ann’s Office Hut delivers office supplies to small businesses in Boston, Massachusetts. The business is structured as a sole proprietorship, operating under entrepreneur Ann Smith. Ann’s Office Hut is located in Boston, Massachusetts and will begin operations in February. Ann’s Office Hut recognizes the busy lives of small business owners and wants to bring essential items like printers, cash registers, paper, ink, and envelopes to their doorsteps. Ann’s Office Hut will conveniently provide office supplies to small business owners who are short on time. Other office supply stores cannot match the convenience Ann’s Office Hut will give.

The business hopes to have gross sales of $30,000 by the end of one year and $95,000 by the end of five years. To achieve this goal, Ann’s Office Hut plans on offering referral credit.

Company description business plan: Final tips

Writing the business description portion of your business plan should be fun … even though it may feel more like a chore. But, this is your opportunity to talk about your business idea and get other people (i.e., lenders and investors) on board.

Here are a few final tips to keep in mind when learning how to write a company description:

• Answer the 5 W’s and 1 H
• Keep it short, simple, and easy to read
• Proofread, proofread, proofread
• Determine whether it’s interesting

This article has been updated from its original publication date of December 9, 2016. 

This is not intended as legal advice; for more information, please click here.

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Business Plan Company Description - How to Leave Your Mark

A business plan company description provides you with an opportunity to introduce your company to the reader whilst showcasing key elements such as your long-term vision and mission statement. The business plan company description forms the backbone of your business plan and lays the foundation for everything that follows. It's where you introduce your business, its legal structure, location, management team, product line, and services, as well as your vision and mission statements. In this blog post, we will delve into what exactly a company description section entails, its importance, and how you can craft an effective one for your business plan. This understanding will serve as a stepping stone towards not only creating a compelling business plan but also setting a strong foundation for your business.

Table of Contents

• Business Plan Company Description - Overview
• Company Description - Key Elements

Company Description/Overview

Legal structure, management team.

• Products & Services
• Vision and Mission
• Tips & Best Practices
• Mistakes to Avoid
• Final Thoughts

Overview of the Business Plan Company Description

The company section of a business plan, often known as the company description or company overview, serves as the introduction to your business. It presents an opportunity to succinctly communicate crucial information about your business to investors, lenders, or any other stakeholders. Your goal for this sector is to provide a high-level view of your business - who you are, what you do, and where you operate. Think of this section as the "book jacket" of your business plan, offering a sneak peek into what your business is all about and providing the reader with more context. There are several key points you should include in the business plan company description, which we will now take you through step by step, including some helpful tips.

Elements of the Business Plan Company Description - An Overview

Let's now delve deeper into the key elements that make up the company section of a business plan. Remember to craft these sections into a succinct final draft. Start with a rough draft and then continually refine and improve as you write the document.

This section will allow you to provide the reader with a basic overview of your company. This includes the business name, the industry you operate in, and the nature of the business - whether it's a retail store, a manufacturing unit, a tech startup, and so on.  To make this section stand out highlight the market needs of your target customers and how you fulfil them with your products and services. The goal here is to convince your reader that your business is viable and has growth potential.

In this section, you will outline the legal structure of your business .  Are you operating as a sole proprietor, in a partnership, as a corporation, or a limited liability company?  Each structure has different legal and tax implications, so it's important to clarify this. You may also want to include any relevant legal agreements or licenses here. This is not merely a declaration of your business's legal form; it's also an opportunity to explain why you chose this structure. Are there for example legal or tax advantages for potential investors?

Provide details about the physical location of your business, whether it's a home office, a shared working space, or a dedicated building. Consider proximity to customers or suppliers, local competition, and the availability of resources. If you are an online business, explain how your digital presence allows you to reach your target market. Try and outline the benefits of your chosen location, such as working remotely due to your national presence online, which means you don't have to be tied to one physical location.

Here, you will introduce your management team and any other key team members. Include each person's name, position, a brief description of their role, and their relevant experience or skills.  Try to highlight what each team member brings to the business in terms of human resources. Is it a specific skill set or decades of industry experience for example?

Product Line and Services

This is where you describe what you're selling or what services you're offering.  Be specific about what makes your products or services unique or attractive to your target market. You can also use this section to highlight what makes your products different to your competitors. You could also discuss any intellectual property rights, research and development activities, or plans for product or service expansion.

Vision and Mission Statements

Your vision statement should outline your company's long-term goals and aspirations. It answers the question, "Where do we aim to be in the future?"  Your mission statement, on the other hand, should clearly express your company's purpose and your key business values. It answers the question, "Why does our company exist?" In this section keep them succinct, clear, and compelling.

By providing a comprehensive and engaging account of your business, you're building a robust foundation for the rest of your business plan. In the next section, we'll provide tips and best practices to help you enhance the quality of your company section.

Tips and Best Practices for the Business Plan Company Description

Crafting an effective company section in a business plan involves more than just including all the necessary information. It's about presenting this information in a way that engages your reader and communicates the potential success of your business. Here are some tips and best practices to help you achieve this:

• Keep it Concise and Clear: Although the company section includes a lot of information, it's essential to keep it as succinct as possible. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point. Use clear, straightforward language and avoid industry jargon where possible.
• Show, Don't Tell: Instead of merely stating facts about your business, show your readers the value your business brings. For instance, rather than saying your product is innovative, explain how it offers a unique solution to a common problem.
• Target it to Your Audience: Tailor your company section to the needs and interests of your potential investors or lenders. Highlight the aspects of your business that would be most appealing to them. If you are seeking investment, emphasise your business's growth potential.
• Be Realistic But Optimistic: While it's important to highlight the positive aspects of your business, avoid exaggeration and stay realistic. Provide a balanced view of your business, addressing potential challenges and how you plan to overcome them.
• Use Professional Language: Your business plan is a professional document, so maintain a professional tone throughout. Ensure your company section is free from errors by proofreading it thoroughly or having someone else review it.

By incorporating these tips and best practices into your writing process, you can ensure that your company section not only provides all the necessary information but does so in a compelling way. In the next section, we'll discuss common mistakes to avoid when writing your company section.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Company Description

Writing a business plan company description can be a delicate task, and it's easy to make a few mistakes. To ensure your company section is as strong as possible, be aware of the following common mistakes and take steps to avoid them:

• Overcomplicating Things: While it's important to include enough detail to give a comprehensive overview of your business, avoid including unnecessary or overly technical details. Remember, the goal is to communicate your business idea clearly and concisely not write about the small intricate details of your business.
• Being Too Vague or Too Detailed: Striking the right balance between detail and brevity can be tricky. While you want to avoid being too vague, providing excessive details can also be a problem. Your goal should be to provide just enough information to paint a clear picture of your business.
• Overlooking the Importance of the Management Team: The management team can often be a deciding factor for investors. Don't merely list the names and titles of your team members. Instead, provide a brief overview of their backgrounds, highlighting their relevant experience and skills.
• Overhyping Your Product or Service: While it's crucial to present your business in a positive light, avoid making exaggerated or unsupported claims. Investors will likely be sceptical of these and they may harm your credibility.
• Ignoring Your Competition: Even if your business is unique, you likely have some form of competition. Acknowledge this in your company description and briefly explain how your business differentiates itself from competitors.

Avoiding these common mistakes will strengthen your company section and make it more appealing to readers, whether they're potential investors, partners, or employees. If you would like help on a business plan for a specific industry, please check out our business plan guides homepage.

Our Final Thoughts

Crafting a compelling company section in your business plan is not just about listing out facts about your business. It's about clearly conveying your business's value proposition, highlighting the strength of your management team, and painting a vivid picture of your products or services.  When done right, it can act as a powerful tool to draw in investors, convince potential partners, and attract talented employees. The company section is especially important as it forms the backbone of your business plan and sets the stage for the sections that follow. As you embark on the journey of writing your company section, keep these tips and best practices in mind while avoiding the common mistakes mentioned above. We also have more in-depth guides in our Learning Zone , which can help you craft the best possible business plan.

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How to Write a Company Overview for a Business Plan

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When you start a company, you ideally want it to grow. If you’re seeking business funding to scale your business or an initial investment to get your business off the ground, you’re going to need a business plan . Putting together a business plan can be an intimidating process that involves a lot of steps and writing — but breaking it down piece by piece can help you accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task.

One small piece of your business plan is the company overview, so let’s take a look at what that is, exactly, check out some company overview examples and go over how to make a company overview of your very own.

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What is a company overview?

A company overview provides the reader of your business plan with basic background information about your company so they have an understanding of what you do, who the management team is and what customers your business serves.

The company description is the second piece of a business plan, falling right after the executive summary. Similar to the executive summary, your company overview will be short and succinct. Your reader needs to have a grasp on what your business does and who your customers are, even if they have limited time.

Why do I need a company overview?

The company overview is the part of your business plan that gives the basics and background of your business. It’s the foundation on which you will build the rest of your business plan.

If you’re looking to appeal to investors or potential clients, you need a reader to make an informed decision about your company. Before they can do that, they must know what your company does and who your customer is. Lenders in particular need a reason to keep reading, since they see tons of business plans regularly. The company overview provides those answers, and it will help you get a better sense of your business so you can firm up things like your marketing plan.

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

What should I include in a company overview?

The exact elements that you need in your company overview will depend upon what details of your business are important, but there are some foundational elements that will be included in every company overview.

Once you’ve covered the basics, you can include any other minor details that will benefit a reader who will need to make an informed decision about your business.

Basic company information

Consider the company overview like an introduction for your business. In the opening paragraph of your company overview, you’ll want to include basic company information. That includes:

Your company name: This should be the official name of your business, exactly as it is written when you registered your business with the state.

Business structure: Your reader will want to know what business entity your company comes in: sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership or corporation.

Location(s): Share where your business is headquartered and other locations the business owns.

Ownership and management team

Break down who owns your business and how each owner is involved with the business. What shares of the company belong to whom? If you have a highly involved management team, share their names and key roles with the company as well.

Company history

Part of what makes your company unique is its history. And, even startups have some history. Don’t put too much focus on this section, but do add some personality and interesting details if possible, especially if they relate to your company culture.

Mission statement

Your company’s mission statement should be included in the company overview. If you don’t yet have a company mission statement, that’s okay. Think of a mission statement as the purpose of your company.

If you don’t have one, you can create one with your team. Or you can simply replace the mission statement with a problem statement. Your business idea should exist to solve a problem or pain point faced by your customers. Share what that problem is and what your business does to solve it. That’s essentially your mission statement.

Product/service and customer

This section of the company overview is where you can share the nitty-gritty details of your business. Talk about what product or service you provide and to whom you provide it. You can share some numbers here, but in general, save the numbers for later in your business plan.

The company overview should give the reader a general understanding of your business, your product or service, and your customer. If they’re interested to know more, they’ll reach out to you for a meeting or take the time to read the rest of your business plan. Keep it simple and straightforward here.

Future goals

While concrete details and facts about your business are important to whoever is reading your company overview, it’s also important to share your dreams and your vision. If you’re writing a business plan for a business that’s already in place, it’s very likely you’re looking for business financing to scale or solve a business problem. If you’re just starting out, though, then it’s likely you’re hoping to find startup funding.

The section on your future business goals should include a brief description of your growth goals for your business. Where you are now tells the reader a lot, but they also want to know where you plan to go.

A company overview is comprised of many small parts. Each part shares just a little bit more about your company with your reader.

Tips for writing a company overview

While a company overview is simply the details of your company written out, it might not be easy to write. Break it down into small steps and use these tips to make putting together your company overview just a little bit easier.

Start with the elevator pitch

If your business is already in operation, then you likely have an elevator pitch. Your company overview can start off with your elevator pitch.

The first paragraph of your company overview should include just a few sentences that explain your business and what you do. The shorter and clearer this is, the more likely your reader will understand and keep reading.

Stick to the basics

It’s tempting to pile on all the details when you’re writing a company overview. Remember, many of the details of your company, including the numbers, will be included in later sections of your business plan.

Your company overview should include only the most basic details about your company that the reader needs to know.

Be passionate

When you share the history, mission statement, and vision for the future of your company, it’s okay to show your passion. You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t love what you do.

Your excitement for your business could spark interest for the reader and keep them engaged with your company overview and business plan.

Keep it succinct

When you’re passionate about something, it’s easy to get carried away. Remember that you’ve got plenty of space for details in your business plan. The company overview should be just the most basic information someone needs to understand your business.

It’s OK if your first draft of your company overview is long. Simply go through and edit it to be shorter, removing unnecessary details and words each time you read through it. Clear, concise descriptions are more likely to be read and to keep the reader reading to other sections of your business plan.

Have structure

Your company overview is just one piece of a multi-tiered business plan. Creating a clear structure for your business plan makes it easier to read. The same is true for your company overview.

Your business plan should have chapters, one of which is the company overview. Then, you can further break down the content for easy skimming and reading by adding sub-chapters. You can denote these breaks in content with bold headers.

While you can break down each section of the company overview with bold headers based on the above suggestions, you can also interweave some information together, such as the company structure and leadership structure. Each section should be only a few sentences long.

Write it later

If you’re struggling to write your company overview, come back to it. Write the rest of your business plan first and then write your company overview.

While this might seem like the opposite way of doing things, knowing what will be contained in the rest of your business plan can help you to focus in on the very most essential details in the company overview and to leave everything else out.

Get a test reader

If you’re struggling to edit down your company overview, get a test reader. Ideally, you’ll want to ask someone who doesn’t know a lot about your business. They’ll help you understand whether or not you’ve clearly communicated your message.

Proofreading is the final step in editing something you’ve written. This type of editing looks for typos, misspellings and grammatical errors that have been missed. Many of these small errors can be difficult to spot in our own writing, so be sure to ask someone who hasn’t seen multiple drafts of your company overview.

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Company overview examples

If you don’t want to shell out for business planning software, but would still like some company overview examples to get you started, there are many places online you can look to for help getting started, like the Small Business Administration and SCORE.

Many successful companies also have some version of their company overview made public as their company profile page online. There are some variations from the company overview steps we’ve listed above, of course, but you can use the language and style of these company overview examples for inspiration:

Starbucks company profile .

Puma company page .

TaskRabbit About page .

Peloton company page .

Nestlé About page .

If you’re still feeling stuck, or want more company overview examples, try searching the websites of your favorite companies for more information. You might be surprised what you find — the Nestlé page, for example, has more information about their strategy and business principles.

On a similar note...

How to Write the Company Overview for a Business Plan

10 min. read

Updated January 17, 2024

What does your business structure look like? Who is involved? What’s your history?

These are all important questions that you’ll answer by writing the company overview section of your business plan. 

We’ll explain what to include, how to write it, and provide completed examples for you to reference.

• What is a company overview?

The company overview (or business overview) section of your business plan briefly explains the legal structure, management team, and history of your business. 

The company overview is typically the shortest chapter of your plan and works as a sort of company record. 

It’s incredibly important if you’re seeking investment as it explains how the business is legally structured and who is involved from an ownership and management perspective.

However, you likely don’t need a company overview if you don’t plan on presenting or sharing the plan with someone outside of your business.

• What to include in the company overview

What’s included in your company overview depends on how you intend to use your business plan. 

For example , if you don’t intend on sharing your plan with anyone outside of your organization, you can likely skip documenting simple legal information.

For this guide, we’ll cover the basics that most businesses should include in their company description.

Business structure

First, you’ll want to define what type of organization your business is registered as. The most common business structures in the US include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Take some time to understand the differences. Your business structure will impact how you file your taxes , your liability for business debt, and the type of insurance you’ll need. 

For the purposes of this section, it provides context for how your business legally operates. Consider adding an explanation of why you chose this specific structure and how it impacts your business.

Read More: Types of Business Structures Explained

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You’ll also need to outline the ownership stake in your company. Just list out who owns what percentage of your business, even if it’s just you. 

It may also be useful to include how each individual is involved in your business. 

However, if an investor or equity holder is involved in day-to-day operations, you may want to go more in depth on the management portion of your company overview, detailing each member’s experience and qualifications.

Location(s)

Include basic logistical information about where your business is located , additional locations the business owns, and any locations that may be acquired in the near future.

Don’t worry about going overly in-depth regarding each location’s facilities and operational functions. You will cover those details as part of the operations section of your business plan .

Company history

Your company background or history is the “Once upon a time…” of your business plan. At a minimum, you should include:

• When it was founded
• Who was involved
• Major milestones up to this point

The details in this section will vary depending on who this business plan is being presented to and the stage of your company. 

For example: if you’re a relatively young business, don’t assume you have no history. 

It may not be a lengthy epic, but you have the history of who came up with the idea , how they came up with it, and how and why other people joined. 

This can matter to potential investors.

So, stay flexible when describing your history. Always keep your specific business purpose and your target reader in mind. 

If you share your plan with a third party, focus on presenting a strong track record of success and good decision-making. If you have a longer history, there are likely highlights to include and some key points you want to make. 

Just make sure not to bore them by overloading your plan with lengthy information that doesn’t connect back to your key business decisions.

Management team

The management team section of your business plan is where you showcase your team and their finest attributes.

Be sure to include details about yourself and your employees , including: 

• Work experience
• Past successes
• Degrees or other credentials 

Professional gaps and planned hires

There may be team members you know you’re lacking. In that case, mention these roles and your plans to fill them.

Include which people might be taking on multiple responsibilities to fill the current gap. Additionally, if you have specific people in mind, include them, even if they aren’t currently on staff.

It’s worth pulling in supporting data from your personnel forecast that’s part of your financial plan . It doesn’t have to be overly detailed. It can just be a simple personnel table with reference to where the full financial exploration is located.

Board of advisors

If you have mentors or board members who aren’t directly involved, but help you to define your vision and overall strategy—they’re also worth mentioning. 

This can bolster your credibility through association with well-respected and experienced individuals. 

Just like with your management team and staff, include their name, position, credentials, experience, and any other important information that showcases why their involvement is valuable.

Similarly, if you are working with a lawyer , accountant, or other supporting professional—include them.

• How to write your company overview

The company overview is one of the more straightforward sections when writing a business plan. You already know what to include, so here’s how we recommend you approach the writing process.

1. Cover the basics

Start by listing and grouping your business information into the appropriate sections. 

Depending on what you intend to do with your plan, this may be all you need for now. This is a high-level overview of your business; the most important thing is having all the necessary information in one place.

Focus on brevity. 

You can always reference other areas of your plan and house additional documents (like resumes, articles of incorporation, legal documents, full company timeline, etc.) in your appendix .

2. List the high points of your history

Take the time to accurately reflect your company history. Avoid creating a vague story or an overly long narrative documenting every small decision you’ve made. 

Like everything else in this section, keep it short and sweet. Highlight key dates, milestones (like a product or service launch), and other crucial events that impacted the trajectory of your business.

Remember, you can always point to other areas of your plan when necessary.

3. Adjust to your target audience

While we recommend keeping this section simple, it may require updates depending on who is reading your plan. That typically means adding more context or reasoning for why your business is set up as it is.

For example: You start as a partnership and include your business structure as a formality. However, you are now planning to apply for a loan . It would be worth revisiting the overview at this stage to add a brief statement about why you chose this structure and how it impacts your business.

• Company overview examples

Even if you know what to include, it can still be helpful to review completed business overview examples to confirm you’re on the right track. 

Agriculture farm company overview example

Ownership & structure.

Botanical Bounty is an Oregon L.L.C. owned by David and Susan Nealon. The L.L.C. business structure has been chosen as a strategic way to shield the Nealons from personal liability.

Botanical Bounty has been in operation for two years. It started as a hobby where Susan could use her plant biology skills while covering some of the costs. The Nealons were able to achieve this lifestyle due to a windfall that David received as a result of exercising stock options. 

After the second year, the Nealons decided that although they had the money to live on for many years, it would be irresponsible to needlessly spend it so they got serious about the business and made a concerted effort to become profitable.

Botanical Bounty has chosen the Willamette River Valley as an ideal place to grow perennials and owns 10 acres of land used for production. During several of the winter months, production is moved into their greenhouse for propagation. Botanical Bounty employs a drip irrigation system for all of the plants.

Botanical Bounty will be led by the husband and wife team of David and Sue Nealon. David brings a wealth of business and project management skills to the company. 

While working at Yahoo!, David was responsible for the successful launch and market lead capture of Yahoo!’s driving directions section. David will be responsible for the business operations of the farm. 

Sue, with a background in plant biology, will be the driving force of the operation, growing the highest active ingredient content plants in the country. Additionally, because of her wealth of knowledge, she will lead the sales department.

Nursing home company overview example

Ownership & structure.

Bright House is chartered as a nonprofit 501(C)(3) corporation in Middletown, CT, with the goal of providing holistic and respectful assisted living and skilled nursing home care to a small group of elderly residents. 

Our primary location is the old Wayfield Bed and Breakfast on Farmer’s Road, which we have spent the last five months converting into a two-building nursing home facility in line with Eden Alternatives “Greenhouse” model for enlightened elder living.

Management Team

Bright House offers a different management structure from that of the typical hospital-model nursing home. Our primary caregivers, the 6 Elder Assistants, work as a self-managed team. They meet with the Medical Director and the nurse on-call every morning to coordinate care for the coming day.

The Medical Director has the ultimate responsibility for the health and well-being of all residents and visitors. However, the nursing and caregiving staff have unique knowledge about the residents’ physical, social, and mental well-being. They are expected to note, discuss, and recommend courses of action for all residents who, in their combined estimation, need help.

Our compensation packages, management structure, and caregiving requirements are designed to continually remind our LPNs and Elder Assistants how very valuable they are. 

Dr. Mildred Johnson is our Medical Director

Dr. Johnson has served as the head of Gerontology for six years at The Connecticut Hospital and oversaw the creation last year of their Elder Assistant training program, which provides certification for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) to provide in-home hospice and respite care. 

Dr. Johnson has 20 years of experience working with elderly patients in this area and has been integral in designing the physical layout, management structure, and priorities of Bright House.

The rest of our already-hired caregiving staff brings a whopping 75 years of professional experience in caring for elderly patients.

Financial Management

Madeleine Morgan has been overseeing the financial management of nonprofit organizations in Connecticut for 27 years. 

She became involved in our project when her mother developed a long-term care plan with Dr. Johnson which included home-based hospice care.

“I wish everyone could have the same love and attention Dr. Johnson showed to my mother,” Madeleine said. 

Ms. Morgan will be in charge of all financial operations at Bright House, overseeing billing, personnel payment and benefits, and development efforts.

Advertising and Marketing

We are fortunate to have a skilled public relations officer in our group. Janice Ruthers is a retired ad executive living in Middletown with her husband (a professor at the university). 

She will be working 20 hours per week in our offices as a volunteer for the first two years of our plan, helping us design advertisements and brochures and plan events like our Open House in December to let the public see the results of our efforts.

Management Team Gaps

We still need to hire one swing-shift LPN and one Elder Assistant. We are currently recruiting through Dr. Johnson’s connections at The Connecticut Hospital and expect to complete our team by mid-December at the latest.

• Explore more business plan examples

Want to see more examples like these? Check out our library of over 550+ sample business plans to see how other real-world businesses structured their company overview sections. 

You can also download a free business plan template to ensure you cover all the necessary details. It includes step-by-step instructions to make writing quick and easy.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

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How To Write a Company Description

A company description is important for a business plan

Alyssa Gregory is an entrepreneur, writer, and marketer with 20 years of experience in the business world. She is the founder of the Small Business Bonfire, a community for entrepreneurs, and has authored more than 2,500 articles for The Balance and other popular small business websites.

What Is a Company Description?

Parts of a company description, how to write your company description, the bottom line on writing a company description, frequently asked questions (faqs).

The company description of your business plan describes the vision and direction of the company so potential lenders and partners can develop an accurate impression about who you are. A good company description should succinctly outline key details while conveying your passion for the mission.

Here's what you need to know to write an effective company description for your small business.

Key Takeaways

• A company description is an overview of the company's plan, vision, and relationships.
• These documents typically include the company's name, business structure, mission statement, and an overview of the target market.
• A good company description is clear and concise, and you can leave out many of the specifics that your business plan covers elsewhere.

The company description section of your business plan is typically the second section, coming after the executive summary . The company description outlines vital details about your company, such as where you are located, how large the company is, what you do, and what you hope to accomplish.

The exact elements included in your company description can vary, but some elements are more common than others and most likely should be part of the section:

• Company name : The official name of your business as registered in the state where you do business
• Type of business structure : Sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or corporation
• Ownership/ management team : Names of the key people behind the company
• Location : Where is the company headquartered?
• Company history : When was the business started? What inspired you to start the business? What need does your company fulfill?
• Mission statement : A clear statement that represents the purpose of your company
• Products/services and target market : A brief overview of what you plan to sell and to whom
• Objectives : An outline of what you want to accomplish in the immediate future based on the data in the rest of the business plan as well as future growth goals
• Vision statement : A statement about how you envision the future of the company

Once you've organized the key information that you want to include, you need to write the section in a way that will be appealing to readers. Follow five steps to help create a successful company description.

Start With an Elevator Pitch

Begin the company description section with a paragraph that captures all of the vital information about your company. Imagine you are giving an elevator pitch about your company and want to express the key characteristics in just a few sentences. Use the same thought process for your introductory paragraph.

Stick With High-Level Information

Some of the information in your company description will be included in other sections of your business plan. For these parts, provide only a high-level overview and leave all of the specific details for the related section.

Show Your Passion

Let your passion and excitement show in the company description section as you explain why you started the company and what you hope to accomplish. Your excitement should show in the tone of your writing, and your aim should be to get the reader interested in reading the rest of the business plan.

Do a Length Check

When you're writing about the passion and excitement that led you to start your company, it can be easy to get carried away and use more words than necessary to get your point across. Once you've drafted your company description, go back and cut out any unnecessary parts or redundant information to make it clear and concise.

Have It Proofread

Ask someone who hasn't seen various drafts of the company description to review it for typos, grammatical errors, or flow problems that could hurt the impact it has on the reader.

The company description is a crucial part of any business plan. You should use it to highlight key details about your company. Writing a good company description for your small business starts with a solid elevator pitch. A general overview of your vision and goals should be supplemented with details about exactly what your company does, where it is located, how it is structured, and other information along these lines.

What should I write in a company description?

Your company description should include all of the basic details about your company. You don't need to go into granular detail in a company description, but you should give an overview of what you do, how your company is structured , and the vision you have for the future.

What is a company summary?

" Company summary " is another way to refer to a company description. The terms can be used interchangeably.

Clute Institute. " Using Business Plans for Teaching Entrepreneurship ," Page 734.

Small Business Administration. " Write Your Business Plan ."

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. " Business Plan Guidelines ," Page 2.

How to Expertly Write the Company Description in Your Business Plan

Written by Dave Lavinsky

A key section of your business plan is the one in which you describe your company. This section comes second in your business plan, after the Executive Summary .

The Company Analysis section of your business plan has three main goals:

• to give a brief description and profile of your company
• to detail your past accomplishments
• to specify your unique qualifications.

Note that a detailed description of your products/services generally does not belong in your company section; rather that will go in the Products/Services section of your marketing plan.

Here’s what to include in your business plan company overview:

1. Company Profile

Start with a detailed profile of your company including your:

• Date of formation
• Legal structure (LLC vs. C-Corp., etc.)
• Office location(s)
• Business stage (start-up vs. undergoing R&D vs. serving customers, etc.)
• Type of business: this is where you’ll give a general description of the type of business (e.g., restaurant, software, etc.) you operate

2. Past Accomplishments

Include a chart (or bullets) of your company’s past accomplishments, including descriptions and dates when:

• Prior funding rounds were received
• Products and services were launched
• Revenue milestones were reached (e.g., date when sales surpassed the million dollar mark)
• Key partnerships were executed
• Key customer contracts were secured
• Key employees were hired

This information is critical to investors as it indicates the company’s ability to execute upon a previous game plan. Attaining milestones is an excellent indicator for potential investors that their money will be used to create value and lead to a liquidity event.

3. Unique Qualifications

Finally, detail why your company is uniquely qualified to succeed.

This is often referred to as the company’s “unfair competitive advantage.”

This advantage could include one or more of the following:

• a world-class management team
• proprietary technology
• proven operational systems
• key partnerships
• long-term contracts with major customers
• other successes-to-date

To learn how to expertly complete the other sections of your business plan, reference the best business plan template .  

Other Resources for Writing Your Business Plan

• How to Write an Executive Summary
• How to Write the Market Analysis Section of a Business Plan
• The Customer Analysis Section of Your Business Plan
• Completing the Competitive Analysis Section of Your Business Plan
• The Management Team Section of Your Business Plan
• Financial Assumptions and Your Business Plan
• How to Create Financial Projections for Your Business Plan
• Everything You Need to Know about the Business Plan Appendix
• Business Plan Conclusion: Summary & Recap

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

How to write a business description that makes your business plan shine

Key takeaways

• A business description is a high-level overview of your company that you include in your business plan
• Your business description should entice readers—like lenders and investors—to look through the rest of your business plan to learn more about your company
• Business descriptions should be concise, error-free, and include only pertinent information about your company

Most successful businesses have one thing in common—they all have a buttoned-up business plan . It lays out the goals of the company, how a company will reach those goals, and when these goals will be realized. And while there are many sections of a business plan, a well-written business description is one of the most important parts.

However, some small business owners may not know how to write an effective business description . Luckily, there’s an easy formula to follow along with a few tips for writing an impactful business description .

What is a business description ?

Also called a company description , your business description summarizes what your company does, its purpose, and what makes it unique. It’s a critical component of your business plan and immediately follows your executive summary . Since it’s one of the first pieces of information a reader will see, it must make a great first impression.

The goal of your business description is to inform readers—like lenders , investors, potential partners, and even employees—how your business benefits consumers and what place your business has in the market. Your business description should give readers a clear understanding of your business and its functions.

Why is a business description important?

A business description is important because it gives readers a single place to learn the details about your company. A well-crafted business description can intrigue readers and encourage them to read the rest of your business plan .

Investors or lenders will have one major thing on their minds—return on investment. They want to know if your business has the potential to be successful and whether it’s worthy of their investment dollars.

Your business description is your first opportunity to wow these investors or lenders and show them why your business will be profitable. It can pique their interest and push them to dig into the rest of your business plan .

What to include in a business description

An effective business description should include information that tells readers exactly what your company does, who is in charge of operations, and what will make your company successful. It should also tell readers what makes you different from competitors and why customers will come knocking at your door with their business.

Below, we’ve outlined every piece of information you should include in your business description . We’ve also created a hypothetical scenario for a hamburger restaurant and added a business description example for each step .

Business name

List the official name of your business as it’s registered with your state. Also include the names of the owner(s) and other key members of your management team .

Example: Jay’s Organic Burger Joint, owned and operated by Jacob Doe

Business goals

Detail the purpose of your business and what you’re aiming to achieve with your venture. These should be realistic short- and long-term goals.

Example: Jay’s aims to grow local brand awareness by 20% and forge partnerships with four additional local suppliers in the next year. The company also intends to expand operations to an additional location in the Chicago area and is seeking an investment of $200,000 in exchange for equity in the company.

Target customers

Have a thorough understanding of who your target market is. Explain who you’re selling to and why they will buy your product or service. Dig deeper into their needs and motivations so you can predict their purchase behaviors. Identifying the demographics of your target market, such as age group, income, and interests, can give you a competitive edge and attract loyal customers.

Example: Jay’s understands that its customers are health-conscious but have busy lives with little time for preparing healthy meals.

Competitive advantages

Describe what makes your business unique from your competitors. Readers should understand why your company will succeed and make you a front-runner in the market.

Example: Unlike its competitors, the restaurant alleviates the target audience’ s pain points by providing quick and easy meals that are also healthy for the entire family.

Business location and opening date

Include where your company is headquartered and where you will be conducting business. Also, share when you opened your business or when you plan on opening if you haven’t already.

Example: Jay’s Organic Burger Joint is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and opened operations in April 2019.

Mission statement

Your mission statement tells readers why your business exists. It should highlight the motivations for starting your business and summarize your product or service, target consumers, and why you’re unique.

Example: Jay’s Organic Burger Joint is a fast-casual restaurant that serves the highest quality hamburgers to hungry and health-conscious customers in Chicago, Illinois.

Products or services

Highlight what products or services you’re offering customers. Also, discuss the benefits your products or services provide and what makes them different from competitors.

Example: The menu focuses on healthy meals using only organic ingredients and grass-fed beef.

Business structure

List what type of business you’re operating. For example, this could be a sole proprietorship , partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or another type of corporation.

Example: The business is a limited liability company owned by Jacob Doe.

Once you’ve included all of these details in your business description , it should look something like this:

Jay’s Organic Burger Joint is a fast-casual restaurant that serves the highest quality hamburgers to hungry and health-conscious customers in Chicago, Illinois. Jay’s understands that its customers are health-conscious but have busy lives with little time for preparing healthy meals.

Unlike its competitors, the restaurant alleviates target customers’ pain points by providing quick and easy meals that are also healthy for the entire family. Jay’s uses local ingredients sourced from farmers in the greater Chicago area. The menu focuses on healthy meals using only organic ingredients and grass-fed beef.

The business is a limited liability company owned by Jacob Doe. Jay’s Organic Burger Joint is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and opened operations in April of 2019.

Jay’s aims to grow local brand awareness by 20% and forge partnerships with four additional local suppliers in the next year. The company also intends to expand operations to an additional location in the Chicago area and is seeking an investment of $200,000 in exchange for equity in the company.

Learn how to reach new customers, cultivate customer loyalty, and elevate your brand with this guide on online marketing for small business .

How to write a business description

Not all business descriptions are made the same. There are a few tips to consider if you want your business description to stand out and wow your readers.

Have an elevator pitch

Your business description should kick off with an elevator pitch . An elevator pitch is typically spoken, but it helps to quickly summarize your company at the start of your business description. This pitch quickly covers the key aspects of your business and should be brief and persuasive. You should get straight to the point and immediately give readers your value proposition.

For example, Jay’s Organic Burger Joint could write something like “We serve the highest quality hamburgers and provide a convenient alternative for health-conscious customers who are always on the go.”

Keep it high level

Although you want your business description to be informative, you want to limit the amount of information you include in this section of your business plan. Keep it high-level and avoid going into too much detail. The subsequent sections of your business plan will cover the finer details. Remember, the goal is to give just enough information to entice readers to go through the rest of your business plan .

Show your excitement

This is your opportunity to show your excitement and give your business plan a human touch. Your business plan isn’t only selling your product or service to investors—it’s also selling you. Let your passion shine through as you explain why you started the company and what you aim to achieve.

Keep it short and concise

It can be easy to get carried away and make your business description too long. Avoid being too wordy, which can overwhelm the reader.

Business descriptions should only be a few paragraphs long for most types of companies. Remember, you’re trying to intrigue the reader and encourage them to read the rest of your business plan . If it’s too long, you’ll lose the reader’s attention.

Proofread for errors

Grammatical errors and misspellings can tarnish your company description . Even if you include all the right information, you won’t impress readers if it’s riddled with errors.

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Engage readers with your business description

A fine-tuned business description will kick off your business plan on a high note. Whether you’re launching a startup or already have your business up and running, knowing how to write a business description will provide a high-level overview of your company and can help you secure investment dollars from potential investors or lenders .

The information above is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice and may not be suitable for your circumstances. Unless stated otherwise, references to third-party links, services, or products do not constitute endorsement by Yelp.

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General Business Description Examples

General business description examples give you an idea on how to write a business description or company profile for your company. 3 min read updated on February 01, 2023

General business description examples give you an idea on how to write a business description or company profile for your company, so that it communicates your field and scope of business to your target audience in the most effective manner possible.

The general company description should tell your audience what your company does, what its goals are and what business philosophy it subscribes to.

What Is a Company Profile?

A company profile is a formal introduction of your business. It informs others about the company's products and services. A well-written company profile creates a great impression on the audience. It's an effective way to introduce your company to your customers, creditors and other stakeholders.

If you are creating a company profile to place on your business website, you should structure it carefully so that users can easily navigate through important information, like company address, management team and contact details. A company profile listed in business directories and organizations, like Better Business Bureau (BBB), makes it easy for customers to find your company and learn about the products and services it offers.

You should write a company profile from the perspective of the reader and customize it for your target audience.

What Should You Include in a Company Business Description?

• Mission Statement : It's a short statement that tells why the company exists and what its guiding principles are.
• Goals and Objectives : Describe your business goals or long range plans and the objectives or steps to achieve those goals.
• Business Philosophy : It's the fundamental principle for which your company is formed.
• Industry : Describe the industry you work in, including the growth prospects and the opportunities it presents.
• Strengths and Skills : Describe the strengths and skills of your company and the advantages it has over its competition.
• Legal Structure : Specify whether your business is a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company or a corporation.
• Target Market : Give a brief description of your target market and how you plan to approach it.
• Closing Summary : Write it as an introduction to create the first impression, so that your target audience wants to know more about your business.

Writing a Business Description for a Directory Listing

If you are writing a business description for a directory listing, make sure it includes the following essential information:

• Business name
• City, town or neighborhood
• Industry or business category
• Search terms related to your business
• Value statement

Business Description Examples for Directory Listing

XYZ is a partnership firm owned and operated by A and B in the city of Davis, California. You can find all types of lab equipment for schools and colleges.

ABC Company provides high quality plumbing services. We have been serving St. Washougal, Washington and neighboring areas for more than 12 years.

Sit and Chill is a Chinese restaurant in St. Irving, Texas. For nine years, we have been a local favorite for the best Chinese noodles in town.

Apex Doors is a garage door repair company in Wooster, Ohio. We specialize in building and repairing garage doors.

Tips for Writing an Effective Company Profile

• Begin with a focused company introduction that tells about the management style of your company.
• Avoid using idioms and phrases. State the mission statement as clearly as possible.
• Define your company's policy in catchy terms keeping your target customers in mind.
• Use appropriate format and style as suggested by authority sources.
• Revise your company profile from time to time and keep it up-to-date.
• Understand the requirements of the business directory you are writing your company profile for. Some directories include everything in one place, while others provide additional fields for certain information like location, category and amenities.
• Write to inform rather than to impress. Make sure you provide all the details your customer would need to contact you.
• Align the description with the tone and brand of your company.
• After reading your description, customers should be able to visualize an image of your company rather than remembering a bulleted list of details.
• Customize your company profile for different niche-specific directories . Instead of copying and pasting the same description everywhere, try to highlight those aspects of your business which are most relevant to the platform.
• Always remember your target audience while writing the company description. Think about their requirements and preferences.
• Try to make your business stand out from your competition.

If you need help with general business description examples, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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Business Plan 101: General Company Description

Related Post: Business Plan 101: Executive Summary

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The general company description should address the following:

Basic Information

• The Nature of the Business: Describe your industry and what your business will do to address a industry need.
• Business Structure: Include a description of the legal structure of your business and why the business structure works best.
• Mission Statement: While not required, this short (30-40 words) section encompasses your business and its guiding principles and values. 

Goals & Objectives

• Goals :  This is a statement of what you want for the future and supports the reaching of an objective.  For example, if your objective is to increase users by 50% – a goal could be to increase active users by engaging your audience through social media .
•   Objectives: This is an achievement that you hope to reach and is usually mesuarable. For example it would be to increase revenue by 50% within the next twelve months.

Values & Philosophies

• Target Market : Include a brief description of who you target market is and how you plan to reach that market. This should be brief and will be expanded upon in a future section.

Strengths & Resources

• Industry: Describe your industry along with any forseeable volatility and growth in the industry. Also provide future descriptions for the demands of your products or services.
• Strengths: Include information about the strengths and resources you and any other working partners bring to the business to help it succed. Include their relevant experience.

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Start from the very beginning understanding that your business plan ought to be specific to your business needs and objectives. There are many reasons why every company should have a business plan, but not every business needs a full formal plan with carefully crafted summaries and descriptions.

If you don’t have a specific immediate need to show a formal business plan to a banker or investor, then you are probably better off doing just a lean business plan, for your internal use only.

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How to Write a Detailed Company Profile for a Business Plan

If you own a company, the only way for people to have a quick preview of what your company is all about, the products or services you offer, and who are the owners of the company is through your company profile. This section of your business plan will fundamentally answer two important questions:

• Who are you?
• What do you plan to do ?

Answering these questions in a succinct and simple manner would provide an ample introduction of why you are in business, why you are different from the competition, what you have going for you, and why investing in your business would be a good bet.

In essence, if you want to introduce your company to potential clients or to organizations calling for bids and submission of proposals, then you must have a detailed and self-explanatory company profile.

Interestingly, there are several business doors a good company profile can open. For example, an angel investor who is looking to invest in a business would naturally read through the profiles of all the companies he or she is interested in.

The company profile that catches his or her fancy would no doubt be the company he or she would invest in. This is just a bit of what a good company profile can do for a business.

This section of your business plan also offers you the opportunity, if you haven’t done so before, to evaluate and document the intangible facets of your business principles, ideals, and cultural philosophies that will allow you to better grasp your own corporate identity. Here are the necessary components that should go under your company profile:

What is a Company’s Profile?

A company profile is a formal introduction of your business. It usually contains all you would want potential clients, investors, and the general public to know about your business. It is used as a marketing tool and it is your company’s unique selling point.

A complete company profile is expected to contain the vision, mission, and goals of the company, a detailed description of the product and service offering of the company, the profile of the founding members of the company, a brief story of how the company got started and what they intend to achieve. So also, information like company name, address, phone number, website and email et al must be part of your company profile.

Components of your Company’s Profile

• Structure of your business ( sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, or an incorporated company )
• The date your business was established ( for existing businesses )
• The nature of your business ( what are you selling, or what are you planning to sell ?)
• The industry you are in
• Business vision, mission, and values
• Background information on your business or its history
• Business Objectives ( short and long-term )
• The Business team

Now, let’s discuss tips for tackling some of the more tricky components in the list above:

If you are looking forward to writing a top selling company profile, then the following guide will come in very handy for you.

Study Other Company Profiles

The first step when it comes to writing a good company’s profile is to study other profiles. To better put it, you should go source for companies that are doing the same thing as your do; companies that are selling the same services or products as you do.

If you study their profiles properly, you will be able to have a clear-cut idea of what you should capture in your own profile, and of course, you will be able to improve on it to make yours better.

Please note that you are not expected to plagiarize any company’s profile when writing yours because you can be sued for plagiarism.

Create an Outline

The next step to take after you must have carefully studied several companies’ profiles is to create an outline of your own profile. You can start this by making use of bullet points to highlight the main points you want to make in your company profile.

You should also figure out the angle you want your readers to see your company from, what your company represents, and of course the caliber of people that formed the company et al. This will help you determine what information you need to gather.

Interview Potential Clients

If you truly you want to capture information on your company profile that will resonate with your potential clients, then you will need their inputs. Some of the ways you can get their input is to interview them or via questioners and surveys.

Please make sure that you are prepared with your questions but also be ready to follow the natural flow of the conversation. Ask questions during your meeting that you think readers will want to know.

Pose questions that will encourage your potential clients to give you useful information. Ask them to share anecdotes. Avoid yes or no questions. You want them to open up. Make sure to record and transcribe the entire interview.

As you review their answers on paper or on your computer, highlight the best quotes that can guide you to describe and give reasons why your products or services will better serve them.

Start Writing Your Company Profile

Once you are done with gathering the information that will aid you in writing a fantastic company profile, what is left for you is to start writing. You can settle down in your study, library, hotel room, or any location that will give the concentration that is needed for this all important task.

Although a company profile is not expected to be a large document, but it should capture all that your company represents, the products and services your company offers, and of course all that you want people to know about your company. This information can be captured in a simple and easy to understand format.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

No matter how fantastic your company is especially as it relates to your product and service offering, there will still be some drawbacks that can dissuade potential clients from patronizing your products or services.

For example, if you have someone who has been involved in financial crime in time past as a founding member of your company or a financier of your company, it will not be a wise decision to capture such a person in your profile.

What is expected from you when writing your company profile is to put your best foot forward by projecting people without any controversy around them.

Please note that your company profile is supposed to capture a brief profile of the board of directors, executive members, and key persons that are part of the company.

Edit and Edit

After you have finished writing your profile, you should make sure that it is properly edited. You can contract the editing to a professional. Although it is going to cost you a bit, but trust me, it is worth every cent you will spend.

Please note that you shouldn’t just settle for just one editor, you can give it out to two or more editors to edit until you get a perfect piece. This is important because a good company profile will easily sell your company (products and services) to potential clients with little or no additional effort from your end.

In Conclusion;

A company profile is an essential part of a business plan and a business plan cannot be complete without a company profile. So, when writing your business plan, make sure you come up with a good and highly sellable company profile, and the guide you have here will help you achieve this.

More on Business Plans

Business Plan Section 2: Company Description

The company description provides a snapshot of your business. Check out the 11 components to include in this section of your business plan.

Think of the company description section of your business plan as a snapshot of who you are and what your company is all about. What do you do? How are you different from other businesses? What niche does your product or service fill? It doesn’t have to be lengthy, but it should be well-thought out to present you in the best light while being as accurate as possible. Some specifics to include:

1. Company Name

The official legal name of your business.

2. Business Structure

Are you a sole proprietorship, limited liability corporation, partnership or corporation?

3. Ownership or Management Team

Who are the key players? What makes them (or you) qualified to run your business?

4. Location

Where are you headquartered?

5. Company History

When and where were you founded? What inspired you to come up with the idea for your business?

6. Mission Statement

What is the purpose of your company? What need does your product or service fill?

7. Products or Services

What are you making or selling, or what service are you providing?

8. Target Market

Who are you selling to? Who are the customers, organizations, or other businesses that your company will serve?

9. Competitive Advantages

What separates you from the competition? What is it about you that will make your business a success? Why will people want to do business with you?

10. Objectives

What would you like to accomplish in the immediate future, and what are your longer-term goals?

11. Vision Statement

What does the future of your company look like? How will you craft your vision statement?

Now that you have some ideas of the substance, think about the style. Even though the purpose of the company description is to give basic information about your business, it’s an opportunity to promote yourself and explain why you’re worth loaning money to or being involved with.

If you had just a few moments with a potential customer or investor, what would you tell them about your business? Start with an elevator pitch-a quick, few sentence description that captures all the important information about your company, along with your passion for what you’re doing.

Some of what you’ll want to say about the company will be covered in other sections of the business plan, so keep this part more of an overview.

Let your passion shine. When you share the story about why you started your company and what keeps you motivated, it helps you stand out from the crowd and gives your plan a personal touch. Be professional, but don’t be afraid to let your excitement show and draw the reader in. Make them look forward to reading the rest of the plan.

That said, don’t get carried away. It may be hard to find the balance between brevity and excitement about all you are doing and all you have planned, but it’s important to do so. Get an editor that you trust to make sure you’ve kept a professional tone yet conveyed the essence of what differentiates your business from others.

Editing is important. You may tackle the company description first when writing your plan, then find you cover a lot of the information in greater depth as you go along. Definitely plan to read and re-read what you’ve written, and cut out any unnecessary or duplicate information.

If possible, proofreading is even more important than editing! Few things will have someone take you less seriously than typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors. This advice covers more than just the company description portion of your business plan, of course. Make sure your business plan presents you in the best light, not just as far as content is concerned, but how it’s written, as well.

To sum up, the company description is the basic introduction to your business. If someone reads only this part of your plan, they should be able to get what you’re trying to accomplish.

NEXT ARTICLE > Business Plan Section 3: Organization and Management

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Executive Summary, Company Description, Products & Services

The first three parts for writing a start-up business plan template are the executive summary, a general company description, and the products and services of the business.

This section comes first in the finished business plan, but it’s the last section written.

This section is brief, lots of bullet points to highlight the business goals. The executive summary is rarely more than two pages. Write the summary in an enthusiastic, professional, complete, conversation tone, but keep it brief and concise.

Imagine this section as a five-minute interview – what is the most compelling thing that you’d like to convey to someone else about your business.

Explain the basics of your proposed business: What are your planned products or services? Who are your target customers? Who are the owners? What are the future trends for your business and your industry?

If applying for a loan, state clearly how much you want, precisely what you plan to use the funds for, how the loan will make your business more profitable, thereby ensuring repayment.

General Company Description

This section is an overview of your basic business.

It describes what business you are in, what your business will do, what are your goals for your business. This section includes the following:

Mission Statement: All companies should have a brief mission statement explaining their reason for being and their guiding principles. The mission statement is usually 30 words or fewer. If you want to draft a mission statement, this is a good place to put it in the plan, followed by:

Company Goals and Objectives: Goals are your long range plan – where you want your business to be. Objectives are the steps you use to achieve your goals. For example, a goal might be to have a healthy, successful company that is a leader in customer service and that has a loyal customer following. Objectives might be annual sales targets and some specific measures of customer satisfaction.

Business Philosophy: What is most important to you in your business?

To whom will you market your products? (This is just a brief overview of your customer profile; you will expand further on it in the Marketing Plan section).

Describe your overall industry. What changes do you anticipate in your industry; both short term and long term changes? Do you anticipate that this will be a growth industry? How will your business take advantage of any changes or growth within the industry?

Describe your business’ strengths and skills. What factors will help your company succeed? What strengths or advantages do you anticipate that your competition will have? What skills do you personally have (experience, strengths) that will affect the success of your company?

Legal form of ownership: Sole proprietor, Partnership, Corporation, Limited liability corporation (LLC)? Why have you selected this form?

Products and Services

Describe in detail your products or services (include any technical specifications, photos, drawings, sales brochures. All these items and any other bulky items should be placed in Appendices).

What are the competitive advantages or disadvantages of your business? Examples of your competitive advantages include the unique features or differences in the quality of products.

Explain how you arrived at your pricing, fees, or leasing structures for your products or services.

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Business Plan - Company Description

What is a Company Description in a Business Plan?

Written by Jason Gordon

Updated at April 21st, 2024

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What is a Company Description within the Business Plan?

This is where you tell about the company you plan to be. In this section, you describe what your company does. You can go into detail about your product service or idea. But, this is just the beginning. You have to describe what your business will be. 

• What do you hope to accomplish or where do you hope to take your business? 
• What problem do you plan to solve? 
• What need or want do you hope to satisfy? 
• You can weave your product, service or idea into your intended markets or customer segments? 

In short, tell about your value proposition and to who it pertains. Then move on to the goals you set ahead of your business and the principles that will guide you in reaching those goals.

Overview of the General Business Description

Start by laying out in simple terms what you do. That is, tell what problem you will solve, need you will satisfy or want you will fulfill. Before you can begin to explain your product or service and how it works, you have to lay out the value you intend to create. Imagine describing a stapler for the first time without first stating that you have created a revolutionary manner to clasp individual papers together without the use of bindings. You have to understand what it will do before you can go about describing the apparatus. This is a great litmus test for how well you understand your product or service and the value that it creates. If you have to hesitate and think about exactly the specific need or want that it fulfills, then you dont have a sufficient understanding of your business. This is equally a problem if your hesitation comes from the fact that your product or service could solve multiple problems or address multiple needs and wants. The bottom line, you must be able to concisely state what your business does and for whom.

Tell About Your Products and Service

Now you can tell about how the product you have designed or how the service you have developed is going to address the customers problems, needs, or wants. Start by giving a general description of the product or service and the individual components. You will gradually add more detail or build upon how your product or service process works. After writing a thorough description of your product or service, you can move on to introducing a technical description of your product or a detailed statement of how you will deliver your service. If your product involves patents or technical diagrams you may want to make reference to them in this section and append them to the end of the business plan. If your process is complicated, this is where you can integrate diagrams, flow charts, or process matrices. You may wish to include specific information about how the business will be organized and managed. This can include business structure and ownership arrangements. The explanation may include the reasons for organizing in a certain manner or choosing a specific type of business entity.

Basic Strategic Position of the Business

You can now begin to explain how your product or service will be able to compete or address the problem, need, or want better than the alternatives that exist. You will address the full strategic analysis later in the business plan. In this section, you want to lend support to your value proposition by expressing what your product or service does and how it does it better than those already in the industry. Later, in a more detailed competitive analysis, you will address the major players and competitors who control parts of the market.

Incorporate Your Company Goals and Missions Statement

The best way to understand where you are in your business is to compare it to where you want to be. When you are a business intended on growing you must have a clear path of where you want to go. Most businesses identify their objectives in a mission statement. The mission statement should be a concise statement of the companys goals and the principles that will guide its growth. Many people see the business mission statement as more symbolic than practical. However, the mission statement can serve a very practical purpose in providing a path for a growing and evolving business. You may wish to expand this section further to include a business philosophy. Is your business guided by principle or belief? If so, without incorporating the business philosophy directly into the planning documents it may become difficult to incorporate maintain those principles as the business grows and evolves. 

In this section, you have laid the foundation for what the company does and how it will create and transmit value to the client or customer. The parts of the business plan that follow will add a greater explanation to how this value creation is possible, will be carried out, and what the results of the venture will be.

Related Topics

• Business Plan, Part 1 (Outline Overview)
• Business Plan, Part 2 (The Executive Summary)
• What is a Mission Statement?
• What is a Values Statement?
• Setting Company Goals
• Business Plan, Part 4 (Market Analysis)
• Business Plan, Part 5 (Competitive Analysis)
• Business Plan, Part 6 (Marketing Plan)
• Business Plan, Part 7 (Operations)
• Business Plan, Part 8  (Management and Organization)
• Business Plan, Part 9 (Financial Projections)
• Business Plan, Part 10 (Appendices)
• Business Plan , (Final Modifications)

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Executive Summary of a Construction Contractor: Template & Example

• May 9, 2024
• Business Plan , Executive Summary

A construction contractor business plan needs a straightforward executive summary . This part of your plan is the first thing investors and partners see, and it should clearly outline what your construction contractor is all about. It’s where you explain what makes your construction contractor business different and worth investing in.

We recommend using a two-slide PowerPoint format for this summary. The first slide should cover the basics of your business and the market you’re entering. Here, you detail your construction contractor’s services, location, and what sets you apart from others. The second slide focuses on your management team and your financial plans, highlighting the people behind the business and how you expect the construction contractor to grow financially.

This simple, two-slide approach ensures that your executive summary is easy to follow and covers all the essential points about your construction contractor business.

Construction Contractor Business Plan

Fully editable 30+ slides Powerpoint presentation business plan template.

Download an expert-built 30+ slides Powerpoint business plan template

Construction Contractor Executive Summary: Page 1

Business Overview

When detailing the business overview in your executive summary, it’s crucial to provide clear and concise information. This includes the name of your construction company, its location, and an overview of the types of construction projects you undertake.

These details not only introduce your business but also set the stage for its unique qualities. Indeed, a unique selling proposition (USP) is what sets your construction company apart from the competition. Whether it’s your expertise in green building practices, your use of cutting-edge technologies like BIM, or your focus on client-centric service, your USP should be a focal point of your executive summary. It’s what captures the interest of your audience and showcases the unique value your business brings to the market.

Example: For instance, “Superior Builds,” located in the industrial hub of Metro City, operates from a well-equipped office on Builders Lane. Established in 2010, they specialize in commercial and residential projects, incorporating sustainable building practices and advanced technologies such as BIM. Their USP is their commitment to eco-friendly construction methods, which not only appeal to environmentally conscious clients but also provide long-term value through energy efficiency.

Market Overview

Understanding and presenting the market size , growth trends, and industry dynamics are integral parts of the market analysis . This section should highlight the potential of the U.S. construction market, backed by relevant data like market value and growth rates. Discussing industry trends, such as the adoption of green building materials and BIM, provides insight into the evolving landscape and where your construction company fits within it.

Equally important is the competitive landscape. Your executive summary should identify key competitors and explain how your construction company positions itself in this environment. Whether you focus on specialized construction services, superior project management, or innovative construction solutions, this is your opportunity to showcase how your company is poised to stand out in a crowded market.

Example: Consider “Superior Builds” within the general contractor industry, part of a $112 billion market. Despite intense competition from 493,728 companies nationwide, “Superior Builds” differentiates itself by focusing on sustainable building solutions and advanced project management using BIM, catering to a growing segment of the market that values environmental responsibility and efficiency.

Construction Contractor Executive Summary: Page 2

Management Team

The management team’s background and expertise are significant assets to your business. In your executive summary, highlight the key qualifications and experiences of your team members.

This might include the CEO’s extensive background in sustainable construction or the CFO’s expertise in financial management within the construction industry. Demonstrating the team’s expertise not only builds credibility but also assures potential investors and partners of your construction company’s capability to succeed.

Example: At “Superior Builds,” the team is led by CEO John Carter, a pioneer in green construction with over 20 years of industry experience, and CFO Linda Smith, who has a robust track record of managing finances for large-scale construction projects. Their combined expertise ensures the company’s strategic positioning and operational efficiency.

Financial Plan

The financial plan overview should succinctly summarize your financial goals and projections, including revenue targets and profit margins, to provide a clear picture of your construction company’s financial trajectory.

Example: “Superior Builds” aims for $16 million in annual revenue by 2026, with a profit margin of 7-20%. The financial strategy includes leveraging high-profile, sustainable construction projects and expanding into new markets, with sales growth driven by a strong reputation and strategic partnerships, positioning the company for profitability and industry leadership within the next few years.

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