Don’t confuse the The One Page Business Plan® with an executive summary. It is the “plan.” Most executive summaries are simple introductions
that can practically be used year after year. A little update here, an adjustment in numbers and maybe better quality paper if you had a good year. In fact, when I have seen people review plans, they usually just flip past theses page to the table of contents.
Most start-ups put their plans on the shelf after funding is received and never look at them till the next time funding is needed. The OPBP provides a document that is usable for them and provides accountability through out the year. It is a tool that can be easily reviewed with their staff and quickly address concerns and issues.
I can attest after doing several small business start-ups and growth companies, that getting funding for lines of credits for $200K to 1 million that I would have been held more accountable with a OPBP than the 4 inch thick pile of paper, I supplied. I heard this once in a OPBP tele-seminar, don’t fund the paper, fund the person.
A story I heard once from the guy that invented the PDA. He went to a funding session where people were presenting their ideas for funding. The came in with tons of paper, supporting documentation, and more. He, thinking it was only to be a preliminary type meeting had just a few pages. So, instead of presenting the paper, he threw his wallet in the middle of the table and talked about what the PDA would be able to do and what it would look like. As they say in the movies; “He had them at Hello!” They even picked up the wallet and passed it around. The executive summary explains the paper, The wallet(OPBP) says it all!