Creating Business Plans (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

Introducing Your Management Team

Ask seasoned investors what they think is the key to converting a solid business plan into a successful venture, and they will tell you: the people running it. Indeed, many investors say that the management summary is one of the first sections of a business plan they read. After all, it’s the leadership team that makes a business work as a finely formed, dynamic unit. That team includes not only the men and women who start and run the venture, but also the outside parties who provide important services or resources for it, such as lawyers, accountants, and suppliers, in addition to any people who serve as advisors or directors. If your audience is internal—the upper management of your division, for example—this ...