As a business owner transitioning to employment, you may struggle with condensing the broad scope of your entrepreneurship experience into a concise, relevant resume. Our guide offers targeted advice on effectively translating your comprehensive owner responsibilities into a compelling narrative that resonates with potential employers.
- The most straightforward and effective resume format, ensuring your business owner resume stands out among numerous candidate profiles;
- The significance of the top one-third of your resume, including the header, summary or objective, and skills section, and its impact on recruiters;
- Frameworks and structures used by real business owner professionals, offering insights on how to enhance your resume with industry-specific expertise;
- A variety of business owner resume sections that bolster your profile, showcasing your comprehensive capabilities and distinctiveness.
Gaining insights from the best has never been easier. Explore more business owner resume examples below:
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How to style your business owner resume: layout and format
When creating your business owner resume, have you ever wondered how long it should be? Experts point out that it should be between one and two pages. Choose the longer format, if you happen to have over a decade of relevant experience. What is more, resume formats play a crucial role in presenting your experience. Use the:- Reverse-chronological resume format to highlight your experience;
- Functional skill-based resume format if you have less experience and want to focus on skills;
- Hybrid resume format to guide recruiters through both your experience and skills.
- Make sure your headline is simple and includes the job you're applying for or your current role, an abbreviation of a certificate you have, or even your professional area of interest;
- Always tailor your business owner resume to the role you're applying for by matching job requirements to your experience via different resume sections;
- Once you've created your resume, download it in PDF (unless otherwise specified). This is to ensure readability and that the layout remains fixed.
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Mention specific courses or projects that are pertinent to the job you're applying for.
Essential sections that should make up your business owner resume include:
- The header - with your contact details (e.g. email and telephone number), link to your portfolio, and headline
- The summary (or objective) - to spotlight the peaks of your professional career, so far
- The experience section - with up to six bullets per role to detail specific outcomes
- The skills list - to provide a healthy mix between your personal and professional talents
- The education and certification - showing your most relevant degrees and certificates to the business owner role
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proven leadership and management skills, including team building and strategic decision-making.
- Demonstrable experience in business and financial planning, including budget management and forecasting.
- Solid track record of increasing profitability and business growth, with quantifiable achievements.
- Experience with business development, marketing strategies, and market analysis.
- Strong understanding of customer relations and experience in developing long-term client partnerships.
Experts' advice on writing your business owner resume experience
While the excitement and motivation for writing your business owner resume was present in the first hour (or so), you now find yourself staring at the blank page.
The resume experience section is the one that allows you to make a memorable impression by matching job requirement with your past jobs and accomplishments.
To help you write this resume section, here are four mistakes you need to avoid:
- Listing every job you have had so far, including the irrelevant ones. Before that, consider each of your past roles based on relevancy to the role. It may be the case that the job you had 15 years ago may have taught you invaluable skills that are appropriate for the role;
- Including irrelevant work experience items. Those are past jobs that aren't linked with the role you're applying for (or so they seem). Consider how your past jobs will serve your professional presentation: will they be filling in a gap in your work history, or just taking up space?
- Focusing on responsibilities instead of accomplishments. Your business owner resume shouldn't just be telling recruiters what you did in the past - as it's most often the case that candidates have had similar responsibilities. But, rather, the experience section should showcase the success you've attained in each past role, thanks to your unique skill set;
- Consider listing just your professional experience. Any role you've had in the past - e.g. volunteering, internships, etc. - can make it into your business owner resume experience section. Make sure to include it alongside numbers and results.
Two more things you need to remember about your resume experience section.
The first are keywords. Or those specific job requirements that are crucial for the role . Ensure you've integrated them across your experience section to get sorted closer to the ideal candidate profile by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS).
The second are action verbs. Each of your experience bullets should start with a strong action verb, followed by your specific skill and your on the job achievements. Follow this formula to hint to recruiters what your unique value as a professional is.
Still with us? In the next section, we will show you how industry-leading professionals have avoided the four most common mistakes, while integrating keywords and action verbs in their experience section.
- Spearheaded the expansion of ABC Tech Solutions, growing the customer base by 150% through targeted marketing and strategic partnerships.
- Increased annual revenue by 75% to $2.5 million by diversifying service offerings and implementing cost-control measures.
- Successfully launched a proprietary software platform that improved operational efficiency and was adopted by over 200 SME clients.
- Orchestrated the turnaround of XYZ Retail Inc., taking the company from near bankruptcy to profitability in just 18 months.
- Negotiated and secured a vital $10 million investment for expansion and inventory diversification, boosting product offerings by 40%.
- Led the development and rollout of an e-commerce platform, enhancing the customer shopping experience and increasing online sales by 65%.
- Managed a portfolio of 5 successful restaurant franchises under 123 Gourmet Group, consistently achieving top performance in the region.
- Implemented a farm-to-table initiative across all locations, reducing food costs by 20% while significantly improving menu quality.
- Developed a comprehensive staff training program that reduced turnover by 30% and elevated the customer experience.
- Transformed DEF Logistics into a market leader by adopting cutting-edge supply chain technologies, increasing market share by 25%.
- Pioneered a corporate social responsibility program that reduced company carbon footprint and was recognized by industry peers.
- Exceeded sales goals for six consecutive years, culminating in a record-breaking year with $30 million in revenue.
- Elevated MNO Innovations to a top-ten position in the tech-startup space, securing 12 patents for innovative products.
- Deployed a successful B2B sales strategy resulting in the acquisition of three Fortune 500 clients and a 45% increase in revenue.
- Partnered with research institutions to co-develop products, seeing a 30% improvement in product development cycle time.
- Grew PQR Wellness, a health and fitness company, by 300% through innovative online marketing strategies and strong community engagement.
- Launched an award-winning mobile app that reached over 100,000 downloads in the first six months, enhancing customer experience.
- Designed and executed a corporate wellness program that served over 50 organizations, improving client retention by 65%.
- Expanded JKL Creative Agency's clientele by delivering high-impact marketing campaigns that increased clients' user engagement by an average of 75%.
- Directed a team of 20 creatives that won 15 industry awards over 5 years for excellence in advertising and brand development.
- Innovated a data-driven approach to creative design, which lead to a 40% increase in campaign effectiveness for our main accounts.
- Catapulted STU Environmental Solutions to the forefront of green tech with a leading-edge solar panel product that captured 10% of the regional market.
- Negotiated and secured exclusive rights to a groundbreaking water purification technology, increasing business development opportunities by 50%.
- Cultivated a culture of innovation and sustainability that attracted top talent and positioned the company as a thought leader in renewable energy.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the percentage growth in revenue your initiatives contributed to the company to demonstrate financial impact.
- List the number of new clients or contracts secured under your leadership to show business expansion capabilities.
- State the exact dollar amount of budget you managed to illustrate fiscal responsibility.
- Mention the number of employees you supervised or hired to reflect leadership and team-building skills.
- Cite the percentage reduction in costs or expenses from efficiency improvements you implemented.
- Quantify the increase in customer satisfaction scores or Net Promoter Score due to your strategies.
- Specify the number of new products or services launched and their market impact.
- Highlight the percentage of market share increase that your business has achieved under your tenure.
Action verbs for your business owner resume
Four quick steps for candidates with no resume experience
Those with less or no relevant experience could also make a good impression on recruiters by:
- Taking the time to actually understand what matters most to the role and featuring this within key sections of their resume
- Investing resume space into defining what makes them a valuable candidate with transferrable skills and personality
- Using the resume objective to showcase their personal vision for growth within the company
- Heavily featuring their technical alignment with relevant certifications, education, and skills.
Remember that your resume is about aligning your profile to that of the ideal candidate.
The more prominently you can demonstrate how you answer job requirements, the more likely you'd be called in for an interview.
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Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
Featuring your hard skills and soft skills on your business owner resume
The skills section of your business owner resume needs to your various capabilities that align with the job requirements. List hard skills (or technical skills) to showcase to potential employers that you're perfectly apt at dealing with technological innovations and niche software. Meanwhile, your soft skills need to detail how you'd thrive within your new, potential environment with personal skills (e.g. resilience, negotiation, organization, etc.) Your business owner resume skills section needs to include both types of skills to promote how you're both technical and cultural fit. Here's how to create your bespoke business owner skills section to help you stand out:
- Focus on skill requirements that are listed toward the top of the job advert.
- Include niche skills that you've worked hard to obtain.
- Select specific soft skills that match the company (or the department) culture.
- Cover some of the basic job requirements by including important skills for the business owner role - ones you haven't been able to list through the rest of your resume.
Get inspired with our business owner sample skill list to list some of the most prominent hard and soft skills across the field.
Top skills for your business owner resume:
Financial Management
Marketing Strategies
Sales Proficiency
Business Planning
Operational Management
Human Resources Management
Supply Chain Management
Data Analysis
Customer Relationship Management
Compliance and Legal Knowledge
Leadership
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Time Management
Communication
Negotiation
Adaptability
Innovative Thinking
Teamwork
Stress Management
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If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.
The importance of your certifications and education on your business owner resume
Pay attention to the resume education section . It can offer clues about your skills and experiences that align with the job.
- List only tertiary education details, including the institution and dates.
- Mention your expected graduation date if you're currently studying.
- Exclude degrees unrelated to the job or field.
- Describe your education if it allows you to highlight your achievements further.
Your professional qualifications: certificates and education play a crucial role in your business owner application. They showcase your dedication to gaining the best expertise and know-how in the field. Include any diplomas and certificates that are:
- Listed within the job requirements or could make your application stand out
- Niche to your industry and require plenty of effort to obtain
- Helping you prepare for professional growth with forward-facing know-how
- Relevant to the business owner job - make sure to include the name of the certificate, institution you've obtained it at, and dates
Both your certificates and education section need to add further value to your application. That's why we've dedicated this next list just for you - check out some of the most popular business owner certificates to include on your resume:
The top 5 certifications for your business owner resume:
- Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) - International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
- Six Sigma Green Belt (SSGB) - American Society for Quality (ASQ)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA) - Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) - Scrum Alliance
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List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.
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Writing the business owner resume summary or objective: achievements, keywords, dreams, and more
Deciding on whether to include a resume summary or resume objective should entirely depend on your career situation.
If you have:
- Plenty of relevant achievements you'd like to bring recruiters' focus to, make use of the resume summary. Ensure each of your achievements is quantified with concrete proof (e.g. % of cases solved).
- Less applicable experience, utilize the resume objective. Within the objective include a few noteworthy, past successes, followed up by your professional dreams.
As a bonus, you could define in either your business owner resume summary or objective what makes you the perfect candidate for the role.
Think about your unique hard and soft skills that would make your expertise even more important to the job.
These business owner professionals have completely covered the formula for the ideal resume introduction:
Resume summaries for a business owner job
- Seasoned business owner with over 15 years of experience in leading a mid-sized manufacturing firm to a 300% growth in revenue. Expertise in streamlining production processes, identifying new market opportunities, and leading a cross-functional team of 50+ employees. Successfully negotiated a pivotal merger, broadening the company's market share and technological capabilities.
- Dynamic founder of an award-winning digital marketing agency with a decade of driving business growth for clients across various industries. Boasts a potent combination of technical expertise in SEO and content creation, with a track record of increasing client revenue by an average of 25% annually. Spearheaded a campaign that went viral, amassing 2 million views in under 48 hours.
- Eager to transfer a wealth of knowledge in technology management and strategic operations from a 12-year tenure as a Chief Technical Officer to the business ownership landscape. Proven ability to save companies from potential financial downturns by implementing innovative tech solutions, cutting operational costs by 40%. Keen on applying tech efficiencies to transform and scale a new business venture.
- With over 8 years of experience as a high-level consultant for Fortune 500 companies, ready to pivot to owning a sustainable energy business. Specialty in creating robust business strategies and fostering partnerships, once managed a project that resulted in a 150% increase in partner investments. Bringing a strong track record of successful stakeholder management and strategic prowess.
- Driven professional eager to enact change by stepping into a business ownership role. Has zero traditional business management experience, yet brings a diverse skill set from a 5-year tenure in non-profit leadership. Passionate about embracing the challenges of entrepreneurship and committed to leveraging community-focused initiatives for business growth.
- Aspiring entrepreneur with a fresh perspective, ready to delve into the world of business ownership. Armed with a recent MBA and extensive background in project management, aiming to employ a blend of academic rigor and real-world experience to accelerate a start-up's trajectory towards success and sustainability.
Miscellaneous business owner resume sections for a more personalized approach
Your business owner resume can reflect even more upon your personality and best qualities - that is if you decide on including a couple of additional resume sections to support your application.
Some of the best-accepted industry-wide choices include the:
- Resume projects - getting into the outcomes of your most important work, so far;
- Languages on your resume - detailing your proficiency level;
- Special recognitions - dedicated to your most prominent industry awards;
- Hobbies and interests - defining how you spend your free time.
Key takeaways
- Ensure your business owner resume uses a simple, easy-to-read format that reflects upon your experience and aligns with the role;
- Be specific within the top one-third of your resume (header and summary or objective) to pinpoint what makes you the ideal candidate for the business owner role;
- Curate information that is tailored to the job by detailing skills, achievements, and actual outcomes of your efforts;
- List your certifications and technical capabilities to demonstrate your aptitude with specific software and technologies;
- The sections you decide on including on your business owner should pinpoint your professional expertise and personality.
