INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Small Business Manager positions are at a 14% growth rate, which is faster than average. With that said, there are currently 907,600 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 124,400 to 1,032,000 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Small Business Manager jobs was $87,660 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $50,990, and the highest 10% more than $156,840.
Our conclusion? The Small Business Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top small business manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a small business manager resume experience section
Small business manager resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- #1 Relationship Manager in New England (2016).
- Interim Market Manager for Q4'16, Q1'17.
- Responsible for new business development of Boston market.
- Worked with internal partners to increase market share, improve customer experience, and deepen existing relationships.
- Leveraged existing partnerships to increase inside sales opportunities.
- Developed alongside full time employment, achieving over 700 sales in one year.
- Acquired photography and copy-writing skills to market products on Etsy.
- Respond to all customer enquiries in a timely way and dispatch orders within stated time frame.
- Worked with customer to create special order of 20 personalised gift sets, hand-wrote gift tags in a modern calligraphy style.
- Designed and facilitated an online reusable beeswax wrap workshop. Created written instructions and provided materials to all participants.
- Connect with and support other small businesses in multiple collaborations. Previous projects: designing and sewing 100 storage gift bags for a baking business; commissioning a textile artist to create fabric for a new product; sewing hand painted fabric into eco-conscious reusable facial cloths for wholesale.
- I provide leadership and my influence is over a $37 million segment with thirteen directs and 690 total employees that serve businesses with annual revenues of $2 million - $20 million, including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, exporters/importers, and service companies across specific industry segments of general industries, healthcare, and environmental, social, governance (ESG).
- As a chief turnaround leader, in a brief time, I have influenced and jumpstarted Treasury and Merchant sales contribution margin for a new line of business within Consumer and Small Business Banking by focusing on developing people, their skills and removing bottlenecks in the new client onboarding journey.
- Small businesses nationally need us now more than ever. I teach, coach, and provide commercial insights to sales leaders on how to reimagine the role of a business development officer, rebranding the business development officer as business partners and advisors, versus accepting perceptions of being a bank product person, order-taker, or vendor. This approach has helped increase sales force effectiveness with a 48% YOY increase in Treasury & Merchant deals sourced, a 50% increase in deals submitted, and 65% increase in Treasury & Merchant deals closed.
- Led and coordinated site enhancements, internal tool updates, customer experience updates, and UAT testing (both WIP and customer facing) for Dell.com's North America Small Business segment.
- Increased Revenue YoY: $312 Million via Feature Impact for 2021.
- Reached Revenue Goal of $1 Billion for 2021 (NA SB Divison).
- Launched over 500+ site enhancements, IT updates, internal tool updates and customer experience redesigns.
- Developed quarterly forecasting and funding requests for 2021 and 2022.
- Created and maintained site enhancements and IT updates repository with up-to-date engagement and financial metrics.
- Regularly met and surpassed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Created and negotiated telecommunication services contracts for small/medium business owners.
- Act as an ambassador by professionally representing the Bell brand
- analyzed clien's requirements and provided the best possible solutions.
- Team Lead (role ended September 2020)
- Team Mentor (February 2020 to Present): Training our newest team member through live calls, call reviews, and deal reviews
- 117% Quota Attainment (FY2020)
- Team Lead (September 2019 to September 2020): Attended monthly trainings as part of the Team Lead Program. Day in and day out worked closely with our team to progress skill development and close more deals. Achieved this by leading live calls, deal reviews, call reviews, and prospecting training
- Team Mentor (April 2019 to September 2019): Trained our newest team member through live calls, call reviews, and deal reviews
- Coach for ISC Rapid Response Team: Lead weekly call reviews with the ISC team to help them more effectively qualify prospects.
- Lead a Small Business Division deal workshop: Powerpoint presentation walking through the full sales cycle of an Enterprise deal from start to finish
- Coaching sessions to sell more Premium Services: Created a playbook to sell more Premium Services and worked with teams in the Small Business division and the HubSpot for Startups team on how to execute this
- HEART Award Recipient
- Adapted business operations for changing demands based on knowledge of industry and market trends.
- Oversaw company finances with well- organized accounting system and strong financial controls for meeting budget targets.
- Maintained high customer satisfaction ratings by going above-and-beyond with customer service.
- Delivered products of consistent quality to customers by working directly with vendors on delivery and production costs.
- Performance Management: Manage and exceed expectations for all performance KPIs, financial budgets, sales reporting
- Staffing and Employee Relations: Develop, train and coach Managers and Specialist to produce high performance results.
- Market and Industry Knowledge:
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action verbs for your small business manager resume
Recommended Reads:
Small Business Manager Resume: The Skills Section!
How to write a strong small business manager resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top skills for your small business manager resume
SQL
Microsoft office
Tableau
Salesforce
Jira
Google Analytics
Project Management
Time Management
Interpersonal Communication
Decisiveness
Delegation
Patience
Creativity
Self-motivation
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Recommended reads:
Small business manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your small business manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Small Business Manager resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
A career summary for your small business manager resume
Things to include in your small business manager resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
Recommended reads:
Small business manager resume: The education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your small business manager resume
Interview Questions: Interview Like a Professional HRM
A Quick Guide for Owners and Managers of Small Businesses
Vision Creation Practitioner Certificate [Accredited]
Create a Vision and Purpose: For Individuals, Managers and Small Businesses Owners. Accredited Course w/20 CPD/CE Hours
Business Development Principles for Small Businesses
The growth concepts every business leader needs to know to acquire customers, beat the competition and increase sales.
Profitable Business Blueprint For Small Businesses.
The Complete Step-By-Step Guide to Building a Profitable Small Business From the Ground Up On a Limited Budget.
Practical Business Development Strategies for Small Business
Small Business Development
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Small Business Manager. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Choosing the right format for your small business manager resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your Small Business Manager resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Small Business Manager resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Small Business Manager resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
Test your draft Small Business Manager resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections suitable for your small business manager resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your small business manager resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great small business manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
