3.  The executive summary is the most important part of the business plan: Because the purpose of the business plan is to sell your business idea to the reader, you have to grab their attention right away. Just like when you write a newspaper story, after the headline the first paragraph will contain the “who, what, when, where, and how much.” Then the details are filled in as the story progresses. Like a newspaper story, the executive summary should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more. […]