Crafting an engaging CV can often be a daunting challenge when aiming to accurately reflect diverse entrepreneurial experiences and skills. Our comprehensive guide offers step-by-step instructions and expert tips to help you distil your business acumen into a compelling CV that stands out to potential partners or employers.
- Design and format your professional business owner CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading business owner CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your business owner CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
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Structuring your business owner CV layout: four factors to keep in mind
There are plenty of best practices out there for your CV layout and design. At the end of the day, a clear format and concise CV message should be your top priority. Use your CV design to enhance separate sections, bringing them to the forefront of recruiters' attention. At the same time, you can write content that:- Follows the reverse chronological order in the experience section by first listing your most recent jobs;
- Incorporates your contact information in the header, but do skip out on the CV photo for roles in the UK;
- Is spotlighted in the most important sections of your CV, e.g. the summary or objective, experience, education, etc. to show just how you meet the job requirements;
- Is no longer than two-pages. Often, the one-page format can be optimal for your business owner CV.
Before submitting your CV, you may wonder whether to export it in Doc or PDF. With the PDF format, your information and layout stay intact. This is quite useful when your CV is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS) . The ATS is a software that scans your profile for all relevant information and can easily understand latest study on the ATS , which looks at your CV columns, design, and so much more.
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Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a business owner CV
- Executive Summary offers a snapshot of your business leadership skills.
- Entrepreneurial Experience details the ventures you have started or managed.
- Strategic Achievements showcase your success in driving business growth.
- Leadership Qualities demonstrate your ability to lead and inspire teams.
- Financial Acumen reflects your ability to manage budgets and increase profitability.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Emphasise your entrepreneurial skills by highlighting key accomplishments such as revenue growth, business expansion, or product innovation, demonstrating your ability to drive a company forward.
- Detail your leadership experience, including team building, conflict resolution, and strategic decision-making, to showcase your ability to steer a business effectively.
- Include examples of financial acumen, such as budget management, cost reduction strategies, or investment decisions, to demonstrate your understanding of the fiscal aspects of running a business.
- Reflect on any successful marketing campaigns or branding initiatives you’ve executed, as these are critical in establishing and growing a business presence in the market.
- Provide insights into your network development and partnership achievements, as forging strong relationships is crucial for business growth and sustainability.
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Making a good first impression with your business owner CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for business owner:
Jane Doe CEO & Strategic Growth Specialist | M&A Expert | MBA, Harvard | 20+ Years Leadership Exp.
John Smith Founding Director | Digital Marketing Guru | Google Analytics Certified | E-commerce Expert | 15 Years Industry Insight
Alice Johnson Entrepreneur & Innovator | Tech Startups Enthusiast | Angel Investor | BSc Computer Science | 10 Years Exp.
David Brown Serial Entrepreneur | Business Development Leader | Sales Mastery | 25+ Years of Pioneering Ventures
Emma Wilson Boutique Retail Owner | Fashion Industry Savant | Brand Development | 8 Years Trendsetting Impact
Michael Clarke Restaurateur & Culinary Visionary | Hospitality Management Expert | Michelin Star Experience | Culinary Arts Degree | 12 Years Dynamic Leadership
Catching recruiters' attention with your business owner CV summary or objective
Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:
- Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience. Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
- Objective, if you're just starting your career off. Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.
Judging which one you need to add to your business owner CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:
CV summaries for a business owner job:
How to meet job requirements with your business owner CV experience
We've now reached the essence of your actual CV - your experience section. This is the space where you can list your career roles and on-the-job successes. Many candidates tend to underestimate just how much time and effort they should put into writing this CV section. Your experience shouldn't be a random list of your responsibilities, but instead:
- Match the job description with your skills, values, and accomplishments;
- Start each bullet with a strong action verb, followed up with one key skill and your outcome of applying this skill;
- Spotlight parts of your career history that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
Before we move on, make sure to check out some professional CV experience sections.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Clearly outline the nature of your business, including the products or services offered, to provide context for your role and responsibilities.
- Highlight significant milestones such as business growth, profit increases or successful product launches to demonstrate your capacity for delivering results.
- Emphasise leadership experience by detailing your role in team development, training initiatives, and management processes.
- Include examples of problem-solving skills by explaining situations where you overcame obstacles or implemented innovative solutions.
- Showcase your financial acumen by mentioning budgets you've managed, investments you've secured, or cost-saving strategies you've implemented.
- Illustrate your strategic planning abilities by referencing long-term business plans you've developed and executed successfully.
- Detail your customer relationship management and business development skills by mentioning client retention rates or successful negotiations that led to partnerships.
- Mention any awards, recognition, or memberships in professional organisations that add credibility to your business expertise.
- Provide examples of your adaptability and continual learning by discussing how you have updated your business model or integrated new technologies in response to market changes.
- Spearheaded the market expansion strategy for a boutique marketing firm, leading to a 150% increase in client acquisition within the first two years.
- Negotiated and secured three high-value contracts with major retail chains, augmenting company revenue by 40% within the fiscal year.
- Implemented an innovative client relationship management system that boosted client retention rates by 25%, significantly enhancing business stability.
- Overhauled the operational infrastructure of a struggling e-commerce store, leading to achieving profitability within a year.
- Launched an in-house logistics program that reduced shipping times by 30% and improved customer satisfaction scores.
- Cultivated a strong brand presence through targeted social media campaigns, yielding a 10,000+ follower increment and notable engagement levels.
- Championed the development and launch of a new software product line that secured over £500K in sales within the first year.
- Initiated strategic partnerships with two leading tech companies, which expanded our market reach and drove a 35% sales growth.
- Oversaw the company's pivot to remote work during the 2020 pandemic, maintaining productivity and safeguarding against potential revenue loss.
- Built an artisan bakery from the ground up, procuring funding through a successful local crowdfunding campaign that raised £60,000.
- Grew the bakery's presence to 5 locations, resulting in an annual turnover of £2.5 million per annum by 2022.
- Masterminded a waste reduction program that decreased excess production by 20%, increasing overall efficiency and reducing costs.
- Pioneered a successful franchise model for a mobile coffee enterprise, leading to the establishment of 15 franchisees within three years.
- Drove product innovation by introducing environmentally friendly packaging that attracted a 12% increase in customer base passionate about sustainability.
- Coordinated the brand's response to COVID-19 by expanding digital services, which saw a 50% uplift in app-based orders.
- Engineered an aggressive turnaround strategy for an underperforming family business, tripling net profits within four years through rigorous financial management.
- Diversified the company's service offerings by venturing into B2B sales, attracting a client base exceeding 100 businesses.
- Curated a niche product line that became a market leader, contributing to 25% of the company's overall income.
- Expanded a local fitness studio into a national brand with 20 locations, increasing the membership base to over 30,000 active members.
- Developed and implemented an online training platform that added an alternative revenue stream, accounting for 15% of total business income.
- Drove community engagement by initiating wellness programs, resulting in partnerships with three major health food retailers.
- Transformed a local IT consultancy service into a leading cybersecurity firm, recognized by the industry for innovative solutions.
- Negotiated a growth-driven merger with a competitor, effectively doubling the workforce and acquiring a strategic portfolio of intellectual property.
- Rolled out a comprehensive employee professional development plan that led to a 40% improvement in deployment times for security projects.
What to add in your business owner CV experience section with no professional experience
If you don't have the standard nine-to-five professional experience, yet are still keen on applying for the job, here's what you can do:
- List any internships, part-time roles, volunteer experience, or basically any work you've done that meets the job requirements and is in the same industry;
- Showcase any project you've done in your free time (even if you completed them with family and friends) that will hint at your experience and skill set;
- Replace the standard, CV experience section with a strengths or achievements one. This will help you spotlight your transferrable skills that apply to the role.
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Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your business owner CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your business owner CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your business owner CV:
Business Strategy
Financial Management
Marketing
Sales
Customer Relationship Management
Supply Chain Management
Business Planning
Budgeting
Project Management
Regulatory Compliance
Leadership
Communication
Problem Solving
Time Management
Decision Making
Adaptability
Teamwork
Negotiation
Creativity
Resilience
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
Education and more professional qualifications to include in your business owner CV
If you want to showcase to recruiters that you're further qualified for the role, ensure you've included your relevant university diplomas. Within your education section:
- Describe your degree with your university name(-s) and start-graduation dates;
- List any awards you've received, if you deem they would be impressive or are relevant to the industry;
- Include your projects and publications, if you need to further showcase how you've used your technical know-how;
- Avoid listing your A-level marks, as your potential employers care to learn more about your university background.
Apart from your higher education, ensure that you've curated your relevant certificates or courses by listing the:
- name of the certificate or course;
- name of the institution within which you received your training;
- the date(-s) when you obtained your accreditation.
In the next section, discover some of the most relevant certificates for your business owner CV:
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Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Impressing recruiters with your experience, skill set, and values starts with your professional business owner CV. Write concisely and always aim to answer job requirements with what you've achieved; furthermore:
- Select a simple design that complements your experience and ensures your profile is presentable;
- Include an opening statement that either spotlights your key achievements (summary) or showcases your career ambitions (objective);
- Curate your experience bullets, so that each one commences with a strong, action verb and is followed up by your skill and accomplishment;
- List your hard and soft skills all across different sections of your CV to ensure your application meets the requirements;
- Dedicate space to your relevant higher education diplomas and your certificates to show recruiters you have the necessary industry background.
