Writing an Executive Summary for Your Business Plan

As promised, here's some advice on how to write the executive summary that you will provide to the panel of investors next week. Please plan on having enough copies for everyone--including students and myself. So plan on 30 copies total. I'm happy to pass these out for you as you prepare.


I've chosen this blog post from Guy Kawasaki and Bill Reichert, who are famous serial entrepreneurs, to explain your executive summaries. It's far better than any template or examples I could provide to you. Follow these rules and you'll have a strong executive summary that should easily be pulled from your business plans.

Unpaid bloggers sue Huffington Post, AOL

I noticed others have posted things about the build-up against Huffington Post and AOL for not paying thousands of writers/bloggers, but Politico is reporting that the writers have filed suit.

The lawsuit argues Arianna Huffington and the Post breached contract with at least some writers regarding an "implied promise" of compensation. The suit takes issue with the $315 million Huffington accepted as a buyout from AOL, arguing the latter likely would not have paid such a high sum "without the value (unpaid writers) created" through their work.

A spokesman for Huffington Post is quoted as saying the lawsuit is without merit, based on Huffington Post providing a platform that ensures bloggers' and writers' work will be read by "as many people as possible."

Brand You: How to Market Yourself

So in today's world, even if you have a job at a media corporation, you will need to create a "brand" for yourself. How you do that is up to you? But here is a good series from Innovative Interactivity to help you work through those issues.

Grants for your Website

This ehow article has some tips on where you can apply for grants to get your journalism site up and running.

Hannah Saunders

Amber Johnson-Weeks

Inspiring Videos on Investment, Press, Etc.

Guy Kawasaki on the "Art of the Start"

Guy Kawasaki is a serial entrepreneur. In this blog from Common Craft, they distill his lessons from the book "The Art of the Start." Some useful tips here for presentations!

How to Write a Great Business Plan

I know you all are going to start asking me for a "template" of how to write the business plan. There are many forms that business plans take. I've linked in another post to some of the Knight News Challenge proposals. But here is a book that you may want to consider purchasing .... or see if it is in the library. The Google preview may give you some good ideas as well.