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Business Owner Resume: Templates, Examples & Essential Skills
You'll learn:
With the rise of entrepreneurship trends, becoming your own boss is something that many people dream of. Indeed, you can come in and out whenever you like and get to make the final decision, but it's not always rainbows and butterflies. Operating a business requires hard work, tenacity, passion, and that means doing the tiniest thing like picking up the trash.
Nevertheless, the key responsibilities of a small business owner include:
- planning fiscal health, business model, and others
- staffing and management (hiring, training, and managing employees)
- sales & marketing
- daily operation
- customer service
You probably wonder... if I had my own business, why would I even need a professional business owner resume?
At one point you may...
- Need to take a loan from the bank because you have been planning to expand your business
- Look for sponsors to fund your newest business ideas
- Consider placing an offer on partnering up with another company
Or your business doesn't take off, and you decide to go back to that 9-to-5 work-life (it really isn't the end of the world, look forward to the benefits and regular paycheck!).
That said, we'll guide you through and through in writing a resume for business owners.
A step-by step guide on writing a business owner resume
In case you hadn't submitted any job applications, these are the things you ought to remember.
Step 1: Get the hang of what a business owner CV and business owner resume are.
When you decide to get back on writing a resume, understanding the difference between a CV and resume is one of the first few things you need to check off of your to-do list.
| Difference | Business owner CV | Business owner resume |
| Length | 2 pages or more | Max. 1 page |
| Purpose | Academic application | Job application |
| Topic | complete info of education and work history | most recent and with relevant work experiences and skills |
| Design | clean and simple | crafted accordingly to the job |
Step 2: Pick the ideal business owner resume format.
Picking the right resume format can play a lot in what recruiters acknowledge first about an applicant, and the 4 types of resume formats have their own strengths.
Say you want to change course back to corporate life, the ideal business owner resume format for a former business owner is the reverse-chronological format to emphasize the most recent achievements of your enterprise and responsibilities as an entrepreneur.
Step 3: Learn from other business owner resume templates & examples.
Never underestimate the power of knowledge.
You'll be surprised how much you can learn by researching business owner resume templates and business owner resume examples online. These references will guide you on what to put on your business owner skills resume section, or what a good business owner resume summary opening looks like.
Step 4: Customize your business owner resume for different purposes.
SME (Small-Medium Enterprise) types stretch greatly from hospitality, restaurants, e-commerce, and many others. Consequently, a restaurant business owner resume will differ from an online business owner resume, due to each requiring different skill-sets and carrying distinct duties.
Below are some focal point examples in crafting a resume for business owner you might want to emphasize:
- franchise business owner resume: demands strong financial planning, leadership, and teamwork skills to facilitate the parent business expansion
- bakery business owner resume: manages daily operation in a bakery from staffing, ordering supplies, creating marketing plans, and producing the goods
- eCommerce business owner resume: has a sharp market research skill to keep up with trends and on-demand products and/or solutions for building a solid customer base
- cleaning business owner resume: develop efficient systems to provide top-notch customer service, and strengthen synergy with employees and suppliers
- salon business owner resume: requires exceptional interpersonal skills and creativity
Step 5: Tie your business owner resume with a business owner cover letter.
Whether you want the bank to approve your loan application or apply for a new job, a business owner cover letter is crucial. Tell them why you think you're the perfect candidate for the job, or why they should let you borrow their money.
⚠️ Don't forget to mention some of your notable accomplishments too (subtle bragging if you may say so).
Step 6: Triple check your business owner resume & cover letter.
One should bother to check each word that is written on one's resume and cover letter. Your mantra should be: grammar check, spell check, proofread, and repeat.
What to put on a business owner resume?
You probably think "How can I put all my extensive experiences and awesome background within one page?"
Well... you shouldn't.
Even candidates with little to no experience can snatch your opportunity if their resumes contain the right information.
1. Resume Profile
Upon receiving your application, these 4 must-haves information is the first thing recruiters see on your business owner resume and lets them know who you are:
- Full name
- Email address and phone number
- Current address
- Professional title
💡 Keep in mind to not include your gender, age, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, race, or other potential discrimination factors, as this will cause unnecessary bias.
2. Resume Headline or Title
It is a catchphrase of your business owner resume. This one-liner sentence should condense your values as a professional and entrepreneur. A resume headline for business owners can be a great place for important keywords too.
A couple of business owner resume title/headline examples:
- Bakery owner, kitchen leader, and professional pâtissier with 8 years of experience
- Experienced restaurateur and sommelier who specialized in French cuisine
3. Resume Summary
Your business owner resume summary should not only be about your entrepreneurial wisdom, it should also cover specific skill sets you’ve honed within your industry.
Small construction business owner resume summary example:
Detail-oriented and highly dependable business owner and construction manager with strong knowledge of civil engineering and landscaping. Over 10 years of successful operation in general construction for homes and commercial sites through effective management and training. Won 4 construction tenders in the past 3 years and maintain 50+ regular clientele.
4. Resume Objective
It states what you want to achieve by writing this resume. You don’t need to dedicate a separate section for your resume objective, as it can be merged with the former.
Example of a small construction business owner resume objective who is applying for a tender:
Looking forward to providing a high quality, cost effective service, and the best quality building for Q Real Estate.
5. Skills
Although the SME industries vary, there are some common skills that all business owners possess to drive their business forward.
These are some essential business owner skills to put on a resume for your reference:
- Leadership
- Communication & negotiation
- General management
- Problem-solving
- Financial planning
- Sales & marketing
6. Work Experience
This section is where you can put more details about your role in the business (aside from being the owner, obviously). However, note that this work history section is not a bedtime story of how you started the business. Instead of listing a business owner job description for resume, keep it brief yet substantial by providing this info:
- Company name
- Title
- Duration of work
- Responsibilities
- Accomplishments
Example of an eCommerce business owner work experience on resume:
Co-Founder and Head of Strategic Growth at Ship & Drop - Jakarta, Indonesia
April 2018 - present
- Implement SEO strategically to increase CTR and conversion rate
- Maintain a strong cross-department communication
- Conduct strategic advertising campaign optimization
7. Education
This section should be just another "ornament" on your business resume, right?
Wrong!
Regardless of what degree you hold and what your professional career is, providing information on your education history is important. For some people, going to a vocational school is actually preferred to mainstream education, such as a hairdresser on their salon business owner resume, they should put:
Example of an salon business owner education on resume:
- LaSalle College Montréal - Montréal, Quebec (2010)
Diploma of Vocational Studies (DEP) in Hairdressing
8. Additional Information
Information such as interests, awards, licenses, and certifications that support your qualification is highly recommended to be included.
A few examples of additional information on a business owner resume for different types of SME:
Celaning business owner resume:
- Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) by International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA)
- Small Business Certification by Small Business Association (SBA)
Restaurant business owner resume:
- Bok Choi is featured in Michelin Guide Singapore in 2033
- Lavale received its first Michelin Star in 2035
Tips for writing the best business owner resume
1. Remember where and why you're applying.
Write as if you're talking to the recruiter/reader personally and make your business owner resume appeal to the specific requirements and company profile.
2. It's good that you pour your heart and sweat into curating the best former business owner resume, because you just can't wait to go back to working a set schedule. But, don't get too caught up and forget to implement the keywords!
3. Describe your success in numbers and actual data.
Plus at the same time, you can show your sales statistic analysis skill too!
4. Less is more.
Meaning you shouldn't incorporate complicated designs or layouts for your resume, as it will be hard to get through the ATS system. Stick with a professional-looking yet simple business owner resume template.
5. Choose your words carefully.
Go for strong action verbs when describing your responsibilities and achievements to show diversity.
6. Put your business or company website on your resume.
It works as an additional portfolio.
If you may find it annoying and confusing to create your business owner resume template with Microsoft Word, head over to CakeResume which provides plenty of templates for various roles/professions. Simply add, remove, and edit to make your professional business owner resume highly unique.
How to write a business owner cover letter?
We've mentioned the importance of a cover letter when submitting your application.
Here are the 5 main points on your business owner cover letter that need to be covered:
- Though it has been enclosed in the resume, your personal information should not be omitted from the business owner cover letter.
- A friendly and respectful greeting to introduce yourself to the hiring manager, potential partner, or potential sponsor.
- They need to know why you choose them. Pour your knowledge about the industry to indicate your passion.
- A simple argumentative paragraph about why they should want you to join the company, or invest in your business idea.
- Lastly, finish strong and kindly thank the reader for taking the time to review your application with a concise closing statement.
Self-employed Business Owner Resume Sample
Lola Buttercup
Self-employed business owner at Buttercup Bakery
Sydney, Australia
(+00)-777-888-999
[email protected]
Summary
Hardworking and innovative head chef and bakery owner specialized in fusion-style pastry with over 8 years of experience in the food and beverages industry. As a business owner, I have collaborated with more than 3 French restaurants in creating unique dessert menus by spearheading the French-Asian fusion dessert in Sydney, Australia.
Work Experience
Buttercup Bakery, Sydney, Australia
Head Chef & Owner
January 2024 - present
- Designed products and menu.
- Supervised and managed kitchen and bakery operation.
- Generated marketing and public relation plans to promote the business.
- Successfully led the business to be named one of the best bakeries (no.3) in Sydney by F&B Magazine in 2027.
- Scheduled and organized catering services for partnered hotels and customers.
Cakely, Sydney, Australia
Pastry Sous Chef
Feb. 2018 - Dec. 2023
- Developed a limited edition menu for holiday seasons for 3 years.
- Trained and supervised new chefs.
- Exercised daily quality control on products sold.
- Assisted in managing inventory outflow and inflow.
- Demonstrated efficiency in negotiation and strong relationship management with suppliers and vendors.
Skills
- Creativity
- Communication
- Food quality control
- Recipe development
- Product marketing
- Negotiation
- Advanced culinary skill
- Staff management and training
- Financial forecasting
- Leadership
Education
Grand Diplôme, Le Cordon Bleu, Sydney, Australia
2013 - 2015
- Specialized in French and Asian desserts
Diplôme Avancé de Gestion Culinaire, Le Cordon Bleu, Sydney, Australia
2015 - 2018
- Joined a 6-month exchange program in Culinary Arts Academy, Switzerland
--- Originally written by Teresa Edria ---
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