Personnel in Your Business Plan

Here you'll find some useful tips why and how outline your key staff properly. Convince your investors that your team will put into practice the idea.
Personnel in Your Business Plan

Most investors want to know not only the business idea but also people who will put it into practice. The section of the business plan should characterize your management team and include the biographies of your key personnel, as your board of directors, officers, and key advisors.

Focus on what each member of the team contributes to the business.
It should include:
• Title of the position the individual will hold
• Past industry experience
• Education
• Significant attributes and successes that are applicable
• Duties and tasks he/she will be performing
• Supervisory, management, or leadership background if the individual will hold such a position

Investors should understand why you selected this individual for this particular position.
The following information is undesirable:
• Extraneous details of previous jobs
• Unrelated past experience
• The use of superlatives
• Any information that you cannot verify or appears to be inconsistent with the rest of the individual's bio
• A list of too many responsibilities for one person. (It will concern investors if they see one person filling five positions.)

There is no necessity to describe each member, only key figures should be listed. But if you have a few vice presidents, for example, clearly define their positions and responsibilities.

At the very beginning most new entrepreneurs prefer to appoint relatives, friends, and others with whom they have personal relationships to key positions. Often these people aren't qualified to handle the job. The may play significant roles in your business but it's better to leave them out of the business plan.

Remember that the success of your business idea depends on your staff and managers especially.