Business Owner Resume Examples to Help You Build Yours

A business owner is one of the most important elements of any business. How can you write a resume that shows off the right business owner skills and experiences?

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Business Owner Resume Example

A business owner is possibly the most important person in an entire business structure. Business management is difficult, which is why larger companies have a whole board of directors helping, but being a “business owner” still inspires a sense of excitement for many people. If you’ve been a business manager or have been otherwise closely involved in business development for a company, then you need a way of showing your skills on your resume if you decide to move on. Use these tips and resume examples to power your own business owner resume.

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What to Highlight in a Business Owner Resume

When writing a business owner resume, you want to highlight three elements of your business ownership:

 

  • How you became the owner, whether you came up with the concept or you were an early investor
  • What your general job duties were as a business owner. 
  • Spotlight how successful your business was. 

These three points all allow a recruiter to learn about the skills and experiences you’ve gained from your business ownership.

Structure of a Business Owner Resume

Business owner resumes will likely  use the chronological format, which puts your work history front and center. You might want to try different resume formats depending on your particular experience and skills, but to prove yourself as an effective business owner, you’ll likely need to emphasize your achievements through your work history. Here’s how your resume sections should look:
 
Header
 
The resume header will be the same as any other resume: your full name, contact information, including your phone number, and professional links, such as your LinkedIn profile, or a link to your company website.
 
Resume summary or objective
 
The official first section of a resume is your resume summary. Your resume summary needs to put the fact that you owned your own business front and center. While resume objectives are often used for people with less experience, you might consider using one if you’re switching career fields and want to clarify your career goals.
 
Skills
 

Being a small business owner gives you a unique variety of skills. Here are a few skills you might consider for your resume:

  • Pricing products with the market
  • Project management
  • Creating and implementing business plans
  • Strategic planning for the future
  • Bookkeeping
  • General business acumen
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Financial management
  • Human resources experience
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Management skills
  • Merchandising
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Time management skills
  • Business operations management
  • Software expertise in products like QuickBooks
  • Managing accounts receivable

Obviously, not every business will teach you all of these skills, and not all of these skills will be applicable to the position you’re looking to fill. However, note that the list above includes both hard skills (technical knowledge) and soft skills (intangible and interpersonal skills), and understanding your technical skills and personal skills will help you succeed.

 
Work history
 
Of course, any small business owner resume sample will naturally show your business front and center in the work experience section. To make the most of this, include the company name and list your job title, e.g., “Owner,” “Co-Owner,” or “CEO.” for each job provide bullet points that highlight achievements, such as initiatives you invested in.
 
Education
 
Your education section is the place to include your highest academic credential, e.g., bachelor’s degree. Additionally, you can include certifications that you got while working as a business owner or working up to it (e.g., certification for project management).


Do’s and Don’ts for a Business Owner Resume

Do:

  • Write your job title as “Business Owner” or something similar. This will catch a hiring manager’s attention.
  • Relate your job experience directly to the job you’re applying for. Discuss how being a business owner will help you in this specific job.
  • Include other non-ownership experiences if applicable. If you have other accomplishments within the last ten years, then it can show that you have a real track record and didn’t just get lucky.

Don’t:

  • Inflate your numbers or otherwise lie about your experiences. This could end with you not just losing this specific job but also other jobs.
  • Discuss negative elements of the business. You should only talk about the positives of your business experience.
  • Expect the hiring manager will avoid talking about your business. You should prepare for the hiring manager to have a number of questions about your business and why you might be moving on.


FAQ: Business Owner Resumes

Q: Do I need to include a cover letter for an application as a business owner?

Yes. You should include a cover letter in all applications, and this could be even more important if you were a business owner. A cover letter gives you a bit more space to talk about what your business was, why you’re moving on, and what the business taught you. You can use the cover letter builder from ResumeHelp to create a cover letter.

Q: Do I need more experience than just the business owner experience I have?

You don’t need more experience, but if you have other recent experience, it’s well worth including on your resume. Being a business owner is definitely a big deal, and it likely took years of experience to get there. However, including other work history can show even more of your work ethic and personal work preferences.

Q: How do I change my resume to apply to different jobs?

When you apply to different jobs, you’re going to retain the same basic structure – you’ll mention your business in all of them. However, you can use resume keywords to tailor the resume to the specific job you’re applying to. That way, you’re more likely to get a follow-up with the hiring manager who sees your resume.

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