Small Business Owner Resume Sample
Powerhouse owners-and-operators worth their salt can prove it with quantifications, qualifications, and entrepreneurial spunk.
Small businesses (SBs) are the occupational and economic backbone of this country—given the substantial proportion of U.S. private-sector employees working for them. There are millions upon millions of SBs nationwide, and the most ambitious owners know how valuable a distinctive, well-organized small business owner resume can be in attracting investors, partners, lenders, sponsors, and recruiters searching for heads of operations.
So, here are some guidelines for your small business resume:
- Let them get to know you. Provide a small-business owner professional summary that epitomizes both your abilities and your achievements.
- Go for quantification. Show what you’ve accomplished by delineating performance metrics, the number of people you’ve managed, what budgets you’ve handled, how you’ve measured market penetration, and by how much you’ve surpassed sales targets.
- Specify your knowledge and responsibilities. This means everything from creating business plans and hiring staff for various teams to activating marketing strategies and overseeing procurement, fulfillment, or logistics.
- Insert small-business owner keywords. These will fast-track your small business owner resume into the right hands. You can also adjust these based on the job ad or the loan requirements.
If you’ve specialized in any type of industry, products, or services, mention that too. And list the relevant software you’ve used as well—from financial/business platforms to customer-relationship-management (CRM) and human-resources (HR) tools. Meanwhile, gain additional insight from our template below.
Small Business Owner Resume
Lydia Amana, MBA
lydia@email.com | 555-555-5555 | Atlanta, GA | LinkedIn.com/lydia.amana
BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADER
Operations manager and entrepreneur with proven record of success building, launching, and leading small businesses across diverse industries. Robust operational skillset, including human resources, marketing, financial operations, product management, and customer service. Strong business acumen combined with proven creative abilities—taking businesses from initial concept to long-term success.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Operations Management Customer Acquisition & Retention New Business Development
Social-Media Marketing & Advertising Product Development & Management Business Planning
Relationship Building Team Leadership, Training, & Mentoring Competitive Analysis
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Founder & CEO | Company One | Atlanta, GA | 20XX – 20XX
Led ground-up development and launch of e-commerce company—overseeing branding, website development, product selection, marketing, and customer support.
- Generated $500K in sales during year one, achieving full profitability by Q3—nine months ahead of target.
- Grew sales 75% in one year by optimizing product mix to reflect industry trends and customer demands.
- Expanded team to include customer service, logistics, and accounting departments—enabling a greater focus on business development and strategic planning efforts.
Business Owner & Operations Manager | Company Two | Atlanta, GA | 20XX – 20XX
Built and managed upscale retail outlet—providing lifestyle and home-décor merchandise, design consulting, and special-event planning. Developed business plan, secured investors, selected and procured inventory, developed and documented operational processes, and assembled sales and customer-support teams.
- Diversified services to include special-event planning and design—generating $450K in additional sales within first year of program launch. Leveraged local connections for word-of-mouth advertising and referrals.
- Featured in local lifestyle magazine as “Best of the Best” for three consecutive years and recognized by the local mayor for contributing to downtown revitalization efforts.
- Partnered with local chamber of commerce to plan and execute monthly business networking events—providing catering, event décor, and marketing services to highlight local small businesses.
Co-Founder | Company Three | Atlanta, GA | 20XX – 20XX
Partnered to launch catering service—providing gourmet breakfast, brunch, and lunch options for business clients. Consulted and negotiated with customers/vendors/venues, developed contracts, and oversaw execution.
- Planned and executed over 50 events during first year—growing client-base by 62% YOY for three consecutive years.
- Achieved and sustained five-star Yelp and Google ratings, with recognition for quality, service, and professionalism.
- Recruited to plan a welcome-luncheon for the state governor’s new cabinet—working directly with the Office of the Governor to design the menu and decorations, review samples, and execute the event.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Salesforce; Advanced Excel (Power Query, PivotTables, and Reports); and Mailchimp.
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA)| University One | Atlanta, GA | 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)| College One | Atlanta, GA | 20XX
Feel free to download this sample as a Word document if you need a small business owner resume to work from directly.
In addition, Monster features lots of pay-related data that may interest you: The median salary for an operations manager is $83,985, while it’s $118,333 for a director of operations and $160,187 for a vice president (VP) of operations. Do note, however, that these figures don’t necessarily count bonuses and stock options. And if you’re the sole owner of your small business (rather than having partners), your pay may be quite different and may depend on your revenue and other factors, such as location. So jump into Monster’s Salary Tools portal to customize the data.
For now, check out these openings in cities with a high demand for operations managers:
Or you can review all of our job listings for operations managers and directors/VPs of operations.
Actuate Your Job Search With a Powered-Up Small Business Owner Resume
Are you between businesses? Aiming to lure investors or get a new loan? Or have you been going through an elongated lull? Or maybe you’re looking for a new entrepreneurial project, yet you just don’t have the time to get your resume in order. We can assist with any of these scenarios—and with many more too. Join a new small-business team or get your new venture going with the help of a Monster-boosted resume, which will ensure that your previous accomplishments are properly intensified and that your career so far is encapsulated in a convincing and appealing manner.