Small Business Owner Resume Examples

Let our Small Business Owner resume examples lend you a helping hand during your job search! We have professional samples you can personalize to create your resume and land the job.

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LiveCareer Staff Writer
by LiveCareer Staff Writer
Last Updated: November 29, 2023 
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Small Business Owner resume
summary examples

The resume summary is one of the first sections a recruiter will look at during their initial seven-second scan of your resume.

You want to quickly capture a recruiter’s attention by showcasing your top skills and qualifications in a concise two-to-three-sentence paragraph.

If you’re an experienced job seeker, you should opt for the professional summary, which focuses on how you meet the employer’s requirements.

Candidates with little to no work experience should choose the objective statement, which allows them to share their career goals and the skills that will help achieve them.

Below, we’ll share examples of professional summaries and resume objectives for the Small Business Owner role so you can better understand them.

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Good example:

“I am a successful small business owner with a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions to complex problems. I possess strong leadership skills, a keen eye for detail, and a commitment to driving results. My expertise in business operations, customer service, and financial management has enabled me to consistently exceed expectations and achieve impressive growth for my business.”

Why this example passes:

  • Feature candidate’s success statistic to grab attention. Numbers add detail about how big the results you deliver are, e.g., test scores, passing rate and more.
  • Shows career length, 11 years.
  • Mentions employer-desired skills: student motivation and interactive lessons.
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Bad example:

“ I am a small business owner with extensive experience in the industry. I have a great eye for detail and am committed to providing excellent customer service. I am passionate about helping my business succeed and strive to be the best.”

Why this example fails:

  • Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify small business owner’s performance
  • Uses vague descriptions and skills.
  • Doesn’t include years of teaching experience.

The fastest way to write your
professional summary

Impress employers by featuring must-have skills for a Small Business Owner and achievements that make you an irresistible employee. Find the best content suggestions for your professional summary in our Resume Builder that will wow recruiters.

  • 1

    Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.

  • 2

    Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!

  • 3

    All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!

You’ll find content written by resume experts in our Resume Builder, but you can also take it above and beyond and employ our professional resume-writing services! Get ready for the job search by taking advantage of the resume-writing tools that are best for you.

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Small Business Owner resume work
experience examples

One of the most important sections in any resume is the work experience. Writing a work experience section that demonstrates you have what it takes to thrive in the job is crucial to writing a good resume. Recruiters want to see your unique achievements, so leave the generic job duties out. Use the following examples to understand better how to write this section.

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Good example:

Rolling Meadows Middle School I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current

  • Established and managed a successful small business, increasing profits by 20% year-over-year
  • Oversaw all aspects of operations, from hiring and training staff to creating and implementing marketing strategies
  • Developed and implemented customer service initiatives to ensure satisfaction and loyalty
  • Established a strong presence in the local community through outreach and promotional activities.

Why this example passes:

  • Numbers and statistics add detail and quantify the results this small business owner delivers: 4% improvement and a class size of 20-25.
  • Good use of strong words and active language.
  • References specialized value cahier provides with “individualized lesson plans.”
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Bad example:

Emily Dickinson Elementary I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present

  • Managed a small business
  • Supervised staff
  • Developed marketing strategies
  • Handled customer inquiries

Why this example fails:

  • Lacks numbers or statistics.
  • Describes general tasks, not teaching achievements or career highlights.
  • Uses active verbs, but doesn’t focus on results.

Small Business Owner resume skills examples

Here are 18 sample skills for small business owner:

  • Project Management
  • Operations Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Business Development
  • Team Building
  • Payroll Administration
  • Budget Management
  • Financial Planning
  • Financial Management
  • Employee Development
  • Financial Administration
  • Vendor Relations
  • Employee Performance Management
  • ISO Compliance
  • Opportunity Identification
  • Staff hiring
  • Training and development
  • Staffing

You should sprinkle skills and abilities throughout your resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience blurbs and a dedicated skills section.

Examples of additional resume sections

Your resume must include the five main sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and education. However, you can also add different sections to show off more achievements.

Here are some examples of optional small business owner resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:

  • References
  • Additional skills
  • Languages
  • Professional experience
  • Timeline
  • Photo
  • Overview
  • Certifications

Only include additional sections that feature valuable information for your desired Small Business Owner job. If the information you want to add is irrelevant to the job, save that space for more relevant information.

Examples of resume formats

A resume format refers to how a resume’s parts are organized. There are three resume formats: chronological, functional or combination.

The main difference among them is whether or not they give more visual weight to your work history or to your skills section. The format you should select for your resume is based on your years of work experience as a small business owner.

How to choose a resume format

0-3
Years of experience

Functional formats

  • Focus on skills.
  • Best for first-time small business owner who lack work experience.
  • Good for people re-entering workforce.
  • May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
  • Skills listed above work experience.

3-10
Years of experience

Combination formats

  • Balance skills and work history.
  • Ideal for mid-career small business owner.
  • Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
  • Skills next to or above work experience.

10+
Years of experience

Chronological formats

  • Put the most focus on work history.
  • Best for small business owner with a long, steady career.
  • Most popular format.
  • Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
  • Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for you, it’s easy to pick a small business owner resume template. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!

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