7 Small Business Owner Resume Examples for 2024

Many job seekers struggle with resumes. This article covers proven resume examples for small business owners and gives strategic advice. Learn to highlight your entrepreneurial skills, leadership, and business achievements effectively.

  Compiled and approved by Diana Price
  Last updated on See history of changes

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At a Glance

Here's what we see in top small business owner resumes:

  • Focus On Quantifiable Impact: Good resumes use numbers to show impact. Metrics include revenue growth, cost reduction, customer retention rate, and employee turnover rate.

  • Match Skills With Job Descriptions: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are financial management, strategic planning, CRM software, market analysis, and inventory control. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Emphasize Relevant Experience: Show how your experience applies to the job. Use phrases like led marketing, managed operations, and increased sales.

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Where to place your education

Decide where to put your education on your resume by thinking about your work history. If you have been working for several years, list your experience first. Your knowledge as a business owner is what most hiring managers want to see.

If you recently finished a significant educational program, like an MBA, you should list your education first. This shows that you have fresh knowledge ready to apply to your business tasks.

Remember, if your education is not recent or highly relevant to the work you are seeking, it should not take the front seat on your resume. Always highlight your practical experience and skills gained from running a business first.

Highlight your achievements

Include specific achievements like increasing revenue, expanding customer base, or successful marketing campaigns. Numbers and percentages are effective.

Demonstrate your problem-solving skills by detailing how you resolved issues and improved business operations.

Prioritize key information

You need to prioritize the information that goes on the front page. Hiring managers often skim through the first page, so make sure it counts. List the highlights of your time as a business owner, such as significant growth figures or successful project launches, right at the beginning.

It's better to remove less relevant information than to squeeze everything in using small font or narrow margins. If you have to go beyond one page to include critical details, that is acceptable. However, keep readability in mind so that your strengths and experience are easily seen and understood.

Use action verbs

Start experience bullet points with strong action verbs like 'launched', 'grew', or 'optimized' to show your proactive approach.

Be specific about the actions you took and the results you achieved, this adds clarity and impact to your resume.

Understanding resume screeners

When you apply for jobs, your resume may first be read by a computer program. This system sorts resumes by looking for key terms. To help your resume show up, use words that relate to the job you want. For example, if you ran a store, mention 'inventory management' or 'customer service'. This matches what the job might ask for.

Here are things to do so the computer finds your resume:

  • Include words from the job ad in your resume. This is important for the system to see your resume as a good fit.
  • Show you know how to run a business by talking about 'budgeting' and 'team leadership'. These are skills many jobs look for.
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