11 Small Business Owner Resume Examples for 2025

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
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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.

Customize your resume

When you apply for a job, it's good to tailor your resume to show how your skills fit the role. Think about the tasks you handled as a small business owner that match the new job's needs. This shows the hiring manager you're a good fit. Use clear language and focus on results you delivered.

  • Show you know how to keep customers happy. Mention times when you improved customer service or got good feedback.
  • Talk about how you managed money. Use examples like how you cut costs or raised money for your business.
  • If you're moving to a different job area, link what you've done before to the new role. For example, if you led a small team to finish projects on time, this shows you can manage people and meet deadlines.

Key skills for business owners

As a small business owner, you need a range of skills that show you can handle diverse tasks. Here's a list of skills that are important for your resume:

  • Financial management
  • Budgeting
  • Inventory control
  • Project management
  • Business development
  • Marketing strategy
  • Sales expertise
  • Customer service
  • Website management
  • Knowledge of business law

You don't need to include all these skills, just the ones that match the job you want. Place these skills in a clear section on your resume. Many companies use tracking systems to check resumes, so including specific skills can help yours get noticed. For example, if you have experience with SEO or social media marketing, include these if the job involves online marketing.

Think about the tasks you were responsible for. Use your resume to show how you used skills like strategic planning or ecommerce to achieve success. This can help employers understand what you can do for them. If you've used CRM software or accounting programs, list these as well. Remember, it's about quality, not quantity; choose the skills that will make your resume stand out for the specific role you're after.

Quantify your business impact

When you describe your work as a small business owner, showing your impact with numbers can make a big difference. You might have improved sales, cut costs, or increased efficiency. These are powerful evidence of your skills and successes.

Think about how you can use numbers to show what you have achieved. Here are some ideas:

  • Increased annual sales by 20%.
  • Reduced overhead costs by $15,000 a year.
  • Expanded product line, leading to a 35% rise in customer base.
  • Boosted website traffic by 50% through targeted marketing strategies.
  • Enhanced employee productivity, decreasing project turnaround time by 25%.
  • Streamlined supply chain, cutting delivery times by 30%.
  • Improved customer satisfaction scores by 40% with a new service initiative.
  • Grew social media following to 10,000 users, increasing brand visibility.

Even if you are unsure of the exact numbers, make a good estimate. Think about before-and-after scenarios where your actions led to a clear change. Ask yourself how much time you saved on a task, or by what percentage you grew your customer base. Numbers like these help you show the value you bring as a small business owner.

Highlight leadership and growth

As you showcase your business journey, it's essential to display any leadership roles or growth in responsibility. This helps employers see your capability to take charge and progress.

Think about the times you have led a team or a project. Did you introduce a new service or product line that led to increased sales? Maybe you trained new staff or lead a collaboration with another business. Here are some ways to show these achievements:

  • Managed a team of 10 staff, increasing overall productivity by 20%.
  • Promoted from craftsperson to store manager within one year, due to strong sales and leadership skills.

Even if you aren't sure how to pinpoint promotions or leadership roles, consider any time you took on more work, trained someone, or made decisions for your business. These are all signs of leadership that employers look for.

Resume focus for company size

When you apply to a small business or a startup, show how you were hands-on in your role. Use phrases like 'directly managed' or 'personally oversaw.' Small companies value versatility, so highlight a broad skill set and a record of adapting to new tasks. For example, you might write, 'adapted to new roles quickly to meet evolving business needs.'

If you're targeting a larger corporation, focus on your ability to scale operations and manage complex projects. Phrases like 'oversaw significant growth' or 'implemented systems for efficiency at scale' can be effective. Larger companies might be more impressed by your experience with formal processes and your strategic planning abilities. Mention any occasions where you 'streamlined company-wide procedures' or 'led strategic planning initiatives.'

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