The company description (sometimes called the company overview) is the section of a business plan that explains what your business is, what it does, and why it exists. In a few paragraphs it covers your legal structure, location, mission, the customers you serve, and what sets you apart. It comes right after the executive summary and sets the context for everything that follows. Here is what to include and an example you can model.
What is the company description in a business plan?
It is a concise, factual snapshot of the business. Where the executive summary sells the whole plan and the organization and management section covers who runs it, the company description answers the basics a reader needs before the details: what you do, who you do it for, and how you are set up. It usually runs half a page to a page. To see how it fits alongside every other section, see our business plan format guide.
What to include in a company description
- Business name and legal structure. Your registered name and whether you are an LLC, corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship.
- Location and the market you serve. Where you operate and the geographic or customer market you target.
- Mission statement. A sentence or two on why the business exists and the value it delivers.
- What you offer and the problem you solve. A high-level description of your product or service and the need it meets — the detail goes in the products and services section.
- Company history or founding story. When and why it started, and any traction so far. For a startup, this is short.
- What makes you different. The edge — expertise, location, model, or relationships — that sets you apart from competitors.
- Objectives. A short statement of where the business is headed.
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A concise version reads like this: "Northgate Logistics LLC is a Texas-based limited liability company providing last-mile delivery for regional e-commerce retailers across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Founded in 2024 by two operators with a combined fifteen years in freight, the company exists to give mid-sized online retailers same-day delivery that national carriers cannot match on price or flexibility. Our edge is a dedicated local fleet and software that routes around DFW traffic in real time. Over the next three years we aim to grow from two trucks to a ten-vehicle fleet serving 50+ retail clients." In a few sentences it establishes the structure, the market, the mission, the differentiator, and the objective — without drifting into operations or financials.
Tips for writing it well
Keep it factual and concise — this is context, not your sales pitch. A useful checklist is the five W's: who you are, what you do, where you operate, whom you serve, and why you are different. Avoid jargon a lender or investor would have to decode, and make sure the description aligns with the rest of the plan, especially the financial projections. For the full writing process, see how to write a business plan, or hand the whole plan to our business plan writers.
