Self-employed business owners often struggle with articulating their varied responsibilities and achievements in a structured, corporate-friendly format on their resumes. Our guide can assist by providing industry-specific templates and actionable cues to help them effectively translate their entrepreneurial experiences into quantifiable accomplishments, making their skills more visible and appealing to potential employers.
Dive into this guide to discover how to craft a compelling self employed business owner resume:
- Explore top-tier self employed business owner resume samples, spotlighting industry-leading skills and experiences.
- Uncover over ten tailored strategies to make your self employed business owner resume resonate with the job description.
- Illuminate your unique value as a self employed business owner candidate, using your professional achievements as a guide.
- Debunk the myth that education doesn't matter, and learn how to leverage your academic and certification credentials effectively.
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Formatting the layout of your self employed business owner resume: design, length, and more
When it comes to the format of your self employed business owner resume , you've plenty of opportunities to get creative. But, as a general rule of thumb, there are four simple steps you could integrate into your resume layout.
- If you have plenty of experience, you'd like to showcase, invest in the reverse-chronological resume format. This format focuses on your latest experience items and skills you've learned during your relevant (and recent) jobs.
- Don't go over the two-page limit, when creating your professional self employed business owner resume. Curate within it mainly experience and skills that are relevant to the job.
- Make sure your self employed business owner resume header includes all of your valid contact information. You could also opt to display your professional portfolio or LinkedIn profile.
- Submit or send out your self employed business owner resume as a PDF, so you won't lose its layout and design.
Each market has its own resume standards – a Canadian resume layout may differ, for example.
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Pro tip
While color can enhance your self employed business owner resume by emphasizing key details like headlines, job titles, and degrees, moderation is key. Stick to a primary and a secondary color to maintain professionalism and avoid a cluttered appearance.
Essential components for your self employed business owner resume:
- Header: Feature your name prominently. If you have a notable degree or certification, append it next to your name. Include contact details, a link to your portfolio, and a concise headline.
- Summary or Objective: Align your professional trajectory and standout achievements with the desired role.
- Experience: Craft concise bullet points, highlighting tangible successes and contributions.
- Skills: Showcase them throughout your resume and consider a dedicated sidebar for emphasis.
- Education & Certifications: Reinforce your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to the industry.
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Entrepreneurial Skills: Demonstrating ability to start, develop, and manage a business from the ground up, including defining vision, setting strategic direction, securing resources, and operational management.
- Financial Management: Showing expertise in managing business finances, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. Evidence of successful cost control and revenue generation is crucial.
- Sales and Marketing: Having solid experience in marketing strategies, sales techniques, and customer relationship management. Ability to grow a customer base and increase business visibility will be prioritized.
- Leadership: Displaying strong leadership qualities such as decision-making, team building, and conflict resolution. Recruiters like to see you've managed staff or teams effectively.
- Industry Knowledge: Possessing deep understanding of industry trends, competition, and regulatory environment. The ability to adapt and innovate based on market conditions is highly valued.
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Detailing your relevant experience on your self employed business owner resume
Showcase your credibility in the resume experience section. For an effective self employed business owner resume:
- Highlight measurable achievements.
- Scan the job advert for keywords and integrate them throughout your experience section.
- Emphasize your technical proficiencies and how you've applied them in various roles.
- Keep it simple: mention your responsibility, relevant skills, and the outcomes.
- Use this section to convey your unique value, soft skills, feedback received, and the type of company culture you thrive in.
Top professionals ensure their experience section offers a captivating look at their expertise. Check out our sample self employed business owner resumes for guidance.
- Launched and managed a successful e-commerce platform, resulting in a 150% increase in online sales within the first year.
- Implemented effective digital marketing strategies, including SEO and social media campaigns, leading to a 200% growth in website traffic.
- Collaborated with suppliers to negotiate favorable pricing terms, reducing costs by 20% and improving profit margins.
- Founded and operated a boutique coffee shop, overseeing all aspects of business operations and customer service.
- Developed a loyal customer base through personalized interactions and consistent delivery of high-quality products resulting in a 30% increase in annual revenue.
- Managed a team of 10 employees, providing training, scheduling, and performance evaluations to optimize productivity.
- Established a consulting firm specializing in process optimization for manufacturing companies, resulting in an average cost reduction of 15% for clients.
- Led cross-functional teams to implement lean manufacturing techniques, streamlining production processes and reducing lead time by 25%.
- Developed and delivered customized training programs to enhance employee skills, resulting in improved operational efficiency.
- Operated a freelance graphic design business, providing creative solutions to clients across various industries.
- Managed multiple design projects simultaneously, consistently meeting deadlines and exceeding client expectations resulting in a 90% client retention rate.
- Collaborated with clients to understand their brand identity and marketing goals, translating them into visually appealing designs.
- Founded and currently manage a digital marketing agency, offering comprehensive online marketing solutions to businesses.
- Developed and executed data-driven strategies to improve clients' website conversion rates by an average of 30%.
- Led a team of specialists in SEO, PPC advertising, and social media marketing to drive client success and achieve tangible results.
- Established a home renovation company, overseeing all project phases from planning to execution resulting in a portfolio of successful home transformations.
- Managed subcontractors, ensuring timely completion of projects within budget resulting in a 95% customer satisfaction rate.
- Implemented strategic marketing initiatives, targeting affluent neighborhoods resulting in a 40% increase in annual revenue.
- Founded and operated a pet grooming salon, providing exceptional grooming services to a diverse clientele.
- Developed customized grooming plans for each pet, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Implemented an online booking system and social media marketing campaigns, resulting in a 50% increase in new customer acquisition.
- Owned and managed a catering business, specializing in corporate events and private functions.
- Planned and executed high-profile events for clients, accommodating up to 500 guests, resulting in positive client testimonials and referrals.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers, optimizing costs and ensuring high-quality ingredients resulting in a 20% increase in profit margin.
- Founded and operated a fitness studio, offering personalized training programs and group classes.
- Implemented innovative marketing strategies, resulting in a 75% increase in membership within the first year.
- Developed partnerships with local businesses to offer exclusive discounts, attracting a diverse clientele and increasing retention rates.
- Managed a small-scale farming operation, cultivating organic produce for local markets.
- Implemented sustainable farming practices, resulting in a significant reduction in resource consumption and environmental impact.
- Established relationships with local restaurants and farmers' markets, resulting in consistent sales and revenue growth.
Quantifying impact on your resume
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Lacking experience? Here's what to do.
Candidates with limited experience often fall into two categories:
- Recent graduates aiming for a self employed business owner role
- Professionals transitioning from a different field
Both can still land a job in the industry. Here's how to optimize the experience section of your self employed business owner resume:
- Highlight your strengths, especially if they align with the job requirements.
- Remove unrelated experiences. Your resume should tell a story that resonates with the self employed business owner role.
- Showcase your personality. Traits like ambition and diligence can make you an attractive candidate.
- Align your experience with the job requirements, ensuring your resume speaks directly to the role.
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Pro tip
Highlight what sets your experience apart. Incorporate metrics, feedback, and the tangible value you've added to organizations. This specificity ensures your resume remains pertinent and memorable.
Highlighting your hard and soft skills on your self employed business owner resume
The skills section of your self employed business owner resume should showcase your capabilities that align with job requirements.
Your hard skills, or technical skills, demonstrate your proficiency with technological innovations and specific software. On the other hand, your soft skills illustrate how you'd excel in the workplace environment with personal attributes like resilience, negotiation, and organization.
For a well-rounded self employed business owner resume, it's essential to include both. Here's how to craft a standout skills section:
- Prioritize skills listed at the top of the job advert.
- Highlight unique skills you've honed over time.
- Choose soft skills that resonate with the company or department culture.
- Address essential job requirements by listing key skills for the self employed business owner role that haven't been mentioned elsewhere in your resume.
Check out our sample skill list for self employed business owner to get ideas on the most sought-after hard and soft skills in the industry.
Top skills for your self employed business owner resume:
Accounting Software (e.g., QuickBooks)
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
E-commerce Platforms (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce)
Microsoft Office Suite
Digital Marketing Tools (e.g., Google Analytics, SEO Tools)
Project Management Software (e.g., Trello, Asana)
Website Development Tools (e.g., WordPress, HTML/CSS)
Social Media Management Tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer)
Payment Processing Systems (e.g., PayPal, Stripe)
Inventory Management Software
Leadership
Time Management
Problem-Solving
Communication
Adaptability
Negotiation
Decision Making
Networking
Creativity
Customer Service
Pro tip
When detailing your skills, align them with the job's requirements. Emphasize unique technical proficiencies and provide examples of your soft skills in action.
Optimizing the education and certification sections of your self employed business owner resume
Your education and certification sections can be game-changers on your self employed business owner resume, showcasing your commitment to professional growth.
For the education section:
- Highlight advanced education, noting the institution and duration.
- If you're currently studying, mention your expected graduation date.
- Exclude degrees that don't align with the job's requirements.
- If relevant, delve into your academic journey, spotlighting significant achievements.
When listing degrees and certifications:
- Feature those directly relevant to the role.
- Highlight recent and significant knowledge or certifications at the top of your resume.
- Provide essential details like the issuing institution and dates for credibility.
- Avoid listing irrelevant degrees or certifications, such as your high school diploma or unrelated specializations.
Remember, even if you're tempted to omit your education or certifications, they can offer a competitive edge, signaling a long-term commitment to the industry.
Best certifications to list on your resume
Pro tip
If you have plenty of certifications, prioritize the most relevant and industry-recognized ones. Arrange them based on their relevance to the job at hand.
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Summary or objective: making your self employed business owner resume shine
Start your resume with a strong summary or objective to grab the recruiter's attention.
- Use a resume objective if you're newer to the field. Share your career dreams and strengths.
- Opt for a resume summary if you have more experience. Highlight up to five of your top achievements.
Tailor your summary or objective for each job. Think about what the recruiter wants to see.
Resume summary and objective examples for a self employed business owner resume
- With 10 years of successful entrepreneurship in the culinary industry, I bring unparalleled passion for crafting unique dining experiences. My technical skills in restaurant management and financial planning have led to consistent revenue growth. Notably, I increased customer retention by 30% within my first year of business operation.
- As a seasoned construction business owner with over 15 years of experience, I've honed my skills in project management, budgeting, and client relations. A testament to my success is the sustained 20% year-over-year growth of my business, achieved through strategic planning and effective team leadership.
- With a 7-year career as a Software Engineer and a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship, I'm looking to apply my skills in a new direction. My background in tech combined with excellent leadership abilities will ensure a seamless transition into a business owner role.
- After 12 years as an accomplished Corporate Lawyer, I'm ready for a career shift into business ownership. My expertise in negotiation, contract law, and relationship management will be instrumental in driving business growth and achieving operational efficiency.
- Eager to combine my newly-acquired MBA degree with my innate leadership skills to establish a start-up in the fitness sector. I am confident that my strong organizational skills coupled with a knack for strategic planning can lead to significant growth and sustainability.
- Passionate about sustainable fashion, I aspire to leverage my recent degree in Environmental Science and Business Administration to launch a clothing brand focused on eco-friendly practices. Aim to utilize my strong project management skills and commitment to ethical sourcing in building a successful business.
How to include other relevant sections for your self employed business owner resume
Apart from the standard sections listed in this guide, you have the opportunity to get creative when building your profile.
Select additional resume sections that you deem align with the role, the department, or the company culture.
Here are the ones we recommend:
- Language skills - use a profficiency framework to indicate your aptitude level;
- Hobbies and interests - you can share more about your favorite books or how you spend your time. It's great for culture alignment;
- Volunteering - helps you highlight the causes you care about and hints at people skills you gained such as teamwork, emotional intelligence, and organizational skills;
- Awards - the space for your most prominent self employed business owner professional accolades and achievements.
Make sure that these sections don't take too much away from your experience, but instead build up your self employed business owner professional profile. You can add them as a second column to your resume, or on a second page.
Key takeaways
- Craft a self employed business owner resume that's easy to read and aligns with the role's requirements.
- The top third of your resume should clearly convey your unique value proposition for the self employed business owner role.
- Tailor your resume to the job, highlighting skills, achievements, and the tangible results of your efforts.
- Detail your certifications and technical skills to demonstrate proficiency with specific tools and technologies.
- The sections you choose should collectively present a comprehensive view of your professional expertise and personality.
