So you have your own business—or you just launched your new company based on your fabulous service/idea/product. Congratulations!! Thinking you are now done with needing that god-awful resume that stressed you out every time you needed to send it to a company applying for a job. Frankly, I thought the same thing when I launched Chameleon Resumes last year—and I write these things!

Anyhow, as you can guess, a number of my clients over the past year and a half have been entrepreneurs who have used their resume for many purposes—and some I have discovered myself when pursuing specific initiatives. So here is a list of purposes you will need one to help you be proactively ready to have the tools to achieve your dreams!

(1) Possible clients want to see your background before they choose to business with you.

(2) Business Proposals (RFPs) often require backgrounds of the business owners and/or key service players who will be executing service on behalf of your company as part of the presentation package

(3) Your resume is the basis for your executive biography—which you need for your website, speaking engagements, marketing collateral and other branding initiatives

(4) Banks/Lenders ask for resumes for each owner of the business as part of a loan package

(5) Prospective investors in your firm will want to know everything about you on a resume (and more!) before they commit to investing in your organization.

(6) Your resume will be the foundation of all your social media profile content to help you establish your personal and company brand. For example, LinkedIn Profile, Facebook Page, Twitter account, Blog & Website Bio and other online user group and communities you belong to that will need a profile completed with your information. The message conveyed in these mediums will help you attract the kind of client/investor you are looking to engage.

(7) If you are just starting your business, you may need to supplement your start-up with some contract work to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head. And these initial contract gigs can lead you to your first clients, as well (that is my experience, actually!)

Now we have established why entrepreneurs need resumes. But will it be the same kind of resume you used to land that plum job? Not necessarily. The entrepreneur resume will be more like a summary of your experiences that demonstrate why you are the expert in your field that you are. It will showcase previous experiences where you have successfully worked with clients. Your resume will highlight what training and education you have that your prospect will benefit from working with you. It is, in essence, a personal marketing document promoting your individual brand and that of your company.

So do not groan that you still need a resume. Rejoice in the fact you now get to have your own brag book of all the experiences and achievements that make you fabulous.

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