The 9-Step Business Model Canvas Explained (2023 Update)

how to analyse a business model canvas

Written by Raquel Alberdi

Business | entrepreneurship, 16 comments(s).

Business Model Canvas

Blog » The 9-Step Business Model Canvas Explained (2023 Update)

how to analyse a business model canvas

“A major mistake made by many start-ups around the world is focusing on the technology, the software, the product, and the design, but neglecting to ever figure out the business . And by “business” we simply mean how the company makes money by acquiring and serving its customers”.

-Reid Hoffman

After meeting with hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners over the years I believe the LinkedIn co-founder and Blitzscaling author Reid Hoffman’s got it spot on.

People tend to focus on specific parts of their business, such as which software packages are being used, which is the cheapest supplier, how to optimize internal processes…?

They get so bogged down in the details of the day-to-day running that they lose the overall vision of their business.

Without this vision they are unable to scale, they make marginal profits, miss opportunities, struggle to innovate, and end up running “just another” business.

Another handy metaphor in understanding this common mistake is the soldier in the trenches .

Every meter of ground gained comes at a heavy cost, mistakes are made, and progress is hard-fought and slow…a day-to-day experience for 99% of entrepreneurs and businessmen.

But when you do have that 360 vision you see the entire battlefield. Decisions are much clearer, fewer mistakes are made, and progress is fast and methodical.

Fortunately, a business model framework exists that gives you both vision and clarity .

The Business Model Canvas provides entrepreneurs, business owners, and strategists with a tool to analyze, structure, and evolve a business while always keeping the bigger picture front of mind.

So let’s take a closer look at how it works.

Table of Content

What is the Business Model Canvas?

Created by Swiss entrepreneur and Strategyzer co-founder, Alexander Osterwalder, the Business Model Canvas is a visual representation of the 9 key building blocks that form the foundations of every successful business. It’s a blueprint to help entrepreneurs invent, design, and build models with a more systematic approach.

Why is it so popular within the business community?

Its simplicity. The business model canvas allows us to carry out a high-level analysis without drilling down and getting lost in the details. You just draw out the 9 building blocks on a blank canvas, fill them in as each concept relates to your business, and hang it somewhere everybody can see.

It’s a visual overview of your entire business on a single canvas.

While the Business Model Canvas is an extremely fluid concept and hyper-specific to individual companies, each canvas is still broken down into these 9 key building blocks:

Customer Segments

Value propositions, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partners.

When laid out on the canvas the model will look something like this:

 Scheme of business model in which 9 important fields are developed for its execution.

While you’ve probably come across each of the 9 building blocks before, the attractiveness of the Business Model Canvas is that it confines them to a single page , not a traditional 42-page document.

This makes it a lot easier to digest, as well as assess existing business models or map out new ideas.

How do I fill out the Business Model Canvas?

To start your Business Model Canvas you will need to breakdown and analyze each of the 9 building blocks.

A good way to approach this is to gather the heads from marketing, sales, operations, finance, and manufacturing (if product-based) and pencil-in a morning where you can all meet together.

Then, after drawing a mock canvas onto a whiteboard, proceed to dissect and discuss each of the 9 building blocks as they relate to your business. You can use sticky notes to better organize your thoughts around the canvas.

If you are an entrepreneur or new business owner working alone and don’t have a team to bounce your ideas off, not to worry. You can still carry out your analysis before sharing it with a like-minded entrepreneurial community or forum, like those found on ThePowerMBA , to get useful, insightful feedback.

Whichever way you decide to approach it, I recommend you complete each block in the following order:

  • Cost structure

For continuity, I’m going to use the fashion retail giant Zara when analyzing each of the 9 key building blocks.

If you’d like to skip to another case study similar to your own business, navigate to the table of contents at the top of the page and select one of the other business model canvas examples.

Customer segment business model canvas for Zara company

The first block of the Business Canvas Model is about understanding who is the most important customer(s) you’re delivering value to. Or, in other words, who are they? What do they do? And why would they buy your product or service?

Not a single company exists without its clients, making customer segments the best block to start with while drawing out your business model canvas.

A great exercise to define your customer segments is to brainstorm and create your company’s buyer persona (s) .

Buyer personas are fictional depictions of an ideal or hypothetical client. Typically when brainstorming a buyer persona you’d want to define certain characteristics (age, demographic, gender, income, industry, pain points, goals, etc.)

However, remember at this stage we want a snapshot of our customer segment. There’s no need to jump into great detail just yet.

In the case of Zara, there are three distinct customer segments to whom they offer different products.

The products created for each of these customer segments (clothing, shoes, and accessories) are not trans-consumable. That is to say, a woman’s dress is highly unlikely to be worn by a 7-year-old child.

Once we know exactly who it is we are targeting, it’s time to look at what we as a company have to offer.

Zara Customer Segments business model canvas template showing the development of the 9 fields

The second phase is about figuring out your company’s value propositions , and importantly, your UVP (unique value proposition). The “what” that makes customers turn to you, over your competitors? Which of their problems are you best at solving?

Each value proposition consists of a bundle of products or services that fulfill the needs of a buyer persona from your customer segment. It’s the intersection between what your company offers, and the reason or impulse customers have for purchasing.

Some popular questions to ask while determining your UVP are:

  • Which specific customer pain point are you trying to solve?
  • What job are you helping customers get done?
  • How does your UVP eliminate customer pain points?
  • What products or services do you provide that answer this specific pain point?

So let’s try and apply this to Zara. Why do people choose to purchase from them, over their competitors?

Zara’s principal value propositions are fairly clear. They offer various ranges of stylish men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing and accessories at an affordable price.

But there’s more to it than that.

If we dive a little deeper we see Zara’s value propositions are more complex, which are behind the success of the brand:

Fast fashion

Zara adds new clothes and designs to its collections every 2-3 weeks, both in its stores and online. It keeps the brand updated, fresh, and modern while maintaining its all-important medium price point

Great eCommerce experience

Once you enter Zara’s online store you’re presented with a clean, easy-to-navigate, and high-end feel. The customer segments are visible on the left navigation bar with a search tab to further aid customers with their online experience.

Zara's Canvas business model where you can see the innovative presentation of its image

Localized stores

You can find a store in nearly all major retail locations (shopping malls, retail outlets, airports, etc.) meaning accessibility is not an issue for the majority of consumers.

Flagship stores

Zara demonstrates its aesthetic evolution to customers through its flagship stores. The recent opening of their Hudson Yards , New York City flagship is a great example of this. Customers shop around its vivid, minimalist layout offering them an experience aligned with the brand’s deeper, eco-friendly values.

Zara's Canvas business model where you can see the innovative presentation of the image of its stores

Zara Hudson Yards, New York

Business Model Canvas Template Zara - Value Propositions

The next step is to ask yourself how you are reaching your customers, and through which channels ?

This includes both the channels that customers want to communicate with you as well as how they’ll receive your products or services.

Is it going to be a physical channel? (store, field sales representatives, etc.) Or is it a digital channel? (mobile, web, cloud, etc.).

Zara has 3 primary channels in which they communicate and deliver products to its customers:

  • Direct sales through their stores
  • Online (both app and website)
  • Social media

Customers can go to a traditional “bricks and mortar” store to browse, model, and purchase different items of clothing at one of their retail stores.

Alternatively, they can shop online or through their mobile application and have the product delivered straight to their door or nearest store. The choice is completely up to them!

So that covers Zara’s commercial channels, but what about how they communicate with customers?

While they do communicate through their mobile app, their predominant channel is social media.

What’s more, they’re really, really good at it.

For example, did you know that Zara invests less than 0.3% of its sales revenue into advertising?

This is only possible due to an A-rated social media presence . Customer queries are not only dealt with quickly, but recommended re-works are sent back to HQ, forwarded onto in-house designers who then apply the feedback to future collections.

This customer-first approach through fluid communication channels has saved them thousands of dollars in marketing, strengthened their brand, and created a loyal customer base.

You should only step away from this building block once you’ve decided how each of your customer segments want to be reached.

Zara Channels business model canvas template where its components are developed

Once you have acquired customers, you will need to think about how you can build , nurture, and grow those relationships.

Now, this can be automated and transactional like large eCommerce brands Amazon or Alibaba. Or, it could be at the complete opposite end of the scale and require a more personal relationship you’d typically have with a bank or your local bike shop.

Zara’s relationship with its customers is threefold, and lies somewhere in the middle of transactional and personal:

  • Salesperson at store
  • Brand through social media
  • Sentimental attachment to a product

Yes, you have the initial transactional touchpoint at the store or online, something relatively impersonal and for many the only interaction they’ll have with the brand.

However, customers (especially in the fashion industry) are encouraged to continue to interact with a brand through social media platforms.

As we mentioned before when discussing channels, Zara has a very effective communication system in place. Not only can people instantly get in touch with the brand, but also engage with new posts, images, and collections uploaded to social media.

This personal approach to customer relationship building can, in some cases, lead to the natural growth of brand ambassadors and communities .

An attachment can also develop between customers and particular garments or accessories from one of their collections. The sentimental attachment to these products also creates another potential form of brand loyalty.

The relations with Zara's clients to give a Business Model Canvas where the 9 points to be developed are seen

Now that you’ve described how you are going to create real value for your customers, it’s time to look at how you plan to capture that value.

What are your revenue streams? Is it going to be a transactional, direct sales strategy ? Are you going to consider a freemium mode l, where you give a portion of your product or service away for free with the idea of converting later on down the line?

If you’re a SaaS company such as SalesForce or Strava , then it’s likely that a licensing or subscription revenue model will be more appropriate.

At Zara, it’s extremely simple. They make their money by selling clothes and accessories either at a store or online.

Zara business model canvas template for the development of Revenue streams within the 9 points to work

As you can see, we’ve filled in the entire right-hand side of our business model canvas. We touched upon:

Customer segments

  • Value propositions
  • Revenue streams
  • Distribution channels

Now it’s time to move over to the left side of the business canvas model and look at what we need, internally , to deliver our value propositions.

Key resources of the Zara Business Model Canvas

To start with, let’s take a look at key resources.

The key resources are all things you need to have, or the assets required to create that value for customers.

This could be anything from intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc.) to physical holdings (factories, offices, delivery vans, etc.) right down to finances (the initial cash flow perhaps needed to start your brand).

Another key resource every company needs to consider is its human capital . Are you going to need highly specialized software engineers? Or field-based sales teams?

They are relatively capital-heavy resources that need to be factored into your business model.

In the case of Zara, they are going to need a number of key resources if they hope to deliver their propositions:

  • Stock management
  • A large, interconnected network of physical stores
  • A strong brand
  • Logistics and supply chain infrastructure

Stock is vital for both online and offline customers.

If they are unable to supply their range of products and meet customer demands, satisfaction levels fall and they have a serious problem on their hands.

A large distribution network of brick and mortar stores combined with a strong brand name help mitigate these factors, as well as reinforce any ongoing marketing activities and communication efforts.

Finally, an efficient logistics process within Zara is critical, especially when you consider the complexities involved with such a large-scale operation.

They will require the necessary technology to analyze data on inventory, storage, materials, production, and packaging, with the staff to execute each of these stages and manage the delivery of the final products.

Zara business model canvas template where the Key Resources are developed

The next step is to define the key activities – the areas you need to be good at to create value for your customers.

To mix it up a little let’s take a look at a slightly different business in Uber .

Their key activities can be broken down into:

  • Web and mobile app development
  • Driver recruitment
  • Marketing: customer acquisition
  • Customer service activities : drivers’ ratings, incidents, etc.

They need a fast, clean UX for their customers using the app, drivers to carry out their service, and the ability to both market the product and deal with any customer queries.

Zara’s key activities will differ to those of Uber. Some of the things they need to consider would be:

  • Manufacturing
  • Retail process (point of sale and 3rd party management)
  • Distribution channel / logistics

Design is a key activity as Zara’s value proposition is to provide stylish garments at an affordable price. Their collections need to be constantly updated to follow the latest fashion trends at the time.

To produce their collections Zara will also require manufacturing capabilities. Now Zara doesn’t own their own factories (we will get to that in the Key Partners section) but they still need to be involved in the garment manufacturing process.

Everything from fabric selection to pattern making, to detailing and dyeing affects the outcome of the final product which of course they have to then go on and sell.

The effective management of the retail and distribution channels (online, offline, shipping, and communication with providers) is also key. A breakdown in either of these activities, such as a poor relationship with an important provider will have serious consequences for the business.

Zara business model canvas template showing the key activities for its development

Most modern business models now require brands to build out and work with various key partners to fully leverage their business model.

This includes partnerships such as joint ventures and non-equity strategic alliances as well as typical relationships with buyers, suppliers, and producers.

A great example of a strategic partnership would be between ThePowerMBA and Forbes . In exchange for exposure of our brand to the magazine’s global audience, we provide expertise and content on high-level business education programs.

As we touched upon when discussing key activities , Zara requires strategic partnerships with many different providers if they are to design and produce their collections.

Another key partner is their major holding company, Inditex .

Inditex has several subsidiaries including Massimo Dutti , Pull & Bear , and Oysho . Being a subsidiary of Inditex means they share a consolidated balance sheet, stakeholders, management and control, and various legal responsibilities.

While as a subsidiary Zara is afforded certain freedoms when it comes to design, delivery, and the general running of the company, the overall strategy will need to be aligned with Inditex and its other subsidiaries.

Zara Key Partners business model canvas template where the eighth point is developed

The final step of the Business Model Canvas is to ask yourself, how much is it going to cost to run this model?

This includes some of the more obvious needs such as manufacturing costs, physical space, rent, payroll, but also areas such as marketing activities.

If you are unsure of exactly what to include in your cost structure take a look at a Profit and Loss statement ( P&L ) from a competitor or company in a similar industry to yours. You’ll find many items overlap such as research and development ( R&D ), cost of goods sold, admin expenses, operating costs, etc.

Once that’s done you should prioritize your key activities and resources and find out if they are fixed or variable costs .

As Zara is such a large, corporate business they are going to have both fixed costs (rent, payroll, point of sales personnel) and variables, such as costs associated with the fluctuating sale of goods, purchase of materials and, manufacturing costs.

Once you’ve completed these 9 steps, your Business Canvas Model should look something like this:

Business Model Canvas Examples

Hopefully, you were able to get a good feel for the effectiveness of the business model canvas with our run-through of Zara.

However, if you found it difficult to follow due to the stark difference between your industries, I’m going to quickly go through 3 more companies to demonstrate the tool’s flexibility:

  • Netflix (Media service/production)
  • Vintae (Vineyard)

Even if these business model canvas examples don’t align exactly with your industry, I honestly believe that studying different models gives you a competitive advantage in your professional career regardless.

If you’re currently employed by a company, you’ll better understand how your specific role helps the company achieve some of its “long-term” goals.

Alternatively, if you are a business owner yourself (or perhaps thinking of starting your own business) you’ll have a better understanding of your business and where potential opportunities lay.

I’m sure you’re familiar with our next business model canvas example candidate, Netflix .

The global media company offers an online streaming service of various movies, documentaries, and TV programs produced in-house or licensed 3rd-party content. Their success sparked a revolution in the online media world with the likes of Amazon, Apple, Disney, HBO, and Hulu all rushing to launch their own online video streaming platforms.

Netflix started life as an online DVD rental company, basically a web version of the more popular (at least at that time) “bricks and mortar” Blockbuster.

Co-founder Reed Hastings predicted as far back as 1999 that the future of media was in online streaming, saying “postage rates were going to keep going up and the internet was going to get twice as fast at half the price every 18 months.”

It wouldn’t be until 2007 that Hasting’s prediction would become true when Netflix, as we now know it, was born.

So let’s take a current look at their business model canvas:

Netflix business model in which the 9 topics are taken into consideration

As you probably know, there are very few people out there who haven’t subscribed, watched, or at least heard of Netflix. There is content for everybody: wildlife documentaries, sci-fi movies, rom coms, action-thrillers, you name it – it’s there.

That’s why their customer segment can be classified as a “ mass market ” as the base is just so diverse.

All people require is a computer, TV, internet, and/or smartphone and they’re good to go. For most developed markets, that covers just about everybody.

Value Proposition

Whether on the train to work, sitting in the car (if you’re not driving!), or relaxing at home in front of the TV, you can consume their online, on-demand video streaming service.

They also have a huge library of content for consumers to choose from, ensuring that people keep coming back, as well as increasing their mass-market appeal.

They also produce high-quality, original content to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Most people access Netflix either through their website or mobile/TV App . Another popular channel that you may have picked up on is their affiliate partners .

You’ve perhaps signed up for a mobile, TV, and internet package where the provider offers Netflix as an extra to sweeten the deal, so to speak.

That would be an example of an affiliate partnership between Netflix and mobile service providers.

I doubt many consumers have had direct contact with Netflix unless it’s to resolve a subscription issue or general query. It’s very much a self-automated service – you download the app, select the program you wish to watch, and hit play.

Very simple, very effective.

Again, this doesn’t need much embellishment. Netflix generates money from the different tiers and packages put together in their subscription services.

This varies depending on the region to account for local markets, but on the whole, it’s sold at a low price point.

Originally, Netflix’s Key Resources would have been their unrivaled DVD collection combined with a cost-effective mail-order system.

Nowadays it’s undoubtedly the rights to stream online video content. Netflix has brokered deals with some of the biggest production studios worldwide.

Combined with their huge library of in-house productions , it’s more than enough to encourage customers to renew their subscriptions.

To help sustain interest in their product, Netflix understands they need to serve-up relevant content for each sub-sector of their mass audience. Therefore their machine learning algorithm selects content for consumers based on streaming habits (what they watched, at what time, etc,.) to personalize the customer experience.

This explains why over 80% of all content streamed on Netflix was cherry-picked by this algorithm, making it a Key Resource for their business model.

Also, Netflix accounts for a whopping 12.6% of global bandwidth usage . The literal capacity to stream their services must be met meaning bandwidth must also be included here.

Content procurement is arguably their biggest Key Activity. They need to find people to produce and deliver their original content, including actors, studios, writers, etc. as well as secure the licensing and streaming rights from 3rd party producers such as Sony, Warner Bros, and Disney.

Finally, they need a fast, easy-to-use application to host their online streaming service. This needs to be available for both TV and mobile devices if they are to deliver their “on-demand” value proposition.

K ey Partners

Seeing as Netflix’s entire business model is largely based around streaming 3rd party content, key partnerships need to be built with production studios . No content, no Netflix!

Also, as we touched upon earlier Netflix is one of the largest consumers of bandwidth worldwide. If the speed and delivery of their streaming service are to be continued then deals will also need to be made with internet service providers (ISPs).

Netflix’s biggest expenditures come from both their in-house content procurement and 3rd party licensing agreements . The high-quality standard of video streamed on Netflix is only possible due to the speed and performance of its online platform and application , which has additional costs of staff, software, etc.

To show you just how flexible the business model canvas can be, I wanted to throw in a slightly leftfield example. Vintae is a Spanish wine producer who, after a detailed analysis of the business model canvas, was able to innovate and disrupt one of the world’s most competitive industries.

As some of you may know, the wine industry is extremely competitive. It’s also steeped in history and tradition , making it very challenging for newcomers to grab market share, let alone think about year-on-year growth and revenue.

However, CEO “Richi” Arambarri looked at the traditional “ bodega ” business model and saw a chink in its armor.

A “small” innovation in the business canvas model helped them to become one of the region’s most important winery groups, with over 10 installations and a presence across all regional denominations (Rioja, Priorat, Rias Baixas, etc.) with year on year growth of 30% – practically unheard of in such a competitive industry.

So how did Vintae analyze the business model canvas to find a niche in their market?

To answer that question, we must first look at the traditional winery business model .

Traditional Winery Business Model with its 9 developed points

As you can see, the wine industry has historically been patrimonial. Vineyards and estates are passed down through generations with the winery responsible for all phases of production, clarification, and distribution.

The traditional winery business canvas model suggests you must be the owner of the winery/vineyard where the wine is “manufactured”, meaning physical assets are a key resource of the business model.

So, if you wanted to start producing a Rioja, for example, you’d have to set up your vineyard in the region.

This is monumentally expensive as you need to:

  • Purchase the land
  • Plant a vineyard
  • Absorb set-up and installation costs
  • Deal with maintenance costs

It’s here where Vintae saw their opportunity.

What if we move vineyard ownership across the business model canvas from key resources to key partners ?

By leasing the equipment and space of large wineries (of which there was plenty), they could still produce their wine but reduce the cost and exposure associated with land purchase, crushing equipment, huge storage tanks, vineyard maintenance, and their bottling line.

This enabled them to focus on their sales, marketing, and distribution channels to create a better brand experience for their customers.

Also, it afforded them more flexibility when creating new wines as they were no longer confined to the limitations of grapes grown on their vineyard.

The lightness of this new business model eliminates maintenance overheads, channels energy into personalizing the customer experience, and allows for unprecedented levels of growth in one of the world’s most competitive industries.

Vinate business model

Business Model Canvas Software

Although I did mention starting with a large whiteboard, sticky notes, and a pack of colorful sharpies there are several options in which you can digitize the business canvas model production process.

While I still believe the aforementioned process is extremely valuable (it gets your entire team’s input in a single hour-long session) you may decide it more viable for each member of management to pool their ideas digitally before sharing with the rest of the group.

If that’s the case, then take a look at some of the following software tools for creating your business model canvas.

Strategyzer

Created by the founders of the business model canvas Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur , Strategyzer offers a range of business model canvas templates for you to get started with.

If you opt for the paid model (there is a 30-day free trial period) they offer a series of various classes that teach you how to build and test different value propositions and business models.

A real-time built-in cost estimator analyzes the financial viability of some of your business ideas, identifying alternative areas you may wish to explore with your model.

All-in-all, it’s a great resource to play around with and test some of your business ideas, with the option to dive into further detail if you see fit.

Canvanizer is a free, easy-to-use web tool that allows you to share links between team members who are brainstorming ideas for a business model canvas, but working remotely.

Like Strategyzer, there are several business model canvas templates provided to help you get started with your analysis. The strength of this platform is its accessibility. Much like a Google Doc., several people can brainstorm on the same canvas simultaneously with changes being synchronized automatically.

Business Model Canvas Tool

A ThePowerMBA alumni, impressed by the simplicity and effectiveness of the tool, went ahead and created the free application Business Model Canvas Tool .

It’s an incredibly intuitive, and easy-to-use tool that allows you to create templates simply by clicking the + button in each building block.

Each business model canvas created can be downloaded and shared as a pdf. with the rest of the team.

Would You Like to Learn More about Business Models?

If, after going through our 9-step guide on how to use the Business Model Canvas you’d like to learn more about different business model analysis tools , take a look at our alternative MBA business program .

As you’ll see, the course gives students a 360-degree view of business and management practices – such as engines of growth, segmentation and targeting, and value propositions.

I highly recommend you go check it out.

Regardless, I’d love to hear what you thought about this guide. Was it helpful? Would you like to see additional business cases analyzed from your industry?

Let us know in the comments below.

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16 Comments

Ayeah Goodlove

Perfect thought

kourosh abdollahzadeh

I am a DBA student. I have used your site a lot. Thank you for the information

KJ Hwang

Well defined steps, Thanks for good contents.

Reza Ebadi

Dear Sir many thanks for you guideline. it was very effective for me. Thanks a Million

Debashis Rout

Well explained with practical business case

Allen

Wow, this article was incredibly helpful! I’ve heard about the Business Model Canvas before, but I wasn’t sure exactly how it worked or how to use it for my own business.

NIMAKO JAMES

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Opoku Samuel

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Claudia Roca

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Franco

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Jude

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Praveen

Thank you very much for the business model example of ZARA. It was very very informative

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Business Model Canvas: Explained with Examples

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Got a new business idea, but don’t know how to put it to work? Want to improve your existing business model? Overwhelmed by writing your business plan? There is a one-page technique that can provide you the solution you are looking for, and that’s the business model canvas.

In this guide, you’ll have the Business Model Canvas explained, along with steps on how to create one. All business model canvas examples in the post can be edited online.

What is a Business Model Canvas

A business model is simply a plan describing how a business intends to make money. It explains who your customer base is and how you deliver value to them and the related details of financing. And the business model canvas lets you define these different components on a single page.   

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool that lets you visualize and assess your business idea or concept. It’s a one-page document containing nine boxes that represent different fundamental elements of a business.  

The business model canvas beats the traditional business plan that spans across several pages, by offering a much easier way to understand the different core elements of a business.

The right side of the canvas focuses on the customer or the market (external factors that are not under your control) while the left side of the canvas focuses on the business (internal factors that are mostly under your control). In the middle, you get the value propositions that represent the exchange of value between your business and your customers.

The business model canvas was originally developed by Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur and introduced in their book ‘ Business Model Generation ’ as a visual framework for planning, developing and testing the business model(s) of an organization.

Business Model Canvas Explained

What Are the Benefits of Using a Business Model Canvas

Why do you need a business model canvas? The answer is simple. The business model canvas offers several benefits for businesses and entrepreneurs. It is a valuable tool and provides a visual and structured approach to designing, analyzing, optimizing, and communicating your business model.

  • The business model canvas provides a comprehensive overview of a business model’s essential aspects. The BMC provides a quick outline of the business model and is devoid of unnecessary details compared to the traditional business plan.
  • The comprehensive overview also ensures that the team considers all required components of their business model and can identify gaps or areas for improvement.
  • The BMC allows the team to have a holistic and shared understanding of the business model while enabling them to align and collaborate effectively.
  • The visual nature of the business model canvas makes it easier to refer to and understand by anyone. The business model canvas combines all vital business model elements in a single, easy-to-understand canvas.
  • The BMC can be considered a strategic analysis tool as it enables you to examine a business model’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges.
  • It’s easier to edit and can be easily shared with employees and stakeholders.
  • The BMC is a flexible and adaptable tool that can be updated and revised as the business evolves. Keep your business agile and responsive to market changes and customer needs.
  • The business model canvas can be used by large corporations and startups with just a few employees.
  • The business model canvas effectively facilitates discussions among team members, investors, partners, customers, and other stakeholders. It clarifies how different aspects of the business are related and ensures a shared understanding of the business model.
  • You can use a BMC template to facilitate discussions and guide brainstorming brainstorming sessions to generate insights and ideas to refine the business model and make strategic decisions.
  • The BMC is action-oriented, encouraging businesses to identify activities and initiatives to improve their business model to drive business growth.
  • A business model canvas provides a structured approach for businesses to explore possibilities and experiment with new ideas. This encourages creativity and innovation, which in turn encourages team members to think outside the box.

How to Make a Business Model Canvas

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a business canvas model.

Step 1: Gather your team and the required material Bring a team or a group of people from your company together to collaborate. It is better to bring in a diverse group to cover all aspects.

While you can create a business model canvas with whiteboards, sticky notes, and markers, using an online platform like Creately will ensure that your work can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. Create a workspace in Creately and provide editing/reviewing permission to start.

Step 2: Set the context Clearly define the purpose and the scope of what you want to map out and visualize in the business model canvas. Narrow down the business or idea you want to analyze with the team and its context.

Step 3: Draw the canvas Divide the workspace into nine equal sections to represent the nine building blocks of the business model canvas.

Step 4: Identify the key building blocks Label each section as customer segment, value proposition, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, and cost structure.

Step 5: Fill in the canvas Work with your team to fill in each section of the canvas with relevant information. You can use data, keywords, diagrams, and more to represent ideas and concepts.

Step 6: Analyze and iterate Once your team has filled in the business model canvas, analyze the relationships to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. Discuss improvements and make adjustments as necessary.

Step 7: Finalize Finalize and use the model as a visual reference to communicate and align your business model with stakeholders. You can also use the model to make informed and strategic decisions and guide your business.

What are the Key Building Blocks of the Business Model Canvas?

There are nine building blocks in the business model canvas and they are:

Customer Segments

Customer relationships, revenue streams, key activities, key resources, key partners, cost structure.

  • Value Proposition

When filling out a Business Model Canvas, you will brainstorm and conduct research on each of these elements. The data you collect can be placed in each relevant section of the canvas. So have a business model canvas ready when you start the exercise.  

Business Model Canvas Template

Let’s look into what the 9 components of the BMC are in more detail.

These are the groups of people or companies that you are trying to target and sell your product or service to.

Segmenting your customers based on similarities such as geographical area, gender, age, behaviors, interests, etc. gives you the opportunity to better serve their needs, specifically by customizing the solution you are providing them.

After a thorough analysis of your customer segments, you can determine who you should serve and ignore. Then create customer personas for each of the selected customer segments.

Customer Persona Template for Business Model Canvas Explained

There are different customer segments a business model can target and they are;

  • Mass market: A business model that focuses on mass markets doesn’t group its customers into segments. Instead, it focuses on the general population or a large group of people with similar needs. For example, a product like a phone.  
  • Niche market: Here the focus is centered on a specific group of people with unique needs and traits. Here the value propositions, distribution channels, and customer relationships should be customized to meet their specific requirements. An example would be buyers of sports shoes.
  • Segmented: Based on slightly different needs, there could be different groups within the main customer segment. Accordingly, you can create different value propositions, distribution channels, etc. to meet the different needs of these segments.
  • Diversified: A diversified market segment includes customers with very different needs.
  • Multi-sided markets: this includes interdependent customer segments. For example, a credit card company caters to both their credit card holders as well as merchants who accept those cards.

Use STP Model templates for segmenting your market and developing ideal marketing campaigns

Visualize, assess, and update your business model. Collaborate on brainstorming with your team on your next business model innovation.

In this section, you need to establish the type of relationship you will have with each of your customer segments or how you will interact with them throughout their journey with your company.

There are several types of customer relationships

  • Personal assistance: you interact with the customer in person or by email, through phone call or other means.
  • Dedicated personal assistance: you assign a dedicated customer representative to an individual customer.  
  • Self-service: here you maintain no relationship with the customer, but provides what the customer needs to help themselves.
  • Automated services: this includes automated processes or machinery that helps customers perform services themselves.
  • Communities: these include online communities where customers can help each other solve their own problems with regard to the product or service.
  • Co-creation: here the company allows the customer to get involved in the designing or development of the product. For example, YouTube has given its users the opportunity to create content for its audience.

You can understand the kind of relationship your customer has with your company through a customer journey map . It will help you identify the different stages your customers go through when interacting with your company. And it will help you make sense of how to acquire, retain and grow your customers.

Customer Journey Map

This block is to describe how your company will communicate with and reach out to your customers. Channels are the touchpoints that let your customers connect with your company.

Channels play a role in raising awareness of your product or service among customers and delivering your value propositions to them. Channels can also be used to allow customers the avenue to buy products or services and offer post-purchase support.

There are two types of channels

  • Owned channels: company website, social media sites, in-house sales, etc.
  • Partner channels: partner-owned websites, wholesale distribution, retail, etc.

Revenues streams are the sources from which a company generates money by selling their product or service to the customers. And in this block, you should describe how you will earn revenue from your value propositions.  

A revenue stream can belong to one of the following revenue models,

  • Transaction-based revenue: made from customers who make a one-time payment
  • Recurring revenue: made from ongoing payments for continuing services or post-sale services

There are several ways you can generate revenue from

  • Asset sales: by selling the rights of ownership for a product to a buyer
  • Usage fee: by charging the customer for the use of its product or service
  • Subscription fee: by charging the customer for using its product regularly and consistently
  • Lending/ leasing/ renting: the customer pays to get exclusive rights to use an asset for a fixed period of time
  • Licensing: customer pays to get permission to use the company’s intellectual property
  • Brokerage fees: revenue generated by acting as an intermediary between two or more parties
  • Advertising: by charging the customer to advertise a product, service or brand using company platforms

What are the activities/ tasks that need to be completed to fulfill your business purpose? In this section, you should list down all the key activities you need to do to make your business model work.

These key activities should focus on fulfilling its value proposition, reaching customer segments and maintaining customer relationships, and generating revenue.

There are 3 categories of key activities;

  • Production: designing, manufacturing and delivering a product in significant quantities and/ or of superior quality.
  • Problem-solving: finding new solutions to individual problems faced by customers.
  • Platform/ network: Creating and maintaining platforms. For example, Microsoft provides a reliable operating system to support third-party software products.

This is where you list down which key resources or the main inputs you need to carry out your key activities in order to create your value proposition.

There are several types of key resources and they are

  • Human (employees)
  • Financial (cash, lines of credit, etc.)
  • Intellectual (brand, patents, IP, copyright)
  • Physical (equipment, inventory, buildings)

Key partners are the external companies or suppliers that will help you carry out your key activities. These partnerships are forged in oder to reduce risks and acquire resources.

Types of partnerships are

  • Strategic alliance: partnership between non-competitors
  • Coopetition: strategic partnership between partners
  • Joint ventures: partners developing a new business
  • Buyer-supplier relationships: ensure reliable supplies

In this block, you identify all the costs associated with operating your business model.

You’ll need to focus on evaluating the cost of creating and delivering your value propositions, creating revenue streams, and maintaining customer relationships. And this will be easier to do so once you have defined your key resources, activities, and partners.  

Businesses can either be cost-driven (focuses on minimizing costs whenever possible) and value-driven (focuses on providing maximum value to the customer).

Value Propositions

This is the building block that is at the heart of the business model canvas. And it represents your unique solution (product or service) for a problem faced by a customer segment, or that creates value for the customer segment.

A value proposition should be unique or should be different from that of your competitors. If you are offering a new product, it should be innovative and disruptive. And if you are offering a product that already exists in the market, it should stand out with new features and attributes.

Value propositions can be either quantitative (price and speed of service) or qualitative (customer experience or design).

Value Proposition Canvas

What to Avoid When Creating a Business Model Canvas

One thing to remember when creating a business model canvas is that it is a concise and focused document. It is designed to capture key elements of a business model and, as such, should not include detailed information. Some of the items to avoid include,

  • Detailed financial projections such as revenue forecasts, cost breakdowns, and financial ratios. Revenue streams and cost structure should be represented at a high level, providing an overview rather than detailed projections.
  • Detailed operational processes such as standard operating procedures of a business. The BMC focuses on the strategic and conceptual aspects.
  • Comprehensive marketing or sales strategies. The business model canvas does not provide space for comprehensive marketing or sales strategies. These should be included in marketing or sales plans, which allow you to expand into more details.
  • Legal or regulatory details such as intellectual property, licensing agreements, or compliance requirements. As these require more detailed and specialized attention, they are better suited to be addressed in separate legal or regulatory documents.
  • Long-term strategic goals or vision statements. While the canvas helps to align the business model with the overall strategy, it should focus on the immediate and tangible aspects.
  • Irrelevant or unnecessary information that does not directly relate to the business model. Including extra or unnecessary information can clutter the BMC and make it less effective in communicating the core elements.

What Are Your Thoughts on the Business Model Canvas?

Once you have completed your business model canvas, you can share it with your organization and stakeholders and get their feedback as well. The business model canvas is a living document, therefore after completing it you need to revisit and ensure that it is relevant, updated and accurate.

What best practices do you follow when creating a business model canvas? Do share your tips with us in the comments section below.

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FAQs About the Business Model Canvas

  • Use clear and concise language
  • Use visual-aids
  • Customize for your audience
  • Highlight key insights
  • Be open to feedback and discussion

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

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What is a business model canvas? Overview with template

how to analyse a business model canvas

In 2013, I co-founded a startup in the Indian online gifting industry with three friends. It was my first involvement with a startup. Startups are fascinating — they’re small, agile, and quick. However, another key feature of startups is their ability to creatively solve problems.

What Is A Business Model Canvas Overview With Template

At that time, we aimed to target India’s gifting market, which was more than 90 percent offline. We had plans to establish an online shop selling a wide variety of gifts. But before we got started, we decided to document our idea. Amidst many templates, we discovered the business model canvas, a lean tool for outlining business models. It was neat, straightforward, and free. This tool brought remarkable clarity to our idea.

Despite shutting down the startup in 2015, I gained a wealth of knowledge during those two years. One major takeaway was the tools and techniques I learned along the way. The business model canvas was one of them. Even after seven years, I still use the business model canvas in my role as a product manager.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how product managers and entrepreneurs can effectively use a business model canvas.

What is a business model canvas?

The business model canvas is a template introduced by Alexander Osterwalder in 2005 as part of his Ph.D. studies under the supervision of Yves Pigneur. The business model canvas outlines nine crucial elements of a business model in an easy-to-understand visual template: customer segments, value proposition, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key activities, key resources, key partnerships, and cost structure.

Various companies, including startups, scale-ups, and large software organizations, have utilized this template since its inception to simplify their business strategy and improve their understanding of the overall business structure. However, before we delve into what a business model canvas entails, it’s important to comprehend why simplifying business strategy and structure is essential.

The last company I was part of employed 10,000 individuals. It ran more than 20 different businesses, each generating millions in revenue. When operating on such a large scale, it’s vital to have a clear strategy that outlines the business models. This strategy should define who the customers are, identify key partners, elaborate on the value proposition, and explain the cost structure, among other things.

The strategic blueprint serves as a go-to source of information whenever confusion arises. While this is true for large corporations, it’s equally applicable to smaller scale-ups and startups. It’s crucial to understand the business strategy and models from the onset. This comprehension aids in crafting a framework that can be applied when tackling complex issues or determining priorities.

This is where the business model canvas proves invaluable. It assists in laying out business models in a straightforward, user-friendly format.

What are the 9 components of the business model canvas?

The business model canvas comprises nine key elements:

Customer segments

Value proposition, customer relationships, revenue streams, key activities, key resources, key partnerships, cost structure.

9 Components Of A Business Model Canvas

These components cover the three main areas of a business: desirability, viability, and feasibility. The nine components also aim to bring transparency and understanding to a broad audience, which can include upper management and internal teams such as engineering, design, product management, marketing, sales, legal, and customer service.

Collectively, these elements capture the essence of a business model. They help map the relationship between these elements and how they intertwine with one another. Let’s take a more in-depth look at each element.

Everything starts with the customers, which is why this is the first element of the business model canvas. This component identifies the different customer segments a company targets. These can vary across business models.

how to analyse a business model canvas

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how to analyse a business model canvas

For example, while working at Zalando (one of Europe’s largest fashion eCommerce companies), there were multiple business models. One focused on end customers, while another focused on partners selling products on Zalando. The business model canvas helps outline these customer segments in a single snapshot.

Try to avoid being too detailed. Mention who the partners are, but there’s no need to note the demographics, age, gender, etc., of the customer segment unless required.

This term refers to the unique advantage or value a business provides. It’s what sets the business apart from competitors. This could be a product or a service that the business uses to solve a customer’s problem.

For instance, Uber’s value proposition is its ability to help customers travel from point A to point B on demand.

Channels are the various ways through which a business intends to interact with customers and/or partners. For Airbnb, their website and apps are the primary channels. But they also leverage social media, offline hoardings, email marketing, and community forums to reach their audience.

This element addresses the various ways a business interacts with customers to improve satisfaction and the overall experience. Monitoring customer feedback and how they interact with a company’s product is critical in a competitive landscape.

Amazon, a company that prioritizes customer focus, includes 24/7 customer support, personalized recommendations, regular newsletters, ratings and reviews, Amazon Prime membership, and community engagement as part of its customer relationships.

This component lists the different ways a company plans to generate revenue. For Google, revenue streams include advertising, the Google Play Store, Google Cloud, and hardware sales.

This section includes all necessary activities needed to keep the business functioning smoothly and to deliver value to all users. Microsoft’s key activities, for example, include software development, hardware development, cloud computing, gaming, research and development, and VR.

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As the name implies, key resources are the essential tangible and intangible resources needed to keep the business operational. These resources incur costs, making their documentation vital. An online gift-selling company would require a website/app, collaborations with manufacturers, and marketing capabilities.

This element focuses on the partnerships or collaborations a business might have with other companies to better serve customers, reduce risks, and increase profits. For Facebook, key partners include regular users who generate content, advertisers, and influencers who create content at scale.

This element outlines the costs and expenses associated with a business. For companies like Google and Facebook, costs can be substantial given their value propositions. While it may be difficult to capture the cost structure of these giants in a small space, it becomes easier and beneficial for smaller companies.

For example, McDonald’s cost structure would include manufacturing costs, service-based costs (such as employee costs), franchise costs, and infrastructure costs.

What are the benefits of using a business model canvas?

Indeed, using a business model canvas offers many advantages for businesses of all sizes. To summarize, some of the key benefits include:

Benefits Of Using A Business Model Canvas

Visual representation

A business model canvas provides a visual overview of all the critical elements of a business. This allows stakeholders to see how these elements relate to each other, facilitating understanding and decision-making.

The visual nature of the canvas makes it accessible to various stakeholders, including top management, engineers, designers, customer service, and operations teams.

Clear collaboration, communication, and alignment

Developing and managing products often require the input and collaboration of multiple stakeholders . A business model canvas provides a clear, concise tool for aligning all these parties, promoting better communication and collaboration. It also helps product managers secure buy-in from stakeholders at an early stage, reducing risks and fostering better alignment, especially in a cross-functional environment.

Strategic long-term thinking and analysis

By design, a business model canvas encourages long-term strategic thinking. It helps identify business strengths and weaknesses, facilitates brainstorming new ideas and improvements, and shapes long-term strategies to better serve customers.

Flexibility

Businesses and ideas evolve, and a business model canvas accommodates these changes. It offers a flexible template that can be easily modified, often featuring version numbers to track document evolution. This flexibility supports an iterative approach, ensuring the canvas captures all necessary information as the business evolves.

Business model canvas template

The internet is replete with various business model templates. A quick Google search will return 34,200,000 results. Here’s a quick template that I created on Google Sheets:

Business Model Canvas Template

Click here to access the business model canvas template. You can click File > Make a copy to download the canvas and customize it for your business.

Example of successful use of the business model canvas in product management

Here’s an example of a business model canvas for Facebook:

Business Model Canvas Facebook

How do I create a business model canvas for my business?

After you fill out the nine components we went over earlier, there are some other key points to keep in mind to successfully create a business canvas model.

Involve all the stakeholders early on

Since a business model canvas has elements ranging from tech to marketing, sales, and customer service, it’s important to involve these stakeholders right at the start. This reduces the risk and helps to bring everyone on the same page.

Keep it simple

Don’t use complex sentences while explaining the pointers under every element. Use simple and short words. Simplicity will make it easier for the audience to consume the information effectively.

Be data-driven

Let every pointer included in the business model canvas be data-driven. This will help lay down a strong foundation for long-term decision-making.

Focus on an iterative approach

It’s difficult to come up with a business model canvas right at the first go. Hence, it’s important to keep an iterative approach and let the document evolve depending on the feedback from the contributors. You can use versioning to keep track of all the changes.

Consider external factors

Currently, the growth of many businesses is slow and it’s projected to be the same for the entire year. It’s important to consider these external factors while coming up with a business model canvas since it helps to consider factors that might not be in control of a business.

Conclusion and key takeaways

A business model canvas can be a very effective tool if used right away. Product managers can use this tool before starting a product or a feature. It can help them have clarity on the idea before the actual development work starts.

Also, since it involves all the major stakeholders right at the start, a business model canvas can help mitigate risks early on. It’s a great tool for validating business ideas, products, or a feature.

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Home Blog Business What is a Business Model Canvas? Quick Guide + Examples

What is a Business Model Canvas? Quick Guide + Examples

What is a Business Model Canvas

Based on the work of Alexander Osterwalder, a Business Model Canvas , or BMC for short, is a diagram used to visualize a business model; it allows structured organization and a quick method of evaluation and reflection on the effectiveness of a Business Model. The use and study of Business Model Canvas Examples allows us to understand it in a complete way and apply it to different types of organizations.

The Role of the Business Model Canvas

What are the benefits of using a business model canvas, 1. customer segments, 2. value propositions, 3. customer relationships, 4. channels, 5. revenue streams, 6. key activities, 7. key resources, 8. key partnerships, 9. cost structure, the power of a bmc in entrepreneurship: visualize the business model, mcdonald’s.

  • How to Utilize a Business Model Canvas for your Success

Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Templates

Whether it be in small business entrepreneurship or large corporate product launches, the business model sits at the center. The one thing that stands at the very heart of the daily operations of an organization, is a model that dictates where the opportunity lies and how the company effectively acts on it at each step in the process.

The very best professionals will have all of this knowledge and action driving their decisions. However, the original business model one may follow may not always be applicable to the obstacles that an organization faces, thus it’s incredibly useful to fully display organizational structure and operations.

The Business Model Canvas is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes and industries. Here are some key benefits of using this visual framework:

Simplifies Complexity: Business models can be intricate, with various elements and interactions. The BMC simplifies this complexity by breaking down the model into nine essential building blocks. This visual representation makes it easier for entrepreneurs, team members, and stakeholders to grasp the core components of the business without getting lost in a lengthy business plan. It’s a powerful tool for distilling complex ideas into a clear, concise format.

Enhances Focus: When creating a BMC, you’re prompted to think critically about each building block, such as customer segments, value propositions, and revenue streams. This process encourages a deep understanding of how these components interact and depend on each other. By explicitly defining these elements, you gain a sharper focus on your business strategy and objectives. It helps you identify gaps, redundancies, or areas where your model can be refined.

Promotes Collaboration: The BMC is designed to be a collaborative tool. It’s not something a single person creates in isolation; instead, it encourages cross-functional teams to work together. Each team member can contribute their expertise to fill in the relevant sections. This collaborative approach ensures that everyone involved in the project shares a common understanding of the business model, which is essential for successful execution.

Iterative and Adaptable: Business environments are dynamic, and your business model should be too. The BMC supports an iterative approach, allowing you to make changes and updates as needed. For instance, if market conditions change, you can easily adjust your value propositions or customer segments. It’s a flexible tool that accommodates experimentation and learning. You can use it to test different assumptions and hypotheses about your business and refine your model accordingly.

Cost-Effective: Creating a traditional business plan can be a time-consuming and expensive process. In contrast, developing a BMC is a cost-effective alternative. It doesn’t require extensive resources or financial investments. This makes it particularly valuable for startups and small businesses with limited budgets. It’s a pragmatic way to initiate strategic planning, especially in the early stages of a venture when resources are scarce.

The Basics of the Business Model Canvas

Whether one is creating an all-new business model, comparing a pre-existing model, or adjusting a model to improve value, the BMC excels in keeping anyone invested in the business on track without wasting time and focus. By displaying only, the most critical pieces in business operations or a product, this tool is both a time saver and a method to sharpen your awareness of expectations vs. reality.

Here is the Business Model Canvas explained: There are nine sections in a BMC, each containing a specified topic of information that composes the core of any business model.

PPT Template Business Model Canvas

This section contains the information related to the core target audience that you are selling to. Simple and traditional segmentation analysis must be done to identify the top segments of the model. Start simple with questions like Which are the demographics of the major customer groups being targeted? Why are they going to be interested in the product or service? In essence, how well does the model comprehend who is being sold to? It is crucial that you identify clearly the segments as when facing reality, you will need to focus only in a few (1 or 2) to really test your model without a full operation in place.

Create a list of the unique business value propositions you will offer. Why is the idea or company valuable? What makes it stand above competitors? If there aren’t any direct competitors, what gaps are being filled in given markets?

This section could be extremely lengthy, depending on the business model, but should only contain the most central concepts at the heart of the model that attract customers or generate revenues. This section will contain the aspects of the business that relieve a customer’s pains. If you’re struggling to identify what is most important, consider using a Value Proposition Canvas, another easy-to-visual tool that helps establish your target audience with your strengths. Focus on solving a real pain for the segments identified.

The information of this section should refer to how to connect segments and the value proposition. During the analysis, you should be asking questions like How are customers convinced that your product or organization has the advertised special qualities? What methods are used to interact with them? How does an audience engage with each strategy in the product lifecycle? Additionally, how is customer engagement tracked?

Once the customer is convinced of the goods or services, how would you deliver them? This should include every step of the process it takes to make the financial transaction and value delivery possible. Is there a separate supplier? Who distributes the product? How is it displayed? Think about what the model requires from start to finish in order to make a sale.

If the customer connects with the product or service, and they want to proceed with doing business, then how does the actual exchange of money happen? How is the cash flow tracked? Are there any middlemen between the sale and the income to the business?

Business Model Canvas Diagram for PowerPoint

Source: Editable Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Template

This section should include specific activities that the organization will do to create value. Unlike the Value Propositions, it’s not just about a new product or business practice, but rather the day-to-day operations that each team will take.

Similar to Key Activities but focusing on assets that are used. Is there a special supplier? Is there access to any materials or a local storefront that puts you in an advantageous position? Do you have a special intellectual property or patent that introduces new knowledge into the niche?

For areas that may be lacking, or areas that are too costly for the business to manage by itself, what can be outsourced to partners to focus on? Which areas would it be more cost-efficient to hire from supporting businesses? Specifically, identify model strengths, maximize time and money on them, and move identified weaknesses to connected partners that can address them better or solve them altogether.

Finally, what are the major expenses in the model? Are they a flat fee, or are they a variable cost? This may factor into previous sections, like key activities, resources, and partnerships.

Additionally, how does this relate to the Revenue Streams? How will the predicted costs vs. the actual be monitored? Most importantly, what will be done if costs outweigh the incoming funds?

Creating a Business Model Canvas involves analyzing each of these sections individually and as a whole, and connecting the dots between them.

Introducing a new business or product to the world is no small undertaking, especially when you consider how much competition and other new ideas are thrown into the world on a regular basis.

This also means keeping the model current and responsive. A business model, after all, is only a well-educated guess on how to generate success from a demand. If reality does not match up to the prediction, then even the very best business models are useless. A BMC is your abstract representation of how a business delivers value to customers to help them solve problems.

Steven Blank’s book to entrepreneurs and business leaders, ‘Four Steps to the Epiphany’ , demonstrates the difference between those who watch and listen to their model in action, and those who convince themselves that their business model is flawless, and the world will adjust to follow it instead. The fact is, you may have the most amazing ideas in the world, but it won’t matter if you aren’t paying attention to unforeseen challenges that arise between conception and actualization of a successful model.

The BMC is an excellent tool to get away from the guesswork, and out into the metaphorical streets. It allows an individual or team to compare expectations with reality, to double-check targets and see if those targets are still manageable, and it gives an opportunity to make adjustments to a business model before it’s too late.

This practice is called, ‘Get out of the building’, an important part of the Lean Startup Methodology . It means to develop a BMC and test it against reality. For this to work, you need to create an MVP ( Minimum Viable Product ) that materializes your Value proposition and tests it against real-life customers. Testing means that they should really purchase the MVP and that they complete the different sections of the BMC for true validation. This process is really iterative, and it helps entrepreneurs and business executives make the adjustments necessary to really market a value proposition, reducing the risk of mounting a full-scale operation.

Get Out Of The Building PowerPoint Template

Business Model Canvas Examples

By using examples of Business Model Canvas, we can evaluate business models and identify just what changes need to be made to the model in order to ensure growth and success. In addition, analyzing Business Model Canvas examples and being able to study success stories is beneficial to be able to apply it in different industries, helping you better understand Business Model Canvas explained with examples.

Let’s take a look at the BMC Example of the MoviePass company, which launched with the idea to sell a monthly service to the general public for daily movie tickets at major theater chains for a flat monthly membership fee. The company reasoned that they could benefit two groups, the average moviegoer would be able to see more movies, and movie theaters themselves would see better attendance. This innovative approach required the development of robust membership software to handle the logistics and subscriptions efficiently, making it one of the notable examples of a business model.

In theory, it sounds like a reasonable concept, but in reality, MoviePass had not developed a functional business model which resulted in a poor performance against new technologies. There was no constant evaluation to keep track of their cash flow, and by failing to keep the company growing fast enough, it couldn’t support the necessary costs. Perhaps if leadership had followed a BMC these issues may have been recognized earlier.

Business Model Canvas Example - MoviePass

By using the BMC, MoviePass could have visualized earlier that the business model was in need of a pivot, a change to a section of the model in order to address an issue. In MoviePass’s case, areas like cash flow and customer acquisition had some gaps that required a solution. Had the company been more aware of its business model, it might have seen a need for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) where they could test the results of their ideas with a few early adopters.

An MVP is the bare bones of a product or service that can provide invaluable information about how a small group of customers reacts. By having a testing period of limited engagement, a business can limit costs while drastically improving knowledge on how to proceed. Had MoviePass used this, they might’ve been able to observe early on that some customers used their service to the max, purchasing a movie ticket per day, far outweighing the profit of their service from the cost of providing it.

The pivot would adjust to their business model, and a new MVP could be created to test the new approach. This new iteration of the business may have changed the original direction of the company. Through each pivot and each new iteration of the model, MoviePass BMC would adjust accordingly, allowing an easy method in which to keep track of the major changes without getting overwhelmed in all the details that lay underneath each educated decision.

There are, however, examples of well-crafted business models that can be observed on a BMC. Let’s take a company that has spread its business model all over the world and has undoubtedly enacted countless pivots and iterations of the business model in order to evolve, adapt, and thrive over the years: McDonald’s, as one of the prime business model examples.

When thinking about the massive scope of McDonald’s, it’s both interesting and telling of how the BMC can still capture the essence of their business model. McDonald’s is a global corporate cash cow requiring a rock-solid model, but that doesn’t mean it’s the same one since the conception of the company.

With the many decades in operation, you can be sure that a McDonald’s BMC would not look the same at the beginning as it does today. What originally started as a single burger joint on a street corner, now faces the challenges of global food service. Each time a new challenge or opportunity presented itself, the McDonald’s business model was forced to pivot by observing the environment, developing an appropriate plan of action, and monitoring the progress accordingly.

Over the years the world has grown to experience many iterations of the McDonald’s brand, whether it be an icon of American cuisine or an example of adaptation to dietary health. Flexible and ambitious, McDonald’s always made sure the business model matched the desired outcomes.

Business Model Canvas Example McDonalds

Uber is a ride-hailing service that has caused massive disruption for conventional taxi services. By using digital technology and a specific standard for cars and drivers offered to customers, many taxi services and individual taxi drivers have found it hard to compete with Uber. In contrast to developed countries, taxi drivers in developing countries have been unable to meet the minimum vehicle standards to qualify as Uber drivers, competing with them virtually out of the market. On the contrary, it has also attracted a new segment of people looking to use Uber as a part-time job to earn extra money.

By looking at Uber using the BMC Example we can see that its key partners include customers, drivers, payment processors, mapping data providers, and local authorities in the country it operates. Its key activities include developing its digital platform and algorithms, driver onboarding, marketing to balance demand and supply, and supporting customers using the service. The key resources of Uber are its digital platform, pricing, and routing algorithms. Uber relies on a peer-to-peer (P2P) circular economy. Where customers and drivers continue to contribute to the Uber revenue in almost a loop. And since Uber is easier to use compared to conventional taxi services, both customers and drivers tend to often use it as a routine. For example, many drivers have completely switched to Uber from conventional taxi services and new drivers entering the market cannot imagine providing services without the model Uber provides. Similarly, customers can get used to the service in a way that the Uber service itself becomes a part of their daily routine.

The value proposition of Uber is the provision of an on-demand taxi service for customers, whenever and wherever they need it. Uber fills the gap for the availability of an instant taxi service, without the need to necessarily ensure pre-booking or find a taxi manually. This offers user convenience, with various value benefits for both the customer and drivers, including the option to avail a cash-free taxi service by customers, earning opportunities for drivers and the supply of passengers and drivers through its ever-increasing base of users.

Uber reaches its customers and even attracts new drivers through its marketing and makes it easier for people to use its services through its app. Making it easy for the customers and drivers to communicate. Uber provides the utility of not just an on-demand service but also uses its algorithms to match supply and demand, find the shortest routes for customers, and to allocate the closest driver. However, since Uber is primarily connecting customers and drivers, it also shifts much of its costs to the former, since it does not require owning and maintaining a large fleet of cars. It can also adjust its revenue based on the market it’s operating in, and adjust prices to match not only demand and supply but the purchasing power and market rates of the country or area it operates in.

Business Model Canvas Example - Uber

When Amazon started in 1994, terms like e-commerce or online shopping were virtually unheard of. In fact, Amazon can be easily credited with being one of the first e-commerce platforms in the world. However, its customer-led approach, with the convenience Amazon offered soon turned it into a famous retailer, which now has various other services attached to its name including an online video streaming platform called Amazon Prime, a cloud storage service (Amazon Drive), Kindle tablets, Fire TV, etc. However, to keep things simple, let’s look at Amazon’s BMC Example in the context of its retail store.

Amazon provides users with a range of services from its network of sellers. These sellers are rated by customers according to their experience and sellers that fail to adhere to Amazon’s standards are removed from the platform. For example, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people began hoarding hand sanitizers and selling them at inflated prices online. Amazon was quick to act to remove such vendors.

The approach that Amazon has is based on not just connecting buyers and sellers but ‘continually raising the bar of the customer experience’. To ensure this, amazon often takes innovative steps that not only include improving its digital platform but also ensuring a steady supplier base. In 2019, Amazon announced $10,000 and three months worth of their gross salary to employees who quit their jobs and started a delivery service. Anticipating the need to expand its supplier base. Amazon has also been famous for offering competitive employee benefits and creating a corporate culture that encourages innovation and employee loyalty.

Through its colossal warehouses, customer-centric approach, and corporate culture that creates an atmosphere of employees to remain closely connected with the company, Amazon’s revenue stream simply does not rely on its customer experience, workforce, or supplier base but on how it’s able to create an environment where stakeholders, including customers and employees feel a sense of loyalty towards the company.

Business Model Canvas Example Amazon

Over the years, AirBnb has been among companies that have leveraged their platform to transform conventional modes of doing business. Using its rating-based digital platform, AirBnb enables people looking to rent accommodation and hosts to be able to connect and become a part of its revenue stream with a few simple taps or clicks.

The platform has not only helped people who have conventionally been renting out their property but also enabled individuals with extra space to consider becoming hosts to earn extra money by renting out space for a short period of time. Similarly, the customers benefit from avoiding hefty rates of hotels and expensive accommodation options.

Like Uber, AirBnb has also been a disruptive force in the market it has operated. It uses its digital infrastructure to connect travelers and hosts. While offering the value proposition of making money by utilizing underutilized space to hosts and offering low-cost accommodation for people looking to save money. This model has enabled the company to surpass large hotel chains and make a major impact in the industry for rent and accommodation. In 2020 AirBnb was valued at $75 billion, surpassing giants like Hyatt Hotels valued at $2.07 billion and Marriott Hotels International valued at $10.57 billion.

Business Model Canvas Example - AirBnb

From its launch in 1997 to 2006 in the United States, Netflix had a per-rental model per DVD. However, in 2007 it launched a subscription-based model that turned out to be more successful. Today, Netflix is available for streaming in over 190 countries, each with its own catalog of Movies and TV shows.

According to Netflix’s Business Model Canvas Example, its value proposition is the provision of on-demand entertainment regardless of where you are. Its subscription models provide access to one or more screens, with the utility to watch Netflix via mobile, tablet, laptop, gaming consoles, etc. Its packages include an economical package with an SD (480P) resolution limited to a single device to more exclusive packages offering Full HD (1080p) Ultra HD (4K) and HDR (2160p) resolutions.

Needless to say, the market segment of Netflix is quite close to universal. Outmaneuvering cable operators and conventional TV channels with exclusive on-demand content. While Netflix’s partners have included broadcasters and production companies, it has recently been focusing on original content. Through Netflix’s subscription-based model, there is very little need (if any) for customer interaction, unless a user is reporting a bug. The Netflix model focuses on self-service with an ‘all you can eat’ style subscription model, with algorithms constantly suggesting content to users to keep them engaged based on their viewing preferences.

Neflix Business Model Canvas Example

Ikea’s value proposition is to provide affordable furniture that is sturdy, aesthetic, and functional enough to cater to customer needs. In doing so Ikea claims to create a better everyday life for people who use its products. The Business Model Canvas Example of Ikea includes its vendors, suppliers, franchisees, and logistics partners making it possible to reach out to customers globally.

Unlike companies like Amazon, e-commerce is only part of Ikea’s operations, as it has a robust physical presence in more than 50 countries. Over the years Ikea has undergone continuous product development with new furniture designs and a range of products being released on a consistent basis. This has helped the company to cater to the needs of different customer segments including families, businesses, and people who need something that is easy to use, assemble, and disassemble.

Ikea Business Model Canvas Example

How to Utilize a Business Model Canvas for Your Success

Whether it be a brand-new business endeavor or a product launch at a long-standing company, it’s critical that the business model is kept at the core of every decision. A Free Business Model Canvas Template is a tool to easily keep the model insight and offers an easy method to open the dialogue when that model may need to pivot.

The whole purpose of the BMC is to allow for a simple presentation of information, reducing complications in understanding just what is required in each new iteration of a business model. At a glance, anyone invested in the outcome of the model should be able to understand the who, what, when, where, and why of the model, or bring it to everyone’s attention if they don’t.

Most importantly, the BMC is a tool to help drive success. If there are issues in your business model that need to be addressed, a BMC makes it easier to visualize where the gaps are, and how they may be filled. Keep in mind that pivoting is crucial to the success and survival of a business model and that change, growth, and adaptation are not an abandonment of what matters, but a natural progression to find the best outcomes to the ultimate goal. As Eric Ries, author of Startup Lessons Learned, puts it: ‘pivoting may lead [successful startups] far afield from their original vision, but if you look carefully, you’ll be able to detect common threads that link each iteration.’

Frequently Asked Questions

Business Model Canvas is like a blueprint for your business. It’s a visual tool that helps you plan, understand, and describe how your business works. It breaks down your business into key parts, like who your customers are, what you offer them, and how you make money.

A real-life example would be Airbnb. They use the Business Model Canvas to show how they connect hosts with travelers, offer unique accommodations, and earn money through commissions on bookings.

To determine your value proposition , you need to identify what makes your product or service special. Ask yourself: What problem does it solve for customers? What benefits do they get? Your value proposition should clearly communicate these advantages.

Building and maintaining customer relationships involves providing excellent customer service, staying engaged with customers through various channels (email, social media), seeking feedback, and addressing their needs promptly.

When establishing partnerships, consider what resources or expertise your business lacks and seek partners who can provide them. Think about how these partnerships will benefit both parties and align with your overall business goals.

The Business Model Canvas allows you to see all aspects of your business in one place, making it easier to identify weaknesses and opportunities. By analyzing each component, you can make informed decisions to optimize your model for better results.

Yes, the Business Model Canvas is versatile and can be used for various businesses, from startups to established companies, in different industries. It helps structure and clarify the business model for any venture.

The frequency of updates depends on your business and market dynamics. In rapidly changing industries, you might need more frequent updates, while others may do so annually or when major changes occur.

Use your Business Model Canvas as a visual aid during presentations. Walk stakeholders through each section, explaining how your business operates and creates value. Encourage questions and discussions to ensure clarity and alignment.

If you want to create professional-looking Business Model Presentations, take a look at the following Business Model Canvas templates , ready to edit and easy to use.

1. Free Business Model Canvas Template for PowerPoint

how to analyse a business model canvas

Build a top-notch company presentation using Free Business Model Canvas Template for PowerPoint. The cool scheme is relaxing to the eyes. The clear layout can provide the audience with quick understanding of the entire report in just one slide.

Use This Template

2. Animated 3D Business Model Canvas Template for PowerPoint

how to analyse a business model canvas

Created with a 3D Model, this professional PowerPoint Template is ideal for creating videos or animated versions of your Business Model Canvas. Very popular among educators and speakers of the entrepreneurship niche.

3. Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Templates

how to analyse a business model canvas

This Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Template is created 100% with editable PowerPoint Shapes, allowing the user to customize the content and visual appearance of the presentation. Suitable for educational presentations where you need to navigate each section of the BMC, or for investors presentations where you need to deep dive on each section of your Business Model.

4. Business Model Canvas Template for PowerPoint

how to analyse a business model canvas

Our most popular Business Model Canvas Template. Ideal for working in groups and iterating with different BMC’s. Its suitable for cooperation editing, and allows very simple compositions. Well suited for developing your MVP and crossing the assumptions that were negated by reality.

5. 3D Perspective Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Template

how to analyse a business model canvas

This Business Model Canvas Design is inspired in the idea of empty boxes, that entrepreneurs need to fill with their ideas. The design is simple to edit and decorated with a colorful theme. Designed to impress every audience.

6. Lean Canvas PowerPoint Template

how to analyse a business model canvas

This Lean Canvas template for PowerPoint and Google Slides is perfect for anyone who needs to pitch a business idea to investors, present their idea to stakeholders or company leadership. This template is 100% editable, allowing the user to customize the content and visual appearance.

7. Product Management Canvas PowerPoint Template

how to analyse a business model canvas

The Product Management Canvas PowerPoint Template is a strategic planning and modeling presentation. This is a single-slide template showing various aspects of product planning and successful management. The purpose of this canvas is to consider all aspects of the product.

8. Editable Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Template

how to analyse a business model canvas

Editable Business Model Canvas PowerPoint Template is a professional presentation representing the Business Model Canvas in “board” format. All the presentation design is completely editable and the user can move, or add, post-its like text boxes to work with the canvas.

9. Simple Business Model Canvas Template for PowerPoint

how to analyse a business model canvas

If you are looking to create an aesthetic Business Model Canvas Template, the Simple Business Model Canvas Template for PowerPoint will allow you to give your presentation the style you need. You will be able to add sticky notes with information for each of the sections of your Business Model.

10. Business Model Canvas Template with Widget Design

how to analyse a business model canvas

100% editable Business Model Canvas template for Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations, with a widget design and look and feel.

how to analyse a business model canvas

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Acquisition, Business Model Canvas, Channels, Cost Structure, Customer Development, Customer Relationship, Customer Segments, Key Activities, Key Partners, Key Resources, Lean Startup, Management, Minimum Viable Product, MVP, Prototyping, Revenue Streams, Startup, Steve Blank, Strategy, Value Proposition Filed under Business

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2 Responses to “What is a Business Model Canvas? Quick Guide + Examples”

If your business is a non-for-profit , how can you adapt your MVP? You are not selling anything as such, so how do you test if your product (MVP) will be purchased?

Hi Elena If there is a “business model”, there is always a business. So, you are selling something. Even non-for-profit sell. They just sell at “cost” or “subsidized”, but there are customers which pay at the end. Otherwise, rather non-for-profit, it is philanthropy and there is no “business” around. Hope this helps. Regards GV.

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how to analyse a business model canvas

Strategic Management Insight

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

Business Model Canvas

What is the Business Model Canvas

Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a framework that helps determine how a business creates, delivers, and captures values. It is a visual representation of the important aspects or parts to consider when designing a Business Model.

BMC aids in constructing a shared understanding of a business by condensing it into a simple, relevant, and intuitively understandable one-page visual while not oversimplifying the complexities of how enterprises function.

This concept has been applied and tested around the world and is used in organizations such as GE, P&G, Nestlé, IBM, Ericsson, and Deloitte, including Government Services of Canada and many more [1],[2] .

The Nine Building Blocks

BMC describes a business through nine basic building blocks that show the logic of how a business intends to make money. These nine blocks cover the four main areas of a business: Customers, Offer, Infrastructure, and Financial Viability.

BMC acts as a shared language for describing, visualizing, assessing, and changing business models. It is like a blueprint for a strategy to be implemented through organizational structures, processes, and systems.

Nine building blocks of a business

Each of these blocks is explained in more detail as follows:

1. Customer Segments (CS)

These are the groups of people or organizations that a business aims to reach and serve. Customers are the heart of a business model, and without (profitable) customers, a business cannot survive.

Customers are grouped into distinct segments with common needs, common behaviors, or other attributes. Customer groups represent separate segments if:

  • Their needs require and justify a distinct offer.
  • They are reached through different Distribution Channels.
  • They require different types of relationships.
  • They have substantially different profitability.
  • They are willing to pay for different aspects of the offer.

An organization must make a conscious decision about which segment(s) to serve and which segments to ignore. Once this decision is made, a business model can be carefully designed around a strong understanding of specific customer needs.

The following two questions, if answered with clarity, help a business identify its CS.

  • For whom are we creating value?
  • Who are our most important customers?
  • What are the customer archetypes?

Examples of some of the Customer Segments are shown in the figure:

Examples of Customer Segments

2. Value proposition (VP)

Value Proposition describes the bundle of products and services that create value for a specific Customer Segment chosen by a business.

A VP is the reason why customers turn to one company over another. VP must solve a customer’s problem or satisfy a need. A business can have more than one VP, but each must consist of a selected bundle of products and/or services that caters to the requirements of a specific Customer Segment.

While some VPs may be innovative and represent a new or disruptive offer, others may be similar to existing market offers but with added features and attributes.

An organization’s VP must answer the following questions with clarity:

  • What value do we deliver to the customer?
  • Which one of our customer’s problems are we helping to solve?
  • Which customer needs are we satisfying?
  • What bundles of products and services are we offering to each CS?

Elements from some of the following can contribute to customer value creation:

Examples of Customer Value Propositions.

3. Channels (CH)

Channels describe how a company communicates with and reaches its Customer Segments to deliver a Value Proposition.

Channels are customer touch points that play an important role in the customer experience and serve several functions, including:

  • Raising awareness about a company’s products and services
  • Helping customers evaluate a company’s Value Proposition
  • Allowing customers to purchase specific products and services
  • Delivering a Value Proposition to customers
  • Providing post-purchase customer support

To establish an effective channel, a company must first answer the following:

  • Through which Channels do our Customer Segments want to be reached?
  • How are we reaching them now?
  • How are our Channels integrated?
  • Which ones work best?
  • Which ones are most cost-efficient?
  • How are we integrating them with customer routines?

There are five distinct phases (figure below) through which a channel passes, and it could cover more than one of these phases at a time.

Different phases of channels

Channels can be either direct, indirect or hybrid, as shown:

Different types of channels

Finding the right mix of Channels to satisfy how customers want to be reached is crucial in bringing a Value Proposition to market and can create a great customer experience.

4. Customer Relationships (CR)

Customer Relationships describe the types of relationships a company establishes with specific Customer Segments. Relationships can range from personal to automated. An organization’s CR strategy may be driven by one of the following motivators:

  • Customer acquisition
  • Customer retention
  • Boosting sales (upselling)

A business can arrive at the optimum CR by asking the following questions:

  • What type of relationship does each of our Customer Segments expect us to establish and maintain with them?
  • Which ones have we established?
  • How costly are they?
  • How are they integrated with the rest of our business model?

Several categories of Customer Relationships may co-exist in a company’s relationship with a particular Customer Segment. Some of which are:

Types of Customer Relationships

5. Revenue Streams (RS)

Revenue Streams represent the company’s cash (earnings) from each Customer Segment and are like the arteries of any business.

Revenue streams

There are two distinct categories of Revenue Streams:

  • Transaction Revenues which are one-time customer payments
  • Recurring Revenues that are ongoing payments to either deliver a Value Proposition to customers or provide post-purchase customer support

A business can arrive at its ideal revenue stream by asking the following questions:

  • For what value are our customers willing to pay?
  • For what do they currently pay?
  • How are they currently paying?
  • How would they prefer to pay?
  • How much does each Revenue Stream contribute to overall revenues?

There are several ways a business can generate revenue, such as:

Types of Revenue streams

A business may have one or more Revenue Streams, each with different pricing mechanisms. The choice of pricing mechanism greatly influences the revenues generated.

There are two main types of pricing mechanisms, Fixed and Dynamic, as follows:

Types of Pricing Mechanisms

6. Key Resources (KR)

The Key Resources describe the most important assets required to make a business model work.

These resources allow an enterprise to create and offer a Value Proposition, reach markets, maintain relationships with Customer Segments, and earn revenues. Different Key Resources are needed depending on the type of business model.

For example, a chip fabrication business like TSMC [9] requires capital-intensive facilities worth billions of dollars, while a chip designer like NVIDIA [10] would need skilled manpower as its Key Resource.

Key Resources can be owned or leased by a business or acquired from its key partners. They can be identified by answering the following questions:

  • What Key Resources do our Value Propositions require?
  • What resources are required to sustain our Distribution Channels, Customer Relationships and Revenue Streams?

Key Resources can be categorized as follows:

Key Resources

7. Key Activities (KA)

Key Activities describe the most important things a company must do to make its business model work. They are required to create and offer a Value Proposition, reach markets, maintain Customer Relationships, and earn revenues.

Key Activities differ depending on the business model type. For example, Microsoft’s Key Activity is software development, while for Dell, it is Supply Chain Management. For a consultancy firm like McKinsey, Key Activity is problem-solving.

A business can identify its Key Activities by answering the following questions:

  • What Key Activities do our Value Propositions require?
  • What activities directly contribute to maintaining our Distribution Channels, Customer Relationships and Revenue Streams?

Key Activities can be categorized as follows:

Key Activities

8. Key Partnerships (KP)

The Key Partnerships describe the network of suppliers and partners that make the business model. There are four types of partnerships:

Four types of partnerships

A business must ask the following questions before forming partnerships:

  • Who are our key partners?
  • Who are our key suppliers?
  • Which Key Resources are we acquiring from partners?
  • Which Key Activities do partners perform?

Primarily, there are three motivations for a business when creating partnerships, as shown:

Three motivators to creating partnerships

9. Cost Structure (CS)

Cost Structure describes all costs incurred to operate a business model. A business incurs costs in creating and delivering value, maintaining customer relationships, and generating revenue. Costs are business-specific, where some are more cost-driven than others.

A business must answer the following questions to arrive at an optimum cost structure:

  • What are the most important costs inherent in our business model?
  • Which Key Resources are most expensive?
  • Which Key Activities are most expensive?

While costs should be minimized in every business model, it is useful to distinguish between two broad classes of business model Cost Structures:

  • Cost Driven : This model focuses on minimizing costs wherever possible. This approach aims at creating and maintaining the leanest possible Cost Structure, using low-price Value Propositions, maximum automation, and extensive outsourcing. Examples: No frills airlines like Southwest & easyJet, Fast food joints such as McDonald’s & KFC.
  • Value Driven: Premium Value Propositions and a high degree of personalized service usually characterize value-driven business models. Examples: Luxury hotels, Expensive Cars like Rolls-Royce

Cost Structures can have the following characteristics:

characteristics of cost structures

Putting-it-all together

The nine business model Building Blocks form the basis for a handy tool, which is called the Business Model Canvas (figure below). This tool resembles a painter’s canvas preformatted with nine blocks that allow painting pictures of new or existing business models. It is a hands-on tool that fosters understanding, discussion, creativity, and analysis.

Template for The Business Model Canvas

BMC works best when printed out on a large surface such that groups of people can jointly note, sketch, and discuss business model elements.

Example of Business Model Canvas

Nespresso [17] , a fully owned daughter company of Nestlé, changed the dynamics of the coffee industry by turning a transactional business (selling coffee through retail) into one with recurring revenues (selling proprietary pods through direct channels).

The two-part strategy involved selling their patented coffee machine to retail customers first to lock them into the brand. This generated a recurring demand for coffee refills (pods) that led to constant revenues. These pods were sold directly through mail/website/own stores, thereby eliminating middlemen/dealers, which further increased profits [1] .

Nespresso’s strategy plotted on a Business Model Canvas looks as follows:

Example of business model canvas

Business Model Canvas helped Nespresso establish a solid and enduring foundation by engaging consumers directly and bringing a barista-like experience within the reach of a home or an office.

Advantages & Limitations

  • Encourages Collaboration – collaborative framework, which helps put different business stakeholders in sync. This improves the likelihood of generating new ideas and their quality.
  • Facilitates testing of ideas before launch – allows business owners, strategists, and managers to think through business ideas as well as test concepts that would otherwise get tested with potential customers where the stakes are higher.
  • Customer-centered approach – Key customer segments, relationships, activities, and value propositions are all elements that focus on creating, delivering, and capturing value for customers.
  • Clarity – Analyzing the business through the lens of nine blocks brings better clarity and structure to the business model.

Limitations

  • Lacks a section for defining the start-up’s mission statement, which is crucial to understanding the goals and objectives of any business.
  • Overlooks the importance of a profit mechanism beyond costs and revenues, including decisions on how to use potential profits.
  • The order of the canvas is not intuitive, making it difficult to read and understand the strategic decisions in a logical sequence.
  • Does not depict interconnections between different elements, which can have a significant impact on the overall business model.
  • Fails to acknowledge the company’s role within its ecosystem, including its impact on the environment and local communities.
  • External factors such as competition, history, and other industry-specific factors are absent from the canvas, which can greatly influence the success of a business model.

1. “A Better Way to Think About Your Business Model”. Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2013/05/a-better-way-to-think-about-yo . Accessed 01 Aug 2023

2. “Business Model Generation”. Alexander Osterwalder, https://www.strategyzer.com/books/business-model-generation . Accessed 28 Jul 2023

3. “The Apple M1 is a revolution that is changing the computing world”. Citymagazine, https://citymagazine.si/en/apple-m1-is-a-revolution-that-changes-the-computer-world/ . Accessed 29 Jul 2023

4. “Mass Customization”. Corporate Finance Institute, https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/mass-customization/ . Accessed 29 Jul 2023

5. “Moka Pot”. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot . Accessed 29 Jul 2023

6. “NetJets Homepage”. NetJets, https://www.netjets.com/en-us/ . Accessed 01 Aug 2023

7. “Distribution Channels – Definition, Types, & Functions”. Feedough, https://www.feedough.com/distribution-channels-definition-types-functions/ . Accessed 30 Jul 2023

8. “Lease from Hertz”. Hertz, https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/rental-car/car-lease . Accessed 30 Jul 2023

9. “TSMC”. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSMC . Accessed 30 Jul 2023

10. “NVIDIA”. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia . Accessed 30 Jul 2023

11. “BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen team up on high-power charging network”. Techcrunch, https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/03/bmw-daimler-ford-and-volkswagen-team-up-on-high-power-charging-network/ . Accessed 31 Jul 2023

12. “Honda And Sony Combine Talents To Build Electric Vehicles”. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2022/06/26/honda-and-sony-announce-joint-venture-to-build-electric-vehicles/ . Accessed 31 Jul 2023

13. “Uber and Spotify launch car music playlist partnership”. BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30080974 . Accessed 31 Jul 2023

14. “Walmart Has the Scale and Infrastructure to Generate Positive Gains”. Yahoo Finance, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-scale-infrastructure-generate-positive-201822628.html . Accessed 31 Jul 2023

15. “Demand-Side Economies of Scope in Big Tech Business Modelling and Strategy”. MDPI, https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/10/6/246 . Accessed 31 Jul 2023

16. “The Business Model Canvas”. Strategyzer, https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvas . Accessed 31 Jul 2023

17. “HomePage”. Nespresso, https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/ . Accessed 01 Aug 2023

18. “Business Model Canvas of Nespresso”. Alex Osterwalder, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhQh-tryXOg . Accessed 01 Aug 2023

19. “Nespresso Capsule”. Electromall, https://electromall.net/product/nespresso-capsule/ . Accessed 01 Aug 2023

20. “The Best Nespresso Machine (But It’s Not for Everyone)”. Newyork Times, https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-nespresso-machine/ . Accessed 01 Aug 2023

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Article • 11 min read

The Business Model Canvas

Understanding what makes your company successful.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

how to analyse a business model canvas

Do you know what your company's business model is? How well do you understand it? And why does this matter?

A company's business model determines how it generates its revenue, operates successfully, and makes a profit. If your company's business model is out of date or wrong for its market, then it's likely to fail.

Understanding your company's business model is an important part of developing the "commercial awareness" you need to solve problems effectively, make good decisions, and become known as a trusted leader in your organization.

This article explores a useful model that you can use to think about your business model.

What Is the Business Canvas Model?

Alex Osterwald and Yves Pigneur developed their Business Model Canvas in 2010.

They collaborated with 470 members of the Business Model Innovation Hub – an online forum for business professionals and researchers – who contributed case studies, examples, and critical comments to their research. As such, the Business Model Canvas represents the collective experience of a community of business people.

It appears as a template of nine basic building blocks, as shown in figure 1, below. These form a blueprint, based on which business models can be systematically designed, explained and challenged.

Figure 1: The Business Model Canvas

how to analyse a business model canvas

The Business Model Canvas is the property of BusinessModelGeneration.com / strategyzer.com , and it is distributed under a Creative Commons copyright license .

How to Use the Business Model Canvas

To use the Business Model Canvas, think about each building block using the questions below. You may want to download our worksheet to help with this.

CS: Customer Segments

Your customer segments are your target markets – the specific groups of people or organizations that your business serves.

Instead of trying to satisfy everyone, all of the time, group your customers according to common attributes like their location, needs, or behaviors, and decide which segments to focus on. This way, you can deliver a product or service that is closely tailored to the specific needs of particular groups.

See our article on market segmentation for more on this.

Record your results in the CS block of the canvas.

VP: Value Propositions

The value propositions block defines how you'll deliver value to your customers. You can create value in many ways, including offering a low price, a high standard of design, good accessibility, convenience, and high performance. Consider these questions:

  • How do you create value for your target market?
  • What problem or need does your product or service solve for the customer?
  • How does your product or service differ from your competitors' offerings?

If you are struggling to crystallize your value proposition, conduct a USP Analysis and Core Competency Analysis to assess how your product or service stands out from those of your competitors.

Write your value proposition in the VP block of the Business Model Canvas.

R$: Revenue Streams

In this block, you analyze how each customer segment pays for your product or service.

There are many different ways to pay for a product or service. For example, is the price fixed, or will you charge customers for each use, by subscription, or with ongoing payments? Will any negotiation or bargaining be involved? And who, ultimately, is the customer? (Your customer may be an advertiser, for example, rather than the user of the service.)

Consider these additional questions:

  • What do your customers currently pay for similar products or services?
  • How do they pay for this?
  • What do you charge for your product or service?
  • Do customers get any free services or perks that your competitors don't offer?

Record this in the R$ block of the Business Model Canvas.

CH: Channels

The word "channel" refers to the way you deliver your value proposition to each customer segment. Channels include a direct sales force, web sales, own brand stores, partner stores, and wholesalers. Consider these questions:

  • How do you make your customers aware of your products and services?
  • What channels do your customers prefer to use?
  • How will you help customers evaluate your value proposition?
  • How do customers want to buy your products and services?
  • How do you provide customer support?

Record your answers in the CH block of the Business Model Canvas.

CR: Customer Relationships

This block defines the type of relationship you want to foster with each of your customer segments. There are several categories to consider here.

  • Dedicated personal assistance – This is where the wants and needs of each customer are handled by a dedicated customer service representative. For example, many types of business dedicate an account manager to highly valued clients.
  • Personal assistance – Here, customers can communicate with a customer service professional during and after the sales process. This can happen in person at the point of sale, or through a call center, email, or IM.
  • Self-service – Customers can purchase products without assistance.
  • Automated Service – An automated service recognizes individual customers through a login or other identifier. This provides a customized service that "remembers" the customer's preferences and presents options accordingly.
  • Communities – Here, the organization builds communities using social networking and blogs to encourage customers to communicate with one another, share ideas, and solve problems.
  • Co-creation – In these relationships, organizations go beyond the traditional customer-vendor relationship by encouraging customers to take a more active role in shaping what the product or service might be. For example, some companies encourage their customers to review their products, or create content that can be shared with others.

To think about how your business develops relationships with customers, you can use the Buy-Sell Hierarchy , Focus Groups , and Customer Experience Mapping to understand what your customers want from their experience, and then use this information to build the customer relationships you need.

Record your findings in the CR block of the Business Model Canvas.

KR: Key Resources

Your key resources are the things you most need to make your business model work, and different types of business need different types of resource.

Key resources may be owned by your company, leased, or used through some other arrangement with key partners.

Consider these questions:

  • What human resources will you need?
  • What financial resources will you need?
  • What physical resources will you need?
  • What intellectual property resources will you need?

Conduct a VRIO analysis to explore how you can make best use of the resources you have available.

Make a record of these key resources in the KR block of the Business Model Canvas.

KA: Key Activities

Your key activities are the most important business processes that your organization must use to operate successfully. Examples of these include designing, manufacturing, and delivering a product; providing new solutions to customers; or providing a platform on which customers are able to complete transactions.

List your key activities in the KA block of the Business Model Canvas.

KP: Key Partnerships

This is the network of partners, stakeholders and suppliers that you rely upon to make your business model work. Consider these questions:

  • What strategic alliances do you have in place to bring your product or service to market?
  • What partnerships are needed to access key resources such as areas of expertise, raw materials, or access to customers?
  • What partnerships allow you to access economies of scale?
  • Who have you joined forces with to minimize risk and uncertainty?
  • Who are the key stakeholders for your product or service? How can you create strategic partnerships with these people?

Conduct a Stakeholder Analysis to identify who has the most power and influence. And, as you evaluate potential partners, use our 10 Cs of Supplier Evaluation checklist to evaluate them carefully.

Write your key partnerships – both potential and present – in the KP block of the Business Model Canvas.

C$: Cost Structure

The last block you need to analyze is your cost structure. This looks at all of the operating costs that your business incurs as part of its business model. These costs should be easy to identify, now that you've defined your key resources, activities, and partnerships.

Record your findings in the C$ block of the Business Model Canvas.

Applying What You Have Learned

By working through the Business Model Canvas for your own company, you'll get a good insight into the things that really matter for your business.

You can use this understanding to make informed decisions about business areas that you are responsible for by checking, in particular, that your decision won't undermine the wider business in any way. You can also quickly identify business areas that will be improved by your decision, and this will help you "sell" your recommendations.

It also gives you a head start when you're scanning the business news or industry press for changes that will positively or negatively affect your business. You'll know the core things that your business depends on, and you can watch out for changes that affect these.

Another advantage of the Business Model Canvas is that it clarifies how your own part of the company affects, and is affected by, other departments. This helps all parts of the business co-operate with one another more efficiently.

The Business Model Canvas was developed by Alex Osterwald and Yves Pigneur, in collaboration with a community of business professionals at the Business Model Innovation Hub. It is a useful tool for designing and analyzing business models in an objective, structured way.

The Business Model Canvas incorporates nine building blocks:

Block 1: Customer segments.

Block 2: Value propositions.

Block 3: Channels.

Block 4: Customer relationships.

Block 5: Revenue streams.

Block 6: Key resources.

Block 7: Key activities.

Block 8: Key partnerships.

Block 9: Cost structure.

You can use the Business Model Canvas to develop a new business model, or refresh an outdated one; analyze the viability of a new business idea; and even to analyze your competitors' business models to discover opportunities for making your own business stand out.

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A quick and dirty guide to the Business Model Canvas

Reading time: about 8 min

  • Product development

Of course, evaluating your business model can be daunting. With so many moving parts to sort through, it can be hard to know where to start. 

That’s where the Business Model Canvas template comes in. 

Using 9 key building blocks, the Business Model Canvas helps leaders conduct high-level analysis of their operations and map their business model in a simple, easy-to-understand visual document. 

Use this Business Model Canvas guide to learn how it works and how to use a Business Model Canvas template to kickstart your planning process. 

business model canvas

What is a Business Model Canvas?

A Business Model Canvas is an easy-to-digest one-page document that succinctly summarizes how your business should work based on the best information you currently have.

Created in the mid-2000s by business theorist and Strategyzer founder Alexander Osterwalder, it’s a strategic management and lean startup tool that condenses your strategic planning onto a single page. It’s used by successful innovators around the world like Intel, Panasonic, 3M, and Mastercard.

It’s like a mini business plan, but it’s much faster to put together. A business plan, on the other hand, is a detailed projection of what your company hopes to achieve and how it hopes to achieve it. 

A comprehensive business plan is typically between 30 and 50 pages long. In contrast, the one-page Business Model Canvas template makes it easy for an organization to describe its model.

Organizational factors

Need an even simpler, quicker way to visualize your business strategy? Try the Lean Canvas Model.

Benefits of using a Business Model Canvas

There are risks to plunging ahead without making a plan since, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 50% of businesses fail within their first five years. 

Whether or not you make a profit depends on how well you design and implement all the activities and resources that make up your business. You can use the Business Model Canvas to avoid getting overwhelmed by these pressures and get going on your new business.

  • Plan your strategy: The Business Model Canvas helps you plan and evaluate your assumptions quickly and efficiently so you can spend more time growing your business.
  • Be flexible: It makes it much easier to change things on the fly since you write down just the essentials.
  • Find gaps: It gives you a bird’s-eye view of your business so you can quickly see where you need to focus your energies.
  • Drive innovation: It encourages understanding, discussion, creativity, and analysis within your team.
  • Share your vision: It helps you create a complete pitch for potential investors or partners.

What is an entity relationship diagram?

Develop a plan for achieving your organizational goals through the strategic planning process.

Key elements of the Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas consists of nine areas of strategic planning. If you’re starting a new business from scratch, don’t worry too much about the details––just get your vision down so you can get moving. Include the following elements of the Business Model Canvas: 

Value proposition

Your value proposition should be easily communicated in a single sentence, and it should inform everything you do. What’s your mission? What problem are you going to solve, and how are you going to solve it? What products and services will you offer to meet customers’ needs (these may vary by customer)? 

Most importantly, you want to define how your brand will be different from what’s already out there.

Customer relationships

Think about the kinds of relationships you want to establish with your customer segments. How will you communicate and build rapport with your customers throughout their journey? Will you offer personal assistance, create a community environment, or present a self-serve model? Consider how and where your customers like to communicate. Every communication should drive home the problem you solve and why your solution is the best (or, better yet, only) one around. 

Customer and market segments

These are the people and organizations for whom you create value. Who could really use the solution you’re offering? If there are multiple groups, list them all out.

You may need to investigate potential buyer personas, find niche markets that fit your offerings, or come up with a multi-sided market strategy that brings together different groups of customers.

Channels are the points at which you interact with customers to deliver value. How are the people who need your solution going to buy it? Take a look at your customer segments. Where do they spend money right now? Try to make it as easy as possible for a customer to say “yes” to buying your solution.

Key partners

You’ll probably rely on other people––suppliers, distributors, etc.––to create and deliver value to your customers. What individuals or entities outside of your business will you need to work with in order to produce, market, and deliver your solution? What key activities or resources can someone else take care of so that your business can focus on your value proposition?

Key activities

If an activity isn’t directly tied to delivering on your value proposition, then it isn’t key, and you probably shouldn’t be doing it. So what do you absolutely have to do in order to produce, market, and deliver your value proposition? 

Key resources

If the resource isn’t necessary to deliver on your value proposition, ask yourself if you really need it. What do you absolutely need to have in order to produce, market, and deliver your solution? These could be human, financial, physical, or intellectual resources.

Cost structure

This should be a description of the costs of operating your business. How much will your key activities, resources, and partners cost you? At this point, it may be a good idea to take a second (and a third) look at each of these categories and cut out everything that isn’t absolutely essential to delivering on your value proposition.

Pay attention as well to any fixed costs you’ll have to incur, variable costs you’ll need to keep an eye on, and changes in costs as you scale.

Revenue streams and pricing model

Decide what customers will pay for and how they will pay you. How much do you need to charge? Keep in mind that you need to make enough to cover your costs and have something left over to grow your business and reward you for your efforts.

Additionally, will your solution be subscription-based? Will you offer individual purchases? Choose a pricing model that will fit best with your customer base and your cost structure.

How to use a Business Model Canvas

The main goal of using the Business Model Canvas is to validate your business model. By laying out all the components, you can find simple, small-scale ways to test each aspect of your business model in a cycle of improvement.

1. Fill out the canvas

Filling out the canvas is quick and painless, and it should give you a lot of clarity. Try to finish it in just 30 minutes. Start with the value proposition and then proceed in the order outlined above, moving from the theoretical to the more concrete aspects of your strategy.

To demonstrate what a filled-out canvas might look like, imagine that a seventh-grader named Timmy wants to start a neighborhood lawn mowing business over the summer. His Business Model Canvas might look something like this:

business model canvas example

2. Identity and test your assumptions

It’s smart to have a plan. It’s even smarter to make sure that it actually works. Maybe you think that offering a subscription plan is the best pricing model, but once you run an A/B test, you realize that your customers prefer paying each time for your services. 

Find the key metrics that you can track to better understand your customers and your success in reaching them. If you aren’t doing well, these metrics will also help you understand why.

3. Adapt your strategy

Once you test your assumptions, make the necessary tweaks to your business strategy. You could even fill out a new Business Model Canvas to keep track of your changes and have a visual reminder of what you’re aiming for.

For example, you can make multiple copies of your canvas document in Lucidchart to explore potential future iterations of our business model, highlight areas where costs can be reduced, and map out relationships between key partners and their various functions.

4.  Repeat the cycle

The best way to grow your business is to continually reexamine your vision and performance. In effect, your Business Model Canvas should be a living document that represents your best hypothesis in an evolving landscape. Markets, customers, and trends change, and you need to be able to change with them. 

Whether you write your Business Model Canvas in the kitchen or the boardroom, you’re ready now to come up with a clear and effective business model. You can get started on your Business Model Canvas quickly in Lucidchart. 

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Looking for more ideas? Explore another way to define your business with a strategy mapping template.

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

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Is your company getting ready to start a new project? Have you decided to start your own business? The Lean Canvas is a one-page business plan template that can help you quickly and concisely develop a strategy around your new adventure.

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Bring your bright ideas to life.

or continue with

  • Product Management

Business Model Canvas Explained – a One-Page Business Plan

Earlier, we blogged about the lean canvas* – a startup-friendly idea validation tool . Now, we want to pay tribute to the solution that underlies it – the business model canvas**. So, let’s talk about a sort of a business plan that you can scale in a one-page table.

Here is a short intro to the business model canvas framework. It is the brainchild of Alexander Osterwalder. He offered it as an alternative to the business plan, which he considered a time-waster. The idea was to single out the crucial components of a company that are required to make money. Thus, you get nine sections on the canvas to fill in with relevant data.

Hard to believe, but this document can replace pages of analytics and formulas. And that’s just one of the advantages if we compare business model canvas vs. business plan . What else does this tool have to offer?

Why entrepreneurs love business model canvas

Time-efficient and flexible.

Time is one of the most precious assets in the business world. And Osterwalder’s tool helps you use it efficiently. All the elements of business model canvas are easy-to-understand of what to be filled in. We do not promise you will have a handle on it within 20 minutes or less. But within a few hours, you’ll get an aggregated break up of what you need to generate revenue. Moreover, once it is done, you can and most likely will update the canvas over time. Business plans won’t grant you such flexibility.

Risk-identifying

The canvas provides you with input data to identify risks at an early stage. You can measure most of the bottlenecks to build a high-performance growth strategy. This is not a guarantee to avoid failure. But you’ll know your weak points and be able to pivot if needed.

Value-centered

Of all the business model canvas elements, Value Propositions are pivotal. It tells you why your business exists and what value it delivers. We can say that the entire business model canvas is built around this section. As a result, you get a wide scope of jobs to be done and versatile supporting inputs. You won’t find any irrelevant data on the canvas. The graphical design beacons essential information required to grow your business.

Self-intuitive

The tool is very intuitive. Some users don’t even need the business model canvas explained to start working with it. Indeed, you don’t have to be a genius to get the hang of it. Moreover, the canvas is built using a common language. This makes it easy-to-understand by both internal and external stakeholders.

By the way, we are hiring. Check out our job openings.

How to get started with the business model canvas?

Now, it’s time to shift from product-centric thinking towards business model ideation. We’ll explain how to fill in the components of business model canvas step by step. So, try out the flow yourself using this editable template by Mural . Also, you can download the canvas from Strategyzer .

In our video, we used Uber to explain the lean canvas . Let’s pick this company here as well to display real-life examples.

Customer Segments

Alexander recommends you to start with this section. Try to figure out who is the most important customer you’re delivering value to. The Persona method can help you create an imaginary representation of user categories. As an outcome, you’ll get a list of segments or Personas.

Feel free to spend much time on Customer Segments. Similarly to a lean methodology perspective, this section, together with Value Propositions, calls the shots of the entire canvas. For Uber, we have two categories of users – drivers and passengers. In this case, you may build two separate canvases per each one.

Answer to : Who do you deliver the value to?

Domain knowledge required :

  • Market dimensions

Value Propositions

Each Persona has a set of problems or needs that your product/service can solve. And that’s what you need to specify in the Value Propositions section. For this, we advise you to make use of the Jobs To Be Done framework.

Answer to : What problems and needs can you solve with your product?

  • Jobs To Be Done

A channel means a communication unit that entrepreneurs use to reach customer segments. If you’re selling your products via a website – that’s one of your channels business model canvas. Other solutions that draw customers’ attention to your products are also channels. These may include search engines and tools, social media, and even word of mouth marketing .

Answer to : Which are the optimum channels to reach your customer segments?

  • Market behavior

Customer Relationships

This section defines how you interact with customers. It goes beyond the sale-and-purchase interplay via the Channels. Business model canvas Customer Relationships involve post-sales liaison and feedback. If you use a call center or a chatbot to interact with users, mention them here.

Answer to : Which type of interaction suits best to each customer segment and how much do they cost?

Revenue Streams

Revenue Streams list the ways you use to get money for your product. They mostly derive from mapping Customer Segments to Value Propositions. For example, Uber passengers pay for their ride with a bank card. Uber gets revenue in the form of a ride commission. Other ways that generate money within your product are also revenue streams. These may include different billable add-ons, subscriptions, premium accounts, etc.

Answer to : What exactly do your customers pay for?

  • Jobs to be done

Key Activities

Now, the tough part begins. Key Activities cover all the things you need to accomplish to make your business work. For digital products, this involves ongoing product evolution and marketing. These activities, in turn, include recruiting, advertising, etc. If you deliver specific services, this may cover things that refine your propositions. When doing Key Activities business model canvas, take into account other sections you’ve already filled in.

Answer to : What do you need to implement for your business to deliver value to your customers?

Key Resources

Key Resources are the assets you need to run your business at full force. In other words, this is what you can’t do without. Uber rests on a sophisticated technological platform. Also, it requires drivers to complement its value proposition. Services-oriented businesses mostly rely on their staff and expertise.

Answer to : What resources can’t your business propositions do without?

Key Activities:

Key Partners

Now, let’s take a look towards external things that can contribute to your business. Key Partners is the section for this. Here, you need to define all the external stakeholders. We advise you to map them to Key Activities and Key Resources if any. For Uber example, investors can contribute to developing tech platform. Recruiting partners can help with hiring drivers. And so on.

Answer to : Which external stakeholders can contribute to your business?

Key Activities & Resources

Cost Structure

It’s time to strike a balance:) Actually, Cost Structure should tell you what you spend money for. Also, you need to specify prospective costs if your business is growing. This section covers costs for hardware purchases, software development, rental services, and so on.

Answer to : What are you paying for and which costs are most important in your business model?

That’s it. Once you have it done, the next step ahead is business model canvas analysis. You have a broad picture of things in your business and can discover bottlenecks. Also, make sure to share it with stakeholders to refine the content. The canvas is a flexible document, so you should not feel obligated to stick to the first version.

Why entrepreneurs hate business model canvas

A coin always has two opposite sides, unless you’re using Harvey Dent’s lucky coin:) It means that the business model canvas is not a one-size-fits-all tool. And here are some reasons why you may want to abandon it.

  • Learning needed You’ve read this business model canvas review and learned the basics on how to fill it in. Some enthusiasts prefer to skip this step and get at working with the canvas right away. If you use it in the wrong context, it may be misleading for your analysis.
  • Iterative planning The canvas requires an iterative approach to working with it. It means you have to update it regularly according to the business flow. Using the canvas for linear planning won’t let you experience business model canvas benefits to the full.
  • Not full picture The canvas lacks important business facets like existing alternatives, regulatory environment, and others. Planning without them can be a dead-end road. In this regard, the lean canvas offers you broader horizons. So, it’s essential to understand the purpose of the business model canvas. It can be a great augmentation to other business analytical tools you use.
  • Too simple Simplicity is not always a benefit. As a rather easy-to-use tool, the business model canvas cannot dive deep in analytics. Generally, it is an actionable communicative tool to get a general overview of the business flow. But, you should not rely on it as a full-fledged analytical tool.

A solid alternative to the Business Model Canvas

It’s clear that the Business Model Canvas has its limitations, even when it’s combined with the Value Proposition Canvas tool. Since neither allows you to delve deep into the context of your product idea, it’s likely that you will need to make use of another tool in order to achieve this.

We recommend using BRIDGeS, an all-in-one tool for flexible idea generation , validation, and selection. When compared directly to the Business Model Canvas, BRIDGeS bears several key advantages, including the fact that it’s versatile, easy to use, and allows for deep context understanding. The framework also gives you the opportunity to analyze a Subject from all angles in order to discover new insights or approaches. By the end of the process, you won’t just have a general overview of the problem you are trying to solve — you’ll have a firm idea of how to move forward with your business/product idea.

To get a better understanding of how BRIDGeS compares to the Business Model Canvas, check out the Uber Case Study.

Not sure if you should try the Business Model Canvas?

We would not pressure you to go with Osterwalder’s canvas. It is a specific tool and not every business can benefit from it. If, however, you’d like to give it a shot, we do advise you to start with the value proposition canvas*** . It’s derived from the business model canvas components – Value Propositions and Customer Segments. At the same time, it lets you understand the value of your product/service from the customer’s standpoint.

If you are a startup founder, BRIDGeS or the Lean Canvas is what you need from the outset. Check out how Amazon, Google, and other big names could have taken advantage of the lean canvas tool earlier. As an all-in-one tool, BRIDGeS can also be beneficial for nailing down your product idea during the early stages of your startup journey. Apart from that, it probably won’t be until your business is up and running that you’ll understand if other discovery tools are a better fit or whether the Business Model Canvas is the way to go.

* Lean Canvas was designed by Ash Maurya, based on the Business Model Canvas designed by Alex Osterwalder, Strategyzer.com , licensed under CC BY SA 3.0.

** Business Model Canvas is designed by Alex Osterwalder, Strategyzer.com , licensed under CC BY SA 3.0.

*** Value Proposition Canvas is designed by Alex Osterwalder,  Strategyzer.com .

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How to Create a Business Model Canvas (With Template)

May 19, 2021 - 10 min read

Yuvika Iyer

Do you want to create a simple business plan? Something comprehensive, flexible, and easy to scribble on a napkin? You can do that with a business model canvas.

Every business has ever-changing, diverse interests. Illustrating all of this on a single sheet of paper may sound challenging — but by using a business model canvas template, your team can focus on the key elements of your business to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

Business model canvas explained

"Lengthy business plans often increase the risk of failure," wrote Alex Osterwalder in his 2008 book “Business Model Generation.”

The business model canvas offers a way to avoid this, providing a simplified version of a business plan. A business model canvas is a simple, visual framework that helps teams outline the most fundamental elements of a business.

As a handy business tool, teams can use a business model canvas to map the nine core areas of a business, such as customer needs, value proposition, and platforms for customer acquisition.

This article will explain the business model canvas, its benefits, and how it can help your team develop a successful high-level business strategy and actionable roadmap .

How can a business model canvas help your business?

Many teams are so overwhelmed with operational issues that they don’t have time to focus on the core business strategy .

Utilizing the business model canvas helps create a unified framework that depicts this strategy alongside an action plan that teams can follow.

But how do you know if you need a business model canvas? If you are starting a business or even toying with an idea, a BMC can create a powerful visual representation of your concept. A business model canvas can also be a handy reference for your team as they move towards successful business outcomes. Here are five more ways in which a business model canvas can help your company.

It’s simple and easy to follow

Whether you have a business idea or are managing a large enterprise, having an easy-to-follow business plan can be immensely helpful. As a precise one-page document, teams can modify specific business model canvas elements as they go along without completely redoing a 50- or 100-page document.

Focused on being actionable 

Every business plan needs to be actionable. Using a business model canvas helps you accurately define your organization’s core value proposition and keep it aligned to your business strategy.

Your focus could be to achieve profitability in the first year or gain a large market share. Stay competitive by defining actionable steps for your team within the business model canvas.

Flexible and scalable as the business evolves 

No business stays the same forever but evolves as it interacts with diverse market dynamics, competitors, product innovations, and changing consumer needs.

To take your idea to market, you need a tool that connects the dots between what your customers want, your business's unique offering, and the desired profitability streams.

By creating a business model canvas template, you instantly get an edge over other market players engrossed in lengthy business plan documents.

How to Create a Business Model Canvas (With Template) 2

Puts the customer first

Ignoring customers sets businesses up for failure . Companies flounder if they direct their energies solely towards making a great product or service. With a business model canvas template, your focus stays on the ultimate end-users of your product. 

Having a business blueprint will force team members to think about what customers want, the primary issues they need help with, and how your product or service can do that. 

Helps get team and executive buy-in

23% of businesses fail without the right team on their side. Every company needs team members with a diverse mix of skills, experiences, and talents.

Companies require a solid business blueprint for hiring team members or bringing in investors. Having a business model canvas can help get everyone on board with your organization’s core vision. Potential employees and investors can visualize how the different organizational parts interact and see how they can become an integral part of the company.

Promotes focus on the unique value proposition of your business

19% of companies fail due to being outperformed by their competitors. If there's no difference between your product and one from another firm, why should customers come to your company? Every business needs a clear value proposition that helps them stand out — that's where a business model canvas template comes in.

When you look at the nine core elements of a business model canvas (explained below), you'll quickly notice some factors are controllable to a certain extent, while others are more fractious.

Your company's core value proposition sits right in the middle. It acts as the central pillar around which all other elements exist, defining the fundamental nature of the business.

What goes into each segment?

To fill out a business model canvas, you should know what goes into each of the nine fundamental segments.

Have a business model canvas template ready before you and your team start brainstorming on each of these elements (you'll find one below) and then add the research and data into the relevant sections. 

Customer segments In this fundamental business area, teams identify the core individuals they will help with their product or service. To do this, they create two to three buyer personas — potential customers that a business seeks to serve.

A buyer persona is a simple but detailed description of a prospective business customer. It assists with capturing the customer’s real-life problems and motivations, helping the business deliver what they want.

Value proposition The value proposition is the ultimate value that a customer will get from your product or service. It seeks to answer the question, “Why will a customer buy?” Here are a few popular value propositions for any organization:

  • Customization ability
  • Unique product design
  • Innovation in product or service
  • Exceptional service or product status
  • Affordable pricing and clear pricing model definition

Channels In a business model canvas, channels are the platforms through which a company sells its product or service to end-users. To identify the best channel for your business, look at how you plan to connect with your customers.

A few possible channels can be:

  • A self-owned retail store
  • Direct sales staff
  • Affiliate marketing platforms
  • Google Adsense

A business can either own its channels or partner with other companies that have their own channels.

Customer relationships Customer relationships in a business model canvas define how the company will obtain, retain, and increase new customers. Let's take a look at how customer relationships are built:

  • Identify how to obtain customers and from which platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook ads)
  • Gain clarity on how to retain existing customers using different techniques (e.g., exceptional customer service)
  • Discover how to increase the customer base of the business (e.g., sending text or email notifications to prompt website visits)

Revenue streams Revenue streams help the business owner decide how to generate revenue and achieve their predefined organizational goals . Key decisions with revenue streams include:

  • Choosing from a one-time payment model or monthly subscriptions
  • Keeping a free plus paid model or a wholly paid product or service with a free trial
  • How payment from customers will be received — website payments, PayPal, or in-store

Key resources Key resources in your business model canvas represent the assets that are vital to your company’s operation. Business assets can include anything from the below categories:

  • Physical assets , including machines, buildings, IT hardware, and vehicles
  • Intellectual assets , including patents, copyrights, partnerships, brands, and employee skills
  • Human assets , including talented employees in knowledge industries such as IT, law, and content marketing
  • Financial assets , like cash balances in the bank or lines of credit

Key activities Want to make your business canvas model work? Make sure to list the key activities that will help expand the business's core value proposition. Key activities can come from any of the below categories:

  • Production: How you will deliver your end product to the customers. You may need to order more stock or upgrade materials
  • Platform: For example, the software used to sell your product, which may require upgrades or maintenance
  • Problem-solving: For example, designing innovative solutions for issues that your customers face

Key partners Every business has some non-core activities that should preferably be outsourced. Key partners are the companies or individuals that complete these non-core activities.

Take a company like Facebook, for example — its key activity is to upgrade and maintain its platform. It doesn't create its own ads, so it also needs to strike deals with companies that wish to advertise on its platform. 

Similarly, it doesn’t create its content — the users do. The primary reasons for choosing key partners can be:

  • Achieving economies of scale
  • Mitigating risk and unpredictability in business
  • Acquiring resources and advertisements for its business (e.g., ads for Facebook)

Cost structure Once the key activities are outlined on the business model canvas, it's time to assign cost structures. Be clear and precise with the estimated business costs of the planned activities to ensure you reach your profitability goal.

Business model canvas example and template

How to Create a Business Model Canvas (With Template) 3

  • Customer segments: Facebook's customers can be divided into two distinct categories — advertisers and platform users
  • Value proposition: The primary reasons platform users come to Facebook. Users feel connected to friends and families, while companies get more leads through advertising on the platform
  • Channels: The website where all data is stored
  • Customer relationships: Facebook incentivizes users to stay on the platform through notifications and new features, leading more companies to advertise on it
  • Revenue streams: Facebook earns money through advertising, while companies gain new customers from Facebook ads
  • Key resources: Facebook's key resources are its platforms — Facebook.com, the Messenger application, and Facebook Ads Manager for advertisers
  • Key activities: Maintaining the website and its infrastructure are two of Facebook’s key strategic activities
  • Key partnerships: Facebook's key partners are its users and advertisers
  • Cost structures: Major costs incurred by Facebook include managing the software, backend engineering operations, product development, regular operations, and staff salaries

How to create a business model canvas (with template)

Ready to create your business model canvas? Before you begin, take some time to brainstorm answers to these questions related to the nine core fundamental areas of the canvas. Here's a simple business model canvas template exercise that can help your team get started.

  • Customer segments: Can you identify your potential customers?
  • Channels: Once the product or service is ready, how will customers discover it?
  • Key partnerships: Can any non-core business activities be outsourced?
  • Customer relationships: How will your business generate leads and retain and increase your customer base?
  • Cost structures: Can the business classify its main costs and expenses into fixed and variable? Is there a way to align costs with the core value proposition and planned revenues?
  • Revenue streams: Has the business decided on a profit margin? How will it make money?
  • Key resources: Which core resources are critical for the business to succeed?
  • Value proposition: Why will customers choose your business? Does the company satisfy any particular need with its product or service?
  • Key activities: Are there any activities that help your business deliver its unique value proposition to customers?

Do I need a lean model canvas? 

If your business is still an idea or in its infancy, choosing a lean model canvas makes more sense.

Inspired by the business model canvas, the lean model canvas was created by Ash Maurya . It is a one-page business plan template that distills the lean startup methodology into the original business model canvas. 

Lean model canvas assimilates multiple essential data points to develop a simpler, start-up optimized version of a business model canvas. It adds four more building blocks to the business model canvas, namely:

  • Problem: Identify the problem faced by the customer and focus on solving it
  • Solution: Start with a minimum viable product that helps solve the customer problem effectively
  • Unfair advantage: List the barriers to entry in a specific sector and your company’s competitive advantages
  • Key metrics: Focus on one goal at one time to ensure you’re doing a good job

Lean model canvas drops four elements from the original business model canvas — key partners, key activities, key resources, and customer relationships. 

While the original illustrates a more comprehensive business approach, the lean model canvas has a sharper customer orientation. Many start-ups prefer the lean model canvas to a traditional business plan for building an actionable roadmap.

The lean model canvas is a great fit for younger companies or those working with a tight time frame or budget to market with a more targeted problem resolution approach.

Why you should use Wrike to build a business model canvas 

The business model canvas’ nine building blocks clearly illustrate the core business areas and their interrelationships. Whether you're trying to figure out the model for a company with three employees or 50,000, a business model canvas can be very useful.

Begin by mapping out the most crucial information about your business, then link the blocks to ensure every value proposition is linked to a revenue stream and a specific customer segment.

Using Wrike to build your business model canvas template, you can iterate faster, communicate with ease, and enable organization-wide success . With a centralized hub, your teams can configure custom dashboards easily and produce better quality work using premade templates . Implement what you've learned about the business model canvas by trying out a free two-week trial of Wrike today.

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Yuvika Iyer

Yuvika is a freelance writer who specializes in recruitment and résumé writing.

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These outside organizations have expertise in their specified area, which allows them to manage tasks and processes on behalf of other businesses.  For example, a marketing agency, during their resource planning process, may choose to outsource their payroll and accounting functions in order to focus on the core competencies of their organization.  There are three types of business process outsourcing: offshore, nearshore, and onshore outsourcing.  Offshore outsourcing: The function is managed by an operator or vendor in a different country (often far away and in another time zone) Nearshore outsourcing: The function is managed by an operator or vendor in a neighboring/closeby country Onshore outsourcing: The function is managed by an operator or vendor within the same country — but could be in another state or region  Business functions ideal for outsourcing may include admin, customer service, PR, data entry, HR, content moderation, and more.  Business process outsourcing can improve efficiency and present significant cost savings for companies that may not have the resources to hire a team of in-house customer service specialists or payroll professionals, for example.  In fact, Deloitte research indicates that 59% of companies who outsource say they do so with cost savings as a primary motivator. 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For example, instead of hiring an outside firm to manage their finance and accounting needs, a company might instead execute this function via a cloud-based platform licensed through a monthly subscription model.  This naturally brings costs down and offers a more flexible and scalable way of managing operations.  Any company looking to manage processes without the costs associated with hiring, training, and managing an internal team or department may find that BPaaS is an effective solution.  What are the benefits of outsourcing business processes? There are many benefits associated with outsourcing business processes. These benefits include cost and time savings, efficiency gains, the ability to focus on core business competencies, and more. Be sure to keep these in mind when contemplating outsourcing professional services key success factors, and which professional services agency is right for you.Cost savingsHigh costs associated with labor, training, management, and infrastructure can be a barrier as an organization scales and grows its operations. Outsourcing non-core processes can enable businesses to meet their objectives and operational needs while minimizing these internal costs and time commitments. Access to expertise and improved efficiencyBPO gives businesses access to vendors that have the necessary expertise, equipment, and personnel needed to execute a project or function on their behalf. 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Business Model Canvas Explained: Definition, Pros, Cons, and Building Blocks

how to analyse a business model canvas

So, here's the thing. We all know that we need structure to work effectively, but where do we start with so many options available? One tool worth considering is the Business Model Canvas (BMC) . Used effectively, it can give solid structure to your planning. 

In this article we will examine how the model works and a few ways to use it effectively. Then, we will describe its best practices and some recommendations on getting started. Finally, we will explore possible alternatives. 

Ready to get to know all about the BMC? Let's begin.

The Business Model Canvas, explained

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool that helps businesses visualize and analyze their business models. It consists of 9 fundamental building blocks that describe the core aspects of a company's value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances (more on that later, we promise). 

By using it, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of their overall business model , identify areas for improvement, and develop new strategies for growth. One of the key benefits of the BMC format is that it's very visual. Used adequately, it allows organizations to create a display of their business model in alignment with strategic business objectives and the overall value proposition.

The nine BMC building blocks were initially presented in 2005 by Alexander Osterwalder. They were based on his Ph.D. work on business model ontology, supervised by Yves Pigneur. Since its release, the authors have developed other related tools, such as the Culture Map and the Value Proposition Canvas, which have helped the BMC tool to evolve and added value to it.

Business Model Canvas examples

Some examples of the BMC include:

  • Strategy planning
  • Business planning
  • Business modeling

Lean Canvas vs. Business Model Canvas

Both the Lean and Business Model Canvas enable you to capture your entire model on a single page. The primary difference between them is that the Lean Canvas focuses mainly on solving a particular problem. The Business Canvas Model, on the other hand, is more sales orientated and usually focuses on selling products or services. 

Advantages and disadvantages of the Business Model Canvas

Even though the BMC offers a series of features in order to effectively visualize and analyze your organization's business model, there are also some possible drawbacks to be aware of – and avoid. 

To start on the right note, the benefits of the Business Model Canvas include:

  • A clear and comprehensive business model overview in a single visual format. This makes it easier to understand, articulate, and communicate.
  • Strong collaboration and breaking down silos. Using the BMC approach incentives people to work as one team, as it involves all stakeholders, and enables them to actively participate in developing, improving, and refining the business model.
  • Colleagues constantly progressing with feedback (to borrow from an ITIL principle). The BMC approach allows for a fast and efficient testing of different business model configurations, speeding up the innovation process and reducing the time to market.
  • A structured and systematic approach to analyzing and designing business models, which helps identify areas for improvement and innovation.
  • A flexible approach that enables innovation instead of limiting it. The framework can be adapted to different types of businesses, industries, and customer groups.

However, if you choose to work with this management tool, you need to consider its potential disadvantages :

  • Using the BMC approach effectively can be challenging without prior knowledge of business modeling concepts and terminology. You will need to put the work in and do some pre-reading to get the most out of it.
  • Because it's so visual, it may oversimplify the complexity of a business model, making it more challenging to articulate some of the aspects of the organization's operations and performance. This makes it unsuitable for highly-specialized or complex businesses.
  • Because it's a framework rather than a prescriptive standard that must be strictly adhered to, it doesn't provide detailed guidance on implementing or executing the business model, which can lead to difficulties in translating the canvas into action.
  • It can rely on assumptions and hypotheses, which may not always be accurate or relevant for real-world situations.

The 9 building blocks of a Business Canvas Model

business-model-canvas-building-blocks

The Business Model Canvas is organized in nine  building blocks that represent a business model's key elements. These building blocks are:

  • Value Proposition - The unique value the business provides to its customers and how it differentiates itself from competitors. In other words, it’s what sets your business apart, what makes it special, and what value it brings.
  • Customer Segments - The different groups of customers the business targets with its products or services. This building block looks at your most important customers.
  • Customer Relationships - The business' relationships with its customers and how it interacts with them. This is a fundamental building block as not only does it help you build and maintain a relationship, it also enables you to map out the cost and deliverables needed to continue to improve that relationship.
  • Channels - T he different channels that the business uses to reach and interact with customers, including physical and digital channels.
  • Key Partnerships - The relationships and collaborations that the business has with its suppliers, vendors, and other external partners.
  • Key Activities - The key activities that the business must perform to deliver its value proposition and operate successfully. This building block helps you to define your most mission-critical actions and prioritize them accordingly.
  • Key Resources - The key resources the business requires to operate, including human resources, physical assets, and intellectual property. This can also include relationships, distribution channels, and virtual assets.
  • Revenue Streams - The different sources of revenue that the business generates from its customers, including one-time sales, recurring revenue, and other revenue streams. This building block also helps determine how each stream contributes to the business profit.
  • Cost Structure - The various costs that the business incurs to operate, including fixed costs, variable costs, and other expenses. It also helps you identify your most expensive assets and activities to make effective financial plans for the future.

How to build a Business Model Canvas in 14 steps

The Business Model Canvas is flexible – no one size fits all. But for our money, there are 14 steps to effectively build it.

Step 1: Define the purpose 

The first step is to define the purpose of the Business Model Canvas. Where are you now, and where do you want to be? What do you hope to achieve? Who is the target audience? Have you double-checked to ensure what you want to achieve is in line with the strategic objectives of the rest of the business?

Step 2: Identify the nine building blocks

Identify the nine building blocks of the BMC, review each in relation to your business, and understand their purpose.

Step 3: Define the Value Proposition

What will add value? Start by defining the unique value that your business offers to customers. This will be the foundation of your canvas.

Step 4: Identify your Customer Segments 

Define the different groups of customers your business targets and their specific needs and preferences so you can focus and direct your efforts accordingly.

Step 5: Define Customer Relationships 

Identify your business' relationships with its customers and how it interacts with them. You can also use this step to identify your most important relationships so you can focus more effort on maintaining and improving them.

Step 6: Determine the Channels

Identify your business's channels to reach and interact with its customers, including physical and digital channels. From a service desk perspective, this could be offering a tier 0 channel with self-service or AI-enabled support capabilities before providing tier 1 and level 2 channels which offer a more people-centric user experience .

Step 7: Define Key Partnerships

Identify your business's relationships and collaborations with its suppliers, vendors, and other external partners. Remember, it's not just relationships with customers and stakeholders that matter, your suppliers are part of your team, so manage those relationships appropriately.

Step 8: Identify Key Activities

Define the key activities that your business must perform to deliver its value proposition and operate successfully.

Step 9: Determine Key Resources

Identify the key resources that your business requires to operate, including people, knowledge and wisdom, financial assets, and IT assets.

Step 10: Determine Revenue Streams 

Identify the different sources of revenue that your business generates from its customers. If you have a finance team,  work with them to identify current revenue streams and plan for future ones.

Step 11: Determine Cost Structure

Work with your finance team to identify the various costs that your business incurs to operate, CAPEX, and OPEX costs. 

Step 12: Build the Canvas

Once you have defined all of the building blocks, you can start creating the canvas to visualize what you are planning to accomplish.

Step 13: Review and refine

The BMC isn't a one-and-done approach. Review your model and seek feedback from your stakeholders to correct the course when needed.

Step 14: Keep going! 

In the words of Walt Disney, "Keep moving forward." Build and refine your model over time to reflect current and future activities more accurately. 

How to complete a Business Model Canvas

No one likes a blank page, do they? The difficult part is always getting started, but I promise, if you follow these steps, you'll be off to a great start: 

  • Start with the Value Proposition - Before you do anything else, fill in the Value Proposition block in the center of the canvas. This should describe the unique value that your business provides to customers and how it differentiates itself from competitors. Focus on getting this point right because value is everything in terms of the BMC.
  • Add in your enablers - This will include your key activities, customer segments, relationships (both customer and supplier relationships) assets, key activities, and channels.
  • Add in your financials - Put in your revenue dreams and your cost models to make your BCM more transparent and ensure there are no hidden costs.
  • Progress iteratively with feedback - Once you have filled in all the building blocks, review your canvas, iterate, and redefine  as needed. Seek input from stakeholders and make adjustments.
  • Give the gift of clarity - Remember, this is a visual model, so don't get too stuck on the details or use too much jargon. The effect you're looking for is clear, concise, and visual.
  • Relationships matter - We are talking about the relationship between each building block, so ensure they are correctly represented in your diagram.

Six alternatives to the Business Model Canvas

While the Business Model Canvas is a popular tool for developing and communicating a business model, other options are available too. Some alternatives include:

  • Lean Canvas - This tool is similar to the BMC but focuses on startups and small businesses. It includes fewer blocks and focuses on validating hypotheses and testing assumptions quickly.
  • SWOT Analysis - This tool helps to identify a business's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This can be a valuable tool for assessing the current state of a company and identifying areas for improvement.
  • Business Model Innovation - This involves developing a new business model that is different from the traditional one used in the industry. It can be done through creative thinking, exploring new technologies, or adopting a new approach to customer relationships.
  • Blue Ocean Strategy - This framework helps businesses to create new markets and uncontested market space. It involves identifying and focusing on areas of innovation that competitors have not explored.
  • Value Proposition Canvas - This tool helps businesses to define and communicate their value proposition to customers. It focuses on the customer's needs, desired outcomes, challenges, and how the company can better meet those needs than its competitors.

Key takeaways

The Business Model Canvas or BMC is a strategic management tool that helps businesses visualize, design, and analyze their business models. Some of its common applications include business planning, value propositions, and modeling.

If you want to give it a shot to plan your organization’s strategy, make sure that you have your BCM template ready with the nine key elements that need to be completed. And don’t forget to follow through our six tips on how to get started!

  Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make a good business model canvas .

To make a good Business Model Canvas, clearly define the unique value proposition of your business and ensure that the key building blocks of the canvas (such as channels, revenue streams, and cost structure) are aligned with the overall strategic objectives of the business. Review and improve the canvas as needed to continue improving and aligning with business needs.

What are the four types of business models? 

The four types of business models are product, service, platform, and sub-subscription-based.

What are the three sections of the Business Model Canvas? 

Value Propositions, enablers, and financial planning.

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Home Blogs Business Model Management Business Model Analysis with the Business Model Canvas

Business Model Analysis with the Business Model Canvas

Remco Blom

  • BPM Business process management
  • Business Model Management
  • Enterprise Architecture
  • Enterprise Architecture Software

The Business Model Canvas is as a useful tool for describing how a business captures, creates and delivers value. In this blog, we will elaborate on Business Models, introducing the subject of Business Model Analysis. We will present several possible analytical techniques, using the case of Nextpresso, a virtual coffee-cup company.

Business Model Analysis

Analyzing your business model can help to determine whether a venture is, or will be, viable and valuable. After completing a Business Model Canvas for a current or future business model, designers often ask the following questions:

  • Where are our revenues coming from?
  • What value is delivered to which markets?
  • What costs are involved in delivering that value?
  • Are our perceived key activities and key resources as important for gaining revenue as we think they are?
  • If we change our model in a specific way, what are the effects?

This requires insight into several elements of the business model, the attributes of these elements, and the relations between different elements. Analyzing these elements will provide the foundation for business model change and innovation in an organization. You can analyze a business model from several different perspectives. In our example, each possibility is analyzed from a different perspective and answers a specific question.

ea and BPM - Business process transformations

Case and tool introduction

Using the Nextpresso example, we will present different possibilities for analysis on the Business Model Canvas. To provide some context, the Nextpresso machines brew espresso from coffee capsules, a type of pre-apportioned single-use aluminium container of roasted coffee in a variety of flavors. Nextpresso initially operates in the Dutch coffee market and intends to “cuppify” the traditional coffee world from there.

Using a tool for Business Modelling is useful since the model is created and stored in a central place, reducing the risk of miscommunication and maximizing the effect of collaboration. Furthermore, communication is made easier through publication functions (html, word, pdf-posters), making the business model more accessible. Needless to say, this is quite important for models that describe how your company creates value. Especially in the case of Business Model Analysis, tooling can help identify strengths and weaknesses by relating building blocks and providing insight into cash flows by calculations. Finally, tools help you to work your way “downstream” from your high-level business model to more detailed implementation views e.g. process models, customer journey maps, and enterprise architecture models.

Business Model Canvas for ‘Nextpresso’

The Canvas below presents the current business model of Nextpresso. Nextpresso provides “Great espresso experiences at home and at the office”.

Business Model Canvas made for Nextpresso

Business Model Canvas made for Nextpresso

Comparison of business models

If we enter a new market, how will this affect our revenues? If we stop providing certain services, will we decrease our costs? Why is our competitor’s model more successful than ours? Comparing different business models is useful in addressing such questions. The Nextpresso case provides a good example of such an analysis:

New Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

New Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

The Canvas represents the business model of Nextpresso according to the situation before the value proposition ‘Great espresso experience at the office’ was added. At first, Nextpresso provided machines and cups for households only. You can see the differences in Customer Segments, Channels, Customer Relationships, and Revenue Streams. When elements from the other business model are removed, these elements should be indicated in red. By knowing these differences, Nextpresso can calculate the differences in revenues and costs before and after this change. In the next example, we will present an example of calculating these costs and revenues.

Typical usage of business model comparison addresses questions regarding GAP analyses (difference between as-is and to-be models), analyses on optional changes to a business model, and comparisons of alternative business models for the future. (Note: the feature to compare business models canvasses is available on Bizzdesign Enterprise Studio).

Analyzing Revenues and costs

What value do we deliver to which markets and what costs are involved in delivering that value? Where are our revenues coming from? What prices generate what sort of revenues? The ‘Costs and revenues’ function provides a useful way of addressing these questions. Organizations get a simple and clear view of the size of the markets they operate in, revenues per revenue stream and costs per cost structure.

how to analyse a business model canvas

Costs and Revenues. Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

Detailed costs structure. Business Model Canvas.

Detailed costs structure. Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

For an overview of revenues and costs, specific information per Cost Structure and Revenue Stream serves as input:

how to analyse a business model canvas

Marketing. Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

Analyzing the customer relations

In the Nextpresso case, management might ask: Do we have different operating concepts for our segments ‘Households’, ‘Office users’ and ‘Companies’? Why? How many? An answer can be found by using the Customer Relations Landscape Map in Enterprise Studio:

Customer Relations Landscape Map in Enterprise Studio

Detailed marketing. Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

Analyzing the channels

Channels. Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

Channels. Business Model Canvas Nextpresso

This Channels Landscape Map may be extended by mapping the Channels on different phases a customer is in (e.g. orientation, comparison, purchase, usage, complaint).

Conclusions and next steps

We described types of analysis and we zoomed in on analyzing the Business Model Canvas. Analysis of business models answers the question of why and how a venture is or will be, viable and valuable. Based on questions that represent perspectives on analyzing business models, the Nextpresso case shows different possibilities for conducting analysis. Tooling is a useful aid in business model analyses, making calculations and communication easy. Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions on alternative analyses from your practice.

More about Bizzdesign’s Business Process Management out-of-the-box solution can be found here .

Related resources

The Business Architect’s Toolbox: Organization Mapping

As discussed in the introduction of this blog series, the maturation of the business architecture discipline makes the role of…

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Business Model Canvas Examples

Kyrylo Iusov, Advisor & Co-founder

CPO in Jelvix with 8+ years in software development. He has been working as a project manager for more than 6 years. Kirill has managed a wide range of projects from various business segments and understands the processes that will drive the product to success. He started from managing small teams, and now he assembles an expert team of more than 40 software developers. His expertise and knowledge of the latest technical innovations have brought Jelvix to the ranks of the most distinguished custom software development companies.

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Over the last decade, the approach to planning and organizing a business changed a lot. In the past, business owners created extensive business plans that described the detailed specifics of value proposition and operations. Business plans aimed to foresee the situation in the scale of decades. 

However, the ever-changing startup climate that emerged over the last decade made this approach irrelevant. Spending time preparing business plans that end up being detached from reality led to increased expenses. After all, no matter how good your business plan is, it might not account for a global pandemic. 

What’s a Business Canvas?

Business canvas, also known as a lean business plan , is a time-saving approach to business planning, opposed to traditional planning methods. Rather than describing the detailed vision , mission , operations, it answers key questions – and the team derives the conclusion from this answer.

Business model canvas is more attainable than a business plan. Instead of describing the abstract vision, the document focuses on answering the following questions: 

  • What is the product/service?
  • What is the main value offered to a customer by a company’s product or service?
  • How much does it cost to start a business? What’s a brief estimate of major expenses?
  • What are your business key partners?
  • Who are the main customers? Business canvas can consider both primary and secondary target audiences . 
  • What are the main distribution channels and approaches to managing them?
  • The Format of Business Model Canvas Explained

The main advantage of switching from plain-text plans to visual canvas is its readability. Here’s a rundown of differences compared to the traditional approach. 

  • The document volume: just one page versus old-fashioned 20-30-page documents;
  • Clear structure: each section of a business model canvas is located within its “square”;
  • Fewer words, more meaning: the more concise canvas is, the better it’ll convey its key points;
  • The style: no sales talk on technical jargon, canvas describes the business model in everyday language;
  • Focus on practical matters: business model canvas features useful answers to urgent questions. No information is entered “just in case.”

The Structure of Business Model Canvas

The structure of Canvas

Business model canvas is easy to read because it always follows the same format. Investors, stakeholders, partners get used to seeing particular information where it belongs – so that everyone is literally on the same page.

  • Sections always follow a precise order. For example, the cost structure is always in the left bottom part together with revenue streams.
  • All sections are distributed based on their meaning. Key partners, activities, and resources are located together – because these aspects are closely related. Similarly, cost structure and revenue streams belong in the same row. 
  • More opportunities for branding. Since canvas encourages visual representations, businesses can show their tone of voice and approach clearer. Sure, there’s a format to follow, but deviations are possible in the tone of voice, fonts , narration style. 

Categories that are located on the left side of the canvas are the ones that require investments and nurturing. The aspects described on the right side refer to means of generating revenue. This is called a left/right split of the business canvas. 

This article will give a practical guide on how to describe business concept examples and analyze real-life business models. With a business model canvas, the entire team will have one-page guidance on developing a business model . 

  • Customer Segments

To define customer segments, you need to analyze your clients by demographic and behavioral characteristics. There are many ways of defining user performance and performing customer analysis, but here are few ideas. 

  • Basic demographic characteristics . Split your customers into segments by gender, age, location, occupation. These qualities will influence their behavior later on and allow you to perform basic targeting. 
  • B2B vs B2C segmentation . Often, businesses tend to gravitate to one or the other, but business models combine both. For instance, if you are building a booking or tourism-related platform, you interact with businesses and individuals. These users will have different needs and challenges.
  • Usage habits . Software development companies focus on types of devices, operating systems, browsers that users normally use. 
  • Purchasing trends . You can segment users by their favorite product categories, time of making a purchase, frequency, etc. 

Business canvas is supposed to be brief – so the best strategy is to choose 4-5 leading segments and focus on them. These should be the user types that have the potential of generating the most revenue for your business. 

  • Key Partnerships

Business canvas focuses on tangible aspects of business operations, and partnerships are among its key pillars. For this section, listing all partners is unnecessary. If you don’t have specific names in mind yet, you can list the types of partnerships and briefly describe strategies for attracting them. 

As a software development company, our clients and we typically consider the following key resources in the business model canvas . 

  • Suppliers : e-commerce stores, marketplaces, delivery applications rely on businesses that can steadily supply high-quality products. In your business canvas, list requirements for a supplier. 
  • Technical collaboration : to build the best product, development companies often need to cooperate with others. This section can feature commercial APIs , payment gateway partnerships, cooperation with development teams and agencies, and outsourcing providers. These businesses are also key partners of your business.
  • Cooperation with competitors : if there’s a strong player on the market, smaller businesses often team up to gain visibility. If you are entering an established field, consider looking for smaller competitors and making them a partnership offer. 

The focus on partnerships is one of the main advantages of business canvas over other methods. Too often, businesses don’t think about cooperation out-of-the-box and miss out on opportunities. When you build a business canvas, its structure motivates your team to consider these options. 

  • Key Activities

The operating model canvas describes your company and product’s processes to solve its target problems. For instance, for Uber, the key activity would be connecting drivers to clients and overseeing the safety of cooperation. Key activities tend to vary as the company scales, so most businesses frequently update this business model canvas section.  

The key activities of most IT businesses

  • Product ideation and development. The main value of a tech company lies in its product. Design , development , and testing are key activities that directly influence business success. 
  • Marketing. To reach new users and keep the existing ones satisfied, you need to plan marketing activities. This includes digital marketing and its components – Search Engine Optimization, content management, social media management. 
  • Sales. Sales activities allow companies to continually generate revenue, communicate with clients, and stay in touch with direct customer needs. Pre-sale and sale processes should be listed as one of the key activities in the canvas. 
  • Customer support. If the product is not working properly, or a user can’t understand the interface or functionality, customer support should promptly intervene. For an IT business, focusing on customer support quality is crucial for maintaining a good reputation. For instance, Google Cloud’s lack of customer support is what drives many away from embracing an otherwise great solution. 
  • Distribution and logistics. For businesses that deal with e-commerce and sell physical goods, distribution and logistics are key business model activities. Business model canvas should have information on responsible team members, costs, and requirements for the distribution cycles. 
  • Public relations. If a business is built around a community, communication and community management are key business activities. For NGOs and educational services, public relations are particularly important. 

The list of key activities is a defining feature of the business model. When you understand what operations are the most crucial for your business, you have a better idea of the end value. The key activities define your unique value proposition, operation costs, risks, and partnerships. This is why it’s the most important section in the entire strategy canvas template . 

Learn more about the main stages of product development lifecycle to build a sustainable product.

  • Revenue Streams

Revenue streams

Revenue streams also referred to as monetization, sum up your business strategies to leverage profit. A lot of businesses choose a single monetization strategy, while some combine multiple approaches. As a software development company, we can sum up the most common revenue streams for software businesses and tech-based models. 

Advertising . Users use the application for free; however, some of their personal data might be used for advertising targeting. The application offers the time and attention of their users to businesses – and gets paid a commission. It’s a great business model for attracting more users, as the service remains free.

However, to generate a lot of profit, it’s essential to have many users on the service. Advertising strategy, among others, is used by Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google, and others. It’s a common one for mobile applications and games. 

Subscriptions . To use a service, a user needs to pay every month, week, or year. It’s a common model for software-as-a-service, media platforms, learning services, online publishing, and entertainment. On-demand content providers like Spotify or Netflix use this business model with premium-level publishers like Quartz or The New Yorker. 

Affiliate Marketing . The platform gets revenue for referring users to other products. By tracking visits and purchases with on-page pixels and promo codes, affiliate systems calculate your revenue.

Affiliate marketing is frequently used among influencers (like when a sponsoring brand gives a Youtuber a promo code) and blogs (when a niche blog publishes a list of best tools to use or collects the best Amazon listings). Affiliate marketing can be beneficial both to users, referring platforms, and your partners – if recommendations correspond to your users’ needs. 

Donations from users . If you’d like to keep offering your service to the public for free without selling away user data, donations are another option. PayPal provides a donation getaway that can be embedded on the blog, application, or web service.

This strategy is common for businesses with a strong social mission and requires high user loyalty. Such business canvas examples include Wikipedia , The Guardian , and Khan Academy (the education platform that recently received a 5 million dollar donation from Elon Musk). 

Freemium . This business model offers basic features for free and provides updates on a paid subscription. It’s common among SaaS and publishing businesses. Use examples include Medium (users have a certain number of free stories every month) and Grammarly , where a free version recommends basic corrections. 

Commissions . Fee-based monetization is common for marketplaces, APIs, payment gateways. The use of service is typically free, but the intermediary withdraws a fee once a transaction is made. The commission can be fixed regardless of the purchase amount or depending on the percentage. This business model is used by Uber , Amazon , BlaBlaCar , and other services. 

  • Value Proposition

The Value Proposition is a concise sentence or, at best, paragraph that summarizes your company’s offer. It depicts users’ problems and ways to solve them. Let’s take a look at real value proposition canvas templates to make things more transparent. 

  • Slack’s value proposition is summarized in their slogan – be less busy. The full version is more specific: Slack is where teams can collaborate, send important information to the right people, and find tools when and where users need them. Still, the three-word slogan reflects the gist of it pretty well – after all, the purpose of Slack merely is making users less busy.
  • Paypal has two sets of value propositions – one for buyers and one for sellers. The sellers-focused version promises convenience, low cost, and security. Online stores can be sure that the payment will go through on any browser, with a low commission, and user data won’t be compromised. For buyers, the value proposition is focused on convenience, flexibility, and security. It takes little time to make a payment, it can be done from any device and browser, and all data is safe. 
  • Amazon is a super-aggregator of vendors and buyers, where buyers can find whatever they need at a given moment, and sellers can reach large audiences. The company’s value proposition is based on the platform’s functionality and popular community.
  • Distribution Channels

At this point, you can answer two major questions: what is your value, and who needs it. However, the picture is incomplete without knowing how the value will be delivered to customers. Answering this question is the responsibility of the “Distribution channels” sections. 

To plan channels in the business model canvas , we recommend getting acquainted with the buyer’s journey. In a nutshell, it consists of three stages: 

  • Awareness : the customer is aware of the problem but doesn’t yet know how to solve it. He’s not considering any particular help so far. It’s an exploratory stage. 
  • Consideration : the customer is aware of the importance of the problem and is ready to consider looking for help. At this point, the user is exploring multiple options, comparing pricing, advantages, reviews. 
  • Decision : the client spent a lot of time exploring the market and is ready to commit to the final option. At this point, all a customer needs is the last push that will fully persuade towards making a purchase. 

Distribution channels

A company should have distribution channels for all three stages of the buyer’s journey. It’s achieved with focused content marketing, Search Engine Optimization, email marketing, social media management. Here are some of our distribution channels – just to give you an idea.

Distribution channels in a business canvas example 

  • Company’s blog : Jelvix has a blog with in-depth guides like this for users in the awareness and consideration stage. Users get to know their problem better and move to the consideration stage. 
  • Newsletter : once a user considers our blog useful, the next option is to subscribe to our newsletter. This is where we inform about new content, special offers, additional materials (like free e-books or whitepapers).
  • Case studies . When users are deciding on partnering with the Jelvix team, they usually take a look at our case studies. Often, they reach out to us directly – and this is where the sales team comes in. 
  • Youtube channel . Often, clients in the awareness stage come to us from Youtube. They want to see an explanatory video that answers their questions – and this is how they come across our content. 

Distribution methods require a lot of investment at the early stages, but ultimately, they keep your business running in the long run. 

  • Key Resources

To execute plans outlined in the canvas, you need resources. For tech companies, this involves development, design, testing teams, HR specialists, security experts. Other things to consider are server costs, maintenance fees, API costs, office space, hardware, software (development environment, automation scripts, management tools). 

The business canvas should distinguish between already available resources and those that still require investments. To avoid leaving anything out, we recommend grouping resources into human, financial, intellectual, technical, and physical ones. 

  • Physical resources : office space, furniture, computers all fall in the realm of physical resources. 
  • Intellectual resources : if you need to acquire educational resources, patents, copyrights, creative licenses, these will be expenses on intellectual needs. 
  • Technical resources : we could consider those as an extension to intellectual resources, for tech companies, this category is one of the most relevant one – and it deserves own spot. Such resources include hardware for testing, development environments, emulators, additional tools, APIs, server cost, maintenance fees, etc. 
  • Human resources : development, design, testing teams, marketing specialists, sales and customer support department, legal and HR teams – everyone involved in your direct business operations falls into this category. These resources don’t have to be limited to the in-house team – you can include freelancers and contractors. 
  • Financial resources describe funds that the company already has and strategies for obtaining those in the future. You can plan out investments, loans, crowd-funding campaigns, strategic customers, and others in this category.
  • Customer Relation Strategy

To plan a business model canvas for customer relationships , you already need to understand the specifics of your target audience, value proposition, main activities, and available resources in sales, support, and marketing departments (all this was described in other sections). So, in this section, we suggest focusing on building and maintaining a customer relation strategy. 

  • First contact: what are the ways for your users to contact the company. The most common ones are on-site forms, email communication, phone calls, and Skype meetings. Which contact data is public to users, and what has to be obtained after direct contact? Specify these requirements. 
  • Pre-sale process . Canvas should describe the value that your customer receives on the pre-sale stage. In software development, it’s often done during the discovery session. A development team offers a free analysis of a business model and provides estimates. 
  • Sales meetings . Describe who’s responsible for converting qualified leads into sales. What are the channels of communication (Skype, Zoom, phone calls, in-person meetings, negotiation)? Establish the duration of such a cycle. 
  • Finalization . When is the sale process considered finalized? What are the documents that parties need to sign for sale to go through? What data does a customer relations team need to finish the process?
  • Communication . Keeping in touch with existing clients is as important as attracting new ones. What are the ways to stimulate the next purchases? This is where you can describe special offers, bonuses, loyalty programs. 

The customer relationship section usually describes programs for maintaining and attracting clients, communication strategies, and technical resources (software, browser extensions, social media).

Name of video

  • Cost Structure

The allocation of resources depends on your field and business model. As a tech company, we can give you an idea of an approximate cost structure for tech startups.

Statistics show that 10-20% are spent on development, whereas the most are invested in testing. Marketing tends to take up around 15-25% of the budget for new businesses and around 5-10% for established companies. 

Costs can be fixed and variable. In the cost structure business model canvas , define which expenses will be constant and require constant revision.

 types of cost

Main types of cost to consider

  • Operational costs : how much do you need to keep your product running? This includes testing, development, server costs. 
  • Marketing costs : how much do you pay for one client? What is your average promotion budget?
  • Support costs : how much do you pay support teams?
  • Overhead costs : these are costs that don’t impact the product quality directly but can’t be ignored – electricity bills, installation time, delays from human resources. 
  • Staff costs : investments into recruiting, hiring, training employees, and financing additional programs and bonuses. 

For tech companies, R&D departments are the main focus. Sales and marketing are the second priority – however, the business’s success still mainly depends on product quality.

Business Model Canvas Samples

canvas model

Let’s take a look at lean canvas examples for successful companies. There aren’t official versions – such documents are usually not published. The purpose of these examples is to give you an idea of how such businesses could formulate their lean canvas examples . 

Business model canvas - slack

To understand the key aspects of your business model in a few days, you can create a business canvas. It’s an efficient one-page representation of your unique proposition value, key activities, customers, distribution channels, cost structure, revenue sources, and other aspects. Unlike traditional business plans, it doesn’t give irrelevant details – the focus is on the pillars of the business. 

The business model canvas for tech companies has its structure and rules. From audience to cost allocation, the business climate of tech startups is different from traditional businesses. If you’d like to create a canvas for your concept, don’t hesitate to contact our team . We are happy to help you ideate the solution and bring our development team on board – to make the concept into a ready product. 

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Business Analysis Blog

What is a Business Model Canvas and how does it help with start up ideas?

how to analyse a business model canvas

What is a Business Model Canvas and why use it?

The business model canvas is a strategic management tool that helps businesses to analyse and plan their business models. It is used by startups and established businesses alike, and is a useful tool for any business looking to define or refine its business model.

The Business Model Canvas essentially shows your start up idea, business or product ‘on a page’ which makes it an extremely effective way to communicate your start up idea, existing business model or even a new product/service to potential business investors, strategic business managers or product teams. It is also a very powerful tool to demonstrate which areas in your business needs change.

The business model canvas is important because it helps you to understand all the different elements of your business and how they work together. This can be extremely helpful when you are starting a business or launching a new product or service.

The business model canvas can also help you to communicate your planned start up or existing business model to others.

Video example: How to validate your start up idea with the Business Model Canvas?

This short video uses a practical example company, Felonycases.com to illustrate some of the real world considerations they would have considered as part of the Business Model Canvas elements.

The canvas is divided into nine sections or building blocks, each of which represents a key element of the business model. These elements are:

  • – Value proposition
  • – Customer segments
  • – Channels
  • – Customer relationships
  • – Revenue streams
  • – Key resources
  • – Key activities
  • – Key partnerships
  • – Cost structure.

Each of these sections is further divided into smaller sub-sections, which helps to ensure that all aspects of the business model are covered and considered during analysis. We will however first discuss each of the 9 elements in more detail and explain exactly how it can be applied to your small or larger business:

#1 Value Proposition

The first element, and arguably the most important, is the value proposition. This is what your business offers to its customers that provides them with value. It is the unique selling point (USP) of your business, and should be something that sets you apart from your competitors. Consider what it is that makes your business unique and more attractive than your competitors when you consider this element.

An example of a value proposition can be:

“We are the only business in our industry that offers a money-back satisfaction guarantee”

“We offer the lowest prices in our market”.

#2 Customer Segments

The second element to consider is your customer segments. This is who your business sells its products or services to. It is useful here to describe each of your customer segments (if there are more than one) as a persona. The better you can understand your customer the more likely it is that you will be able to serve them well.

how to analyse a business model canvas

“Small businesses in the Retail industry who are looking to expand their customer base”.

#3 Channels

The third element is your channels. This is how you reach and communicate with your customer segments. It is important here to consider both online and offline channels, as well as how you will reach each of your customers. Here is good to know which channels will be most effective for which customer segment or type of communication.

An example of a channel could be:

“Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter”.

#4 Customer Relationships

The fourth element is your customer relationships. This is how you build and maintain relationships with your customers. It is important to consider what type of relationship you want to have with each customer segment, as this will determine how you communicate and interact with each. Keep in mind that customer relationships can be one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-many.

An example of a customer relationship could be:

“We want to build long-term relationships with our customers based on trust and loyalty”.

#5 Revenue Streams

The fifth element is your revenue streams. This element is important because it covers how your business makes money. It is important to consider all of the ways that your business can generate revenue, as this will help you to determine which are the most profitable and sustainable in the long-term.

An example of a revenue stream could be:

“We generate revenue through advertising on our website” or another example could be:

“We generate revenue through the sale of our products and services”.

#6 Key Resources

The sixth element is your key resources. This is what your business needs in order to function and deliver its value proposition to customers. It is important to consider both physical and human resources when you think about this element.

An example of resources could be: “We have a fleet of trucks that delivers groceries to customers.”

#7 Key Activities

The seventh element is your key activities. This is what your business does on a day-to-day basis in order to function. It is important to consider all of the activities that are essential to your business, as well as those that are not.

An example of key activities could be:

“We source and buy groceries from suppliers” or “We package and deliver pet products to customers.”

#8 Key Partnerships

how to analyse a business model canvas

An example of a key partnership could be:

“We partner with a local pet store to sell our products” or “We partner with a fence builder to complete our landscaping projects.”

#9 Cost structure

The ninth and final element is your cost structure. It is key that you define and understand the costs associated with running your business. This will help you to make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources and how to price your products and services.

An example of a cost could be:

“The cost of goods sold (COGS)” or “The cost of marketing our business”.

Now that we have gone through each of the nine elements of the business model canvas, it is time to understand when you should create a business model canvas and how to do so.

When to use the Business Model Canvas?

The business model canvas is a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of situations. Some of the most common times to use the business model canvas are when you are:

– starting a business: The business model canvas can help you to flesh out your business idea and determine whether or not you should pursue the idea or perhaps change your approach.

– trying to improve an existing business : If you are not happy with the performance of your business, the business model canvas can help you to identify areas that need improvement.

– launching a new product or service: The business model canvas can help you to understand how your new product or service will fit into your existing business and what changes you need to make to ensure it is successful within the business.

Benefits of using a Business Model Canvas includes

  • All business model elements in one place.
  • Easy to use and understand.
  • Helps you to think about all aspects of your business.
  • Helps you to communicate your business model to others.

There are also some potential drawbacks of using a Business Model Canvas, including

  • It can be too simplistic and may not capture all the details of each element effectively.
  • If you do not have a solid business plan or strategy in place, the business model canvas can be ineffective.
  • It can be difficult to make changes to your business model once it is set in stone on the canvas.

However, at the end of the day, the business model canvas is a tool that can be extremely helpful.

How to start creating a Business Model Canvas?

Now that you understand when to use a business model canvas, it is time to learn how to create one. The process of creating a business model canvas is relatively simple and can be done in just a few steps.

  • Start by downloading a business model canvas template .
  • Once you have the template, begin filling in and brainstorm the content with your colleagues or business partners.
  • As you fill in the business model canvas, be sure to refer back to your business plan or strategy to ensure that the information you are including is aligned with your overall business goals.
  • Once you have completed the business model canvas, take some time to review it and make sure that all of the information is accurate and aligned.

Now that you know what the elements of a business model canvas are and you know when it is appropriate to use one, you can apply it to assess your start up idea, existing business or even that new product or service that is being considered at your company.

We hope you have learned something new that can make a real tangible difference to your success whether it is an solopreneur, entrepreneur or business analyst working in a large organisation.

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The Leading Source of Insights On Business Model Strategy & Tech Business Models

Business Model Canvas Vs. SWOT Analysis

Both are strategic tools for assessing the key components that make up a company’s business model (Business Model Canvas) and gaining a contextual understanding of the market or industry in which a company operates by looking internally and externally ( SWOT Analysis ). They can be used in conjunction to gain a wider understanding of a company and the market surrounding it.

Table of Contents

Business Model Canvas

business-model-canvas

SWOT Analysis

swot-analysis

Key Similarities between Business Model Canvas and SWOT Analysis:

  • Strategic Analysis Tools: Both Business Model Canvas and SWOT Analysis are strategic analysis tools used by organizations to gain insights into their business and the market in which they operate.
  • Holistic View: Both tools provide a comprehensive and holistic view of the organization and its operating environment. They consider both internal and external factors that impact the company’s performance.
  • Structured Framework: Both Business Model Canvas and SWOT Analysis follow a structured framework that guides users in systematically analyzing different aspects of the business.
  • Decision-Making Support: Both tools help in making informed decisions related to business strategy , resource allocation, and identifying areas for improvement or growth .

Key Differences between Business Model Canvas and SWOT Analysis:

  • Business Model Canvas: Focuses on analyzing and designing the components of a company’s business model , including key partners, customer segments, value propositions, revenue streams, etc.
  • SWOT Analysis: Focuses on assessing the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization, as well as the external opportunities and threats in the market or industry.
  • Business Model Canvas: Provides a comprehensive view of the entire business model , including its key elements and how they fit together to create value for customers.
  • SWOT Analysis: Provides a broader view of the company’s internal and external environment, without specifically focusing on the interrelation of individual business model components.
  • Business Model Canvas: Primarily used for designing, analyzing, and innovating business models, making it especially valuable for startups and companies undergoing strategic transformations.
  • SWOT Analysis: Used for strategic planning, decision-making, and risk assessment, making it applicable to both new and established companies.
  • Business Model Canvas: Focuses on the long-term structure of the business model and how it creates value over time.
  • SWOT Analysis: Addresses immediate challenges and opportunities, as well as the organization’s readiness to tackle them.

Case Studies

1. Netflix:

Business Model Canvas:

  • Key Partners: Content creators, internet service providers.
  • Key Activities: Streaming platform, content acquisition, content creation (Netflix Originals).
  • Value Propositions: Extensive content library, ad-free viewing, multiple device compatibility.
  • Customer Relationships: Monthly subscriptions, content recommendations.
  • Customer Segments: Movie and series watchers globally, varying age groups.
  • Critical Resources: Streaming infrastructure, content licenses, user data.
  • Channels: Netflix app, website.
  • Cost Structure: Content production, licensing fees, platform maintenance.
  • Revenue Streams: Monthly subscription fees.

SWOT Analysis:

  • Strengths: Original content, global reach, brand reputation.
  • Weaknesses: High content costs, dependence on net neutrality.
  • Opportunities: Expansion in emerging markets, new content formats.
  • Threats: Rising competitors (Disney+, Amazon Prime), regulatory challenges in certain countries.

2. Starbucks:

  • Key Partners: Coffee farmers, suppliers, franchisees.
  • Key Activities: Coffee brewing, store operations, merchandise sales.
  • Value Propositions: High-quality coffee, ambient store environment, loyalty programs.
  • Customer Relationships: In-store experience, Starbucks app.
  • Customer Segments: Coffee lovers, professionals, students.
  • Critical Resources: Store locations, trained staff, coffee beans.
  • Channels: Starbucks stores, retail products in supermarkets.
  • Cost Structure: Store operations, staff salaries, marketing .
  • Revenue Streams: Coffee sales, merchandise, licensing.
  • Strengths: Strong brand presence, loyalty program, global store footprint.
  • Weaknesses: Premium pricing, over-reliance on US markets.
  • Opportunities: Expansion in Asia, new product lines.
  • Threats: Local coffee chains, changing consumer habits.
  • Key Partners: Battery manufacturers, renewable energy companies.
  • Key Activities: Electric vehicle manufacturing, software development, battery research.
  • Value Propositions: Sustainable transportation, cutting-edge technology, autopilot features.
  • Customer Relationships: Direct sales model , over-the-air updates.
  • Customer Segments: Environmentally conscious consumers, tech enthusiasts.
  • Critical Resources: Gigafactories, patents, Elon Musk’s brand .
  • Channels: Tesla stores, online sales.
  • Cost Structure: R&D, manufacturing, infrastructure (charging stations).
  • Revenue Streams: Car sales, energy products, software updates.
  • Strengths: Brand reputation, technological lead, supercharger network.
  • Weaknesses: Production bottlenecks, high pricing.
  • Opportunities: Expansion in emerging markets, energy products.
  • Threats: Established automakers entering EV space, regulatory challenges.

Key Takeaways:

  • Business Model Canvas and SWOT Analysis are both strategic analysis tools used to gain insights into a company’s business and the market in which it operates.
  • Business Model Canvas focuses on designing and analyzing the components of a business model , while SWOT Analysis assesses the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization and the external opportunities and threats it faces.
  • Both tools can be used in conjunction to gain a comprehensive understanding of a company’s business model and the external market factors affecting its performance.
  • Business Model Canvas helps in designing and structuring the business model , while SWOT Analysis identifies the current challenges and opportunities in the market.

Key Highlights:

  • Developed by Osterwalder and Pigneur.
  • Visual framework for mapping out a company’s business model .
  • Consists of nine components: key partners, key activities, value propositions, customer relationships, customer segments, critical resources, channels, cost structure, and revenue streams.
  • Aims to give a comprehensive snapshot of a company’s business model in one visual chart.
  • Analytical tool to evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
  • Assesses internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors.
  • Used for strategic planning and identifying areas of improvement.
  • Both are strategic analysis tools.
  • Offer a holistic view of a company.
  • Aid in decision-making and strategy formulation.
  • BMC focuses on the entire business model , while SWOT analysis looks at both internal and external factors affecting a company.
  • BMC provides a long-term view of a business model ’s structure, whereas SWOT addresses immediate challenges and opportunities.
  • Both tools can be used together for comprehensive strategic planning.
  • BMC can help design and structure a company’s approach, while SWOT can identify potential challenges and opportunities in the market.

Read Next:  Business Model Canvas , SWOT Analysis .

Related Strategy Concepts:  Go-To-Market Strategy ,  Marketing Strategy ,  Business Models ,  Tech Business Models ,  Jobs-To-Be Done ,  Design Thinking ,  Lean Startup Canvas ,  Value Chain ,  Value Proposition Canvas , Balanced Scorecard .

More Strategy Tools:  Porter’s Five Forces ,  PESTEL Analysis ,  SWOT ,  Porter’s Diamond Model ,  Ansoff ,  Technology Adoption Curve ,  TOWS ,  SOAR ,  Balanced Scorecard ,  OKR ,  Agile Methodology ,  Value Proposition ,  VTDF Framework .

Main Guides:

  • Business Models
  • Business Strategy
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Business Model Innovation
  • Platform Business Models
  • Network Effects In A Nutshell
  • Digital Business Models

Connected Strategy Frameworks

ADKAR Model

adkar-model

Ansoff Matrix

ansoff-matrix

Lean Startup Canvas

lean-startup-canvas

Blitzscaling Canvas

blitzscaling-business-model-innovation-canvas

Blue Ocean Strategy

blue-ocean-strategy

Business Analysis Framework

business-analysis

Balanced Scorecard

balanced-scorecard

Blue Ocean Strategy 

blue-ocean-strategy

GAP Analysis

gap-analysis

GE McKinsey Model

ge-mckinsey-matrix

McKinsey 7-S Model

mckinsey-7-s-model

McKinsey’s Seven Degrees

mckinseys-seven-degrees

McKinsey Horizon Model

mckinsey-horizon-model

Porter’s Five Forces

porter-five-forces

Porter’s Generic Strategies

competitive-advantage

Porter’s Value Chain Model

porters-value-chain-model

Porter’s Diamond Model

porters-diamond-model

PESTEL Analysis

pestel-analysis

Scenario Planning

scenario-planning

STEEPLE Analysis

steeple-analysis

More Resources

business-model-canvas

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  1. Business Model Canvas: Definition, Benefits, and Examples

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COMMENTS

  1. Business Model Canvas: A 9-Step Guide to Analzye Any Business

    What is the Business Model Canvas? Created by Swiss entrepreneur and Strategyzer co-founder, Alexander Osterwalder, the Business Model Canvas is a visual representation of the 9 key building blocks that form the foundations of every successful business.

  2. Business Model Canvas: Explained with Examples

    Updated on: 12 December 2022 | 15 min read Exploring Business Model Canvas? Create one using a template Learn how to create a business model Key building blocks of the business model canvas Got a new business idea, but don't know how to put it to work? Want to improve your existing business model? Overwhelmed by writing your business plan?

  3. Business Model Canvas: The Definitive Guide and Examples

    1. Customer Segment 2. Value Proposition 3. Distribution Channels 4. Customer Relationship 5. Revenue Streams 6. Key Resources 7. Key Activities 8. Key Partners 9. Cost Structure Applications and Analysis What to Do After? Some Tips for Beginners Software for Business Model Canvas What Are the Benefits of the BMC?

  4. How To Use The Business Model Canvas

    Step 1 (of 10): Customer Segments 1. Customers Segments 2. Segment Composition 3. Problems, Needs, Behaviours & Current Alternatives Outcome Step 2 (of 10): Value Propositions What is Value? Outcome Step 3 (of 10): Channels Step 4 (of 10): Customer Relationships Step 5 (of 10): Revenue Streams Step 6 (of 10): Key Activities Outcome

  5. What is a business model canvas? Overview with template

    The business model canvas is a template introduced by Alexander Osterwalder in 2005 as part of his Ph.D. studies under the supervision of Yves Pigneur. The business model canvas outlines nine crucial elements of a business model in an easy-to-understand visual template: customer segments, value proposition, channels, customer relationships ...

  6. What is a Business Model Canvas? Quick Guide + Examples

    Quick Guide + Examples. Based on the work of Alexander Osterwalder, a Business Model Canvas, or BMC for short, is a diagram used to visualize a business model; it allows structured organization and a quick method of evaluation and reflection on the effectiveness of a Business Model. The use and study of Business Model Canvas Examples allows us ...

  7. Business Model Canvas (BMC): The Ultimate Guide

    1. Customer Segments (CS) These are the groups of people or organizations that a business aims to reach and serve. Customers are the heart of a business model, and without (profitable) customers, a business cannot survive. Customers are grouped into distinct segments with common needs, common behaviors, or other attributes.

  8. The Business Model Canvas

    To use the Business Model Canvas, think about each building block using the questions below. You may want to download our worksheet to help with this. CS: Customer Segments Your customer segments are your target markets - the specific groups of people or organizations that your business serves.

  9. Quick Guide to the Business Model Canvas

    The main goal of using the Business Model Canvas is to validate your business model. By laying out all the components, you can find simple, small-scale ways to test each aspect of your business model in a cycle of improvement. 1. Fill out the canvas. Filling out the canvas is quick and painless, and it should give you a lot of clarity.

  10. Business Model Canvas Explained: Definition and Components

    The simple, visual template of the Business Model Canvas has made it a favorite among entrepreneurs and business strategists. With its one-page, nine-points design, a Business Model Canvas allows stakeholders to quickly understand the key needs and goals of any business.

  11. Business Model Canvas

    Business Model Canvas Explained - a One-Page Business Plan Sergiy Korolov Published on 25 July, 2019 Earlier, we blogged about the lean canvas* - a startup-friendly idea validation tool. Now, we want to pay tribute to the solution that underlies it - the business model canvas**.

  12. The Business Model Canvas: A Quick How-To Guide

    The business model canvas is one framework for sharing your story, or business model, with potential investors. This strategic management framework was first developed by Alexander Osterwalder in the mid-2000s. While the original canvas is applicable to any business, regardless of size, history, or budget, additional canvases have popped up in ...

  13. How to Use the Business Model Canvas for Strategic Analysis

    Determine the 9 building blocks that makes up the business model canvas Apply the business model canvas to your organization as you use the concepts from the case study Demonstrate how to innovate and make strategic decisions with the business model canvas Skills you'll practice Leadership Management strategy Innovation Entrepreneurship

  14. How to Create a Business Model Canvas (With Template)

    Inspired by the business model canvas, the lean model canvas was created by Ash Maurya. It is a one-page business plan template that distills the lean startup methodology into the original business model canvas. Lean model canvas assimilates multiple essential data points to develop a simpler, start-up optimized version of a business model canvas.

  15. Business Model Canvas Explained: Definition, Pros, Cons, and ...

    The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool that helps businesses visualize and analyze their business models. It consists of 9 fundamental building blocks that describe the core aspects of a company's value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances (more on that later, we promise).

  16. Business Model Analysis with the Business Model Canvas

    Case and tool introduction Using the Nextpresso example, we will present different possibilities for analysis on the Business Model Canvas. To provide some context, the Nextpresso machines brew espresso from coffee capsules, a type of pre-apportioned single-use aluminium container of roasted coffee in a variety of flavors.

  17. Business Model Canvas Examples

    Start Free Written by CFI Team Business Model Canvas Examples The business model canvas is a tool used by business owners and managers to plan their strategy and business model. This tool can be used to plan any sort of business, from niche to mass markets. In this article, we have prepared some business model canvas examples using our template.

  18. 10.8 Business Model Canvas

    A business model canvas describes how an enterprise creates, delivers, and captures value for and from its customers. ... .4 Benchmarking and Market Analysis 10.5 Brainstorming 10.6 Business Capability Analysis 10.7 Business Cases 10.8 Business Model Canvas 10.9 Business Rules Analysis 10.10 Collaborative Games 10.11 Concept Modelling 10.12 ...

  19. Business Model Canvas Explained: Examples And Structure

    Business canvas, also known as a lean business plan, is a time-saving approach to business planning, opposed to traditional planning methods. Rather than describing the detailed vision, mission, operations, it answers key questions - and the team derives the conclusion from this answer. Business model canvas is more attainable than a business ...

  20. Make a Business Model Canvas (How-tos, Examples, Tips)

    A business model outlines how you intend to create value or make a profit out of your product and services. When building your business model, you need to: Define your product or service. Identify strategies to promote your product or service. Anticipate the costs involved in running the business.

  21. What is a Business Model Canvas and how does it help with start up

    The business model canvas is a strategic management tool that helps businesses to analyse and plan their business models. It is used by startups and established businesses alike, and is a useful tool for any business looking to define or refine its business model.

  22. Business Model Canvas Vs. SWOT Analysis

    Application: Business Model Canvas: Primarily used for designing, analyzing, and innovating business models, making it especially valuable for startups and companies undergoing strategic transformations. SWOT Analysis: Used for strategic planning, decision-making, and risk assessment, making it applicable to both new and established companies.

  23. Create a Business Model Canvas Online

    Finalize your business model canvas online and easily download it as a high-resolution JPG, PNG, GIF, or PDF. Share it digitally through email or social accounts, or publish it as a poster for your office using Canva Print. You can also embed it to your website, your business presentation, or visual Docs in Canva. Create a business model canvas.