The Business Model Canvas was created by Alexander Osterwalder, of Strategyzer®. The canvas provides a one-page primer and template for analysis. Questions and points of view are detailed below.[1] We provide it to support the MG RUSH Business Analyst community. Please modify each and all of the following to support your situation.
UPDATE: MG RUSH has released its Meeting Pathway (infographic guideline) and Meeting Canvas (37 open-ended preparatory questions). Meeting Pathway details a comprehensive meeting and workshop preparation approach.
Business Model Canvas — Agenda Steps and Questions to be Addressed
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Business Model Canvas: Partners
- Who are our significant partners?
- Who are our significant suppliers?
- What critical activities do our partners perform?
- What important resources are we acquiring from our suppliers?
- Value-add from partnerships
- Acquisition of specialized resources and activities
- Optimization and economy
- Reduction of risk and uncertainty
- Value-add from partnerships
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Business Model Canvas: Activities
- What significant activities do our value propositions require?
- Which activities are the primary drivers of customer relationship?
- Where does our distribution channel provide value-add?
- What are the revenue streams for each channel?
- Categories
- Production activities
- Problem-solving activities
- Platform/ network
- Categories
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Business Model Canvas: Resources
- What significant resources do our value propositions require?
- Which significant resources do our distribution channels require?
- What significant resources do our customer relationships require?
- Which significant resources do our revenue streams require?
- Types of resources
- Financial
- Human
- Intellectual (patents, copyrights, data, etc.)
- Physical
- Types of resources
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Business Model Canvas: Value Propositions
- What value do we deliver to our customers?
- Which customer needs are we satisfying?
- Which customer problems are we helping to solve?
- What bundles of products and services are we offering to each customer segment?
- Characteristics
- Brand/ status
- Customization
- Design
- “Getting the Job Done”
- Newness
- Performance
- Characteristics
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Business Model Canvas: Customer Relationships
- What type of relationships do each of our primary customer segments expect us to build and maintain with them?
- Which ones have we established?
- How are they integrated with the rest of our business model?
- How costly are they?
- Examples
- Automated services
- Co-creation
- Communities
- Dedicated personal assistance
- Personal assistance
- Self-service
- Examples
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Business Model Canvas: Channels
- Through which channels do our primary customer segments want to be reached?
- How are we reaching them now?
- How are our channels integrated?
- Which channels work best?
- Which channels are most cost-efficient?
- How are we integrating them with customer routines?
- Channel phases
- Awareness
- How do we raise awareness about our company’s products and services?
- Evaluation
- How do we help customers evaluate our organizations value propositions?
- Purchase
- How do we allow customers to purchase specific products and services?
- Delivery
- How do we deliver a value proposition to our primary customer segments?
- After sales
- How do we provide post-purchase customer support?
- Awareness
- Channel phases
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Business Model Canvas: Customer Segments
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Business Model Canvas: Cost Structure
- Which costs are most critical our business structure?
- What primary resources are the most expensive?
- What primary activities are the most expensive?
- Is your business more . . .
- Cost driven (leanest cost structure, low price value proposition, maximum automation, extensive outsourcing)
- Value driven (focused on value creation, premium value proposition)
- Sample characteristics
- Economies of scale
- Economies of scope
- Fixed costs (salaries, rents, utilities)
- Variable costs
- Is your business more . . .
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Business Model Canvas: Revenue Streams
- For what value are our customers willing to pay?
- For what value do they currently pay?
- How are they currently paying?
- What method would they prefer to use for paying?
- How much does each revenue stream contribute to overall revenues?
- Types
- Advertising
- Asset sale
- Brokerage fees
- Lending/ renting/ leasing
- Licensing
- Subscription fees
- Usage fee
- Fixed pricing
- Customer segment dependent
- List price
- Product feature dependent
- Volume dependent
- Dynamic pricing
- Negotiating (bargaining)
- Real-time market
- Yield management
- Types

For a more thorough discussion around business ideas and additional context around the Canvas, turn to “The Entrepreneur’s Foolproof 5-Step Guide to Finding and Validating Business Ideas”.
[1] Go to (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas) for a high-resolution version. The Business Model Canvas and Meeting Pathway and Meeting Canvas are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license and thus available for restricted distribution
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