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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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?

• Business Model Canvas: Customer Segments

  • For whom are we creating value?
  • Who are our most important customers?
    •  Diversified
    •  Mass market
    •  Multi-sided platform 
    •  Niche market
    •  Segmented

• 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

• 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

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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