Business Model Canvas: see how your business really makes money
Busy isn’t the same as profitable. One page shows you where the money comes from, where it goes, and what to fix first.
What is the Business Model Canvas?
The Business Model Canvas is a one-page tool that maps how a business creates, delivers and captures value. It breaks a business into nine building blocks, from customer segments to cost structure. It was developed by Alexander Osterwalder and popularised through the book Business Model Generation and Strategyzer.
Why do owner-operators need a business model canvas?
You didn’t start a business to wrestle with spreadsheets. You started it to do good work and get paid well for it.
But over time, most businesses pick up extras. A new service here, a special price there, a customer type you never meant to chase. Before long you’re working harder for the same money, and it’s hard to see why.
The canvas puts it all on one page, so you can see what's working, what's costing you, and what's quietly getting in the way.
What are the 9 building blocks?
Each block answers one question. Together they show the whole business.
Key partnerships
Who helps us deliver, and what do we rely on them for?
Key activities
What must we do well, every week, to deliver?
Key resources
What people, tools and assets does the model depend on?
Customer relationships
How do we win, keep and grow each customer?
Channels
How do customers find us, buy from us and get what they paid for?
Customer segments
Who are we really serving, and which customers matter most?
Cost structure
What does it cost to run the model, and which costs drive the rest?
Revenue streams
What are customers paying for, and how?
Colour shows the MSOFS area each block feeds. Numbers show the usual order to fill it in.
How does Courtney use the canvas with owner-operators?
Map today's model honestly
What you actually do now, not what the website says.
Separate what you sell
Products, services and support often hide very different margins. Split them out and the picture gets clearer fast.
Sharpen your customer segments
Group customers by size, need and value, so marketing and sales speak to the right people.
Link it to your numbers and MSOFS
Each block connects to Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance or Scalability, so the canvas becomes a priority list.
Design the future model
Sketch where you want to be, then test the riskiest assumptions first, before you spend money.
Simplify
A simpler model is easier to systemise, automate and eventually step back from.
A clear view of how your business makes money, and a short list of changes that will make it more profitable and less dependent on you.
Business Model Canvas or Value Proposition Canvas: which comes first?
The Business Model Canvas shows the whole business. The Value Proposition Canvas zooms into two of its blocks, your customer and your offer, in detail.
Most owners start with the business model, then use the Value Proposition Canvas to sharpen the offer and the message.
Why work with Courtney?
Real-world experience. 25 years in business and 12 years advising New Zealand owner-operators.
Plain-English facilitation. No jargon, and no theory for theory’s sake.
Done with you, not for you. You leave understanding your own model.
Put your business on one page
Book a free strategy call. We’ll talk through your business, spot where the model is leaking time or profit, and show you exactly how a Business Model Canvas session would work for you.
Business Model Canvas questions
What is a Business Model Canvas?
A one-page tool that maps how a business creates, delivers and captures value across nine building blocks.
Who created the Business Model Canvas?
Alexander Osterwalder, working with Yves Pigneur. It was popularised in the book Business Model Generation and is now published by Strategyzer.
What are the 9 building blocks?
Customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships and cost structure.
Is the Business Model Canvas useful for small businesses?
Yes. It’s especially useful for owner-operators, because it shows the whole business on one page without a long business plan.
How long does a Business Model Canvas session take?
Answer to come.
Can you help us use it as a team?
Yes. Courtney facilitates canvas sessions for owners and their key people, online or in person.
Keep exploring
The Business Model Canvas was created by Strategyzer AG and is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence.