Business Model Canvas
Map the nine building blocks of a business model: partners, activities, value propositions, customers, and finances.
About Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas is a one-page visual tool for describing how an organisation creates, delivers and captures value. It breaks a business model into nine building blocks so the whole model can be seen, discussed and tested at a glance.
It was popularised by Alexander Osterwalder and is widely used by start-ups, established companies and teams launching new products. Because everything sits on a single page, it is quick to draft, easy to share and simple to revise as assumptions change.
At a glance
- Category
- Business
How it is structured
The canvas has nine blocks. On the customer side are Customer Segments, Value Propositions, Channels and Customer Relationships. On the operational side are Key Activities, Key Resources and Key Partners. The financial side has Revenue Streams and Cost Structure.
The blocks are connected: the value proposition is aimed at a specific customer segment, reaches them through channels, is produced by activities and resources, and is paid for by revenue that must exceed the cost structure. Weakness in one block usually shows up as a problem in another.
Use cases
Testing a new venture
Lay out the assumptions behind a new business idea and identify which ones need evidence before money is committed.
Reviewing an existing business
Map how the current model works to spot blocks that are underdeveloped or out of step with each other.
Comparing options
Sketch alternative models side by side, such as a different customer segment or revenue approach, and compare them.
How to use it
Tips and common mistakes
- Keep each block to a few short points. If a block needs a paragraph, the idea is not yet clear.
- Create a separate canvas for each distinct customer segment when their needs or revenue models differ.
- Treat the first version as a set of hypotheses to test, not a finished plan.
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