business plan on canva

How Do I Create a Canva Business Plan?

Creating a business plan is an essential step in establishing a successful venture. If you're using Canva as your go-to design tool, you're in luck! Canva offers a user-friendly platform that enables you to create professional and visually appealing business plans. In this tutorial, we'll explore the steps involved in creating a Canva business plan.

Step 1: Sign Up or Log In to Canva

If you haven't already, head over to the Canva website and sign up for an account. Alternatively, log in if you already have one. Once signed in, you'll have access to a wide range of templates and design features.

Step 2: Choose a Business Plan Template

Now that you're logged in, navigate to the "Templates" section. Use the search bar to find "business plan" templates. Canva provides numerous professionally designed templates to choose from, catering to various industries and purposes.

Step 3: Edit Template Content

Once you've selected a template that aligns with your vision, it's time to make it your own by editing the content.

• List item 1
• List item 2
• List item 3

You can underline specific text elements for emphasis or create bullet-point lists using the appropriate HTML tags.

Step 4: Customize Design Elements

To make your business plan visually engaging, customize design elements such as colors, fonts, images, and layouts. Use Canva's intuitive editing tools to modify these aspects according to your brand identity or personal preferences.

Bold text can be used to highlight important points or draw attention to specific sections of your business plan.

Step 5: Add Images and Charts

A picture is worth a thousand words, so consider incorporating relevant images, charts, or graphs into your business plan. Visual representations can help convey complex information in a more digestible format.

Step 6: Review and Finalize

After you've customized the template, take some time to review your business plan for any errors or inconsistencies. Make sure the content flows logically and that all necessary information is included. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and formatting.

Step 7: Download and Share

Once you're satisfied with your Canva business plan, it's time to download it. Canva offers various file formats such as PDF, PNG, or JPEG. Select the appropriate format based on your needs.

Underline this sentence to emphasize its importance.

Congratulations! You've successfully created a visually engaging business plan using Canva. Now you can share it with stakeholders, investors, or team members with confidence.

Remember that a well-designed business plan is just one piece of the puzzle; it's essential to complement it with thorough research and analysis. Good luck on your entrepreneurial journey!

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How to Create a Business Plan with Canva

Canva can help business owners orgranize and strategize their ideas on Canva.

How do you create a stellar business plan using online software? Look no further than Canva! 

Using Canva for referral software is a great option for remote workers because it allows you to easily share referral links with your colleagues and track their performance. Plus, the platform offers a variety of customizable templates for creating referral codes and materials.

Overall, Canva streamlines the referral process and helps increase conversions for your business. Give it a try and see how it can benefit your remote work team.

What Is a Referral Program?

A referral program is a way for businesses to incentivize customers or clients to refer others to the company. This can be done by offering discounts or rewards for successful referrals. 

Many referral software options are available online to help manage and track referral activities. 

These tools can also assist with referral marketing campaigns and measuring the success of referral efforts. 

Is a referral program valuable?

Few key things to remember when considering a referral program for your business. 

First, what is the goal of the referral program? 

Are you looking to increase brand awareness, acquire new customers, or do something else? 

Once you have determined the goal, you need to develop a plan for how the referral program will work. 

What incentives will you offer for referrals? 

How will you track referrals? 

And how will you follow up with new leads? 

With some planning, referral programs can be a great way to grow your business.

How to Write a Business Plan

1. Define your business.  

Before you can start working on your online business plan, you must first define your business.

What are you selling?

Who is your target market?

What are your unique selling points?

Once you understand your business well, you can start to put together your online business plan. This should include an overview of your business, marketing strategy, financial goals, and other important information.

2. Conduct Research on your industry.  

When it comes to online business plans, there are a few key things you should research. 

First, you'll want to get a feel for the size and scope of the industry. How many businesses are online? 

What types of businesses are they? 

What do they sell? 

How much revenue do they generate? 

This will give you a good idea of your online business potential. 

Next, you'll want to research the competition. 

Who are the major players in the industry, and what are they doing right? 

What do they offer that you don't, and how can you differentiate yourself? 

Finally, you'll want to look at trends in the industry. What's hot right now, and what's likely to be popular in the future? By understanding these things, you'll be in a much better position to create a successful online business plan.

3. Write your executive summary.  

If you're thinking about starting an online business, you'll need to have a solid business plan in place. It will help outline your business goals, strategies, and how you plan to achieve them. 

It's important to have a well-thought-out business plan before you get started to ensure your online business is successful.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when writing your online business plan:

Define your target market and understand their needs.

Research your competition and determine what makes you unique.

Develop a marketing strategy to reach your target market.

Create a user-friendly and informative website.

Offer products or services that are high quality and meet customer needs.

Plan for growth and scalability from the start.

With a comprehensive online business plan in place, you'll be on your way to success! You can find many online business plans that are Canva's alternatives.

4. Create a marketing plan. 

This will help you determine your target market, what products or services you'll offer, and how to reach your customers. The key is to create a realistic and achievable plan, so take the time to do your research and ensure you have a solid understanding of your online marketplace.

How to Write a Business Plan with Canva

Canva is a free, easy-to-use graphic design tool that makes creating your business plan simple and fun. Here's how you start: 

Click on the "Create a Design" button and then choose the "Business Plan" template from the list of options.

You can start customizing your business plan by adding your company information, mission statement, financial objectives, and more. Don't forget to include visuals, like graphs and charts, to make your plan more visually appealing.

Once you're satisfied with your business plan, simply download it as a PDF or print it out. And voila, you now have a professional online business plan at the click of a button!

Don't forget to save your design so you can access and update your business plan whenever needed. Happy planning!

Remember, a well-thought-out business plan is crucial for the success of any online business. So make sure to take the time to create a thorough and compelling plan with Canva. Good luck!

In Conclusion

Online business plans are important for the success of your online business. Conduct industry research, define your target market and unique selling points, and create a comprehensive marketing plan.

Canva's easy-to-use platform makes creating a professional business plan a breeze. So what are you waiting for? Start planning for success today!

The Ultimate Guide To Using Canva For Business (+ 12 Things You Can Create With Canva)

How can you use canva to grow and promote your business online here’s a complete guide on how to use canva for business..

As a business owner, you understand the importance of building an online presence, connecting with your audience, creating valuable content, having engaging visuals, and selling your products and services.

Over the years, I’ve created a lot of social media content, blog posts, Pinterest graphics, digital products, courses, and launch graphics with the help of Canva.

Here’s why most business owners use Canva to create graphics in their business:

It’s easy to understand and use.

It’s free (or you can upgrade to a Canva Pro account, which gives you more features).

You don’t even have to design your own stuff; you can invest in pre-made, fully customizable Canva templates.

In this post, I’m going to give you the full rundown on why and how you can use Canva for business, including all the amazing things you can create with Canva to grow your online presence and revenue.

Disclaimer : This blog post includes my Canva Pro affiliate link . If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. At no extra cost to you! :) I've been using and paying Canva Pro for years now. It's been a game changer for my business.

What is Canva?

Canva is a free, online graphic design tool that you can use to create high-quality graphics for your business.

You can use Canva to create things like:

Instagram posts

Instagram reel covers

Instagram stories

Blog banners

Pinterest graphics

Infographics

Course slides

Youtube thumbnail covers

And so much more!

You can either create your own Canva graphics from scratch or buy a Canva templates bundle like mine that are fully customizable, easy to use, professional, and aesthetically pleasing.

In this Ultimate Guide to using Canva for business , I’ll be going over all the different things you can create in Canva for your business (ex. freebies, ebooks, courses, webinars, etc.).

How using Canva will help you grow your business

When it comes to running an online business, there are so many things that need to be done, such as product creation, marketing, and sales.

Most businesses have an online presence; they’re on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

A lot of businesses also have a blog on their website, which can help with ranking on Google, being found by ideal clients and customers, building trust with their readership, growing their email list, and making sales.

Podcasting is also gaining a lot of traction among businesses and consumers.

Most, if not all, of the times I just mentioned can benefit from having graphics - ex. blog graphics, Pinterest graphics, podcast cover, podcast promotional graphics, etc.

So with all of these businesses having an online presence, how can you use Canva to stand out from the crowd and make your business memorable?

Two words: Branding and content creation.

Let’s talk about branding first.

There are so many definitions and ways people see branding, but to sum it up for you, here’s why branding is important: 

It helps people recognize you, whether it’s through the words you use, the visuals you have, or both.

That’s why you hear people say to use the same fonts and colors throughout all your brand and marketing materials (ex. Instagram posts, freebies, digital products, presentation slides, media kit, press kit, etc.).

This way, people will be able to recognize you through your content and visuals. The more times people see you and your content, the more it helps with brand recognition.

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s talk about content creation.

As a business, you want to create content that educates, informs, and helps your audience. You can create educational content, content that makes them aware of the struggles they might be facing, empowering content, inspirational content, and content that helps them see things differently.

While words are great, people tend to process images faster than words.

That’s why I encourage all business owners to use Canva to create captivating visuals to keep their audience and potential customers engaged.

When you use Canva to create content for your small business, it’s going to increase your reach, visibility, and make your ideal clients and customers aware of you and your business.

Later on in this blog post, I’m going to show you the different ways to use Canva for business. (Or you can click here to jump to that section.)

While you can create your own graphics from scratch, I highly recommend grabbing some of my Canva templates or even getting an all-access pass to my Canva templates bundle so that you don’t have to start from scratch. Not only will it save you a ton of time, you will also have beautiful, professional, and functional Canva graphics to use to grow and promote your business.

Should you get Canva Pro? Is it worth it?

Like with almost everything else online, there’s a free and paid plan.

Canva offers a free version for you to use, but they also have a Canva Pro plan available.

Maybe you’re wondering if you should get Canva Pro plan or just stick with the free plan.

Personally, I upgraded to a Canva Pro plan . I’ve been using it for over 3 years now. I would say it’s more than worth it, but let me break down why.

Here are a few of my favorite things about Canva Pro and why I think it’s more than worth it to upgrade to the paid plan:

Magic Resize with Canva:

Don’t you love how everything seems to require a different dimension?

Even within Instagram, there are a few different dimensions involved. You have the Instagram square post, portrait, and reel/story size.

Yeah… me either.

However, I still do it because having your graphics at the recommended / ideal size helps your content be seen on the platform you’re publishing your content on.

Canva’s Magic Resize tool has saved me so much time. (I still remember the days when I did it manually and slowly with Adobe Photoshop. It was not fun to say the least.)

If you want to save yourself the trouble of resizing all your marketing materials in your business, grab an all-access pass to my Canva templates bundle . I resized the Canva graphics for you, so you don’t have to.

Remove image backgrounds instantly with Canva’s Background Remover

Canva makes it super easy for you to remove the background of your images.

You’ve probably seen people do this on Instagram where they have a plain color background and a cutout of themselves, like this:

When people see you in your content, it tends to make you more memorable, likable, and trustworthy.

Easily apply your brand colors and fonts

As I mentioned before, visual branding is crucial because it helps people recognize you and your business.

Canva allows you to easily apply your brand colors and fonts to any Canva files you’re working on.

Since I also create and sell ready-to-use Canva templates for businesses , having this feature available helps a lot in creating new templates for my Canva shop.

Save designs as templates

This is another Canva Pro feature that helps me sell Canva templates.

I can easily generate a unique link for each of the Canva templates that I’ve created, so that my customers can easily access and use the template after they purchase.

Canva Pro fonts

While the free Canva plan gives you a ton of fonts to use, there are some fonts you can only get access to with a Canva Pro account (and to be completely honest with you, I like the Canva Pro fonts way better).

Setting up your Canva business account

If you decide to upgrade to a Canva Pro account , one of the first things you want to do is set up your brand kit.

This allows you to easily change or update your brand fonts, colors, and logo when creating or editing Canva files.

How to set up your brand kit in Canva Pro:

Click on “Brand Kit” on your left sidebar.

Click on “Add and discovery palettes” > “Add a custom palette”

Add in your brand colors using the “+” icon

Under “Text styles”, choose your brand colors and font sizes

** You can also upload custom fonts they’ve bought or made.

Once you set up your brand kit, you will be able to quickly access them when you’re creating or editing Canva files.

Having this makes it super easy for you to stay on brand and consistent with all the Canva graphics you’re about to make. Speaking of which, we’re about to go over all the ways you can use Canva for business.

12 things you can create in Canva for your business

Here are 12 things you can create with Canva for your business and how each one helps you with business growth.

1. Freebies

You can use Canva to create freebies for your business, which can help with turning leads into paying customers.

A freebie (also known as a lead magnet, content upgrade, and lead magnet) are things you create that incentivize people to join your email list. Here’s a list of common freebie ideas:

There are several reasons why businesses have freebies:

To grow their email list

To provide more in-depth information and value to their audience (which builds know, like, and trust)

To position themselves as the go-to guide/mentor/expert

To make sales

Email marketing is another opportunity to build rapport and a relationship with your audience. You can create a welcome email sequence and send out weekly email broadcasts/newsletters.

Ideally, your freebie helps them with one specific thing they’re struggling with or achieve a desire that they want.

For example, you could create a freebie with a checklist of things they need to do to have a really successful podcast launch or a short PDF guide on how to get their first 100 podcasts downloads.

If you need help putting together and designing your freebies, make sure to grab a freebie Canva template.

You can also use Canva to create ebooks, include it in your product suite, and create an additional revenue stream for your business.

Ebooks are becoming increasingly popular.

You can find ebooks on basically any and every topic out there in every industry. Some of the most popular non-fiction categories you’ll see on Amazon include self-help, business, money, health, relationships, parenting, and so much more.

This is good because it means people are buying ebooks, so if you want to generate some extra money for yourself, you might want to consider making an ebook.

You could create an ebook on affiliate marketing, email marketing, real estate, flipping homes, starting a blogging business, gardening, or whatever it is you help people with.

And yes, anyone can create and sell an ebook!

If people are constantly asking you questions about something, why not take that knowledge and monetize it while helping others?

Creating and selling an ebook can help you:

Position yourself as an expert in your industry which help you stand out from the crowd, increase your credibility, and generate more leads for your business.

Bring in high-quality leads for your other offers. People are more likely to bring again from someone they already know, like, and trust. That’s why it’s important to make sure your ebook is also of high quality and delivers on your promise to help them solve the problem they’re struggling with.

Increase your revenue. Once you create your ebook, you can sell it to as many people as you’d like and as long as you like (as long as the content is still relevant, which is why it’s great when the content is evergreen!) There are also other ways to increase your cart value with your customer - for example, adding in order bumps.

I believe that we all have an ebook inside of us.

There’s something that you know how to do that others may want to know how to do too.

The first step is writing your ebook.

Need help? Here are some pages you can include in your ebook:

Welcome and about the author

Table of contents

Chapter cover pages

Content pages (the ebook you’ve written)

Chapter summaries

Tools and resources

Include a free main resource, resource vault, or sell something

Once you’re done writing your ebook, use Canva to design your ebook!

3. Online courses

Another way to create additional revenue for your business is with online courses.

You can use Canva to create your course presentation slides and a course workbook to go along with it.

Not sure whether it’s a good idea or time for you to create an online course?

Here are some signs you’re ready to create a course:

You’re already helping your clients with it. For example, say you’re a service provider and you help people write emails, you can create a course teaching people how to write their own emails.

You’ve created a lot of content on your topic and you have an engaged audience that wants to know more about it. If you’re getting tons of traction and engagement from your audience about a particular topic (for example, taking your own portraits), it might be a good idea to create a course on that. You can also be more specific about your course idea - for example, how to take self-portraits with an iPhone or how to take self-portraits outside.

You want to make it more accessible for people to learn from you. Here’s the thing: Different people have different needs and wants, so some people may want done-for-you, others may want done-with-you, and then there’s self-study (which is what most online courses are).

You probably already know this, but a lot goes into creating an online course, but there are ways to make it easier, like getting Canva templates to help you with your course slides and workbooks.

Instead of trying to design it yourself (along with everything else you’re doing), save yourself time and energy and invest in tools that are going to help you make your course creation journey a whole lot easier and smoother.

Ready to create your online course? Here are some resources to help:

5 Ways To Know If You're Ready To Create An Online Course

How To Validate Your Online Course Idea (So You Don't End Up Wasting Your Time)

Creating Your First Course? Don't Make These 4 Mistakes.

6 Marketing Tips To Help You Increase Your Digital Product And Online Course Sales

4. Workshops and masterclasses

If you’re not ready to create a full on course yet, you can always use Canva to design your workshops or masterclasses.

Or you can host a workshop or masterclass on your course topic idea to see what the interest level from your audience is like before diving into creating a whole course about it.

Workshops and masterclasses are often presented live, but some people will present it live once and sell it on their website as an evergreen digital product.

They’re a good idea if you like to teach and want to help others achieve a certain result, desire, or goal.

For example, you could create a workshop or masterclass on “affilaite marketing for bloggers.” In your workshop / masterclass, you can give them steps to follow and do a case study or two.

Past clients and customers have asked on how they can make their offers different from everyone else’s.

Here’s how you can make your paid content unique: Include your own experience, insights, and data. This is information that they can’t find elsewhere, only from you, because it’s coming from you.

5. Webinars

Another thing you can create with Canva is a webinar.

Webinars are commonly used in the online business world to sell a product, course, program, or service. Some webinars are presented live, and others are pre-recorded.

Either way, most include a webinar slide deck.

Here are some common slides included in webinars:

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to… (or what you’ll get out of this webinar)

You’re in the right place if…

This is not for you if…

Webinar outline…

Your signature process/method/framework/roadmap

Each individual step of the process

Option A vs. B

Introduction to your offer

You want to make sure your webinar slides are captivating and interactive, so that your attendees stay engaged and present throughout your presentation.

If you do a good job at delivering your webinar promise and keeping their attention, your webinar will convert to sales and paying customers.

You can either create these webinar slides yourself in Canva, or grab my Webinar Slide Deck Canva Template Set which includes all the slide designs I mentioned above.

6. Sales and promotional graphics

Without customers and sales, we don’t have a business. Just a very time-consuming and costly hobby (hopefully one that you enjoy, if that’s the case).

I truly believe that learning to sell is one of the most important skills you can learn, especially as a business owner.

Do you know what helps with sales? Visuals.

Most people process images more quickly and more effectively than text and words.

That’s why I recommend creating sales and promotional graphics in Canva for your business.

Having visuals can help you with sales and increase your conversion rate on your website, social, sales page, and email marketing.

I know a lot of business owners who struggle with marketing and selling on Instagram, which is why I created my Instagram Sales & Launch Graphics Template Set , which you can use to sell your digital products, courses, programs, and even your services.

Here are some of the graphics I have in my Canva template set:

Doors are open

What's included

Is this you…?

Objection handling

Frequently asked questions

Early bird bonus

Last call/doors are closing

Welcome new members

Member/client spotlight

Testimonials and reviews

Pain point awarenes

By having these different types of sales and promotional Canva graphics, it provides your potential clients and customers the information they need to make an informed decision about whether or not they want to buy a product or service from you.

It also allows you to have multiple touchpoints with potential customers about your offer.

Chances are, most people are not going to buy your product the first time they see or hear about it.

That’s why it’s important to make multiple touchpoints and talk about your offer multiple times through email marketing, social media, and any other forms of communication you have with your customer base.

In fact, there’s something called the Marketing Rule of 7.

Basically, a potential customer has to see your message at least 7 times before they’ll take an action. Given how much information is thrown at people today, it’s probably way more than 7 times.

If you need help making these touchpoints, I highly recommend grabbing an all-access pass to my Canva template shop so that you’ll have all my marketing and sales graphics along with other templates designed to help your business grow and flourish.

7. Digital product mockups

In addition to everything we’ve covered so far, you can also create digital product mockups in Canva.

You can include these digital product mockups on your:

Sales pages

Landing pages

Social media

Blog posts and graphics

If you sell digital products, courses, programs, or even your own services, you’re going to want to market them effectively.

Most people want to be able to see what they’re buying before they actually purchase, whether that means getting a sneak peek at what the dashboard looks like, what your course presentation slides might look like, what your program entails, etc.

Digital products are not tangible items, so it’s important to create digital product mockups to give your potential customers a visual idea of what they’re going to get when they buy your product.

You can do this with Canva.

It’s also a good idea to write or list it out in your product description.

Not only do digital product mockups give your potential customers the comfort and confidence they need and crave, it’ll also grab their attention while they’re scrolling through social media or your website.

Here are some examples of digital product mockups:

8. Blog graphics

While some may think that blogging is dead, it’s not. In fact, 77% of Internet users still read blogs.

You can create your blog graphics with Canva, which you can later pin to Pinterest. Having blog graphics also allows your readers to pin it to Pinterest, which helps more people discover your blog and business.

Did you know that at least 54% of Fortune 500 companies have public-facing blogs?

Here’s what that means: Some of the biggest companies out there see the value in blogging and how it would benefit the business.

While you may not have a huge company with hundreds or thousands of employees, blogging can still very much help your business grow.

It’s an opportunity to educate your potential clients and customers about what you do and why it’s so important, as well as build the know, like, and trust factor which helps with selling your service and products.

There are a few different types of blog graphics you can create with Canva to use to grow and promote your business:

Pinterest blog graphics (vertical)

First, you have your Pinterest blog graphics.

The ideal Pinterest pin size is 1000 x 1500px which has a 2:3 ratio, which also ensures that you have the best Pin image quality possible.

But any 2:3 aspect ratio will do (aspect ratio is a way to describe an image’s width in comparison to its height).

Here are other potential 2:3 Pinterest image dimensions you can use:

1200 x 1800 px

2000 x 3000 px

If you’re a frequent browser of Pinterest, you may have seen some Pinterest images that are even longer in length.

People do this because it takes up more space (which means you might spend more time looking at their Pinterest pin) and it also gives them the opportunity to include more information (this is especially helpful when it comes to creating Canva infographics which we’ll talk about later on).

Call-to-action blog banners (horizontal)

You can also create what I’d like to call your call-to-action blog banners with Canva.

If you have freebies, products, and/or services you’d like to highlight and lead people to, blog posts are a great place for you to do it, especially if your blog post is relevant to the action you want them to take.

For example, say you’re an email marketer.

If you have a freebie helping people create their welcome email sequence, you could write blog posts on “the 5 emails they should have in their welcome email sequence” or “4 mistakes you don’t want to make in your welcome email sequence.”

In these blog posts, you’ll want to include your call-to-action blog banners. I recommend putting it in at least once either in the middle of your blog post or at the end.

If your blog post is on the longer side (like this one), you can include it several times because people may be reading your blog post and either forget or may not want to scroll back up to click on a link.

Pro tip: The more times people see something, the more likely they’ll remember, be interested, and take action. If you think you’re being “annoying,” I promise you’re not.

Most people (myself included) want and need those reminders and frequent touchpoints.

9. Pinterest graphics

A lot of people seem to think Pinterest is a social media channel, but it’s not. Pinterest is actually a visual search engine. Think of it as a visual Google.

You can use Canva to create your Pinterest graphics.

People use Pinterest to search for ideas and inspiration for their next project, tips and tutorials on how to do something, and even products to buy.

The reason why Pinterest marketing is one of my favorite forms of marketing is that the content you publish there lasts forever, so people can still find it 3 months, 6 months, a year, or even a few years from now, especially if you utilize SEO and put in the right keywords for your pin titles and descriptions.

Pinterest has evolved and grown over the years, so there are more types of content you can publish on Pinterest now:

Static images

Single pins with animations

Slideshows with static images

Slideshows with animation

You might be reading all of this and feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I want to reassure you that you don’t have to do all of these things for your business if you don’t want to.

It’s okay to only do a few things and have them work for your business.

I just want to show you that there are a lot of different ways you can use Canva to grow and promote your business online.

There isn’t a one size fits all. Every business is different. Do what works for you and your business.

10. Infographics

You can create Canva infographics to share data and break down information about a topic in a visually compelling way that captures your audience’s attention.

Infographics are great at capturing our attention because they’re able to communicate usually complex data in a way that’s easy to understand and look at by using color coordination, font hierarchy, graphics, and illustrations.

By doing this, you’re actually capturing their attention, keeping it, and building authority (by delivering valuable content).

You can even go one step further and include a call-to-action in your Canva infographics. What do you want them to do next?

Here are some common call-to-actions:

Go to your full blog post

Head to your website

Learn more about your services

Book a discovery call with you

Take a look at a case study (or your case study page)

Download a freebie

Buy a product

Canva infographics tend to be more engaging and captivating than normal graphics, so if you have their attention, make the most of it and tell them what the next step is.

11. Podcast graphics

If you have a podcast, you can use Canva to create marketing materials to promote and grow your podcast.

Whether you do solo episodes, have guests on, or do a mix of both, you’re going to want to share your new podcast episodes with your community.

Or if you’re thinking about starting a podcast, you can use Canva to create an eye-catching and fun podcast cover.

Need help marketing your podcast on Instagram? Grab my Podcast Social Media Canva Templates . You’ll get both Instagram posts and story graphics to use.

12. Instagram content

Wondering how you can use Canva for Instagram? There are so many ways!

You can use Canva to create:

IG single posts

IG carousels/slideshows

IG highlight covers

IG reel covers

For example, here’s an Instagram carousel I created with Canva:

Most businesses that have an online presence these days are on Instagram, and so are a lot of consumers.

In fact, 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business on Instagram.

Can your ideal clients and customers find you on Instagram?

Does your feed tell them what you do and how you can help them?

Can they find out more about you and your business through your Instagram highlights?

You want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward and making a good impression on your potential customers.

Here are a few ways you can use Canva for Instagram:

Make sure your visual branding is consistent throughout your Instagram profile. Use the same brand fonts and colors throughout your Instagram feed content, stories, highlights, etc.

Create branded Instagram highlight covers. Here are some good IG highlight ideas for service-based and product-based businesses: start here, about me (or us/the business), services, shop, and tips.

Create branded Instagram reel covers. If you’re creating IG reels for your business, you might want to consider having branded Instagram reel covers that clearly state what your reel is about so people are more likely to click on it when looking at and scrolling through your IG profile.

Create branded Instagram content. Again, you want to make sure you’re consistent with your visual branding because brand recognition is a real thing. People can recognize you and your content with your brand fonts and colors.

Again, this is why I love using Canva Pro , because you can add in your brand colors and use Magic Resize to resize your Instagram content into other forms of content.

Here’s the thing: People take in a lot of information, especially as they’re scrolling through Instagram.

If they like your content, they’re going to stop mid-scroll to look at your content more closely if they recognize it because they know you create good content. The more times someone sees your content, the better (especially if the content is good).

In order to make sales, people need to feel comfortable and confident buying from you.

By having your business on Instagram and posting content on Instagram, it gives your potential customers a chance to get to know you, see what you’re all about and how you can help them achieve their goals and desires.

If you want to grow and promote your business on Instagram, but don’t have time to design everything in Canva yourself (or just don’t want to), then grab an all-access pass to my Canva templates bundle!

The Ultimate Canva Templates Bundle

I’ve already mentioned my Canva templates bundle several times throughout this blog post – my Canva Templates Bundle has just about every Canva template you could need for your business:

Here’s a full list of what my Canva Templates bundle includes:

Online course presentation slide deck template

Workbook template for your online courses, workshops, freebies, etc.

Ebook template – also great for guides, checklists, freebies, etc.

Instagram sales and launch graphics for digital products, courses, programs, and services

Instagram marketing templates for online businesses, service providers, and coaches

Instagram marketing carousel posts templates

5-day challenge lead magnet template

Blog and Pinterest Canva graphics

Webinar slide deck template

Media kit template for influencers, bloggers, content creators, and business owners

Services and pricing guide for service providers

They can be customized to your own brand fonts and colors, or you can use the Canva templates as is. They’re designed to be professional, functional, and aesthetically pleasing – you can have all three!

If you are using Canva for business, I highly recommend investing in customizable Canva Templates.

Here are 3 reasons to buy editable, ready to use Canva templates instead of doing it yourself:

1: easy to customize canva graphics.

My Canva Templates are easy to use and customize.

Instead of starting from scratch, you save yourself tons of time and hassle by starting with a layout and structure. All you need to do is plug in your own information and change it to your branding if you want.

This makes it easy for you to get a cohesive branded look across all your different platforms, without spending tons of time creating everything in Canva yourself.

2: Beautiful design, without being a graphic designer or spending hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on one

I created my Canva Template Shop because I heard from business owners over and over again that design wasn’t their strong suit and they were struggling to create their visual content with Canva.

Now, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to have beautiful and functional visuals on your Instagram, Pinterest, sales pages, blog, etc.

Or spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars with a designer.

Hiring a designer can be costly, and maybe it’s out of your budget right now. Or maybe you can want a more cost-effective option.

These Canva templates help you look like you hired a high-end graphic designer, without the high-end price tag.

3: Save hundreds of hours (time is money)

You’ve probably realized by now just how many graphics you create for your business, especially if you have multiple offers within your product suite and you’re showing up in multiple places as well.

It can quickly become very time-consuming.

From all the different social media platforms and posts, to product creation, there are so many different things to think about that can begin eating up your time if you’re creating everything from scratch in Canva.

Investing in Canva templates will save you tons of time. All you have to do is plug in your own written content, change the fonts and colors, or use the template design as is!

When you sit down to think about how much free and paid content you create on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis, having access to ready-to-use Canva templates can end up saving you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.

As the saying goes, “time is money.”

Get yourself some Canva templates and use all that new freed-up time for other things whether it’s living your life or working on growing other aspects of your business.

Helpful Canva tips and tricks

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Canva, why I recommend signing up for Canva Pro, all the wonderful ways you can use Canva for business promotion and growth, and my Canva templates bundle , let’s go over some helpful Canva tips and tricks that will make your love for Canva even fonder.

1: Canva keyboard shortcuts to save you time

If you use Canva on a daily or weekly basis for your business, knowing some of these Canva keyboard shortcuts will save you so much time.

Here are some of my favorite shortcuts that I use pretty often:

Copy and paste: Control/Command C + V

Undo an action: Control/Command + Z

Add a text box: Press “T”

Add a recentagle: Press “R”

Add a circle: Press “C”

Select multiple things: Shift + Click on an additional object(s)

Bold text: Control/Command + B

Italicize text: Control/Command + I

Underline text: Control/Command + U

2: Use Canva to present your webinars or course slides

Once you finish designing your course slides, masterclass, webinar, etc., you can actually present it and record it right within Canva.

All you have to do is click the “Share” button and then click “Present” or “Present and record.”

3: Add comments to share edits, updates, and feedback with your team

If you’re collaborating with a team member or freelancer, you can add comments to share any edits you’ve made, updates, and any feedback you have for them.

This could be a great way to train your new member team on how you want your Instagram graphics to look or collaborate with a colleague on a masterclass you’re working on together.

Or you could also quickly add comments to remind yourself of any things you don’t want to forget.

4: Position your images and text in Canva so it looks good

Canva makes it so easy for you to align, position, space, and/or tidy up your visual content. (I remember back when I had to do this manually and I am so grateful that Canva makes it so easy to do now! It’s one of my favorite Canva features.)

The alignment is good if you want two or more elements to align together in a certain direction (ex. top, middle or bottom, left and/or right).

Here’s how to align the elements on your page:

Select the elements you want to align

Click “Position” > Choose how you want to choose your elements (ex. top, middle, bottom, etc.)

Or if you have multiple elements you want to space out (ex. four rectangles you want to space out with even space), you can do that too.

Here’s how to space it out evenly and/or tidy up:

Select the elements you want to evenly space or tidy up

Click “Position” > Choose to space vertically or horizontally, or tidy up

5: Add clickable links (i.e. hyperlinks) to your PDFs

One of my other favorite Canva features!

You can add hyperlinks to your PDFs - freebies, ebooks, course workbooks, media kits, press kits, etc.

Here are some ideas of where you could hyperlink to:

Other places people can find you: your website, blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, LinkedIn

A digital product sales page

A course or program waitlist page

Specific pages on your website (ex. about page, services page, shop page, a particular blog post)

Something you’re referencing to (could be a blog post, Instagram post, or content from someone else/another business)

I always recommend having a call to action with anything you create.

For example, if you have a freebie, I recommend linking your digital product or services page to the last page of your freebie.

Or if you have a course workbook for your students, you could hyperlink any additional resources you’ve created for them (ex. a spreadsheet, FB group, or Slack channel.)

Here’s how to add a hyperlink to your PDF in Canva:

Click on the “link” icon

Enter in the URL you want to link (you can copy and paste the url in or type it in)

Click “Apply”

When you export your Canva file as a PDF, you’ll see that it’s been hyperlinked! (The hyperlinks only work for PDF documents, not JPGs or PNGs.)

6: Use the text effects in Canva

Want to make your text and overall Canva graphic more interesting and exciting? Use the “Effects” option!

There are different styles and a curve shape style.

For example, you could turn this:

Into something like this:

Have fun with it and experiment!

But also, make sure that your text is still readable and easy to understand. People’s attention spans are short; they’ll move on if it takes up too much time of their time, especially if they determine that it’s not worth figuring out.

7: Create animated graphics with Canva

Want to make your content a little more fun and lively?

Animate your content in Canva! You can do page animations or element animations.

With “Page Animations,” you animate your entire page which means all the elements on your page (both images and text) will animate together. You can do a basic animation, scale, exaggerate, photo movement, or slide in and out.

With “Element Animations,” you can animate one thing or multiple things. With Canva Pro, you can choose the speed and direction of the animation.

How to create Page and Element Animations in Canva:

Select what you want to animate or what page(s) you want to animate, and the options will show up on the left.

As you can see, there are lots of options and things you can do within Canva like collaborating with others, training your team, hyperlinking your PDFs, adding animation to your graphics, and some of the other things we’ve covered in this blog post.

Without a doubt, Canva is one of my favorite tools to use in my business. I’ve used it to create digital products, courses, freebies, marketing and sales graphics, and so much more.

With all the things I’ve created, I now have a lot of Canva files in my Canva Pro account . It’s important to stay organized in Canva, or at least know how to find a specific file when you need it.

There have been a few times when I couldn’t find a specific file I needed in Canva and the only solution was to recreate it from scratch.

Let’s just say that’s not very fun, so let’s talk about how to stay organized in Canva.

how to stay organized in canva

There are a few ways you can stay organized in Canva.

I’m going to share a few things I’ve done, what works for me, and how I make sure I can now find whatever Canva file I’m looking for (even when I have probably over a hundred Canva files in my account!).

1. Create folders in Canva

With a free Canva plan, you’re allowed up to two folders.

However, with a Canva Pro plan , you’re able to create an unlimited amount of folders.

Another reason why I recommend upgrading to a Canva Pro is because you can create sub-folders within your folders.

To give you an example, here are a few Canva folders I’ve created for myself:

Stock photos > portrait, lifestyle, nature

Photos of me > organized by month

Molly Ho Studio Product Shop > organized by product (product mock ups, testimonials, etc.)

I still remember the days when I just used the free version of Canva and uploaded all my images to the same place and had to scroll down (or re-upload something) to put it in a graphic, which took me such a long time.

Here are a few ways to utilize your Canva folders:

By platform: If you create a lot of content for Instagram, Pinterest, your blog, website, etc., this way could be helpful.

By product: If you have a lot of products in your business, you might want to consider creating a separate file for each product.

By month or quarter: If you like organizing things by when you do them, this could be a good option.

Setting up your folders can help you stay organized and keep everything in one place. It also makes it easier to work on a certain project, since everything is already there.

But if you still don’t want to upgrade to a Canva Pro account, that’s okay!

Here’s how else you can stay organized with your Canva files:

2. Create a visual content library of all your Canva graphics (table of contents)

If you’ve ever tried looking for that “one specific Canva for that one specific graphic you made one time” and can’t find it, this is for you.

If it wasn’t obvious enough, I’ve ended up in this situation one too many times which is why I wanted to share this super helpful Canva tip with you.

You’re going to want to create a visual library, or what I’d like to call “your table of contents”, for your Canva graphics.

I created mine in Notion, but you can also use a note-taking app like Evernote, a project management tool like Asana, or you can also use Google Docs.

You’re going to want to have an image for reference, what it is (ex. educational Instagram post), and a link to the Canva file.

I’ve found this method to be the most effective in terms of staying organized with Canva and staying on top of my content marketing.

Doing this also allows me to look at all my Canva graphics from a bird’s eye view, and it also helps me stay consistent with my branding which helps my audience recognize my content across all platforms.

3. Properly name all your Canva files (+ file naming examples!)

Another way to stay organized in Canva is to properly name your files.

I use the Canva search bar a lot . A few years ago, I learned that if you properly name your files, you’ll always be able to find them.

Here are some examples of how I name my Canva files:

MHS Templates | Course Workbook | Celestial

Product Previews | MHS Templates | Square Size

Instagram Posts | Educational | May 2022

I start with the general thing (ex. “Product Previews) and then specify what it is and the difference if there is one. For example, I have product previews that are square size, horizontal, and vertical.

Pro tip: Name your Canva files something you’ll actually know to look up later on so you always have quick access to them. Keep it simple with the file naming; don’t overcomplicate it or try to get fancy with words. Now isn’t the time for that.

By learning how to use Canva for business, you will increase your visibility, get in front of the right audience, build trust and credibility with them, streamline your marketing, and increase your sales. It’s a win all around.

If there’s something you want to create or sell in your business, whether it’s a new program, course, freebie, or services and pricing guide, you can use Canva to get it done.

Whew! That was a lot. That’s why I decided to name this blog post “The Ultimate Guide To Using Canva for Business” because that’s what it certainly felt like.

Here's a recap on how to use Canva for business:

Canva is a free graphic design tool you can use to grow and promote your business.

As a business with an online presence, you can stand out from the crowd by staying consistent in your visual branding and content creation. This helps with brand recognition.

Canva Pro is 100% worth it. I’ve been using it for 3 years now. Some of my favorite Canva tools include the Magic Resize, removing backgrounds from images, saving designs as templates, and all the nice Canva Pro fonts.

Set up your Canva brand kit so you can easily apply your brand fonts, colors, and logos to your Canva documents.

There are so many things can create in Canva for business. Here’s a list of 12 things: freebies, ebooks, online courses, workshops and masterclasses, webinars, sales and promotional graphics, digital product mockups, blog graphics, Pinterest graphics, infographics, podcast graphics, and Instagram content.

Hiring a graphic designer can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. A better option would be investing in Canva templates that are professionally made and will save you time.

Learning Canva keyboard shortcuts will also save you lots of time.

You can add comments to your Canva files to share edits, updates, and feedback with your team.

Add clickable links to your PDFs. It’s always a good idea to include a call-to-action / provide the next steps you want them to take.

Be intentional about staying organized in Canva so you don’t waste time scrolling through your Canva dashboard trying to find that one file. Or better yet, name your Canva documents properly so you can always use the search bar to find what you need.

Hi! I’m Molly, and I help people like you create a freedom-based lifestyle with digital products and online courses. What does that mean? Being able to work from anywhere in the world (location freedom), be financially secure and make the money you’ve always wanted (money freedom), whenever you want (time freedom), while helping others and helping improve the world.

I started my business journey back in 2016, when I was faced with an ultimatum: to stay somewhere that wasn’t good for my emotional health or aligned with my values, or to leave.

I left — and while it wasn’t easy at first, I’m so glad I did.

I know starting something new can be scary — but I promise it’s so worth it. Your dreams are there for a reason. It’s time to lean in, listen, and go after what you want. And know that it can 100% be done by you.

Ready to get started with digital products?

Grab my freebie: How to make your first $3,000 with digital products!

How To Create An Ebook In Canva (+ 14 Page Types You Can Include)

How to become more comfortable with selling as a business owner.

Business Model Canvas: Explained with Examples

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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).

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

How do i determine my value proposition, how can i build and maintain customer relationships, what should i consider when establishing partnerships in the business model canvas, how can the business model canvas help to analyze and optimize my business model, can i use the business model canvas for different types of businesses, how often should the business canvas model be updated or revised, how can i effectively communicate my business model to stakeholders using the business canvas model.

• 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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Write your business plan

Business plans help you run your business.

A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing your business. You’ll use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, run, and grow your new business. It’s a way to think through the key elements of your business.

Business plans can help you get funding or bring on new business partners. Investors want to feel confident they’ll see a return on their investment. Your business plan is the tool you’ll use to convince people that working with you — or investing in your company — is a smart choice.

Pick a business plan format that works for you

There’s no right or wrong way to write a business plan. What’s important is that your plan meets your needs.

Most business plans fall into one of two common categories: traditional or lean startup.

Traditional business plans are more common, use a standard structure, and encourage you to go into detail in each section. They tend to require more work upfront and can be dozens of pages long.

Lean startup business plans are less common but still use a standard structure. They focus on summarizing only the most important points of the key elements of your plan. They can take as little as one hour to make and are typically only one page.

Traditional business plan

Lean startup plan

Traditional business plan format

You might prefer a traditional business plan format if you’re very detail-oriented, want a comprehensive plan, or plan to request financing from traditional sources.

When you write your business plan, you don’t have to stick to the exact business plan outline. Instead, use the sections that make the most sense for your business and your needs. Traditional business plans use some combination of these nine sections.

Executive summary

Briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful. Include your mission statement, your product or service, and basic information about your company’s leadership team, employees, and location. You should also include financial information and high-level growth plans if you plan to ask for financing.

Company description

Use your company description to provide detailed information about your company. Go into detail about the problems your business solves. Be specific, and list out the consumers, organization, or businesses your company plans to serve.

Explain the competitive advantages that will make your business a success. Are there experts on your team? Have you found the perfect location for your store? Your company description is the place to boast about your strengths.

Market analysis

You'll need a good understanding of your industry outlook and target market. Competitive research will show you what other businesses are doing and what their strengths are. In your market research, look for trends and themes. What do successful competitors do? Why does it work? Can you do it better? Now's the time to answer these questions.

Organization and management

Tell your reader how your company will be structured and who will run it.

Describe the  legal structure  of your business. State whether you have or intend to incorporate your business as a C or an S corporation, form a general or limited partnership, or if you're a sole proprietor or limited liability company (LLC).

Use an organizational chart to lay out who's in charge of what in your company. Show how each person's unique experience will contribute to the success of your venture. Consider including resumes and CVs of key members of your team.

Service or product line

Describe what you sell or what service you offer. Explain how it benefits your customers and what the product lifecycle looks like. Share your plans for intellectual property, like copyright or patent filings. If you're doing  research and development  for your service or product, explain it in detail.

Marketing and sales

There's no single way to approach a marketing strategy. Your strategy should evolve and change to fit your unique needs.

Your goal in this section is to describe how you'll attract and retain customers. You'll also describe how a sale will actually happen. You'll refer to this section later when you make financial projections, so make sure to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales strategies.

Funding request

If you're asking for funding, this is where you'll outline your funding requirements. Your goal is to clearly explain how much funding you’ll need over the next five years and what you'll use it for.

Specify whether you want debt or equity, the terms you'd like applied, and the length of time your request will cover. Give a detailed description of how you'll use your funds. Specify if you need funds to buy equipment or materials, pay salaries, or cover specific bills until revenue increases. Always include a description of your future strategic financial plans, like paying off debt or selling your business.

Financial projections

Supplement your funding request with financial projections. Your goal is to convince the reader that your business is stable and will be a financial success.

If your business is already established, include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements for the last three to five years. If you have other collateral you could put against a loan, make sure to list it now.

Provide a prospective financial outlook for the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and capital expenditure budgets. For the first year, be even more specific and use quarterly — or even monthly — projections. Make sure to clearly explain your projections, and match them to your funding requests.

This is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business.  

Use your appendix to provide supporting documents or other materials were specially requested. Common items to include are credit histories, resumes, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, patents, legal documents, and other contracts.

Example traditional business plans

Before you write your business plan, read the following example business plans written by fictional business owners. Rebecca owns a consulting firm, and Andrew owns a toy company.

Lean startup format

You might prefer a lean startup format if you want to explain or start your business quickly, your business is relatively simple, or you plan to regularly change and refine your business plan.

Lean startup formats are charts that use only a handful of elements to describe your company’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. They’re useful for visualizing tradeoffs and fundamental facts about your company.

There are different ways to develop a lean startup template. You can search the web to find free templates to build your business plan. We discuss nine components of a model business plan here:

Key partnerships

Note the other businesses or services you’ll work with to run your business. Think about suppliers, manufacturers, subcontractors, and similar strategic partners.

Key activities

List the ways your business will gain a competitive advantage. Highlight things like selling direct to consumers, or using technology to tap into the sharing economy.

Key resources

List any resource you’ll leverage to create value for your customer. Your most important assets could include staff, capital, or intellectual property. Don’t forget to leverage business resources that might be available to  women ,  veterans ,  Native Americans , and  HUBZone businesses .

Value proposition

Make a clear and compelling statement about the unique value your company brings to the market.

Customer relationships

Describe how customers will interact with your business. Is it automated or personal? In person or online? Think through the customer experience from start to finish.

Customer segments

Be specific when you name your target market. Your business won’t be for everybody, so it’s important to have a clear sense of whom your business will serve.

List the most important ways you’ll talk to your customers. Most businesses use a mix of channels and optimize them over time.

Cost structure

Will your company focus on reducing cost or maximizing value? Define your strategy, then list the most significant costs you’ll face pursuing it.

Revenue streams

Explain how your company will actually make money. Some examples are direct sales, memberships fees, and selling advertising space. If your company has multiple revenue streams, list them all.

Example lean business plan

Before you write your business plan, read this example business plan written by a fictional business owner, Andrew, who owns a toy company.

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Business Model Canvas: The Definitive Guide and Examples

Before 2004, entrepreneurs suffered from prolonged and cumbersome business plans. Alexander Osterwalder facilitated the creation of a business model by introducing the Business Model Canvas (BMC) .

By definition, it’s a visual template that illustrates various objects of a business model . Osterwalder’s original canvas includes nine elements, which we will have explained below in the article. They represent vital aspects of business survival.

What to Begin With?

Once you decided to use the Business Model Canvas approach, you need to prepare the essentials:

• Decide on the team members involved.
• Allocate time
• Prepare the tools.

The necessary tools depend on how you decide to brainstorm:

• Offline. Download a PDF Business Model Canvas template, and take several colored markers, sticky notes, and anything else you may need. For example, if you are brainstorming in a big team, a board is a must for enhanced convenience.
• Online. Choose the platform where you will work with a template. It can be Google Docs, Omnigraffle, or the Stratygizer web app.

Why Choose Business Model Canvas?

What makes The Business Model Canvas stand out in an array of approaches to business model creation? Its 1-page nature drives the following advantages:

• Focus – With all the data presented on a single page, business owners don’t spread themselves too thin. They formulate key elements and eliminate unnecessary ones.
• Density – It’s much better to read one dense piece of paper than look through a 30-page report.
• Flexibility – The canvas is easy to customize; therefore, you can fill out several templates, compare them, and choose the best one.

About the Nine Business Model Canvas Elements

Let’s elaborate on what is behind the nine Business Model Canvas blocks:

1. Customer Segment

Daily operations highly depend on customers and their behavioral patterns. That’s why customer segmentation is a must when creating a business model.

In this block, you need to describe the buyer persona. The description includes the following:

• Demographics (age, gender, etc.)
• Professional status
• Motivation and goals
• Shopping preferences

This is a basic list of points. You can add specific parameters. For example, software developers may identify the preferred device type. Already-established brands can also introduce visitors’ tiers that differentiate people according to their level of connection with a brand.

Read an in-depth article about customer segments here .

2. Value Proposition

A value proposition is a brief description of your product and its ultimate value for a client. In other words, write down in a Business Model Canvas why consumers should buy your goods or services. Ideally, it solves a problem or drives additional value for an end-client.

Keep in mind that the wording should be precise and short. Don’t describe your value proposition in several sentences. Limit it to a single but eloquent phrase. Here is a good example from Maps.me : “Fast, detailed, and entirely offline maps with turn-by-turn navigation – trusted by over 140 million travelers worldwide.”

Read an in-depth article about value proposition here.

3. Distribution Channels

Osterwalder, together with Pigneur, described five phases of channel development.

• Awareness includes channels that establish the initial contact with the target audience and develop the connection. It usually involves marketing channels.
• Evaluation implies allowing potential buyers to try your goods and see the value. Popular channels are free samples, reviews, and case studies.
• Purchase is about when and by what means customers can buy your product. The channels vary significantly depending on the prevalence of online or offline communication.
• Delivery describes how an end consumer receives a product.
• After-sales is usually limited to customer support that provides after-sales service and resolves problems.

Read an in-depth article about distribution channels here.

4. Customer Relationship

A customer relationship strategy determines how your target audience interacts with your brand. You can choose from five types of customer relationships in terms of the Business Model Canvas:

• Personal assistance is a traditional approach where a customer interacts with a personal assistant when contacting your brand. It implies a high level of personal care and deep, meaningful relationships.
• Self-service is the opposite of personal assistance: a brand doesn’t directly communicate with a consumer – instead, the consumer can understand the product via guides and FAQs.
• Automated service involves AI-based suggestions and bots that can provide basic assistance. This type is more engaging than self-service.
• Communities are spaces developed by a brand itself to help the audience understand the product better. A good example is Oracle, which practices the approach.
• Co-creation implies educating the customers via user-generated content.

Read an in-depth article about customer relationships here.

5. Revenue Streams

The next block of the Business Model Canvas is about determining where your revenue comes from. Here, you should consider the buyer’s persona to identify what the target audience is ready to pay for.

There can be several methods of monetization:

• Direct sales : Implies selling your service or product for a fee. It’s common for the majority of industries.
• Advertising : It’s relevant for such niches as blogging or IT platforms. The revenue comes from advertisers who want to reach your audience.
• Freemium : This applies to services only. Some features are free, while premium ones are paid for.
• Subscription : It’s similar to a fee-based monetization. The only difference is that a consumer pays for getting access to the service for a limited time, not forever.

Read an in-depth article about revenue streams here.

6. Key Resources

In the Business Model Canvas, key resources are divided into four categories. Here are they explained:

• Tangible – Any physical resources, from real estate to equipment. The stocks also fall in the category.
• Intangible – Intellectual property like patents, copyrights, licenses, and customer knowledge
• Human – Your employees that make the business run
• Financial – All the finance, regardless of whether it’s an obligation or not. It includes cash, bank loans, grants or donations, and other finances.

Read an in-depth article about key resources here.

7. Key Activities

Key activities included in a canvas are the business activities vital for work. They vary from industry to industry. Some design this block by uniting the activities into one out of three categories:

• Problem-solving

For example, software developers fall in the first category as they design new products, while an IT company with its own taxi service is attributed to the third category.

Read an in-depth article about key activities here.

8. Key Partners

Key partners are parties like suppliers who are vital to flawless business operations. In other words, a company can’t survive without them. There are four categories to include in the Business Model Canvas:

• Supplier – A partner who supplies you with raw materials or finished goods
• Non-competitors – Companies you team up with to leverage their resources: for example, you can source goods from several suppliers
• Joint ventures – Partners who help you fill the gap: enter a new market or reach a new niche. The result of a joint venture is enhanced mutual profitability.
• Coopetition – Partnership between two competitors, which may take place as a merger to market a new product

Read an in-depth article about key partners here.

9. Cost Structure

All the mentioned above blocks of the Business Model Canvas aren’t implemented for free. Startups and enterprises spend money on production and accompanying services. To set realistic revenue goals, a company needs to estimate the costs first.

The costs vary depending on the industry. For example, some businesses have to cover R&D expenditures, together with production and post-service. Others, however, exclude this debit from the template.

Read an in-depth article about cost structure here.

Applications and Analysis

Once the Business Model Canvas is ready, you need to analyze it. For this, you should assess the canvas in terms of three points:

• Is it logical and coherent? Are there are misaligned blocks? If yes, address the issue.
• What can be improved? If you find any mediocre blocks, devote more time to improve them.
• Are there any other ideas to consider? Maybe you can add something to the existing template or design a new one?
• Does my team agree with the canvas? If not, reconsider the arguable moments. To prove your point of view, rely on data and facts.
• Have I taken into account a long-term competitive advantage? If no, address the point. You need to consider the market and competitors when building a business plan.

What to Do After?

After you have examined the canvas, you can integrate it into your daily routine. Here is how it can be utilized:

• Track the changes. Any company evolves with time. A plan helps to make sure that changes don’t contravene core principles.
• Onboard top-management. The model communicates who you are and how you live. Instead of describing everything on your own, you can let new hires read everything.
• Guide the brainstorming. Every time you have a meeting where a team is generating ideas, place the canvas in front. It will help to reject unfit ideas.

Besides, you can use the same technique in other areas. For example, if you have several customers, you can describe an approach to them with the help of the BMS.

Some Tips for Beginners

If you have never created the Business Model Canvas before, comprehending all the above-mentioned data may be hard. Here are five tips that will help to navigate across the template easier:

• Prefer teamwork: It’s better to brainstorm side by side with reliable and competent team members rather than alone. You reduce the risk of designing the canvas from one perspective.
• Work on a whiteboard: The more space you have, the better. It allows the whole team to have a good look at the template and facilitates the process.
• Stock up on stationery: Colored markers and stickers will help you to group the ideas when brainstorming. Otherwise, you risk ending up with an incoherent Business Model Canvas.
• Devote enough time: Don’t allocate half an hour or schedule an important meeting right after the brainstorming. You will need a minimum of one hour for a draft.
• Determine the sequence of blocks to fill in: It’s advisable to start with customer segmentation or value proposition. After that, you can determine the sequence as it’s convenient for you.

Software for Business Model Canvas

If you prefer digital solutions to traditional paper and markers, you can opt for software to create the Business Model Canvas. There are many useful tools on the web. These three, however, are the best:

• Canvanizer. The tool is free, simple, and shareable. It allows collaborative brainstorming in Google Docs. Later, the canvas can be exported to an image or other formats.
• Strategyzer. The free software is more advanced with deep analytics and enhanced user experience. For example, the tool can assess the financial viability of a business idea. It also offers additional modes: for example, a dashboard for Lean Startup development.
• CNVS. The software with a simple interface is easy-to-understand. It allows building not only the BMC but also a Lean and Feature Canvas.

What Are the Benefits of the BMC?

Businesses of all scopes choose the Business Model Canvas approach because of four core benefits:

• Enhanced Visibility. Since the canvas involves visual presentation, it facilitates data comprehension. The team has all the information in front of their eyes; therefore, the analysis and decision-making are much easier.
• Customization. You can change some blocks of the canvas in no time if they don’t match with others. It won’t take several hours to retype and reprint a 40-page report.
• Focus on Value. Typically, the value of the product is at the core. It means that all the other blocks are designed with the end-benefit in mind.
• A Single Message. A team gets a clear message of the operation. The Business Model Canvas eliminates risks of failure because of misunderstandings.

What Does the Business Model Canvas Lack?

Although the Business Model Canvas is a popular and recognizable approach, many critics revolve around it. In particular, some executives criticize the model because of the lack of:

• Competitors
• Market analysis
• Brand mission
• Key priorities

While it may bother some people, in reality, there is nothing wrong. The nature of the BMC doesn’t imply focusing on these aspects. Its ultimate objective is to facilitate the process of crafting business models. And the template includes the core blocks only. After all, the market and competitors’ external outcomes aren’t shaping the company’s inner structure.

Why Should Already-Established Companies Implement the Business Model Canvas?

Traditionally, the canvas approach is the prerogative of startups. But it can also be useful for already-established enterprises. The BMC covers the following tasks: Helps to identify gaps in the model and discover new opportunities.

• Allows comparing your model to competitors to identify competitive advantages
• Enhances a presentation of a company to potential investors
• Allows examining and testing new business models
• It helps to unite the model and eliminate misunderstandings in a team
• Allows recreating the company from scratch

As can be seen, the Business Model Canvas helps to effectively analyze the whole company or particular project, map out possible changes or gaps, and address them.

Real Examples of the Business Model Canvas

Examples help executives to grasp the basics of the BMC better. Here are two examples of canvases from different industries:

Airbnb is a provider of affordable accommodation around the globe. Its canvas may look like this:

• Customer segments – budget tourists, unconventional travelers, locals seeking extra income
• Value proposition – easy and fast booking, huge offer, competitive prices, local lifestyle
• Distribution channels – social media, travel bloggers, word-of-mouth
• Customer relationships – self-service with customer support
• Revenue streams – a fee system, affiliate marketing
• Key resources – a community of both landlords and guests, platform, IT-specialists
• Key activities – user research, customer support, maintenance
• Key partners – tourists and travelers, hosts, investors, payments providers, insurance companies
• Cost structure – marketing, platform maintenance

LinkedIn is a professional social network.

• Customer segments – HR, professionals seeking employment, marketing specialists
• Value proposition – building a professional network of contact, sourcing potential employees, blogging.
• Distribution channels – app stores, website
• Customer relationships – self-service, customer support
• Revenue streams – freemium, marketing, and hiring solutions
• Key resources – platform, IT-specialists, user-generated content
• Key activities – platform maintenance
• Key partners – users, SlideShare
• Cost structure – marketing, maintenance

The Business Model Canvas is one of the numerous approaches to business modeling. For more than fifteen years of existence, it has proved its worth in the corporate community. Despite some critics, the method is effective and illustrates the business plan precisely. Moreover, thanks to its visual feature, it’s easy to comprehend and assess.

Download a Business Model Canvas Template

Download our free tools below to create your own Business Model Canvas right now.

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE PDF

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE PPT

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE EXCEL

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE WORD

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE GOOGLE SHEETS

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE GOOGLE SLIDES

You may also be interested in the Value Proposition Canvas template , a complementary tool to the Business Model Canvas.

Who is Daniel Pereira ?

I love understanding strategy and innovation using the business model canvas tool so much that I decided to share my analysis by creating a website focused on this topic.

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HDD & More from Me

The 20 Minute Business Plan: Business Model Canvas Made Easy

Table of Contents

What’s the Business Model Canvas?

How do you get started, why use the business model canvas, when should you use the business model canvas, how do you use the canvas to facilitate alignment and focus, step 1 (of 10): customer segments, step 2 (of 10): value propositions, step 3 (of 10): channels, step 4 (of 10): customer relationships, step 5 (of 10): revenue streams, step 6 (of 10): key activities, step 7 (of 10): key resources, step 8 (of 10): key partnerships, step 9 (of 10): cost structure, step 10 (of 10): applications, analysis & next steps, example a: enable quiz (startup), example b: hvac in a hurry (enterprise), using the google doc’s/powerpoint template.

If you’re already familiar, you can skip to the next section, ‘ How do I get started ?’.

The Business Model Canvas (BMC) gives you the structure of a business plan without the overhead and the improvisation of a ‘back of the napkin’ sketch without  the fuzziness (and coffee rings).

Together these elements provide a pretty coherent view of a business’ key drivers–

• Customer Segments : Who are the customers? What do they think? See? Feel? Do?
• Value Propositions : What’s compelling about the proposition? Why do customers buy, use?
• Channels : How are these propositions promoted, sold and delivered? Why? Is it working?
• Customer Relationships : How do you interact with the customer through their ‘journey’?
• Revenue Streams : How does the business earn revenue from the value propositions?
• Key Activities : What uniquely strategic things does the business do to deliver its proposition?
• Key Resources : What unique strategic assets must the business have to compete?
• Key Partnerships : What can the company not do so it can focus on its Key Activities?
• Cost Structure : What are the business’ major cost drivers? How are they linked to revenue?

The Canvas is popular with entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs for business model innovation. Fundamentally, it delivers three things:

• Focus : Stripping away the 40+ pages of ‘stuff’ in a traditional business plan, I’ve seen users of the BMC improve their clarify and focus on what’s driving the business (and what’s non-core and getting in the way).
• Flexibility : It’s easier to facilitate alignment by tweaking the model and trying things (from a planning perspective) with something that’s sitting on a single page.
• Transparency: Your team will have a much easier time understanding your business model and be much more likely to buy in to your vision when it’s laid out on a single page.

The first time you engage with the canvas, I recommend printing it out or projecting it on a whiteboard and going to town (see below for a PDF). However, if you’re ready to put together something a little more formal (for distribution, presentation, etc.) here’s a Google App’s template you can copy or download as MSFT PowerPoint:

*Omnigraffle a popular diagramming program for the Mac. It has a fairly easy to use layering environment which you may find handy as you want to tinker with and produce different views of the canvas. You can try Omnigraffle for free (the basic paid version is $99).

The short answer is this: because it’s simple yet focused and that means more of your audience is likely to pay attention to it. Also, it’s highly amenable to change on the margins.

This matters a lot- more than most people think. A company that wants to innovate has to be ready to be wrong . A good VC in early stage investments succeeds with a prevalence of something like a 1/10. If you think you’re doing a lot better than that with substantial new innovation investments (a startup or a new line of business inside an enterprise) you’re probably throwing good money after bad.

Transparency, simplicity, and focus are great facilitators of the ‘creative destruction’ a good innovation program needs, and the Canvas does a nice job of delivering that across lines of business. For a large corporation with multiple lines of business at various levels of maturity, I actually prefer the Corporate Innovation Canvas as a starting point. However, from there, the Business Model Canvas does an excellent job of bringing clarity to the questions of how, for example, a given line of business creates focus and then implements it in an innovation-friendly way with, for example, ‘objectives and key results’ OKR’s . It’s a central element in the ‘innovation stack’ where an enterprise is able to go from priority innovation areas (with the Corporate Innovation Canvas) to testable business model designs (with the Business Model Canvas) to product charters (with an agile team charter ) to individual learning pathways to cultivate the talent they need to execute.

Even more important than the top down cascading of objectives with testable results and KPI’s is the improvement in the feedback in outcomes that helps the overall innovation program learn and adapt quickly. With layer appropriate innovation metrics, it’s much easier for the achievements of individuals to cohere (or not) to the job of teams and in turn from there to lines of business back up to corporate objectives. This helps both help the company’s talent understand where they might benefit from more practice and learning as well as what constitutes success in their individual roles and collaborations.

Anytime you want to have a focused discussion about what matters to a given line of business, the Business Model Canvas is a good place to start. The Canvas has received a lot of attention as a tool for startup entrepreneurship. While this may be one of the ‘sexier’ and more ostensibly simple applications of the Canvas, I actually think it’s one of the least compelling. For a startup, the only thing that matters is product/market fit, which the Canvas represents as a set of relationships between Customer Segments and Value Propositions. The Canvas doesn’t do a bad job of describing this, but it’s kind of overkill- the whole left side of the Canvas which describes the delivery infrastructure is mostly irrelevant for startups that are still finding product market fit, since all that’s provisional about where (and whether) they arrive at product/market fit.

Where the Canvas really shines is describing an existing line of business to answer questions like: a) What does product/market fit mean for this business? b) Where have we focused our company building and is it still relevant to ‘a’? c) What are our key revenue, cost, and profit drivers, and how do we improve those?

Now we’re taking! Whether you’re an ‘intrapreneur’ exploring a new extension to the business or a ‘digital transformation’/IT consultant trying to facilitate a discussion about what ‘strategic IT’ means and how you’ll know if you achieve it, the Canvas is a quick and productive place to anchor such a discussion.

First and foremost, I’d try it out for yourself. Fill out the elements the business you’re working on and then ask yourself ‘Does this make sense?’ ‘What are the most important linkages and components of the model?’

From there, you may just want to use the Canvas you sketch to facilitate alignment on some other topic. However, if you’re working with a team on a new venture or with a client on a new project, you may then want to take it from the top and facilitate a workshop where you facilitate a fresh take on the Canvas, levering your experience thinking through it once. The link below will take you to a related curriculum item that has workshop slides, prep. items, and agenda.

LINK TO WORKSHOP PAGE

Otherwise, the next sections (10 steps) offer a tutorial on how to think through a business model design with the Canvas. The closing sections offer notes on how to use the Google Doc’s/PowerPoint and Omnigraffle templates.

Output : a list of Personas, organized by Customer Segment if you have more than one segment. I recommend trying to prioritize them- Who would you pitch first if you could only pitch one? Who next? And so forth…

Notes : If you’re spending a lot of time on this first item, that’s OK (and it’s probably good). The Canvas is a tool, not a strategy and not all the nine blocks are equal. The pairing of Customer Segments and Value Propositions is really the ‘independent variable’ that should be driving everything else in your business model. When I use the Canvas in my Venture Design classes, we usually spend all of the first session (plus time for field research) on Customer Segments and Value Propositions.

For example, at Leonid, an enterprise software company I founded, we thought our largest customers worked with us because of the cost savings we offered and our knowledge about best practices. It turned out that was mostly wrong- reducing their time and risk to get new services to market was the most important. It’s not that the other things weren’t important, but they weren’t the top Value Proposition. That made a difference on how we sold the product and how we focused on operationalizing it for customers.

This mapping says ‘We have 3 personas. Persona 1 cares about VP 1 & 2. Persona 2 cares about VP 2; Persona 3 cares about VP3. (One segment only so segments not noted)’.

Output : a prioritized list of Value Propositions and linkages from each Personas to the VP’s relevant to them.

Notes: Again, this pairing is the key driver for most business models and if you want more on how to describe and discovery what to put in this part of the canvas, I recommend this: Tutorial- Personas .

Maybe you feel like you’re in good shape on understanding the customer’s world but you don’t have any validation on whether the Value Propositions are clicking because this is a new venture? If you’re not sure, that’s OK and good for you for acknowledging the uncertainty! It’s the responsible thing to do. The key is to write down those assumptions, prioritize them, and figure out the quickest and cheapest way to prove or disprove them. That’s what Lean/Startup is about and there are resources here to help you with that, if you’d like- Tutorial: Lean Startup .

Channels includes entities you use to communicate your proposition to your segments, as well as entities through which you sell product and later service customers (see AIDAOR journey below). For example, if you sell bulbs for light houses and there’s a website all light house attendants purchase equipment, that site is a sales Channel. If you use Google AdWords, that’s a Channel, too (for getting attention). If you use a third party company to service the bulbs when they break, that’s also a Channel.

Output : a list of important Channels, linked to Personas or Segments if they differ substantially. Make notes on what steps are relevant for each- promotion, sales, service, etc. See Note this section for more structure on this.

Notes: Channels and the next item, Customer Relationships, define your interface with the Customer. It’s important to think all the way through the customer ‘journey’ in specific terms. For most businesses, the way they get a customer’s attention is different than the way they onboard them or support them over the long term. For this, I recommend the AIDA.OR framework (attention-interest-desire-action-onboarding-retention) and storyboarding your way through it. Here’s a post explaining all that- Storyboarding AIDA(OR) . If you don’t want to do the storyboards, I recommend at least making notes about your customer journey through the AIDA(OR) steps.

Another consideration is whether your channels will give you enough visibility into the user, including, for example, a way to follow up with users. Not sure? Document your assumptions Lean Startup style and figure out how you’ll quickly prove or disprove them.

Output : a description of Customer Relationships, with notes if they differ across Customers (between Segments or among Personas within a Segment) or across the customer journey.

Notes: If you’re a startup, be sure to document and review critical assumptions here. Also, the focal items are in a kind of specific order- you should validate your Segments and their relationship to the Propositions above all else. If this means you provide personal support in the early days (a ‘concierge test’ in Lean Startup terms) to do discovery and validation of Segments and Propositions, that’s OK. You can subsequently test the Customer Relationship models. (Here’s a post on using consulting as a concierge vehicle in B2B if you want more detail: Consulting as B2B Concierge Vehicle ).

Notes : If you have a startup or are re-engineering the business, this is a time to look at where you’re driving revenue and whether it aligns with the rest of your focal points. Are you charging on value? Perceived value? They say everyone loves their banker; hates their lawyer. Why is that? Is there an actionable analog in your business?

For a product-driven business, this probably includes ongoing learning about users and new techniques to build better product. If you’re focused on doing a bunch of things for a particular set of customers (ex: comprehensive IT for law offices), this probably includes maintaining superior expertise on the segment(s) and creating or acquiring products and services that are a good fit, whatever that entails. For an infrastructure business (ex: electric utility), it probably includes keeping the infrastructure working reliably and making it more efficient.

Outputs : a list of Key Activities linked to your business’ Value Propositions.

Notes : One question this analysis should raise for you is whether or not certain Activities and Resources are actually core, actually focal to your business, something you’ll want to think through .

Outputs : a list of Key Resources linked to your business’ Key Activities.

Notes : Product-driven businesses have a differentiated product of some sort. Rovio, the company that makes the popular app Angry Birds, is such a company. Key Resources in product-driven businesses are typically key talent in critical areas of expertise and accumulated intellectual property related to their offering.

Scope-driven businesses create some synergy around a particular Customer Segment. For example, if you started a business that would take care of all the IT needs for law firms, that would be a scope-driven business. These businesses typically have key knowledge about their segment, a repeatable set of processes, and sometimes infrastructure, like service centers.

Infrastructure-driven businesses achieve economies of scale in a specific, highly repeatable area. Telecommunications is traditionally an infrastructure business. Retailers focused on retail, like Walgreens or Costco, are primarily infrastructure-driven businesses. The Key Resources for this type of business are, you guessed it, various types of physical or virtual infrastructure.

Let’s take a single product category: diapers. The Honest Company or another innovating around compostable or otherwise more environmentally friendly diapers would be a product-driven take on the category. Procter & Gamble which has a cradle-to-grave strategy for providing consumer products is a scope-based take; so are various baby-focused retailers. Kimberly-Clark (wood pulp) or DuPont (chemicals and polymers) are both infrastructure-based takes: diapers is just another way to sell something they produce at scale with relatively little differentiation.

If there are major cost components that don’t map to a Key Activity, I’d take a closer look at those costs.

Output : a list of Cost Structure elements with notes on their relationship to Key Activities.

Congratulations- you have a working canvas! The section below offers a few analytical ideas and suggestions for next steps.

Core Applications The most core and obvious applications of the Canvas are to ask: – Does it make sense? – Could it be better? – Does the rest of my team understand and agree? Have additional ideas? – (rinse and repeat at least quarterly)

Competitiveness The canvas does a good job of helping you figure out your business, which is a good place to start. You also want to look at the competitive environment and think about if and how you have/maintain a long term competitive advantage.

For this, I like Michael Porter’s Five Forces framework ( Wikipedia Page ; see also Chapter 2 of ‘ Starting a Tech Business ‘). Try walking through the Five Forces for your company and then bounce back to your canvas. How does it all hang together?

Next Steps Every business is a work in progress (sorry, I try to avoid saying things like that but it seemed to fit here). As you go through the canvas, you may encounter areas that give you trouble. The table below summarizes a few of the most common that I see in my work as a mentor and coach:

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What is Enable Quiz?

Enable Quiz is a (fictional) startup that’s building a lightweight quizzing application for companies that hire a lot of technical talent (engineers). Their take is:

For hiring managers who need to evaluate technical talent, Enable Quiz is a talent assessment system that allows for quick and easy assessment of topical understanding in key engineering topics. Unlike formal certifications or ad hoc questions, our product allows for lightweight but consistent assessments of technical talent.

Why and how would Enable Quiz use the Business Model Canvas?

They have a small team, but arriving at a clear, shared understanding of what they’re after is still important. That said, it’s important that the way they talk about this is both highly visible and amenable to change. Given that, the Canvas is a good fit.

The Business Model Canvas at Enable Quiz

This page shows Enable Quiz’s current working view of product/market fit:

What is HVAC in a Hurry?

HVAC in a Hurry is a mid-sized enterprise that services commercial HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. Their take on the business is:

For facilities managers & business owners who need their heating & cooling systems managed and repaired, HVAC in a Hurry is a full service provider that allows for easy and responsible management of a business’ HVAC systems. Unlike smaller firms, our commitment to best practices and training allows customers to worry less and realize superior total cost of ownership for their HVAC systems.

Why and how would HVAC in a Hurry use the Business Model Canvas?

HVAC in a Hurry has a working version of product/market fit. However, their industry is competitive and successful firms increasingly use technology to improve customer experience (CX) and reduce cost (overhead) in their operations. HVAC in a Hurry has a small ‘digital transformation’ team that’s working on digital applications to improve the company’s performance. This team decided to use the Canvas to ‘manage upwards’ in order to facilitate better discussions about where they should focus, how that aligns with the business as a whole, and what success definition makes sense for them.

The Business Model Canvas at HVAC in a Hurry

Here’s their current view of product/market fit:

If you’re not familiar with it, Google Doc’s is a web-based office suite, similar to MS Office. If you have a gmail account, you can access it (no guarantees- that was the case last time I checked).

First, you’ll want to link to the template file: BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS TEMPLATE IN GOOGLE DOC’S .

Once you’re accessed the file, you can make make it your own by going to the File menu and either ‘Make a copy…’, creating a copy in your own Google App’s domain or you can use the ‘Download as…’ option to download it as PowerPoint (and a few other formats).

What’s your experience with the Canvas? How have you used it? What worked? What didn’t? Please consider posting a comment!

Copyright © 2022 Alex Cowan · All rights reserved.

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How to Build a Product Roadmap Based on a Business Model Canvas

Could you list all of the key building blocks you need to develop, manage, maintain, market, and sell a product on a single sheet of paper? With the business model canvas, you can! Using the business model canvas approach is a great way to force yourself to focus on the most strategically important elements of your product. As the name suggests, the typical use case for this tool is to outline the fundamental building blocks of a business, but it also can work really well for a product.

Today we’ll show you how the business model canvas works and how you can use it to come up with a high-level product strategy.

What is a Business Model Canvas?

As you can see from the sample example below (thanks, Strategyzer.com), a business model canvas is a one-page summary describing the high-level strategic details needed to get a business (or product) successfully to market.

The categories or buckets contained in a canvas can be customized. But most will look similar to the one here—covering such key areas as:

• The product’s value propositions (what it does and promises)
• Customer segments (who it’s for)
• Key activities (the steps the team must complete to make it successful)
• Key resources (what personnel, tools, and budget the team will have access to)
• Channels (how the organization will market and sell it)
• Customer relationships (how the team will support and work with its customer base)
• Key partners (how third parties will fit into the plan)
• Cost structure (what it costs to build the product as well as how to sell and support it)
• Revenue streams (how the product will make money)

If you think about it, that’s a fairly comprehensive set of building blocks you’ll need to think through for your product before you begin developing it. There will certainly be additional factors that’ll affect your strategy, but if you can fill in these high-level details—which, as you can see, should fit comfortably on a single page—you’ll have a useful strategic guide for developing your product roadmap.

Why Should I Use a Business Model Canvas to Develop a Product Roadmap?

Okay, but why? What’s the benefit of building a business model canvas (or the, even more, stripped-down variation, the lean canvas) to guide my product roadmap ?

There are plenty of reasons. But simply put, you can think of a business model canvas as a mission statement for your product roadmap. It’s a handy reference you can refer to, to make sure your roadmap always reflects all the strategic elements needed for your product’s success.

Tweet This: “Think of a business model canvas as a mission statement for your product roadmap.”

Our co-founder Jim Semick has a couple of great short videos explaining the business model canvas concept, which you can check out in the player below.

As Jim explains, here are a few of the benefits of using a business model canvas to think through product strategies:

1. You can use a business model canvas to roadmap quickly.

You can use this canvas approach in just a few hours (and as Jim says, you can even do it with sticky-notes).

This way, rather than trying to write out every detail about your product plan beforehand, you can just document the highlights—and then you can get rolling translating the canvas into your product roadmap.

2. A business model canvas will be more agile.

One problem with the old structure of documenting a business model—the traditional business plan—was that it was almost always inaccurate as soon as the author finished drafting it.

These meaty plans included detailed cost estimates, revenue projections going years into the future, and long-term plans for growing the staff. How could any of that remain accurate for long?

In product terms, you can think of the business plan as resembling an MRD (Market Requirements Document). It’s long, detailed, and probably mostly untrue by the time it’s done.

But because you can put a canvas together so quickly, it will much more accurately reflect your strategic thinking and your company’s current reality. And if things change, it’ll be easier than a long and detailed plan to adjust. This brings us to Jim’s third benefit…

3. Business model canvas roadmaps allow you to pivot as needed.

If you build a business model canvas to guide your business roadmap , and something happens that forces you to re-prioritize or pivot your product , it will be a lot easier to update this short, high-level document than it would be if you had some monster MRD or business plan to tear apart and edit.

With a one-page business model canvas acting as the strategic undergirding for your roadmap, you’ll always be able to quickly spot any items or plans that need updating whenever priorities change or new realities demand that you adjust your approach.

How Can I Use A Business Model Canvas to Guide My Product Roadmap?

The alexa example.

Let’s talk through a hypothetical example, using Amazon’s Echo device (“Alexa”) as our guide.

Imagine that as they were talking through what belonged in the “Revenue Streams” bucket of the business model canvas, Amazon’s Echo team came up with three sources of revenue to start with:

1) Selling Echo devices.

2) Using the device to sell other stuff as customers ask it to connect to the Amazon marketplace. (“Alexa, please add laundry detergent pods to my shopping cart.”)

3) Licensing Echo’s proprietary speech-recognition technology to other businesses.

Now, if the Echo product team put these on their business model canvas, they’d know that they need to make room for budget, time, and resources on their product roadmap for all of these revenue streams.

Another Hypothetical Example of the Business Model Canvas: Channels

Or think about the Channels bucket in the business model canvas. If your team was building out a canvas, maybe you’d have several ideas for reaching customers:

1) The in-house sales team. 2) Affiliate partners. 3) Word-of-mouth advertising from users.

It’s easy to write. But how are you going to translate that “word-of-mouth” strategy into an actual plan?

Maybe you’ll need to budget time and resources for developing things right into your product that make it easier for users to share their experiences with friends, such as a handy tool to help them tweet about it. Maybe you’ll even want to include an “Invite a friend” feature that lets users easier send a trial license to friends, or a couponing feature that offers some reward to a user who brings in two more users.

The point is, your business model canvas can serve as a great strategic reminder of the things you’ve determined are important enough to make it onto your product roadmap .

So you can always look back and see immediately—it’s just one page, after all—if you’re still working on all of the essential elements of your product, or if you’ve inadvertently strayed from them and gotten lost in the wrong details.

That’s why we’re big proponents of the business model canvas approach to guiding your product roadmap .

Do you have an opinion about using the business model canvas approach for developing and documenting your product’s strategy? Feel free to share them in the comments section.

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Looking for a business plan alternative consider a business model canvas for startups.

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By Rieva Lesonsky

Is the thought of writing a business plan holding you back from starting a business? If you’re eager to get your business idea off the ground—without the drudgery of creating a massive document first—a business model canvas for startups might be right for you.

What is a business model canvas for startups?

A business model canvas is a quick-start alternative to a business plan. It helps you think through the most important aspects of startup—such as your product or service, your target market, and the resources you'll need to launch—in a brief chart format.

Every startup business needs a plan—but a traditional business plan isn’t your only option.

When to use a business model canvas

Why might you want to use a business model canvas instead of a traditional business plan? Here are some situations where a business model canvas might be appropriate:

• You suddenly have an opportunity you want to act on. Maybe a restaurant space is for lease in the exact area you dream of launching your restaurant. Perhaps you have the chance to form a partnership with someone who has lots of the resources you need to start a business. Using a business model canvas can enable you to act quickly before opportunity slips away.
• You want to beat the competition. If you have an innovative business idea, such as a software application or invention, using the business model canvas can help you be first to market. In a highly competitive space, other startups are likely planning launches similar to yours; the business model canvas can help you get the jump on them.
• You don’t need outside financing. If you are trying to get a bank loan, angel capital, or venture capital, you’ll need to have a traditional business plan ready to show the financing source. But if you have sufficient startup capital on your own, there’s no law saying that you have to follow the traditional business plan format.
• You want to rapidly assess the viability of your idea. Writing a traditional business plan will reveal any flaws in your idea; however, a business model canvas can help you pinpoint problems faster. Using a business model canvas, you can decide immediately if your idea will fly or if you need to revise it or scrap it and move on to another concept.

Who Needs A Business Checking Account?

Of course, some people just prefer the speed of a business model canvas and don’t want to spend weeks or months crafting a lengthy traditional business plan. If this is you, go ahead and try the business model canvas. Just keep in mind this format isn’t an excuse for neglecting the details of planning your startup.

Other Articles From  AllBusiness.com :

• The Complete 35-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business
• 25 Frequently Asked Questions on Starting a Business
• 50 Questions Angel Investors Will Ask Entrepreneurs
• 17 Key Lessons for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business

What’s included in a business model canvas for startups

The business model canvas for startups takes a high-level view of your business idea and focuses on the key elements you’ll need to make it viable. Developed by Alexander Osterwalder , it’s a one-page document in chart form that covers the nine “building blocks” that help your business startup make money.

• Key partners: Who are the buyers, suppliers, partners, and other alliances that can help you accomplish core business activities?
• Key activities: What are the most important actions you need to take in order to fulfill your value propositions, strengthen customer relationships, secure distribution channels, and maximize revenue streams?
• Key resources: What essential resources are needed to launch and run your business and create value for your customers?
• Unique value proposition: What products and services do you plan to offer? What customer needs do they meet? How do they differentiate your business from your competition?
• Customer segments: What customer groups will your business serve? Identify the customer personas that your business provides value for.
• Customer relationships: What relationships will you build with your customer segments? What kind of relationship does each customer segment expect?
• Channels: What distribution methods will you use to deliver your products or services to your target market?
• Cost structure: What will it cost to start and sustain your business? Which resources and activities will be the most expensive?
• Revenue streams: How will your business make money? How will you price your products and services? Are there other potential revenue streams?

You can create a business model canvas on paper or a whiteboard. There are also several apps you can use to create your business model canvas; they allow you to incorporate additional information, easily save and share the business model canvas, and more.

Where to get help with the business model canvas

There are several places to get help creating your business model canvas. You can start by watching this SCORE webinar on using the Business Model Canvas. Then visit Strategyzer , Canvanizer , and Xtensio to find a business model canvas tool you can use. You’ll also find sample business model canvas examples, resources, and training to help.

Both the traditional business plan and the business model canvas can help startup entrepreneurs evaluate their ideas and make important decisions about launching their startup.

Of course, you can use both methods if you want. Many entrepreneurs start with a business model canvas to give them a “jump start” and then flesh out a traditional business plan further down the road.

(Disclosure: SCORE is a client of my company.)

I am CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email me at  [email protected] , follow me on Twitter  @Rieva , and visit my website  SmallBizDaily.com  to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for my free TrendCast reports. Read all of  Rieva Lesonsky’s articles .

RELATED:  Don’t Waste Time on a Startup Business Plan—Do These 5 Things Instead

This article was originally published on AllBusiness .

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The Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management and entrepreneurial tool. It allows you to describe, design, challenge, invent, and pivot your business model. This method from the bestselling management book Business Model Generation is applied in leading organizations and start-ups worldwide.

The Business Model Canvas enables you to:

• Visualize and communicate a simple story of your existing business model.
• Use the canvas to design new business models, whether you are a start-up or an existing businessManage a portfolio of business models
• You can use the canvas to easily juggle between "Explore" and "Exploit" business models.

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Mastering business models

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Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur.

Are you trying to improve your existing business model? Or trying to create a new one that can compete in today’s market?

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Business model canvas for a startup (examples).

Get a watermark-free, fully customizable business model canvas in our business plan for a startup

In the dynamic landscape of the startup ecosystem, having a clear and adaptable strategy is crucial for innovation and growth.

Welcome to your essential guide on applying the Business Model Canvas framework, designed with startups in mind.

This article will deconstruct the methodology into manageable pieces, enabling you to articulate your value proposition, define your customer segments, identify key activities, and much more.

And, if you're looking for a ready-to-use Business Model Canvas that's fully customizable, be sure to check out our startup-focused business plan template .

What is a Business Model Canvas? Should you make one for your startup venture?

A business model canvas is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and startups to map out the key aspects of their business on a single page.

Imagine it as a visual framework that helps you to articulate your startup's core elements, such as your unique value proposition, customer segments, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure.

In the context of a startup, the business model canvas serves as a strategic blueprint that guides you through the intricate process of building a successful company from the ground up.

Why do people create a business model canvas for their startup? It's simple. This canvas helps you to visualize and test your business idea, ensuring that all components work together cohesively. It's a way to break down your startup's offering, identify your target market, and understand how you'll reach and retain your customers.

For a startup, this might involve detailing your innovative technology, your go-to-market strategy, your user acquisition plan, and how you'll scale your operations.

The benefits are clear and immediate.

It promotes strategic planning and focuses your attention on the startup's key drivers. It can reveal gaps in your plan or uncover new opportunities, allowing you to pivot or refine your approach early on.

For example, you may discover that your tech solution needs to cater to a different market segment than you initially thought, potentially saving you from a costly misstep.

Should you create one if you're embarking on a new startup venture? Without a doubt.

It's an essential part of the planning process that can steer your strategies and decision-making. It enables you to communicate your business idea effectively to investors, partners, and team members. A well-thought-out business model canvas, similar to the one you can find in our startup business plan template , can transform a rough idea into a venture with a clear direction and structure.

Is it useful for you? Absolutely, especially if you're aiming to establish a structured approach to launching your startup. It compels you to systematically think through every aspect of your business and assess the viability of your startup idea.

Moreover, it's a dynamic document that can evolve as your startup grows and as the market landscape shifts.

How to create a Business Model Canvas for your startup venture?

Developing a Business Model Canvas for your startup is a strategic step towards clarity and success.

You can tailor the generic template we've provided by accessing our business plan template designed for startups .

Need a deeper dive? Let's deconstruct the canvas into its core components, and we'll walk you through how to populate each section with your innovative ideas, using a clear and concise method.

Value Proposition

Let's begin with the Value Proposition.

This is the core of your startup. What problem are you solving? What is the innovative product or service you're offering?

Consider what sets your startup apart from the competition. Is it a groundbreaking technology, a unique approach to customer service, or perhaps a disruptive business model?

Identify what will compel customers to engage with your startup instead of others.

It might be a state-of-the-art app, a service that fills a gap in the market, or a product that introduces a new way of doing things.

Customer Segments

Moving on to Customer Segments.

Who are your ideal customers? Are you targeting tech-savvy millennials, businesses looking for B2B solutions, or a niche market that's underserved?

Understanding your target audience will inform your product development, user experience, and marketing efforts.

Now, let's consider Channels.

Through which avenues will you reach your customers? This may include digital marketing, direct sales, partnerships, and more.

Think about leveraging online platforms for marketing and sales, using SEO and content marketing to drive traffic, and attending industry events to network and build brand awareness.

Remember, effective channels are key to customer acquisition and retention.

Customer Relationships

Customer Relationships are about the interactions you foster with your customers.

Focus on building trust through transparency, providing excellent customer support, and creating a community around your product or service.

Consider how you can use technology to streamline customer interactions, such as through a CRM system or chatbots for instant support.

Revenue Streams

In the Revenue Streams section, you'll outline how your startup will generate income.

This could include direct sales, subscription models, freemium strategies with premium features, or even affiliate marketing.

Think outside the box and identify multiple revenue streams that align with your business model and add value to your customers.

Key Activities

On the flip side, we have Key Activities.

These are the critical actions required to execute your startup's value proposition. This could range from product development and testing to marketing campaigns and customer service.

Pinpoint the activities that are essential to your startup's success and consider how to perform them effectively and efficiently.

Key Resources

Key Resources are the assets vital to your startup's operations.

This includes your team, intellectual property, capital, and technological infrastructure. Reflect on what you need to bring your value proposition to life and how to secure these resources.

Key Partnerships

Key Partnerships may involve strategic alliances, joint ventures, or supplier agreements that can help you scale, innovate, or reach new markets.

For example, collaborating with research institutions for product development or partnering with other companies for cross-promotion could be beneficial.

Cost Structure

Finally, Cost Structure.

Running a startup comes with a variety of costs, from development and staffing to marketing and operations. Understanding these costs is crucial for financial planning.

Determine which costs are fixed, such as salaries, and which are variable, like advertising spend, to manage your budget effectively.

What should be included in each section of the Business Model Canvas for a startup?

Unsure about how to tailor the Business Model Canvas for your startup? You can modify the one we've included in our startup business plan template .

Let's break down what you might include in each section of the Business Model Canvas for a tech startup.

Remember, these are just examples to get you started. Your startup's Business Model Canvas will be unique to your vision, market, and strategy. Good luck with your venture!

Examples of Business Model Canvas for a startup

Below are examples of business model canvases for three different types of startups: a Tech Software Startup, a Green Energy Solutions Startup, and an E-commerce Fashion Platform.

Tech Software Startup Business Model Canvas

Green Energy Solutions Startup Business Model Canvas

E-commerce Fashion Platform Business Model Canvas

You can also read our articles about: - how to build a marketing strategy for your startup venture - how to segment the customers of your startup venture - how to make a competition study for your startup venture - how to launch a startup (guide)

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Canva Cost for Enterprise: Overview

Canva Enterprise (now Canva for Teams) offers a 30-day free trial for interested users.

After the trial period, users can subscribe to the Canva for Teams plan, which costs $14.99 per month in total for the first 5 users.

This plan includes 1TB of cloud storage space per user, 24/7 customer support from the Canva team, team reports and insights, SSO, and ISO 27001 certification and compliance. There are also discounts available for annual plans or larger teams (e.g., 5+ users).

What is Canva?

Canva is an online design platform that allows users to create professional-looking designs with ease. It offers a wide range of features, including drag-and-drop editing, templates, and stock photos. With Canva, users can create stunning visuals for social media posts, presentations, flyers, and more – without needing any prior design experience or knowledge.

Overview of Canva

Canva is a powerful yet easy-to-use graphic design tool that helps you quickly create beautiful visuals in minutes. It has an intuitive user interface with drag and drop tools, making it very simple to use, even for beginners.

The platform also provides access to millions of high quality images from its library as well as thousands of professionally designed templates so you don’t have to start from scratch every time you want to make something new. You can also upload your own images if needed or customize existing ones by adding text or shapes etc., making it perfect for creating logos, banners and other graphics related tasks in no time at all.

Canva is a powerful and user-friendly tool that can help businesses optimize their productivity and efficiency. In the next section, we will discuss the various benefits of using Canva for enterprise solutions.

What are the Benefits of Using Canva?

Canva is a powerful design tool that can help businesses increase efficiency and productivity. With its intuitive user interface, easy-to-use design tools, and low subscription fees, Canva offers many benefits to businesses looking to optimize their workflow.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Canva’s simple drag-and-drop editor makes it easy for anyone to quickly create professional designs without prior experience or technical knowledge. This means you don’t have to hire an expensive designer or spend hours figuring out how the software works – you can get started immediately. Plus, with access to millions of stock photos, illustrations, fonts, and templates at your fingertips, creating stunning visuals has never been easier.

Cost Savings

One of the biggest advantages of using Canva is its cost savings compared to other design tools on the market. Its subscription plans are affordable for those who may not be able to afford more expensive alternatives like Adobe Creative Cloud or InDesign .

Additionally, there are plenty of free features available such as basic editing options, so you don’t have to pay anything unless you need advanced features like custom branding kits or team collaboration tools.

Improved Collaboration and Communication

With Canva’s team collaboration feature, multiple people can work together on projects in real time from anywhere in the world – making it ideal for remote teams who need a way to stay connected while working on projects together. It also allows users easily share designs with clients or colleagues by simply sending them a link instead of having sent large files back and forth via email, which saves time when collaborating with others outside your organization.

Overall, Canva is an excellent choice for businesses looking to increase efficiency and productivity while saving money in the process. It offers intuitive user interfaces, easy-to-use design tools, low subscription fees, improved collaboration and communication through its team features, and access to millions of stock photos, illustrations, fonts, and templates.

Using Canva can help businesses save time and money, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve collaboration among teams. In the next section, we’ll discuss what Canva costs for enterprise users.

What Does Canva Cost for Enterprise?

Canva offers the Canva for Teams plan for enterprise users, which costs only $14.99 per month in total for the first 5 people. This is an excellent deal for any team with 2 or more people that needs access to Canva. 

Note that the Canva Pro ($12.99/month) plan is for one person only. If you need to add more than 1 team member, you’ll need to subscribe to the Canva for Teams plan .

Canva for Teams for Enterprise Users

The Team plan adds 1TB cloud storage space per user, 24/7 customer support from the Canva team, team reports and insights, SSO, and ISO 27001 certification and compliance.

Finally, the Enterprise plan provides access to unlimited features such as custom branding options and advanced analytics capabilities with no limit on the number of team members.

If you decide that Canva is a good fit for your business needs then there are discounts available if you sign up for annual plans or larger teams (e.g., 5+ users).

Additionally, promotions such as free trial periods can help reduce upfront costs while allowing businesses time to test out different features before committing long-term.

You can access a 30-day Canva for Teams free trial here!

Additional Costs To Consider

While these plans provide great value at their respective price points, there may be additional costs associated with using Canva depending on what you need. For example, if you want access to stock photos or premium elements purchased from the marketplace then those will come at an extra cost that should be factored into your budget when deciding which plan is best for you.

Canva for Enterprise is an effective and affordable way to streamline your workflow, increase productivity, and reduce costs.

In the next section, we’ll look at how to get started with Canva for Enterprise so you can start taking advantage of its features right away.

How to Get Started with Canva for Enterprise?

Getting started with Canva for enterprise is a breeze. Get started with the Canva for Teams plan and enjoy a 30-day free trial.

Then, enter in payment information and set up your account details, such as name and email address. If you’re signing up for a team or enterprise plan, be sure to invite all necessary team members so they can join in on the fun too.

Once you have signed up for Canva for Enterprise, it is time to start exploring the features and tools available to maximize your team’s productivity.

In the next section, we will discuss strategies on how to make the most out of Canva for Enterprise.

How to Make the Most Out of Canva for Enterprise?

It offers an array of features to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and reduce costs. To make the most out of Canva for Enterprise, it’s important to understand how to maximize its potential.

Strategies to Maximize Efficiency and Productivity with Canva

Utilizing the right strategies can help you get the most out of your Canva experience. Start by creating templates that are easy to use and share with team members, so they don’t have to start from scratch every time they need something designed.

You should also take advantage of automation tools like batch processing or bulk editing, which will save you time in the long run.

Finally, consider using integrations with other apps, such as Slack or Dropbox, which will allow you to quickly access files without having to leave Canva’s platform.

Tips on Optimizing Your Workflow with Canva

One way to optimize your workflow is by taking advantage of keyboard shortcuts which will speed up tasks like resizing images or adding text boxes.

Additionally, try organizing content into folders, so it’s easier for everyone on your team to find what they need when they need it without wasting time searching through multiple documents or projects unnecessarily.

Finally, utilize project management tools such as monday.com or ClickUp within Canva, such as task lists and deadlines, so everyone knows exactly what needs to be done when – this helps keep teams organized and productive.

Best Practices for Larger Teams When Using Canva

When working collaboratively on projects within Canva, there are some best practices that should be followed to ensure successful outcomes each time.

Make sure all team members have access rights set up properly before beginning any work; this prevents anyone from accidentally overwriting someone else’s work while collaborating together on a single document or project at once.

Additionally, create clear guidelines around communication protocols such as who has final say over decisions made during design processes; this ensures everyone involved understands their roles clearly upfront, avoiding any confusion down the line.

By understanding the features, cost, and benefits of Canva for Enterprise, you can make the most out of it to optimize your workflow. 

What Alternatives Are Available to Canva for Enterprise?

When it comes to finding an alternative to Canva for enterprise, there are several options available.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a popular choice that offers a wide range of creative tools and services, including Photoshop , Illustrator , InDesign , and more. It also provides access to stock photos and fonts as well as cloud storage.

Visme is another great option with features such as drag-and-drop design capabilities, customizable templates, animation effects, and more.

Piktochart allows users to create visually appealing infographics, while Venngage helps you create stunning visuals in minutes without any prior design experience required.

Overview of Popular Alternatives to Canva

As mentioned above, several alternatives are available when choosing the right software for your business needs, such as Adobe Creative Cloud , Visme, Piktochart, and Venngage among others. Each has its own unique features, so it’s important to compare them side by side before making a decision on which one is best suited for your business needs.

There are plenty of alternatives to Canva for enterprise, each with its own pros and cons. Ultimately, the choice is yours to make depending on your business needs. Now let’s take a look at whether or not investing in Canva is worth it for enterprises.

Wrapping Up – Is Canva Worth It For Enterprise?

When it comes to investing in a design platform for your business, Canva is definitely worth considering. With its low subscription fees and discounts available, you can save money while still having access to powerful tools that make designing easier than ever before.

Additionally, the team features allow for improved collaboration and communication between employees, making it easier to work together on projects.

Final Thoughts on Whether or Not You Should Invest in Canva For Your Business Needs

Canva’s enterprise plans offer a great deal of value when compared with other platforms out there. It has all the features needed to create stunning designs quickly and easily without breaking the bank. Plus, its team features enable teams to collaborate more effectively so they can get their projects done faster. All these benefits combined make Canva an attractive option for businesses looking for an efficient way to design content online.

Canva Cost for Enterprise: FAQs

You’ll be using the Canva for Teams plan, which costs only $14.99 per month in total for the first 5 users. This plan includes access to all of Canva’s features and tools, as well as 1TB of cloud storage. For larger teams, there are additional discounts available, depending on your team size. You can check out the pricing on Canva’s pricing page here. You can use a 30-day free trial, so you can test out the product before committing to it.

No, Canva Enterprise is not free. It is a paid subscription service that offers additional features and benefits for businesses compared to the free version of Canva. With an Enterprise subscription, users can access exclusive templates, collaborate with team members in real-time, manage user permissions and roles within their organization, and have access to priority support from the Canva team.

While Canva does not have a specific Enterprise plan, enterprise can make use of its Canva for Teams plan , which is a premium subscription service for businesses that provides access to an extensive library of professional-grade design templates, tools, and resources. It also includes collaboration capabilities, custom branding options, advanced analytics, and more. With Canva for Teams, teams can create beautiful designs quickly and easily while streamlining their workflow with powerful automation tools. This makes it the perfect solution for businesses looking to optimize productivity and efficiency in their design process.

Yes, Canva does have pricing plans for businesses, such as Canva Pro and Canva for Teams. It is designed to help businesses of all sizes create professional-looking visuals and designs quickly and easily. The platform offers an extensive library of templates, tools, images, fonts, and more to help users create custom graphics for their projects. Additionally, Canva’s paid plans offer access to additional features, such as collaboration tools and analytics that can be used to track the performance of created designs.

It offers a wide range of features that can be tailored to meet the needs of any business. The cost for enterprise depends on the team size, but it is generally very affordable. With its easy-to-use interface and comprehensive tutorials, getting started with Canva for Enterprise is simple.

And with all the tools available to make the most out of this platform, you can be sure that your team will have everything they need to get their projects done quickly and efficiently. So if you’re looking for an effective way to manage your projects without breaking the bank, then Canva for Enterprise may just be worth considering.

Are you a business looking to optimize productivity and efficiency with the right SaaS? Look no further! Our website provides reviews, comparisons, and tutorials on software and tools like Canva so that you can make an informed decision. We provide up-to-date information about various enterprise plans available in the market today. Check out more of our guides!

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Pricing Plan

Table of Contents

What is a pricing plan.

A pricing plan (sometimes called a price list) is a structured outline of the costs associated with a business’s product or service. It reflects your pricing strategy based on several key factors, including production costs, market demand, and competitors’ pricing of similar offerings.

The goal of a pricing plan is to provide transparency for customers while ensuring the business covers its costs and remains competitive in the market. Each pricing plan can vary, offering different tiers, bundles, or features depending on the target audience and business objectives.

• Pricing structure

Understanding Pricing Plans

There are several different ways to tackle pricing . The ones you’ll see most often include:

• Tiered pricing — Customers pay different prices based on the features, functionality, or quality of the product or service they choose, with higher tiers offering increasingly more value at a higher cost.
• Usage-based pricing — Customers only pay for the specific amount of product or service they use. This is common in industries like telecommunications and utilities.
• Flat-rate pricing — One set price is charged for the product or service, regardless of usage or features.
• Per-user pricing — There’s a flat fee for each additional user, common with SaaS pricing models .
• Freemium pricing — A model where a basic version of the product or service is available for free, while fully functional or premium versions require payment.
• Block pricing — A volume-based pricing model where customers pay a per-unit price for each unit up to a certain quantity. Once they reach the next “block,” the price per unit gets lower (e.g., $10 for a 5-pack vs. $15 for a 10-pack).
• Subscription pricing — Recurring flat-rate and/or usage-based rates for continued access to a subscription service.

Depending on the nature of your business and the products you sell, you’ll probably have multiple pricing plans you offer to different types of customers. For example, SaaS companies use subscription pricing models , but there are tiered, user-based, and sometimes usage-based elements to this as well.

Key components of a pricing plan

In a broader sense, every pricing plan has three main components: the base price, add-ons, and discounts.

• The base price is exactly what you think it is. It’s the starting cost of the product or service, before any additional fees or discounts are applied.
• Add-ons are either optional extras or must-have features that come at an additional cost on top of the base price. For example, a software company might offer add-on modules or integration options for their core product.
• Discounts are reductions in price that reduce the base cost of the product or service. These might be volume discounts , promotional offers, or customer-specific discounts laid out in a special pricing agreement .

To maximize revenue, your pricing plan needs to strategically incorporate all three.

• The base price can’t be too high (turns away customers) or too low (makes your product look (“cheap”).
• Add-ons can drive sales and so can bundle deals, but your product should function well enough on its own.
• Discounts can help attract new customers, but they’ll devalue your product if you offer them too much or make them too steep.

Pricing plan vs. pricing strategy

“ Pricing strategy ” is a term you’ll hear used interchangeably quite often. They’re pretty much the same, but there’s one crucial distinction.

Your pricing plan is the tangible output that lists the prices for products or services offered by a company. Your pricing strategy is the thought process or methodology you use to determine the prices you’ll include in the pricing plan.

The pricing plan is published on a company’s website, presented by sales representatives, and included in customer-facing materials. Its main goal is to communicate to customers exactly what they’ll pay.

As an example: SaaS businesses may have multiple pricing plans, such as “Basic,” “Pro,” and “Enterprise,” each clearly showing the associated costs and features for each plan.

Developing your pricing strategy means analyzing production costs, market demand, competitor pricing, customer willingness to pay , and broader market conditions.

You might adopt different strategies — cost-plus pricing , value-based pricing , penetration pricing , or competitive pricing , depending on your goals (e.g., maximizing profit, gaining market share, or undercutting competitors).

How pricing plans influence customers’ decision-making

Price perception has a profound impact on how your target customers view your business . You have the perceived price (what they feel like they’re paying). Then, you have the actual amount of money leaving their wallet, which is more or less arbitrary by comparison.

There are tons of factors at play, here:

• Production cost vs. what you sell it for
• What competitors charge
• How much their friends/colleagues pay for similar items
• The status associated with your product
• How “rare” or “exclusive” it is

What they’re expecting to pay also plays a role. But, in a B2B setting, you can shift them away from this through consultative selling and mastering sales negotiation .

And of course, your target customers’ income levels play a huge role. You won’t sell something expensive to customers with no money, no matter what the quality is. And you won’t convince a rich customer your product is the best if it’s priced like a budget option.

Creating an Effective Pricing Plan

Now, to actually develop your pricing plan, there are a lot of variables to consider (which we’ve covered above). So, how can you create a pricing plan that maximizes your sales, appeals to customers, and doesn’t undervalue your product?

1. Map out all the different factors that affect pricing.

Even though the actual price of something is just a dollar amount, that number determines whether you’re profitable, attractive to customers, and reasonable for the market. Ideally, you’ll hit all three (though you can potentially sacrifice profitability in the short term).

Consider the following:

• Development/production costs
• Marketing costs
• Income, willingness to pay, and price sensitivity for your target market
• Competitor prices
• Product differentiation
• Your immediate and long-term goals

For example, you might offer similar products to your competitors, but at a higher quality and with higher input costs. Using competitor prices as a reference, you’d set your prices above theirs to communicate to your target market, “This is a superior product, and you get what you pay for.”

Or, you might have a SaaS product you’ll spend millions to develop and maintain. But, you need to validate it and build a core user base, so you offer a low cost to enter the market. As your customer base grows and you secure more funding, you raise prices and see the long-term ROI.

2. Establish pricing tiers if you offer multiple service levels.

A lot of businesses offer several product tiers or purchasing options for their customers. Tiers help you cater to different interests and budgets while also allowing you to upsell on features not available in the lower-priced tier (e.g., “Basic” vs. “Pro”).

There could be a ton of factors driving revenue here:

• More expensive plans with higher profit margins
• More room for add-on sales
• Price anchoring to push most customers toward the middle tier (driving fast decision-making and conversions)
• Higher customer retention rates from successfully matching each price with its ICP
• Growing customer interest in new features at higher prices over time

The idea is that you’ll drive more sales across the board — whether that’s for the more expensive or less expensive tiers. As long as each tier is a magnet that attracts its respective customers, you’ll see overall revenue growth and higher retention.

3. Implement tools for pricing analysis.

In an OpenView Partners study with 2,200 different SaaS companies, they found that only 6% have done real, sophisticated pricing research to understand buyers’ needs and willingness to pay. A huge reason for this is they don’t have the right tools for the job.

You can’t get away with charging customers too much, even if they need your product. And you don’t want to sell yourself short, either.

Thankfully, there are a few tools that help you better understand your market and pricing potential without spending millions on research.

Your CPQ (configure, price, quote) software is one of them. Without investing in any new tools, you can find tons of transactional data within your CPQ to help you with pricing analysis.

These tools reveal:

• Average deal size and conversion rates
• The ROI from upselling (and how much room you have to grow)
• The average price of your product
• Most popular pricing tiers and packages

When you know how customers are responding to your current pricing plan, you can make calculated changes where you see an opportunity.

For more advanced functions (e.g., predictive modeling and finding the optimal price), you’ll need a pricing analytics tool and data tool with forecasting models .

4. Always be testing.

Pricing is never 100% done. it’s the hardest thing to nail, and you’ll only get there by constantly trying new things.

• Billing cycles (annual vs. monthly)
• Pricing tiers
• Add-on services and features
• The product price itself

Businesses often find that by simply raising their prices or introducing a new tier, they can see a significant boost in revenue and profitability. Don’t test more than one variable at once (and definitely don’t change different prices for customers buying the same product at the same time). But, do test often to maximize your pricing potential.

Examples of Successful Pricing Plans

To help you completely grasp the concept of pricing plans, let’s take a look at a few examples of businesses with effective pricing strategies:

Slack’s tiered pricing

Slack uses tiered pricing with several levels, ranging from a free tier to enterprise-level paid options. This allows the communication software vendor to target a wide variety of customer segments, from small teams using the free or $8.75 plan to large enterprises that need advanced features and support.

Their per-active-user pricing is where they differentiate. Slack only charges businesses for active users (those who have logged in and used the product within the last 30 days), which makes it flexible and cost-efficient, especially for companies with fluctuating team sizes.

This model aligns customer costs with actual usage. And it prevents disputes from customers who forget they had a subscription for a product or user seat they haven’t used in months.

Canva’s per-user pricing

Canva uses a per-user pricing model. Aside from their free plan with limited features, their paid “Pro” plan charges a flat rate that scales up with the number of users on the plan.

This makes it scalable for larger companies, which will need to add more users as they grow. It directly connects the amount of value a customer receives with the cost, while rewarding their larger customers with lower per-user rates.

Kärcher’s value-based pricing

Kärcher, a leader in the cleaning equipment industry, implemented a value-based pricing strategy for its spare parts. Instead of simply using a cost-plus model, they focused on the perceived value of their parts to customers.

By working with the tool MARKT-PILOT, they were able to gain real-time insights into market demand and adjust their prices accordingly . This allowed them to stay competitive by ensuring their parts were neither overpriced nor underpriced, based on what customers were willing to pay.

Allbirds’ premium pricing strategy

Compared to others in the footwear space, Allbirds is a premium brand that uses sustainable materials in their products. Their marketing and branding reflect this, and so does their pricing strategy .

Although ~$120 isn’t outrageous for a pair of shoes, it’s certainly on the high end for a non-“luxury” product. Their secret lies in the fact that they rarely offer discounts and promos. And they incorporate quality-oriented value propositions throughout their site and social media platforms.

By maintaining their premium price and reinforcing product value instead of pushing faster sales at a discounted rate, they’re communicating that they’re not just another shoe company. They emphasize their sustainability and comfort, and their shoes are worth the price for consumers seeking those values.

People Also Ask

What are the elements of effective pricing plan design.

When you’re designing a pricing page, you want to make sure it is clear, easy to understand, and visually appealing. This includes highlighting the most important features of each tier, clearly stating the cost for each plan, and providing a call-to-action button for users to sign up. You also want to consider the psychology of pricing, particularly price anchoring. Make the most common or popular plan the middle option, and emphasize it by changing its color, making it larger than the rest, and adding a “Recommended” sticker to it.

How are pricing plans used in CPQ?

When you program your pricing plan into CPQ, it enforces consistency and compliance with your pricing rules. That way, all your sales reps are quoting the exact same prices to customers, which protects your margins and avoids pricing conflicts.

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