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Business Model Canvas: one overview for a strong business strategy
About Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas is a powerful strategic tool that allows you to see at a glance how your organization creates, delivers and retains value. A business model describes the way an organization creates and retains this value. The canvas gives structure to your business model and makes clear which parts work well and where there are opportunities for optimization.
The Business Model Canvas consists of several building blocks that together provide insight into the business model. At OMA, we use the Business Model Canvas to help brands sharpen their proposition, define growth strategies and inform investment decisions.
This section offers a business model canvas explanation.
Description of the nine building blocks of the Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas, developed by Alexander Osterwalder, is composed of nine building blocks that make up the foundation of your business model. It provides a visual overview that helps to quickly analyze and make strategic choices. At OMA, we use the canvas both for new concepts and for screening and optimizing existing business models.
The 9 building blocks of the Business Model Canvas:
- Customer segments – This building block describes who the specific customers are, what their different needs are and who the most important customers are. Define your target groups and prioritize your key customer groups.
- Value proposition – The value proposition or value proposition is the core of the business model and is central to the Business Model Canvas. This building block describes the unique value and added value you offer customers and why customers choose your company.
- Channels – Describe the ways you reach customers (online and offline). Channels play an important role in reaching customers and finding the right balance between owned and partner channels is essential.
- Customer relationships – Determine how you build, maintain and strengthen relationships. The type of relationship you establish with customers determines how you interact with your target audience. This can range from personal contact to co-creation, where you develop value with customers. Actively maintaining customer relationships is essential for long-term success.
- Revenue Streams – This building block describes how the business generates and the focus is on optimizing revenue. Identify your revenue models and revenue sources.
- Key Resources – Name the key resources and assets for your business. Think of everything the company needs, such as human resources, technology and capital, to make the business model work.
- Core activities – Identify which key activities and key activities are essential to deliver value and make the business model work.
- Key Partners – Map strategic partners and suppliers.
- Cost structure – Analyze your costs and optimize where possible. The cost structure includes both fixed and variable costs necessary to make the business model work.
Completing the business model canvas is often done on a large fill-in-the-blank form or sheet of paper, using post its to gather ideas and brainstorm. Using the business model canvas helps to make strategic choices, improve processes and collaborate with others to achieve better insights and innovations.
What to expect:
- Guided workshop to build or optimize the Business Model Canvas
- Analysis of your current revenue model and value proposition
- Understanding customer segmentation and target group profiles
- Concrete areas for improvement for channels, customer relationships and revenue streams
- Strategic advice for sustainable growth and competitive advantage
Sample applications
- Start-ups working out their first business model
- Scale-ups ready for international growth
- Companies looking to sharpen their value proposition
- Organizations looking to test new revenue models
- Corporates launching internal innovation projects
Our working method
- Analysis – We examine your current business model, market and customer needs.
- Canvas session – During the canvas session, we will complete the business model canvas together. This is often done on a large fill-in sheet or a sheet of paper, where we use post its to gather ideas and fill in the nine building blocks clearly with input from your team.
- Evaluation – We identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for growth.
- Advisory plan – We translate the canvas into concrete strategic actions.
- Implementation guidance – We help implement improvements.
Discover your Business Model Canvas: the strategic foundation for growth
The Business Model Canvas makes even the most complex business structures clear and negotiable. It acts as a shared language for strategy, innovation and collaboration, allowing teams to make decisions faster and more effectively. By analyzing all nine building blocks in context, you immediately see where your business model is strong and where improvements are needed.
Want to use the business model canvas? In this explanation you will find everything you need to optimally apply the model within your company. So you can start filling in and discovering your strengths and new opportunities for growth yourself.
This makes the canvas an indispensable tool for entrepreneurs, marketers, innovation teams and strategic decision makers.
What is the Business Model Canvas and why is it important?
The Business Model Canvas makes complex business structures understandable and discussable. In this section, you’ll find a business model canvas explanation so you know exactly how to apply this model to your organization. It provides a shared language for strategy and innovation, allowing teams to make decisions faster and more effectively. The focus is on understanding the key building blocks and optimizing the business model. By looking at all the building blocks in context, you can see exactly where your business model is strong and where improvements are needed. This makes it an indispensable tool for entrepreneurs, marketers and innovation teams.
The 9 building blocks of the Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas consists of nine building blocks that together form the foundation of any successful business model. These building blocks provide insight into the various aspects of your business and show how your organization adds, delivers and retains value. By completing these nine building blocks, you get a complete picture of how your business model works and where optimization is possible. Below we explain the first five building blocks.
1. Customer Segments.
The customer segments building block describes the different groups of people or organizations your company wants to reach and serve. It is essential to properly research who your key customer groups are and what their specific needs are. By segmenting the market, you can target the needs of different customer segments and tailor your offerings accordingly. For example, consider a business that sells jewelry and targets women of different ages or styles. By understanding who your customers are and what drives them, you can develop a business model that truly fits the market and provides the right value to each segment.
2. Value Propositions.
The value proposition is the heart of your business model and describes what unique value your company adds for its customers. It is about the reasons why customers choose your products or services and not those of your competitors. Factors such as value for money, ease of use, service and a distinctive assortment play a major role here. By talking to your customers, you discover what makes them happy and what their expectations are. A strong value proposition helps you not only attract new customers, but also retain existing customers and strengthen your position in the market.
3. Channels.
The building block channels plays an important role in how your products or services reach customers. Channels include all the ways through which you reach, inform and serve customers – from communication to sales and distribution. Think of your website, social media, newsletters, physical stores or a web shop. By thinking carefully about which channels best suit your target audience, you ensure that customers can easily find and buy your product. Completing this building block will help you choose the right mix of channels to optimize the customer experience.
4. Customer Relationships.
Customer relations is about how a company maintains contact with its customers, both online and offline. The goal is to attract new customers and retain existing customers. Different channels can be used to provide a good customer experience, such as personal service, online support or an active community. By managing customer relationships well and tuning them to the needs of your target group, you increase loyalty and ensure a lasting relationship with your customers. A positive customer experience ultimately leads to more sales and a stronger brand.
5. Revenue Streams (Revenue Streams).
The revenue streams building block describes how your business makes money from its products or services. There are different ways to generate revenue, such as direct sales, subscriptions, licenses or offering additional services. It is important to properly identify which revenue sources contribute most to the financial viability of your business model. By understanding how you make money and which revenue models are best suited to your market and customer segments, you can focus on creating a sustainable and profitable business model.
