Business Model Canvas Template: To Fill In and Tips for Editing

A Business Model Canvas gives your business model structure and divides it into nine building blocks. A digital whiteboard is ideal for this because it provides enough space and is not limited by document boundaries, as is the case with a PDF.

Which building blocks make up a Business Model Canvas?

Building BlockKey Question
Customer SegmentsWho are you creating value for?
Value PropositionWhat problem are you solving?
ChannelsHow do you reach your customers?
Customer RelationshipsHow do you stay in touch?
Revenue StreamsWhat do customers pay for?
Key ResourcesWhat do you need for this?
Key ActivitiesWhat do you need to do?
Key PartnershipsWho supports you?
Cost StructureWhat costs are involved?

In a Business Model Canvas, these nine fields are usually arranged clockwise around the value proposition. This makes the relationships between the building blocks clear at a glance.

Why is a Business Model Canvas Template important?How do I fill in the Business Model Canvas template correctly?

When filling in the Business Model Canvas template, start with the customer and the value proposition, then work your way outward.

  1. When filling in the Business Model Canvas template, start with the customer and the value proposition, then work your way outward.
  2. Define the customer segments and value proposition, as they form the core of your business model.
  3. Derive the channels and customer relationships to determine how you reach and retain customers.
  4. Define the revenue streams based on what your customers actually pay for.
  5. Add key resources, key activities and key partnerships to secure implementation.
  6. Calculate the cost structure at the end, because it is derived from all the previous building blocks.

How do I use the Business Model Canvas template together with others?

On a digital whiteboard, you can work on the Business Model Canvas together with your team in real time and comment on individual building blocks. Collaboard automatically keeps track of changes.

In addition to the Business Model Canvas, many teams use a SWOT analysis template to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the business model before implementation.

For technical integration into your existing software, it is also important to consider how well the whiteboard fits into existing systems. With Collaboard integrations, you can embed your business model canvas directly into Microsoft 365 or Nextcloud, so your team’s existing workflow is preserved and enhanced with this important function.

Your benefits with Collaboard:

  • Work on the Business Model Canvas template together as a team without creating different file versions.
  • GDPR-compliant hosting in Europe.
  • Integration with Microsoft 365, Webex and Nextcloud.
  • The template can be expanded at any time, for example with additional ESG building blocks.

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Business Model Canvas Template: Frequently asked questions and answers

Any questions? We are here to help.

The Business Model Canvas covers nine building blocks and is suitable for both established and new business models. The Lean Canvas replaces individual fields, such as key partnerships, with problem and solution fields and is more strongly aimed at young companies in early startup phases.

An initial draft can be created in a 60 to 90-minute workshop if the team has already outlined the customer segments and value proposition. For a robust version, you should plan for several rounds of revision over a few weeks.

The Business Model Canvas template is suitable for entrepreneurs, executives, startups, and strategic planners who want to develop a new business model or revise an existing one.

You open the template in Collaboard’s online whiteboard and invite your team via link. Everyone involved can then edit individual building blocks at the same time, comment on content and track changes in real time.

Collaboard hosts data in Europe and therefore meets the GDPR requirements for commissioned data processing and data storage location. This is particularly relevant for companies that do not want to store sensitive business model data on servers outside the EU.

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