Business Model Generation

            In a society that’s filled with new businesses popping up everywhere, it’s hard to find which model of running a business works the best. This is precisely why Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur created a handbook for improving and designing a successful business organization with the help of four hundred and seventy other practitioners. In order to create a well rounded business model, it needs to be about creating value for companies, customers, and society. This model is not new or the only way to run an organization, however, it does work and it helps define what the basics of running a business are. There are a lot of key components to a business model innovation. These include the senior executive (establishes a new business model), the intrapreneur (helps discover the newest technological advancements), the entrepreneur (builds new business models around customers needs), the investor (invests in companies), the consultant (helps clients question their model/envision the best model possible), the designer (discovers the best business model to launch) , and the conscientious entrepreneur (brings positive social and economic changes). There are numerous amounts of jobs and people that are responsible for a business model as well as a certain format to follow that will guide you, called the “Buisness Model Canvas.” This canvas is composed of nine building blocks that I will discuss in further detail below.

Suggested Solutions and Ways of Handling a Business:

1. Customer Segments: This first block deals with the different groups of people and/or organizations that an enterprise wants to serve. There are many different kinds of Customer Segments which include: mass market, niche markets, market segments, diversified customer business, and multi-sided platforms. 
2. Value Propositions: This step describes the products and services that create the value for a customer segment. In order to create customer value, you need to follow some of these key elements: newness, performance, customization, design, brand, and price.
3. Channels: These channels are how a company/business communicates with its customer segments to deliver its value proposition. In a business model, you can have direct and indirect channels as well as owned and partnered channels. 
4. Customer Relationships: This is defined by the types of associations and relationships a company makes with certain customer segments. Some of these relationships can be personal assistance, self-service, automated services, or communities. 
5. Revenue Streams: This fifth block is the amount of money that a business makes from its customer segments. As always, there are many ways to generate this money, such as usage fees, subscription fees, asset sales, or advertising. 
6. Key Resources: This block is defined by the most important assets a business model needs in order for it to be successful. These resources can be categorized as follows: physical, intellectual, human, or financial.   
7. Key Activities: These activities are the most important thing a company does in order for their business model to work, such as production, problem solving, and networks. 
8. Key Partnerships: This block describes the suppliers and partners that a business makes in order for their model to work. Some motivations for creating these partnerships are optimization, reduction of risk, and attainment of certain resources.
9. Cost Structure: This last block is important for understanding all the costs that are acquired when operating the business. These structures are either cost or value driven.

          In this lengthy, but extremely thought out and useful business model, you get the understanding that it truly does work. Think of any business or company that you buy from frequently (Apple, Nike, Coach, etc) and I’m sure you could apply this model to the way that they run their organizations as well.