In a single session, we will work with you to look at your business through the eyes of your customers.

We work with all sizes and shapes of business in and around Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire.

We try not to use complex techniques or ’5 step plans’ or anything that will ADD to your workload. But we will help you to make the most of advanced, but usable approaches to Business Model Development.

You know, it’s OK to continue with the time-honoured approach to business planning. But life is just too short and with just a little shake-up in thinking you can ditch the business plan and remodel your business.

Well it’s about to appear on an iPad near you.  Or near me, as I am still unable to talk myself into buying one – it will take over my life and I’ll stick to having others use one around me.

UPDATE: The App is now available at the Business Model Toolbox page

According the BMTBox Business Model Canvas iPad App page, we’ll be able to:

• Sketch out a full business model using all 9 of the building blocks defined in the book
• Add guesstimate figures for revenue, costs, market size, pricing etc without struggling through spreadsheets
• Produce reports on profitability, customer segments etc

With careful facilitation, the ‘BMGen’ approach is a tool for any business looking to get  a grip on where the next dime should come from.  Or where substantial new revenue streams can be developed.  The challenge is often following through with the model and ensuring that everyone in the company that needs to know about it can use it.  It does take an hour or two for the approach to sink in and be usable, so I introduce it by encouraging innovative approaches to storyboarding the business idea or value proposition.  Then there is a big ‘reveal’ of the canvas.

There’s talk, too, of Web apps to allow the non-tabletters to use the approach.  On a team basis, I do prefer the giant sheet of paper and lots of pens and post-its.  I work with clients to turn that into Powerpoints (or whatever works for them). The apps should help translate the initial sketches into real business model scenarios to provide starting points to action plans in the company.  And the built-in financial analysis and scenario-planning will make things a lot easier.

Keep an eye on developments by following the hashtag #BMTBox

If you can do this, it just may give you the insights you need to understand how to kickstart your own business into the success you’ve been seeking.

Take a look at  how Business Model Alchemist, Alexander Osterwalder is collaborating with his readers (yes I’m a fan) to see if he could work out how Facebook could really be worth $50 billion.  It’s one way to get the whole essence of a business model on one piece of paper.  I’ve been using this approach for several months now and find that after a little practice, and a little facilitation from yours truly, it can be applied to pretty much any type of organisation in 7 steps:

1. Pick your arch rival (or most-needed client)
2. Use Business Model Generation (buy here or download a sampler here)
3. Gather a team of interested parties (ceo, marketing, sales, finance ; or just you..)
4. and see if you can generate their business model.
5. Compare it with your own
6. Gather insights
7. Refresh your business

Give me a shout and I can give you some hints and tips to get you through this, or arrange an initial free starter session.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se2u5RyGaNE

Our modelling hats are on to think through how we can turn Buzz into numbers and maybe a valueable offer for clients.  Not that we’re the only ones trying this, but I know that if we put our collective minds to it, there’ll be something worth talking about (and selling, I hope).

More – I’m learning from clients what I can best offer.  As I’ve been doing for the last too-many years, I’ve found myself operating in the nebulous area where Marketing, Finance, Strategy, Planning, Innovation and ‘t Internet meet.

For many consultants that means heavy analytical plans like these:

But I’m determined to make business planning much easier for any manager.   So my starting point is to work with business owners and leaders to simplify their approach so that it can be applied easily throughout the company.   Although I’ve been using these techniques for years, I’ve recently been drawn to the fantastic work on Business Model Generation by Alex Osterwalder and colleagues.   Over the next few weeks, I’ll be including more practical pointers to this approach.