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A few years ago, Alexander Osterwalder invented a new way to talk about and visualize business models, creating the Business Model Canvas. This tool has made it far easier for entrepreneurs to understand, iterate and communicate their business models.

I’ve taught the Canvas to hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners, and found it quite useful. However, every time I did so, the process felt incomplete. A business model is not a business plan, and what I wanted in all these cases was to visually see the rest of the story.

Like many breakthrough ideas, one day in the Summer of 2013, I had my own “aha” moment, augmenting the Canvas with five new boxes, creating the Business Presentation Pyramid.

The Five Boxes

There are five boxes surrounding the Business Model Canvass:

  • Purpose: Why are you doing this business?
  • Opportunity: Is this business worth doing?
  • Financial plan: revenues, costs and profits
  • Competition: Who else is delivering this product or service to the customers?
  • Immediate needs: What are the current needs of the business?

Conclusion

The addition of the five boxes to the Business Model Canvass to create the Business Presentation Pyramid provides the ability to describe or pitch the full business plan of the business.

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Author

The author of this article is Luni Libes.

Michael “Luni” Libes is a 20+ year serial entrepreneur, founder/co-founder of six startups, now focused on helping the next wave of entrepreneurs via a variety of efforts including: Fledge, the “conscious company” accelerator; Kick, the “inclusive” incubator; teaching and mentorship at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute and author of The Next Step series of books and online classes for entrepreneurs and startups.

Luni maintains a blog Thoughts on and News of “Conscious” Entrepreneurship.

Luni has published a set of books and online classes guiding entrepreneurs from an initial idea through business planning and into operations of a startup company - The Next Step; A Guide for Entrepreneurs