How to Organize a Small Business Using the Canvas Model

When most people think of how to organize a small business, they focus too much on such things like:

• Points of Commerce
• Paperwork and licenses
• Renovations and adjustments to the property
• Implementing infrastructure (the internet, telephone, etc.)
• Purchasing inventories or preparing to provide the service
• Recruiting staff

And is this wrong?

It’s not that this is wrong, but these are the last things a person should do when it comes to the business of how to organize a small business.

Before that, you have to discover and plan 2 things:

1. The business model: How will it be operated, who is the intended customer, what are the essential resources, partnerships, etc.?
2. The business process model: Define each of the steps of producing and selling the products and services. In the case of opening a cake store, for example: buying ingredients, mixing, baking, cooking, packing, displaying at the counter, waiting for customers, making the sale, receiving payment, issuing the invoice.

Therefore, there is no way to organize a small business without planning, creating a business plan, and defining these two important things above for the rest of the operation.

But rest assured: We will show you two easy, agile and practical ways to achieve all of this.

And, best of all, both are free! Check them out next.

See also: BPMN Business Process Modeling Tutorial

How to organize a small business structure quickly and successfully

As you’ve seen, there are two phases: Structuring the business model and defining the stages of managing the process for the delivery of your product or service to the end customer.

Let’s start with the first phase.

How to Use the Canvas Business Template

The Canvas Model is ideal for those who are going to open a small business and want to organize it because it is intuitive, easy to complete and gives you all the tips for what to do and how to organize a small business.

It is a form with 9 spaces in which you must complete the fields properly.

For each of them, we will give a quick definition (when necessary) and an illustrative example for opening a cake store:

1. Value proposition: It is a very elaborate concept, but we can say that it’s the perception that your customer will have of your business. For example, an exquisite cake shop for nice parties or just to eat on the spot for afternoon tea.
2. Customer relationship: At the cake store, it should be close and exclusive.
3. Channels: How you intend to distribute your cakes. Example: in the store itself or through internet delivery.
4. Customer type: High-income, high-spending individuals, regional executives, and companies that host events for clients or employees.
5. Revenue: In-store sales, for parties or consumption on the spot, or ordering cakes for parties over the internet, that are made in store.
6. Costs: Raw materials, electricity, wages, rent, etc.
7. Partners: Mobile applications for delivery orders, event organizers, wedding buffets, etc.
8. Key Activities: Production of high-level cakes, first-class service in the store and development of partnerships.
9. Key Features: First-rate ingredients, experienced and well-trained cake makers, educated and trained retail staff and a good location.

If you intended to create a more affordable, homemade style cake store, virtually all of the Canvas fields would be filled with entirely different data.

What did you think of the Canvas Model for planning how to organize a small business?

See more: Sales Process Flowchart: Increase your sales!

Using Small Business Process Modeling Tools

Have you heard of flowcharts? When modeling a process with the goal of defining how to organize a small business, you can create process flows like the one we described above for baking and selling cakes.

Check out: How can process mapping and flowcharts help companies?

When using appropriate process modeling software such as HEFLO which is, free and cloud based, this process is intuitive and easy to do, with drag-and-drop graphical user interfaces and on-screen instructions. There’s no need to install it on your computer, just log in, register and start using the software.

And if you have questions about how to use it, just watch some tutorial videos, like this one below, on our YouTube channel, or enroll in our paid course.

So, it’s over? Well, in fact, the process of running a small business has just begun. Now, it’s time to start designing the company’s marketing plan and looking for ways to retain customers, but that will need to be the next post, okay?