How to Use Business Models To Dominate Your Industry
The Method
The Business Model Canvas developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigand is a powerful tool for understanding your business model and then changing it to make your company more effective.
In this 3 session half day workshop we use the business model canvas to understand your company, division or unit’s current business model. We use traditional SWOT analysis on the business model to understand the pressures facing you. Then we generate alternatives to drive your future strategy forward.
This workshop is a fast and furious half day event designed to stimulate strategic discussions within the company using a common framework.
All the sessions are hands on. Everybody learns as they contributes. This helps develop strategic understand and a deep understanding of using the tool in practice.
The workshop can also be run as a full day or a two day session, or as part of a series where you review competitors business models and explicitly design strategies to counteract their strengths.
The Sessions
In Session 1 we create a business model canvas for your business or division. The 9 components of the business model canvas allow us to capture how a company of any size or complexity makes money and delivers value to its customers.
In this session we work through the canvas drawing input from your team to build a common understanding of the existing business model.
The goal here is to get a common agreement at a high level of who your customers are, the value you create for them and how you create that value in order to generate revenue
In some cases there may be disagreement within the team as to the shape of the business model. In these case we recommend having a full day or a 2 day workshop to allow adequate time to cover them.
In Session 2 we do a SWOT analysis that identifies the main pressures on your business and the reasons the business model may need to change.
This session is quite structured as we use a pool of 60 questions to address the 9 key components of the business model. These are contained in an accompanying workbook and in a typical workshop we will focus on 5 or 10 of them
In Session 3 we look at what we have learned in Session 1 and Session 2 and outline where we think the business model should change to counter environmental threats or take advantage of new opportunities.
This session is typically less structured and encourages participants to brainstorm alternative models, all of which are captured for later review and discussion
The Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas is a simple tool that allows you to describe your business model and think through how it works in a consistent and systematic way.
By using 9 building blocks:
- Customers
- Value Proposition
- Customer Relationships
- Channels
- Revenue Streams
- Key Activities
- Key Resources
- Key Partners, and
- Costs
almost any business can be described simply and elegantly.
The canvas also allows us to easily describe how different parts of the business work together to deliver powerful synergies, core competencies and competitive advantage
Sample Business Model Review
Outputs
Session 1
Business Model Canvas
Session 2
SWOT Analysis
Session 3
Multiple Alternative Models
Who is it for?
- CEO & Senior Management Team
- Startups
- Investment committees
- Strategy teams
What are the Benefits?
- Visualize your existing business model
- See how threats and changes affect your business model
- Generate alternative business models
- Test them to see if they are a fit for your strategic direction
Combined these let you test and analyse strategic choices, make better decisions and move faster.
Why Do You Need it?
- The market is radically changing
- Major threats to the existing business model
- Existing strategy is stagnant
- Investing in a new market or sector
- Considering major changes to the business model
- Looking for insights into competitors strategy
Your Facilitator – Denis Oakley

Denis Oakley is a strategy consultant who focuses on helping tech companies develop powerful business models.
Denis has a Philosophy BA from the University of Bristol and an MBA from Warwick Business School.
After a career with engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald Denis came to Malaysia in 2007 with an oil and gas startup.
Denis helped me explore my current business strategy and opened my eyes to a great potential path to dramatically grow my business. Insightful and honest, he provided great perspective that’s sure enhance my business success.
Michael O’Connell – CodeSprouts
Denis has the unique ability to quickly give you not only a succinct strategy but the right one. He’s not only passionate about helping start-ups he is generous in giving both his time and knowledge. Would highly recommend to anyone needing strategy advice and actionable ideas that work.
Ronan Leonard – Eccountability
Denis’ someone that can be depended on to step up and deliver an idea, a complete solution or just some kind words of encouragement that can really work for you.
David Spence – Live More Events
Find Out More
and Change Your Future

