Are you looking for Canvas model examples to boost your business? do you and your team want to design your own Canvas model? the first thing you should know is that this is one of the best known techniques of entrepreneurial business models. the reason? It allows you to know where your business is at present.
The Canvas business model is a tool that came to light in 2010 thanks to the book “Business Model Generation” written by Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. In fact, the Canvas model is part of the Lean Startup methodology, which is based on fostering new ways of creating, delivering and capturing customer value through validated learning.
If you have come this far, it is probably because you already know what the Canvas model is and you need Canvas model examples to help you generate ideas to consolidate a new market model strategy and thus improve business profitability. Therefore, we will show you the best examples of the Canvas model of well-known companies and potentially profitable industries for any entrepreneur. Finally, you will be able to download different Canvas model templates to take as a reference and make your business idea a reality in an effective way.
1. Canvas model of a photography company
In this case, we will focus on an example of a rather generic Canvas model for what would be a business model for a photography company.
The value proposition is to offer a personalized service of the elements and techniques of photography, including the theoretical and practical part. Definitely, in this business model, the target audience are people passionate about photography, mostly, we can assume that they are young people. taking this into account, the Canva model proposes that the ideal way to reach them is through social media advertising.
As for the business costs established by this Canvas model example, they are basically the rent of the premises and the cost of the photography tools needed for learning.
Although with respect to the latter, prices can be sought in offers, since the distributors of photographic elements are key partners of the business model and, also, one of the possible stakeholders in the stakeholder matrix. In this way, the profitability of the photographic studio will be higher.
Source: Procrastinator made easy
2. Starbucks Canvas Model
Continuing with the food business, it is now time to review in detail the Starbucks Canvas model. In the case of this coffee chain, its main Canvas value proposition is not to sell coffee as such, but to offer a different experience. its stores distributed in different parts of the city and its amenities in each one of them attract young people, adults and senior citizens alike. It is an ideal space to work, converse, meet with friends, etc.
In the example of Starbucks Canvas model, they state that their main distributors are different coffee growers around the world, which gives them a wide variety of products. As for its expenses, in addition to the basic supplies, there is the rent for the thousands of stores and the salaries of its personnel.
Finally, in addition to the sale of coffee and food, its income comes from different products such as thermoses, bagged coffee, clothing, among others. Thanks to its business model, Starbucks has become more than just a coffee shop, it has become a lovemark. Undoubtedly, one of the examples of Canvas model that serves as an inspiration for other companies in the industry.
Source: Pronouns
3. Apple Canvas Model
Undoubtedly, Apple is one of the most recognized brands in the technology sector worldwide. Therefore, among the examples of the Canvas model, Apple is one of the most outstanding. Of course, the quality and prestige of this brand does not need to be detailed. Below, we will show you how Apple’s Canvas model works.
This brand started with a novel Canvas value proposition at the time, as it offered the first smartphones with remarkable features for the time. Moreover, today, it continues to improve progressively in the design and power of its electronic devices .
Its main key partners are hardware creators, independent developers and content generators. Its Canvas model canvas exposes that its main costs are customer service, human resources, premises rental and, of course, the manufacturing and development of its iOS operating system.
Although Apple was more aimed at an adult business audience in its beginnings, in recent years it has diversified and now it is very common for young people to use this company’s products, considering their quality. Here we leave you the proposal of Apple’s Canvas model.
Source: Pinterest
4. Uber Canvas Model
Another example of Canvas model is from the transportation company Uber. The value proposition offered by this company is a fast, cheap and, above all, safe service. It allows paying in different ways and identifying the person who performs the chauffeur service. As for the company’s collaborators, it allows flexibility in working hours and days.
With this business model, the company decided to innovate with a smartphone platform and revolutionize the private transportation services industry. Likewise, its profitability increased considering that its cost structure was relatively low since it invested mainly in customer service and marketing.
According to its business Canvas model, Uber’s target audience is people without cars who tend to travel frequently. and its collaborators are people with cars who seek to generate some kind of economic income through chauffeur service.
Source: Emprendedor Tecnológico
5. Netflix Canvas Model
The online series and movies platform Netflix is another demonstration of how innovation and the right orientation of a business idea can make you grow at unimaginable speeds. Here we tell you in detail what Netflix’s Canvas model example looks like.
According to the Canvas model, Netflix chose as its value proposition the creation of an online platform with a varied grid of movies and series that can be accessed through a monthly subscription.
This new business model implies a simplification of access to the audiovisual industry by the user so that he would not have to leave home in search of new DVDs to enjoy a good movie in ratios of leisure and dispersion.while making this idea profitable took some work, over time Netflix highlighted its value proposition of the Canvas model and made people feel comfortable paying a monthly membership.
Another main advantage of this company and, one of the best examples of the Canvas model, is the mass market it has since, nowadays, you don’t need to be a movie fanatic to pay a subscription, but simply look for a new means of entertainment to replace classic television programming.
Source: Hill Planet
6. Canvas model of street food stalls
Something very typical in Latin America are the famous food carts or carts that are located in different parts of the city. It is a very common business model, for that reason the competition is very high and it is complicated to make it profitable. Now, let’s see an example of a Canvas model of a Chilean empanada stand.
Regarding the Canvas value proposition, this venture focuses on delivering a delicious product in a fast time, always respecting the cleaning protocols and having the necessary permits. it seeks to build customer loyalty and attract potential buyers through word-of-mouth recommendations. In addition, it has the distinctive feature of having a website, a visual element that not many businesses of this style have.
According to the Canvas business model they propose, their costs are distributed in the carts and ingredients; however, as we have seen in previous Canvas model examples, these products are also their key partners, so it is possible to save a little. Finally, as for your profits, the amount of empanadas sold allows the business to continue to thrive.
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7. Zara’s Canvas Model
The Zara clothing chain is part of the Inditex Group, which has several brands within it. Let’s say that it is one of the main companies with an international presence.
As for the main feature of Zara, and that of most Inditex Group stores, is the sale of clothes at a very comfortable price, oriented to young middle class people who are always looking to be fashion able. in fact, this business model is known as Fast Fashion.
Likewise, the example of the Canvas model represented by Zara focuses on the fact that they seek to minimize production costs as much as possible. What they seek is to ensure a balance between customer satisfaction and the stock of clothing available. The latter in order to avoid overproduction.
Source: Giselle Della Mea
In its Canvas model, its main key partners are textile material distributors and manufacturing factories in Europe, Morocco and, recently, South America. As for their costs, they mainly invest in the manufacturing of their garments, workers’ salaries, renting of premises around the world and marketing.
Through its business model, Zara has achieved a certain loyalty with its target public, as it is a clothing company that is always ahead of new fashion trends around the world, in addition to offering very affordable prices. That is why, currently, besides being one of the inspiring examples of Canvas Model, it is one of the largest and most profitable clothing chains in the world.
want to know what other examples of the Canvas model there are? read on to discover the main ones!
8. Spotify Canvas Model
Continuing with the Canvas model examples, Spotify is a well-known streaming music platform. It is characterized by its wide musical reach, because through its app you can access thousands of songs from different artists. it also allows content creators to upload their own singles. But what is Spotify’s Canvas model like?
Spotify managed to expand and grow at a good pace thanks to social networks and websites. As for the main costs of the platform, as exposed in this example of the Canvas model, they are the acquisition of music licenses. lately, this point is becoming somewhat complicated for the company, because artists have started to demand more money or simply decide to release their albums on their own.
In short, Spotify is a business that at the time was profitable and above all novel; however, currently, they are in a restructuring process to avoid becoming stagnant. We explain it better with their Canvas model canvas.
Source: Paula Lizcano
9. Canvas model for automotive companies
This business model applies to any of the major modern car brands. The current value proposition of the established car brands in the market tends to offer good quality cars that contribute to environmental care and also have the latest technology available.
Market segments are really very volatile, since even the most expensive brands tend to bring out models that are more accessible to other market sectors. As expressed in this example of the Canvas model, what they are looking for is to offer the best car at the best possible price.
Likewise, this proposed Canvas model shows that the main key partners of this type of companies are auto parts distributors and after-sales maintenance services. Likewise, the main cost is the construction of each car and marketing.
This Canvas business model is usually very profitable, because the sale of the car recovers a large part of the investment in auto parts and labor. In addition, the sale of automobiles has a giant field of expansion, since every month there are new people with the desire to acquire theirs.
Source: Modelodenegociocanvas
10. WhatsApp Canvas Model
Continuing with the list of Canvas model examples, we cannot forget the WhatsApp social network. In this case, the platform gained great popularity at the time of its launch, as it allows you to send messages in real time in a simple way, in addition to being compatible with all operating systems.
Today, the application is still free as in its beginnings and gained a number of new features, as well as a web version and the possibility of downloading the application on the computer to access it without having to have the cell phone at hand to log in.
According to its business model, its main key partners are telephone companies and mobile device developers. Mainly because WhatsApp seeks agreements and promotions through them, so that its application reaches more people.
The Canvas model describes that the application’s target audience is constantly growing and is very varied. It is used by teenagers, young people, adults and the elderly. In Latin America, for example, it is usual that after acquiring a smartphone, we download WhatsApp to be able to communicate with others.
As explained in this Canvas model example, the main cost of WhatsApp is the utilities for the app to be maintained on the server of the different operating systems. In addition, it is spent on salaries and software maintenance.
Finally, although the application is free, the fact that it is such a massive application allows it to generate large amounts of money thanks to users’ mobile data. Learn more about WhatsApp’s Canvas model.
Source: Juan Cisneros
11. Skype Canvas Model
Skype is another example of the Canvas model we will focus on, since it provides users with several value propositions: Internet, free video calls and cheap calls to phones. Consequently, these propositions set out in this Canvas model example help Skype to attract two different types of customer segments: free users and users who want to contact each other by cell phone.
In Skype’s Canvas model, there is a majority of users who make free calls over the Internet, and only 10% of users choose prepaid service. We can explain this Canvas business model by analyzing key associations, key activities and key resource components.
In fact, key partnerships, key activities and key resources are the three elements that enable Skype to offer free and low-cost calls. Unlike other traditional telecom providers, Skype does not have to build and manage a huge and complicated infrastructure to operate effectively, Skype only relies on backend software and servers that host user accounts, which is called freemium business model.
Source: Business Model Generation
12. Google Canvas Model
When it comes to the business model canvas, you should not lose sight of Google’s outstanding Canvas model example. Indeed, Google’s business model is multifaceted, which means that its customer segments are not exclusive. Google has separate customer groups, but these groups are related to each other.
In Google’s Canvas model, the fact that it is a platform whose customers are search users and advertisers stands out. If there are no search users, there will be no advertisers and vice versa, search users will not be able to freely take advantage of this platform without advertisers.
So, what does Google’s business model look like? To expand on this Canvas model example, the next thing we will say is that Google displays ads in search results or on web pages, which costs advertisers an amount of money. With this investment, content creators are paid and search users can browse for free.
Google’s type of business model creates a network, which means that the ads it displays to web surfers are directly proportional to the advertisers and thus to the content owners.
In terms of key resources laid out in its Canvas model, Adsense (for content owners) and Adwords (for advertisers) build Google’s search platform. Therefore, managing the existing platform and its system should be Google’s key strategic activities.
Visualizing one of the best examples of the Canvas model in which Google belongs, it is clear that one of its key partners are the content owners, without whom there would be no search users and no advertisers. Other strategic allies of Google are OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), who allow this huge platform to operate their system at no additional charge.
Source: Twitter
13. Airbnb Canvas Model
Another Canvas model example of well-known companies is Airbnb. It is a widely profitable online marketplace that allows people to rent out their properties or spare rooms to hosts. Airbnb then takes a 3% commission from each booking from hosts and between 6% and 12% from guests. And now it’s time to discover the canvas of its business model.
As can be seen in Airbnb’s Canvas model, Airbnb has two customer segments: guests and hosts, but they can be divided into other small categories with particular characteristics. Airbnb’s value propositions also follow the same pattern: they provide their customers with more affordable options than traditional hotels and provide customers with luxury or sophisticated services.
About Airbnb’s revenue, as mentioned above, their main sources of revenue come from the fees they charge both guests and hosts.
Source: Pinterest
14. Amazon Canvas Model
Amazon’s business model canvas is one of the great examples of Canvas model to pay attention to in the e-commerce field. The most notable element of Amazon’s model is its key activities, which help this ecommerce giant stand out among many competitors.
As you know, time and money are important for all shoppers and for Amazon they are important too. Therefore, the key activities of Amazon’s Canvas model are fast fulfillment processes, on-time delivery and shipping systems that allow Amazon Prime to deliver products in 1 day or 2 days.
In addition, they are responsible for optimizing and improving the efficiency of fulfillment centers and other projects (e.g. Amazon Grab & Stores) to reduce costs.
About Amazon’s customers, there are two main groups that use Amazon’s products and services: business customers and retail customers, which means that they have to develop robust and complicated ways to serve their customers. Without a doubt, this example of a Canvas model is more than impactful in sectors or industries that are highly competitive.
how about moving on to other Canvas model examples? Like Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Nike, Rappi… Read on to discover them!
15. Coca Cola Canvas Model
As it is clear from what we have seen so far, writing a concise and high-level business plan is more than important for the innovative business idea to succeed. As mentioned in a publication in Forbes Argentina, for the plan to be useful in practice, it must be designed in a way that makes it easy for the start-up team to be on the same page.
Among other examples of the Canvas model, Coca Cola stands out. One of the most recognized soft drink brands in the world. In this sense, Coca Cola’s value proposition focuses on quenching thirst with a rather “familiar” taste, based on concepts such as freshness and family values.
In fact, Coca Cola’s communication tends to focus on sharing unforgettable moments. Of course, the target audience is the masses.
15. McDonald’s Canvas Model
Among the examples of the Canvas model, McDonald’s could not be missing. This is one of the most internationally recognized businesses, as fast food restaurants. Its star product is the hamburger and fries combos. Worldwide, McDonald’s has many stores in Europe, the United States of America and Latin America. To this day, it is one of the most popular businesses.
This example of the Canvas model is based on the idea of offering fast food (meat cooked on the grill) at a very affordable price and as fast as possible. In other words, McDonald’s main differential with respect to other types of restaurants is based on the speed of food delivery and at a much lower price.
In this way, McDonald’s value proposition is based on the fast delivery of food in its stores, at a very competitive price and with the possibility of having lunch or dinner in its own stores, receiving it by delivery or by window from the vehicle.
On the other hand, following this example of the Canvas model, McDonald’s targets children, teenagers and adults. Of course, the first two are the main target and the ones to whom most of the commercial actions are directed.
16. Nike Canvas Model
The next example of the Canvas model is linked to the world of sports. Nike is one of the most globally recognized brands when it comes to sports. Born in 1964, Nike offers sports apparel, although its main product is sneakers or sports.
Since it is a well-known brand with a long history in the market, it produces many mass-market products that it then distributes to wholesalers. However, the mass market segment is not the only one Nike targets, although it is the main one.
Nike also develops high quality products for athletes and professionals in the sports world, as well as for those who are not professionals but have exercise as a built-in activity in their routines. After all, Nike’s value proposition is focused on the development and design of high-quality products.
Nike’s reach is very comprehensive. They have physical stores, online stores, apps, social media accounts, among others. This allows them to reach the target audience efficiently and effectively.
17. Rappi’s Canvas Model
Like PedidosYa, Rappi is another example of a Canvas model that can be useful to learn how to work on a highly profitable business model, based on an innovative idea. It is an application or platform where users can search for restaurants or food, order the food they want at home and receive it in a matter of minutes.
Even so, Rappi’s value proposition does not only cover end customers or consumers who are those who order food at home and expect to receive it as soon as possible in the comfort of their homes. It also takes into account delivery drivers, who can generate extra income through Rappi and home delivery. And finally, the same restaurants that register on the platform to increase their sales volume.
Another of Rappi’s differentials, to highlight in this example of Canvas model, is that customers do not need to contact the restaurants to know the status of their order or to make a complaint. Instead, Rappi acts directly as an intermediary. This also means a lot of flexibility for customers as they seek to maintain as little contact as possible, all through mobile devices.
18. Tesla Canvas Model
how about Tesla’s Canvas model? Another example of an inspiring Canvas model. Tesla is a company known for its 100 percent electric vehicles. Its value proposition is based on producing vehicles that feature very sleek and sophisticated designs, as well as being energy efficient, for example.
While there are several customer segments targeted by Tesla, the one that stands out the most is the one that buys luxury (i.e., high-end) or mid-range products.
Source: Pinterest
Canvas model templates
We know that completing a Canvas model can be a bit tricky, especially if it’s your first time. Does your team have a business idea that hasn’t seen the light of day yet? Great, these Canvas template templates will help you solidify the business idea you have in mind.
1. Printable A3 Canvas Templates
Download for free these three Canvas model templates ready to print and start capturing all the analysis you have done about your business. If you haven’t made one yet, we recommend you to get inspired by some of the Canvas template examples above.
Also, ideally, you should print these templates so that you can use them in a meeting with your work team. Don’t forget that one of their greatest strengths is to encourage creativity. If none of the Canvas model examples fits your business, you can use these templates as a personal branding sheet.
download free A3 printable Canvas templates for free
2. Canvas template in Word
If you need to present this canvas in Word format, we have a free template that you can take advantage of. Also, in the description you can find some guiding questions that will help you to fill in the Canvas successfully, and, also, you can learn more relevant information about this business tool.
download the free Canvas template in Word format
3. Personal Branding Canvas Template
Now, if you need to create a Canvas model for your own business, this template is ideal for you. Remember that the examples of the Canvas model can not only serve as inspiration for your own business, but also to enhance your personal brand.
The Personal Branding Canvas is a format that will help you create, design, understand and improve your personal brand. It is an easy, practical and visual method to clearly discover why and who you are good at and, above all, to reveal the most effective way to reach your goals.
To complement the above, Fabian Moncada, teacher of the online course build your personal brand with the Canvas method, mentions the importance of this technique to strengthen your Personal Branding.
“If you become a successful personal brand, you will be able to live off your talent for the rest of your life doing what you love the most. With the Personal Branding Canvas you will be able to discover what you are most passionate about.”
Advantages of the Canvas model in personal branding
Some of the benefits of creating a Canvas model like the one in this example are :
It will distinguish you from the competition.
It will increase your job options.
You will be able to generate a better network of contacts.
It will improve your professional image.
You will have a greater offer of projects.
You will know yourself better.
download free Personal Branding Canvas template
Now that you know these examples of Canvas models, you can take some references and ideas to develop your own business Canvas model together with your team, to continue expanding and discovering new business opportunities. Although it is true that the examples of Canvas model seen in this blog post may seem very far from the reality of your company, all great brands went through several stages to become what they are today.
The most important thing is to know how to identify a good opportunity and make your business the most profitable in its field. Work hard and turn your startup into the next Latin American powerhouse with the help of the Canvas model .
many successes! We hope you have been inspired by these examples of Canvas model. See you in the next article.