Written by: Jean-Paul Urlings, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I founded BizzDom 8 years ago. BizzDom is a portmanteau of the words “Business” and “Wisdom” we help entrepreneurs organize their business more wisely. Initially, the Bizzdom model implied that we offered consultancy services. That was NOT how I wanted to present myself. Consultancy can give the impression of an open-ended agreement. Consultancy seems to say, “We’ll help you. We don’t know how much time it will take, but trust us.”
Instead, I wanted to provide a very transparent, specific approach, which would explicitly outline the time investment and the monetary costs an entrepreneur would need to invest.
In my quest to find the most efficient way to get to know the companies I was working with, I turned to economics since that was my field of study at Maastricht University. I sought out an economic model that could paint a clear picture of the company itself. I almost found what I was looking for in the Business Model Canvas by Alexander Osterwalder. Osterwalder’s model displays a great snapshot of the company at present. However, it doesn’t provide insight into the foreseeable future for the company. So, I started asking questions about future goals, like “Where do you want to be with your company in 5 years?” I use the answer to determine priorities, examine innovation requirements, predict potential future technology needs, or to inquire more deeply.
The simple assertation of a goal doesn’t mean it is achievable. I needed a way to validate the ambition of the entrepreneurs, particularly in light of their company’s current positioning in the market. My search led to Verne Harnish and his book Scaling Up in which he develops a model called the 7 Layers of Strategy that offers a great perspective of a company’s market position.
I integrated both the Business Model Canvas and the 7 Layers of Strategy in my work with clients, but these methods weren’t thorough enough. After some heavy thought and market research, I figured out that the missing element was a clear path to the future for my clients. I had a clear image of the company courtesy of the Business Model Canvas, I knew where they were heading (Goals/ Ambition) and I analyzed their market positioning using 7 Layers of Strategy. But still, were they going to achieve their goal? And if so, how would they achieve it?
I scoured the literature to answer these pressing questions. I found that the roadmap, which combined a milestone plan with a goal tree provided a perfect way to develop a high-level tactical plan about how to achieve the future goal. I added it to my toolbelt.
However, the development of the roadmap was too difficult for many entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs needed a concrete way to envision their company -- a specific way to see how the company will look when the goal has been achieved.
Once more, I went back to the economic literature. This time, I couldn’t find an economic model that fulfilled my needs. With the coaches in my program, I developed a new model: the Long-Term Organizational Model Canvas. My model uses elements of the Business Model Canvas and the 7 Layers of Strategy with the addition of new components, and is informed by economic theory, literature and real-world practice in an insightful format.
My method provides the most efficient way to get the most accurate view of a company. It consists of five steps that each fit on one sheet of paper:
Business Model Canvas - picture of the company itself
7 Layers of Strategy – the company’s market position
Ambition - foreseeable future of the company
Long Term Organizational Model Canvas - how the company will achieve their objective
Roadmap - high level, tactical plan that outlines specific steps to take
I have successfully deployed my 5-step Business Roadmaps approach at hundreds of companies. For more info about the method, go to www.businessroadmaps.biz or contact me to discuss it!
Jean-Paul Urlings, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jean-Paul and Yoshi are partners and business coaches of Business Roadmaps, a practical strategic framework method and coaching service that helps entrepreneurs to develop a strategy in 5 steps, on 5 sheets of paper.
Jean-Paul is passionate to support SME entrepreneurs to achieve continuity, success and entrepreneurial freedom that made him found this practical business implementation service. So far for more than 15 years Jean-Paul has effectively supported over 1,000 entrepreneurs and high potentials in their development to become leaders of their companies.
Yoshi has worked in the product and communication design field for over 15 years, crossing 3 continents. Yoshi is motivated to transplant his unique experience over guiding business implementation in terms of branding, product and communication.
