GUIDE: START A BUSINESS > PART FIVE
Build a Lean Canvas
Learn how to craft a simplified business plan that helps you break down your business idea.
The trickiest parts of starting a business can be data and direction. How are you organizing your ideas? What problem are you trying to solve, and how will you solve it? Are you even asking the right questions? And how are you communicating all of this?
Lean canvas helps entrepreneurs break down their business ideas. It’s a simple document that’s designed to replace elaborate business plans.
What is lean canvas?
Lean canvas is a business plan on one piece of paper. The template is broken into nine boxes:
· Problem: Your customers’ top three problems, plus how these problems are solved today
· Solution: Your new way of addressing the problem
· Key metrics: Numbers that tell you how your business is doing
· Unique value proposition: The compelling message that will get people interested
· Unfair advantage: Something that can’t be easily copied or bought
· Channels: How you reach customers
· Customer segments: Target customers and users
· Cost structure: Your fixed and variable costs
· Revenue streams: Sources of income
These sections seem pretty simple, but they each do a lot of heavy lifting. Each box forces entrepreneurs to distill the who, what, where, when, why and how of their businesses. Look at it this way: It’s not that hard to explain something in 1,000 words. But it takes an expert with clear vision to explain it in only 10.
Who can use lean canvas?
Lean canvas is for any entrepreneur at any point of business development. But the sooner you create a lean canvas, the better. It can help clarify the problem you’re trying to solve and give you new insight on how to work toward a resolution. Plus, referring to a one-page business snapshot is easier than rifling through a multi-page business plan.
What do I need to create my lean canvas?
Many books and online resources can guide entrepreneurs on how to create a lean canvas. While it’s possible to complete the plan in just an afternoon, getting outside input gives the plan breadth and depth – and improves the chances of business success.
Some courses ask entrepreneurs to record their assumptions about their businesses and then turn those assumptions into questions. Then, the entrepreneurs ask potential customers the questions. These interactions can provide surprising feedback and help shape a business’s future.
Working through lean canvas creation with another entrepreneur can be valuable as well. An accountability partner can help you make the most of the process and challenge concepts you might take for granted.
Be prepared: Not every lean canvas leads to business success. Instead, some lean canvases point entrepreneurs in other directions.
If a business plan has too many holes in it or doesn’t seem to be a good fit for the market, you may be better off redirecting your efforts. But lean canvas can help you figure that out sooner rather than later.
What are the next steps once I’ve created my lean canvas?
Once you’ve talked to people, processed their feedback and completed your lean canvas, you’re all set, right?
Not quite.
The lean canvas is a living document that can change as your business does. Think of it as an interactive tool, not a static, complete picture. Many entrepreneurs use Post-Its or pencil to keep changing their lean canvases. Others just keep making copies. No matter how it works best for you, your lean canvas should reflect how your ideas about your business – and how you meet the needs of your customers – shift.
Even as a lean canvas evolves, it remains a one-page road map that’s powerful in its simplicity. It focuses on the customer’s problem, the entrepreneur’s solution, financing the business and meeting those needs.
Where can I get help with my lean canvas?
Many of MOSourceLink’s Resource Partners use lean canvas. Reach out to one of our Network Navigators to find the best resources to help you. We’ll create your free Personal Action Plan and help you connect with the services that are right for you.
You can also turn to theleanstartup.com to further explain the principles of the lean canvas. And leanstack.com provides useful background on lean canvas and how Ash Maurya adapted the lean canvas from the business model canvas.
Organizations that can help
Many business-building organizations in Missouri can help you craft your own plan. Start with this list or pop over to The Resource Navigator to filter this list by your location, industry and more.
And of course, you can always call us at 866-870-6500 or tell us a bit about what you need, and we’ll craft your very own (totally doable) Personal Action Plan plan that’ll show you exactly whom in Missouri you can contact to move your business or nonprofit forward. All of our services are free.
1 Million Cups
24:1 Small Business Network by Beyond Housing
AAIM Employers' Association
Academy of Science - St. Louis
Accelefund
Adrian City Clerk Office
Advanced Training & Technology Center
Advantage Capital Partners
AgrAbility
Agricultural Business and Policy Extension (MU Extension)
Alba City Clerk Office
All Things Missouri
Allen Angel Capital Education Program - University of Missouri-Columbia - College of Business
Alliance Credit Union
Alma City Clerk Office
AltCap
Anderson City Clerk Office
Andrew County Collector
Annapolis City Clerk Office
Annie's Project
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - Columbia
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - Kansas City
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - Missouri State University (MSU)
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - MU Extension Howell County
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - MU Extension St. Louis County
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - St. Louis
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - University of Missouri (MU) Extension
Appleton City Clerk Office
The Appleton City Clerk also works with licensing and permits in Appleton City, MO.
Arcadia City Clerk Office
Arch Grants
Arch Reactor
Arnold City Clerk's Office
Arsenal Capital Management
Artist INC/MAAA
ArtsKC - Regional Arts Council
Ascension Ventures
Ashland City Clerk Office
Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City
Asian American Chamber of Commerce-St. Louis
Assemblies of God Credit Union
Atchison County Development Corporation
Aurora City Clerk Office
Auxvasse City Hall
Ava Department of Development
B12 Capital Partners
Ballwin City Clerk Office
Bates City Clerk Office
Battlefield City Clerk Office
BD Owens Library
Belle City Clerk Office
Bellflower City Clerk Office
Belton City Clerk Office
Belton, MO Chamber of Commerce
Benton City Clerk Office
Benton County Economic Development
Bernie City Clerk Office
Bertrand City Clerk Office
Bethany Area Chamber of Commerce
Bethany City Clerk Office
Better Business Bureau of Greater Kansas City
BioGenerator
BioNexus KC
BioSTL
Birch Tree City Clerk Office
Bismarck City Clerk Office
Black Economic Union of Greater Kansas City
Black Jack City Clerk Office
Blackburn City Clerk Office
Bland City Clerk Office
Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining all court records and payments.
Bloomfield City Clerks Office
Bloomsdale City Clerks Office
Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce
Bodley Group
Bonne Terre City Clerk Office
Boone Electric Cooperative
Boonslick Community Development Corporation
Boonslick Regional Planning Commission
Bootheel Regional Planning & Economic Development Commission
Bourbon City Clerks Office
BRAND of St. Louis
Branson West City Clerks Office
Brashear City Clerks Office
Braymer City Clerks Office
Breckenridge City Clerks Office
Brentwood City Clerks Office
Bridge Space
Bridgeton City Clerks Office
Brookfield Chamber of Commerce
Brookfield Industrial Development Authority
Brookfield Public Library
Brookside Business Association
Browning City Clerks Office
Brownpreneurs
Bucklin City Clerks Office
Buffalo City Clerks Office
Bunker Labs St. Louis
Burlington Junction City Clerks Office
Butler City Clerks Office
Byrnes Mill City Clerks Office
C3 Capital
Cabool City Clerks Office
Cainsville City Clerks Office
Caldwell County
Calhoun City Clerks Office
Callaway Chamber of Commerce
Cameron Area Chamber of Commerce
Cameron City Clerk's Office
Cameron Development Department
Campus Coworking Space
Canton City Clerk Office
Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce
Cape Girardeau Area Magnet
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Development Services
Capital for Business, Inc.
Capital Innovators
Carthage Chamber of Commerce
Carthage Economic Development Corporation
Catalyst Center for Business
Cedar County Economic Development
Centennial Investors Angel Investor Network
Center for Emerging Technologies (CET)
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation-College of Business-University of Missouri-Columbia
Center for Experiential Learning
Center for Workforce Development - Missouri Western State University
Central Bank of Kansas City
Centralia Chamber of Commerce
Century Bank of the Ozarks
Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, Saint Louis University
Charleston Chamber of Commerce and Tourism
Charlotte Street Foundation
Chesterfield Department of Planning
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce
Christian County Library Nixa Branch
Christian County Library Ozark Branch
CIC St. Louis
City of Albany
City of Atlanta
City of Aurora
City of Barnett
City of Bella Villa
City of Berkeley
City of Bethany
City of Blue Springs, Missouri - Economic Growth and Development Division
City of Bolivar
City of Branson, MO Open for Business
City of Brookfield
City of Buckner, Missouri - Administrator/Clerk
City of Centerview
City of Columbia, MO - Business License Division
City of Columbia-Community Development
City of Creve Coeur Green Business Program
City of Excelsior Springs, MO - Community Development Department
City of Ferguson
City of Gladstone, Missouri - Economic Development Department
City of Independence, MO - Community Development Department
• Building inspections
• Historic preservation
• Neighborhood services
• Development services
• Regulated industries
Most importantly, the city works with citizen groups, the city council, the planning commission, the zoning board of adjustment and city administration to ensure quality development throughout the city of Independence.
City of Kirksville
City of Mexico, Missouri
City of Peculiar, Missouri - Economic Development Department
City of Raytown, Office of Economic Development
City of Richmond, MO - Economic Development Department
City of Springfield - Division of Licensing
City of Springfield Economic Development
City of St. Charles Economic Development
City of Sunset Hills
City of Trenton Missouri-Trenton Municipal Utilities
Clarkton City Clerk Office
Clay County Economic Development Council
Claycomo Village City Clerk Office
Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions, St. Louis
Clinton City Clerk Office
Codefi
Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Community Capital Fund
Community Innovation and Action Center
Community Services League
COMO Cooks
Corder City Clerk Office
Country Club Village City Clerk Office
Crowder College Training & Development Solutions (TDS)
Cuba Area Chamber of Commerce
Almost 200 member companies and organizations work together to promote a positive environment to nurture businesses, improve the community, boost tourism, and support families.
Cultivation Capital
Cup of Joe
Daniel Boone Regional Library
Daviess County Missouri
Deepwater City Clerk Office
Determination, Incorporated
Digital Sandbox KC
Dixon City Clerk Office
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Doolittle City Clerk Office
Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Douglas County Public Library
Downtown Community Improvement District
The District is bounded by three colleges and encompasses 50 square blocks, more than 300 individual properties, over 5000 residences, and over 600 businesses, non-profits and government entities.
Downtown Council of Kansas City
Downtown Joplin Alliance
Downtown Marceline
Downtown Marceline is non-government and a 501c3 non profit organization made up of concerned citizens volunteering their time to the revitalization of historic downtown Marceline.
Downtown STL, Inc.
Dundee Venture Capital
Duquesne City Clerk Office
Duree Center for Entrepreneurship
Eagle Private Capital
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) - Jefferson County
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) - Kansas City, MO
In addition, the EDC administers the city's TIF program, LCRA and Enhanced Enterprise/Zone Works program.
EDC Loan Corporation of Kansas City
Edgar Springs City Clerk Office
EdHub Fellowship by EdHub STL
efactory
Eldon Area Chamber of Commerce
Ellsinore City Clerk Office
Empire Market
Enactus
EnCorps Partners
Ennovation Center
The facility offers several distinct business specialties, including a shared commercial kitchen space, bio-safety Level 1 labs, and a business and tech area offering dedicated workspaces, temporary workspaces, offices, conference rooms, office suites and production labs.
Enterprise University
Entrepreneur Quest - Missouri University of Science & Technology
Entrepreneur Quest - University of Missouri-Columbia
Entrepreneur Quest - University of Missouri-Kansas City
Entrepreneur Quest - University of Missouri-St. Louis
Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic at UMKC
Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property Clinic - Washington University in St. Louis
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV)
Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic (ELC) - University of Missouri
Entrepreneurship.org
equity²
Evergy Ventures
Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
FabLab MCC-Business & Technology
Fair Grove City Clerk
Fairfax City Hall
Farm Service Agency
Farmington Economic Development
Fayette City Clerk
FCS Financial
Firebrand Ventures
Five Elms Capital
Flyover Capital
Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development
Freelance Exchange of Kansas City
Frontier Financial Partners
Fruit Experiment Station - Missouri State University
Galt City Clerk Office
Generating Income For Tomorrow (Kansas City G.I.F.T.)
Gideon City Clerk Office
Gladstone Area Chamber of Commerce
GO CAPS
GotDevKC
Grain Valley Partnership
Grandview Chamber & Economic Development Council
Grant City, City Clerk Office
Great Plains Technology & Manufacturing Cluster
Greater Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce-Economic Development
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Greater Kansas City LISC
Greater North County Chamber of Commerce
Greater Ozarks Center for Advanced Technologies (GOCAT)
Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater St. Louis Inc. Diverse Business Accelerator
Green Hills Regional Planning Commission
Grind + Growth
Growing Growers Kansas City
Grundy County Missouri
GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
GUILDit
Habitat for Neighborhood Business
HNB strives to restore urban neighborhoods with new and additional business activity, job growth, and business role models.
Hallsville City Clerk Office
Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce
Hammerspace Community Workshop & Makerspace
Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council
Hardin City Clerk Office
Harrisonville Area Chamber of Commerce
Harrisonville City Collector
Harrisonville Economic Development
Hartville City Clerk Office
Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce
Heartland Regional Library System
Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce
Helix Center Biotech Incubator
Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP)
Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis
Hispanic Economic Development Corporation
Holcomb City Clerk Office
Holleway Capital Partners, LLC
Hollister City Clerk Office
Holt County
Holts Summit City Clerks Office
Holy Rosary Credit Union
Houston, MO - Department of Economic Development
Huntsville City Clerk Office
Ignite Entrepreneurial Program
Independence Chamber of Commerce
Independence Economic Development Council
Information Experience Lab - a Usability and User Experience Lab
InnovateHER KC
Innovation Stockyard
Innovation Studio - Powered by UMKC
InSITE Washington University
Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association
International Institute of St. Louis - Small Business
International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City, Inc. (ITC)
Inventor Forge Makerspace
Inventors Center of Kansas City
InvestMidwest
The conference provides an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs to raise capital and all attendees to make new connections.
IRS
iSelect Fund
ITEN
Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce
Jennings Department of Finance
Job One
Johnson County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC)
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
Joplin Capital Corporation
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce staff supports and promotes JCC.
Joplin City Clerk Office
Jordan Valley Innovation Center
Joseph Newman Innovation Center
Justine PETERSEN
Our mission is demonstrated by our services, which include credit building and financial education, homeownership preparation and retention, and micro-enterprise lending and training.
Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC)
Kansas City Public Library - Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts
Kauffman FastTrac
Kauffman Founders School
Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission
KC BizCare
KC Collective
KC IABC (Kansas City Chapter, International Association of Business Communicators)
KC SmartPort
KC Tech Council
KC Velocity
KCRise Fund
Kearney Area Development Council
Kearney Chamber of Commerce
Kearney City Administrator Office
Kingdom Capital
Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc
Kirkwood Public Library
Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments
Laredo City Clerk Office
Lathrop Area Chamber of Commerce
2) Extend and promote the present trade and commerce to foster, develop and support the industry of the region.
LaunchCode
LaunchKC
Laurie City Clerk Office
Leadership Northwest Missouri
A leadership program for community leaders interested in the regional growth of Northwest Missouri through high-quality training and networking opportunities. Participants are selected from the nineteen counties of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Sullivan and Worth. Classes start in January of each year and meet monthly through June in different locations throughout the region.