How it works

Describe the business: who it serves, what it offers, how it makes money, and anything you already know, like prices, customers or partners.
Choose the Business Model Canvas or a Lean Canvas and your stage, then click Fill in my canvas.
Read the (assumed) items and the riskiest assumptions. Run the suggested tests before you spend more money on the parts they affect.

Examples

Sample results for the inputs shown, so you can see the format and quality before you try it.

Example 1: input

Describe your business or idea: Mobile dog grooming van for busy families in the suburbs. Book online, we come to your driveway. $85 per groom. Two vans planned. I'm a certified groomer with 8 years at a salon.

Canvas type: Business Model Canvas

Stage: Idea (not launched)

Example 1: output

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS - Busy suburban families with dogs who can't easily get to a groomer (given) - Owners of large or anxious dogs who find salons stressful (assumed) VALUE PROPOSITIONS - A groom at your driveway, with no drop-off, pick-up or waiting (given) - Calmer for dogs: one-on-one, no kennel time (assumed) - Online booking that fits around work and school (given) CHANNELS - Online booking page (given) - Local Facebook groups and neighborhood apps (assumed) - The van itself, seen parked in driveways (assumed) CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS - Same groomer each visit (assumed) - Automatic rebooking every 6 to 8 weeks (assumed) REVENUE STREAMS - $85 per groom (given) - Possible add-ons such as nail trims or de-shedding (assumed) KEY RESOURCES - Two grooming vans (given) - A certified groomer with 8 years of salon experience (given) - Booking and payment software (assumed) KEY ACTIVITIES - Grooming appointments (given) - Route planning to fit several driveways a day (assumed) - Van cleaning and maintenance (assumed) KEY PARTNERSHIPS - Local vets and dog trainers for referrals (assumed) - Van outfitter and maintenance shop (assumed) COST STRUCTURE - Vans: purchase or lease, fit-out, fuel, insurance (assumed) - Groomer wages if you hire for the second van (assumed) - Supplies and software (assumed) RISKIEST ASSUMPTIONS 1. Families will pay $85 for driveway grooming — Test: a booking page with the price, promoted in two neighborhood groups; count deposits. 2. Route density allows enough grooms per day to cover van costs — Test: map your first 20 sign-ups and estimate daily grooms per van. 3. You can hire a second qualified groomer — Test: post the job now and see who applies.

Example 2: input

Describe your business or idea: SaaS that helps independent restaurants forecast weekly food orders to cut waste. $199/month. 12 paying restaurants in Austin after 6 months. Founders: a former chef and a data engineer. Sales are all through the chef's network so far.

Canvas type: Lean Canvas

Stage: Early (first customers)

Example 2: output

PROBLEM - Independent restaurants over-order and throw food away (given) - Ordering is done from memory or a spreadsheet each week (assumed) - Existing inventory tools are built for chains (assumed) CUSTOMER SEGMENTS - Independent restaurants (given) - Early adopters: chef-owners in Austin who know the founding chef (given) UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION - Know what to order this week so less food ends up in the bin. (given problem, assumed wording) SOLUTION - Weekly food order forecasts (given) - Waste tracking to show what the forecast saved (assumed) CHANNELS - The founding chef's network (given) - Referrals from current restaurants (assumed) - Restaurant associations and suppliers (assumed) REVENUE STREAMS - $199 per month subscription (given) COST STRUCTURE - Two founders' time (given) - Hosting and data costs (assumed) - Onboarding time per restaurant (assumed) KEY METRICS - Monthly retention of paying restaurants (assumed) - Food waste reduced per restaurant (assumed) - Share of new customers from outside the chef's network (assumed) UNFAIR ADVANTAGE - A former chef and a data engineer as founders: credibility with chefs plus the forecasting skills (given) RISKIEST ASSUMPTIONS 1. Restaurants outside the chef's network will buy — Test: pitch 20 restaurants with no connection and count trials. 2. Current customers stay month after month — Test: check how many of the 12 have paid every month, and interview any who paused. 3. The product saves enough food to justify $199 — Test: ask 5 customers to track waste for two weeks with and without the forecast.

Example 3: input

Describe your business or idea: Accounting firm, 15 staff, serving construction subcontractors in Ohio. Monthly bookkeeping retainers ($800 to $2,500) plus tax prep. 110 clients. Most come from referrals by two construction supply companies. Want to grow without hiring faster than revenue.

Canvas type: Business Model Canvas

Stage: Established business

Example 3: output

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS - Construction subcontractors in Ohio (given) - Growing subcontractors whose owners no longer have time for their own books (assumed) VALUE PROPOSITIONS - Bookkeeping and tax prep from a firm that knows construction (given) - Monthly numbers owners can use to price jobs (assumed) CHANNELS - Referrals from two construction supply companies (given) - Client-to-client referrals (assumed) CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS - Ongoing monthly retainers (given) - A named bookkeeper per client (assumed) REVENUE STREAMS - Monthly bookkeeping retainers of $800 to $2,500 (given) - Tax preparation (given) KEY RESOURCES - 15 staff with construction accounting knowledge (given) - Relationships with two supply companies (given) KEY ACTIVITIES - Monthly bookkeeping and close (given) - Tax preparation (given) - Keeping the referral partners engaged (assumed) KEY PARTNERSHIPS - Two construction supply companies that refer clients (given) COST STRUCTURE - Staff salaries, the largest cost (assumed) - Accounting software and office costs (assumed) RISKIEST ASSUMPTIONS 1. Revenue can grow faster than headcount — Test: measure clients per bookkeeper and hours per client for the last 6 months. 2. Two referral partners are enough — Test: count what share of the last 20 clients came from each, and what would happen if one stopped. 3. Clients will move to higher retainers for more service — Test: offer a job-costing add-on to 10 clients and count takers.

Tips for better results

Include your real prices, customers and partners. They're marked (given), and everything else is clearly marked (assumed).
Use the Lean Canvas for new ideas and the Business Model Canvas for running businesses. The Lean version focuses on problems and metrics; the original covers operations and partners.
Treat the canvas as a list of bets. The riskiest assumptions section is what to work on next.
Redo it after each round of customer conversations. The number of (assumed) items should fall over time.

FAQ

Is this Business Model Canvas generator free?

Yes. Enter your email once to use it (you'll also get Something Big, our free weekly AI newsletter, and you can unsubscribe anytime). There's no account and no credit card.

What are the 9 blocks of the Business Model Canvas?

Customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships and cost structure. The generator fills in all nine with 2 to 4 specific points each.

What's the difference between a Business Model Canvas and a Lean Canvas?

The Lean Canvas swaps partners, activities, resources and relationships for problem, solution, key metrics and unfair advantage. It suits new ideas that still need to prove demand; the original suits established businesses.

Will it make up numbers?

No. It uses only the prices and figures you give and marks every inference as (assumed). It never adds market sizes, competitors or revenue estimates.

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