What is a Business Model Canvas?

A Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a one-page strategic tool that maps how a business creates, delivers and captures value. The BMC model was developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur and is one of the most widely used business frameworks in the world. It is sometimes called the business canvas model, the BMC canvas or simply the canvas. The business model canvas covers 9 building blocks: Key Partners, Key Activities, Key Resources, Value Proposition, Customer Relationships, Channels, Customer Segments, Cost Structure and Revenue Streams. Most consultants and founders use it in workshops to align teams on strategy quickly.

A BMC model is a common shorthand for the Business Model Canvas. BMC stands for Business Model Canvas, a one-page strategic framework developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. The BMC model organises a business into 9 interconnected blocks and is widely taught in business schools, used by startup accelerators and applied in strategy workshops worldwide. mybmctool lets you build a BMC model online for free, with no download needed.

What are the 9 building blocks of the Business Model Canvas?

The 9 blocks of the Business Model Canvas are: (1) Key Partners, the external suppliers and collaborators your model depends on; (2) Key Activities, what your business must actually do to deliver value; (3) Key Resources, the assets you need to operate; (4) Value Proposition, the specific problem you solve for customers; (5) Customer Relationships, how you interact and stay in contact; (6) Channels, how you reach and deliver to customers; (7) Customer Segments, the groups of people you serve; (8) Cost Structure, your main costs to run the model; (9) Revenue Streams, how you earn money.

What is Key Partners in the Business Model Canvas?

The Key Partners definition in the Business Model Canvas is the block covering the external suppliers and collaborators your business model depends on. Key partners in the BMC are the people, organisations and companies you rely on to make your model work, but do not employ directly. The four main key partnership types are strategic alliances between non-competitors, coopetition (partnerships with direct competitors on shared goals), joint ventures and buyer-supplier relationships. When filling in Key Partners on your business model canvas, list only the partners your model genuinely cannot function without.

What are Key Activities in the Business Model Canvas?

Key Activities are the things a business must do to deliver its Value Proposition. In the business model canvas, Key Activities fall into production work (building and shipping a product), problem-solving work (consulting or custom services) and platform or network work (running a marketplace or software platform). What counts as a Key Activity depends entirely on your model. A SaaS company codes and maintains its product. A consultancy delivers workshops and client advice. Focus on the 2 to 4 things your business model genuinely cannot stop doing.

What are the 9 building blocks of the Business Model Canvas?

The 9 building blocks of the Business Model Canvas are: Key Partners (external suppliers and collaborators your model depends on), Key Activities (what your business must do to deliver value), Key Resources (the assets you need to operate), Value Proposition (the specific problem you solve), Customer Relationships (how you interact with customers), Channels (how you reach and deliver to customers), Customer Segments (the groups you serve), Cost Structure (your main operating costs) and Revenue Streams (how you earn money).

What does BMC stand for?

BMC stands for Business Model Canvas. The BMC model is a one-page strategic framework developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur that organises a business into 9 interconnected blocks. It is sometimes called the bmc canvas, the business canvas model or simply the canvas. mybmctool lets you build and share a BMC model online for free.

How do I fill in a Business Model Canvas?

Start with the Value Proposition block: write down the specific problem you solve and for whom. Then fill in Customer Segments (who you serve) and Channels (how you reach them). Work outward to Key Activities, Key Resources and Key Partners on the left side, and Customer Relationships and Revenue Streams on the right. Finish with Cost Structure at the bottom. With mybmctool you can fill in the canvas manually, paste a website link and let the AI map it across all 9 blocks, or upload a photo of a whiteboard canvas.

Is mybmctool available in English?

Yes. mybmctool is fully available in English. The tool also supports Dutch, German, French and Spanish. The interface, the AI features and all 9 Business Model Canvas blocks work in English from the start. No language settings needed. mybmctool is used by consultants and founders in the UK, US, Australia and across Europe.

Is mybmctool free to use?

Yes. mybmctool is free for up to 3 canvases. No credit card needed to start. Pro and Team plans give you AI features, unlimited canvases and tools like an investor readiness score and pitch deck generator.

Can I share my Business Model Canvas with clients?

Yes. Every canvas gets a shareable link. Add a password if needed. Clients open the link directly without creating an account.

What AI features does mybmctool have?

Pro and Team users can paste a website URL to fill the canvas automatically, upload photos of whiteboards or documents and use voice input. The AI sorts everything across the 9 blocks of the Business Model Canvas.

Key Partners: who do you need and why?

The Key Partners block describes the external organisations and individuals your business model depends on. Partners help you access resources you don't own, handle activities you are not best at and reduce risk.

Simple in theory. Harder to do well in practice.

Four Types of Key Partners

Strategic Alliances Between Non-Competitors

Two companies with complementary strengths work together. A software company and a hardware manufacturer bundling products. An accountancy firm and a legal firm sharing referrals.

Coopetition

Companies that usually compete cooperate in specific areas. Common in airlines (code-sharing) and pharma (joint research). It feels counterintuitive. It often makes commercial sense.

Joint Ventures

Two or more parties create a new shared entity to pursue an opportunity neither could address alone. Higher commitment, higher upside.

Buyer-Supplier Relationships

The most common type. You rely on suppliers for raw materials, components, software licences or services that feed directly into your value proposition.

Why Companies Enter Key Partnerships

Economy of scale. Outsourcing to a specialist is often cheaper and better than owning the capability yourself.
Risk reduction. Partnering distributes the downside. No single party absorbs everything.
Access to missing capabilities. You need a resource or skill that would take too long or cost too much to build in-house.
Access to a new customer base. A partner brings a relationship network that would take years to build from scratch.

What Does Not Belong in This Block

Not every supplier is a key partner. A key partner is someone without whom your business model breaks.

If you could switch to a different supplier tomorrow with no impact on your value proposition, that vendor is not a key partner.

Be selective. Four or five genuine key partners is more useful than a list of twenty. A long list usually means the client has not thought it through yet.

Questions to Explore with Clients

Who are the external parties you rely on most to deliver your value proposition?
What would happen if any of these partners stopped working with you tomorrow?
Are any of your key partners also potential competitors?
What do your partners get out of this relationship? Is it sustainable for them?
Which key activities or resources could a partner handle better than you?

Key Partners: who do you need and why?

Four Types of Key Partners

Strategic Alliances Between Non-Competitors

Coopetition

Joint Ventures

Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Why Companies Enter Key Partnerships

What Does Not Belong in This Block

Questions to Explore with Clients

More articles

What is the Business Model Canvas?

Revenue Streams: how does your business earn?

Key Activities: what does your business actually do?