The Social Business Canvas is a more useful tool for social business models design than other traditional economy business canvas. It joined, in its conception, traditional business model canvas with the logic framework canvas and concepts, designed in the 60ies to help defining cooperation projects for under developed countries. So it strongly includes blocks for the organizational values, the beneficiaries' needs and the results verification, plus the context in which the model is immerged.

1. The Social Business Models Canvas – 1st level
1. Introduction
The first level of the framework is intended to be used in a
brainstorming session with the team carrying the social
business model.
It is designed to be printed or drawn on large sheets of
paper, or projected onto a whiteboard, and gradually filled
by ideas or drawings, written on small adhesive paper or
post-its.
The first level of the framework is composed of nine
blocks, leading to answer some fairly basic questions.
The limitation to nine blocks fosters creativity and the
diversity of thoughts, a more systemic approach and a
more interactive work, less detail oriented.
According to the motivations of participants and the organization, the values affirmation and the eight questions
can be addressed starting with any block and follow a
sequential or completely random walk; however, the "Values", "Why" and "Who" blocks are the most representative of the social business behavior of the canvas.
This work should be done preferably in groups of 4 to 8 people, in order to enrich the thinking and collective creativity.
2. Some tricks
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Write only keywords on post-its, preferably with large markers;
Respect the time allowed to each person putting a post-it on the canvas;
Follow the basic rules of brainstorming: no censorship and so on...
Bounce again on presented the ideas and concepts!
3. Questions
In the table below, you can find the values affirmation and the eight base questions with their explanation
and their sub-questions.
The values
The values of the people carrying the business model are at the center of the canvas and
are more a statement than a question, because they probably already exist and are
shared, thus influencing the business model. They are the foundations of the business
model because when integrated with the culture of the organization, they will manifest
themselves in behaviors, further transcribed into action principles, and finally will be reflected into the actions and so will be impact generators.
Why ?
This basic question basically refers to the societal impact that the model business may
cause. You can decline it into:
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What are the major problems the social business model will face?
What are the causes of these problems?
What are the real and relevant needs related to these problems?
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2. 
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What are the objectives that the business model wants to achieve?
Are there unexplored opportunities?
Who ?
This basic question refers to all audiences for which the business model will meet and try
to solve the needs. You can decline it into:
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What will be the direct beneficiaries of the business model?
Will they be simple users?
Who will pay for the proposed benefits, users or other persons or organizations?
Are there indirect beneficiaries, who will gain some advantage from the benefits,
even if they are not for them?
Are there indirect impacts in some segments of society?
Where ?
This basic question refers to the context in which the business model will be developed.
You can decline it into:
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In which geographical areas the business model will be active?
The activities will be subject to temporal, seasonal constraints?
Can the political or legal context strongly influence the business model?
The social context plays an influence on the business model?
Can the model benefit from the technological context?
Environmental constraints exist?
What ?
This fundamental question refers to what the business model will provide to its customers
segments. You can decline it into:
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The business model will provide products, which ones?
What will be the services developed by the business model?
Your business model will work by projects or streamed?
Will there be intangible products, such as "information packets"?
Services will be produced directly at the user’s places?
Can they be divided in primary and secondary?
By what ?
This question refers to the bridge between the future products and services, generated by
the business model, and its different target audiences. You can decline it into:
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How will users know about your business model services and products?
What relationship do you have with your users, direct and customized or selfservice?
How will your benefits arrive in the hands of your users?
Are there some ways for your users to return you products?
With what ?
Behind this question lies the whole production of the business model, including:
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With what human resources (internal teams, external persons, service providers,
volunteers...)?
What are the specific skills needed for the core business?
Which raw materials, consumables will you need?
What will be the process of production, the support activities, the administrative
tasks?
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Will you need production and maintenance equipment's, software support?
What will be your installations, furniture, infrastructure, logistics equipment, vehicles?
How many financial resources do you need for investment and funding working
capital?
From where do these financial resources come (revenue, grants, investors, sponsors, other donors...)?
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With whom ?
This question reflects the saying "Alone we run faster, together we go far ahead." You
can decline it into:
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What will be the decision making process?
What governance model will be internal?
Is it possible to have partners in the business model? Or allies?
How do we integrate volunteers?
Organizations or individuals can play the role of prescribers (relays)?
Verifiable ?
This last question closes the loop, looking back at the "Why", assuming the premise of
which is not measurable is pure subjectivity. You can decline it into:
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How will we know if the social business model has been successful?
How to measure immediate results?
How to check the impact caused by the social business model?
What will be the measurement tools?
What will be the sources of information?
When measuring?
It takes at least an hour to the exercise of creating a business model through the canvas. This can allow
the group to make two or three versions of the canvas, in the space of half a day, before working in more
detail.
It is recommended, if the exercise is done on a poster or with a beamer projection on a white wall, to
take several photographs during its creation.
A good practice is that everybody prepares several post-its, and when he affixes them onto the poster or
the board, to talk time for short explanations, which allow other participants to "bounce" over the ideas
and concepts presented.
www.socialbusinessmodels.ch
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