Business Model You: A One-Page Method For Reinventing Your Career

CHAPTER 3

The Personal Business Model Canvas

Now, let's focus on the most important business model of all: business model you.

The Canvas works for describing personal business models just as it does for describing organizational business models. Note a couple of differences between the two, though:

• In a personal business model, the Key Resource is you: your interests, skills and abilities, personality, and the assets you own or control. In organizations, Key Resources often include a broader range of resources, such as other people.
• A personal business model takes into account unquantifiable “soft” Costs (such as stress) and “soft” Benefits (such as satisfaction). The organizational business model generally considers only monetary Costs and Benefits.

When drawing a personal business model, you may find these alternative building block descriptions helpful:

To download a PDF of the personal Business Model Canvas, visit BusinessModelYou.com.

Your First Personal Business Model: Drafting time!

Grab paper, pencil, and sticky notes; this chapter is where your personal business model begins to take shape. A few things to keep in mind: While drafting your first personal business model, limit yourself to the professional work you do to earn a living.

Painting a clear, accurate picture of your professional activities lays the foundation for later addressing “soft” career elements such ...