There’s nothing like sharing something you’ve been working on for a long time. That’s what’s up today.

Meet the Solo Business Canvas

For visual thinkers, it’s a framework that shows how to create a piece of intellectual property (IP) that gives physical shape to your ideas.

For solopreneurs, it’s a powerful roadmap for growing your solo business.

It’s the first resource from the Solo Business School.

Tracing the roots

The Solo Business Canvas is based on the Business Model Canvas (BMC), the most popular framework for startups and fast-growing companies. Thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide have used the BMC to assess their companies’ strengths and weaknesses.

Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur developed the BMC in the 2000s. In 2010, they published Business Model Generation, collaborating with a global team of 470 business model practitioners.

I appreciate its clarity and actionable steps for creative thinkers.

There was one problem.

Tailoring for one

The BMC is great, but I always wanted one for solopreneurs. So I spent nearly a year developing a framework specifically for one-person businesses.

Whether you’re new to solopreneurship or a seasoned pro, the Solo Business Canvas helps you see how all the parts of your business fit together.

• Get clear on what you offer
• Spot new ways to make money
• Identify your ideal customers
• Map the resources you need
• Know your exact next steps

Inside the Canvas

The Solo Business Canvas is set up in three main areas: the Theatre, the Balcony, and the Lobby. Let’s quickly look at each one.

Area 1: The Theatre, your business in action

The main area of the Canvas is symmetrical, with nine boxes. (That’s the blue and yellow areas above.)

The large center box (yellow) captures your company’s value proposition — the value your product, service, or experience brings to your customers.

It’s center stage, where you, as a solopreneur, stand out.

The three boxes on the right (pink) are what’s in front of the theatre curtain — the areas of your business that are customer-facing. Here, you’ll define your ideal clients and customers and the platforms and channels through which you will reach them. You will also explore the champions and communities that will help you reach your audience.

The three boxes on the left (aqua) feature activities behind the curtain. They relate to your business’ daily operations, including contractors, partners, and key activities. This area also includes your company’s core resources, such as equipment, space, technology, IP, and financial support.

The two boxes at the bottom of this area are your financial foundation. On the left (red) are business expenses and investments you make in the business (money going out). Your income and non-financial rewards are on the right (green).

Area 2: The Balcony, offering a bird’s-eye view

The upper area of the Solo Business Canvas (purple) provides an overview of your company. It’s where you capture your Outcome Vision for defining success and a Promo Line to introduce your business in 12 words or less.

Area 3: The Lobby, exiting to action

This bottom section of the Canvas (orange) guides you from the theatre back to the world where you execute your ideas. Here, you capture 2-3 Next Action Steps and their deadlines. To hold you accountable, the Solo Business Canvas asks you to write down 1-3 Accountability Partners to help you stay on track.

Claim your Canvas

The Solo Business Canvas is a free one-page fillable PDF. It also comes with a tutorial so you can start using it right away.

The Canvas is formatted to 11x17 (tabloid) size. It can be printed larger for a wall-sized format. Or, for letter-size paper, set print scaling to 65%.

Click the blue button below to claim your copy of the Solo Business Canvas.

I’ve put a lot of effort into creating the Solo Business Canvas, and I hope it helps you build the solo business you desire. Let me know if you have questions or how you’re using it to grow your solo company.

❤️ My favorite visual delights

Here are this week’s gems from around the Web for all types of visual thinkers:

​3 simple ways to make clear and concise points (and stop rambling!)
​Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation and heard your inner voice saying: Stop rambling! If so, check out the YouTube channel of my colleague and fellow framework enthusiast Vicky Zhao. Vicky focuses on frameworks for clear thinking and communication, based on her experience in law, consulting, and entrepreneurship. In less than 10 minutes, this video will help you avoid the rambling that sinks your credibility.

​Text for proofing fonts​
When you learn typing, you master one sentence — The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog —because it includes every letter. However, this sentence falls short when choosing a typeface for a project. Instead, American typeface designer Jonathan Hoefler offers alternative text that showcases type in a more natural linguistic setting. Instead of choosing type on a few letters or phrases, grab this text and see how your type will perform.

​10,000 movie posters ready to inspire you​
Design inspiration can come from many sources, and this collection of movie posters at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas spans the history of film from silent movies to the present. Browsing these pages of digital images lets you travel down memory lane as well as steal ideas in the most creative way.

Did you miss these?

Catch up on some recent popular issues of SOLO you may have missed.

✅ Could your brand’s visuals stand on the Olympic podium?​

✅ How to drought-proof your visual creativity​

✅ Draw, tell, and sell with this single-line framework​

✅ Credibility: Build it or borrow it?​​​​​​​​

Want to check out other past issues? Visit the SOLO Newsletter archive.

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Thanks again for being a SOLO reader and coming along on this journey of visual exploration.
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Know someone who wants to grow their solo business with a visual framework? Have them visit the Solo Business Canvas landing page at www.solobusinessschool.com/canvas.
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And if you received this issue from a friend, I invite you to subscribe.​

See you next week,