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USA Business Model Canvas

Van Holland Group INC > Information > USA Exporting plan (Coaching) > USA Canvas – its 12 steps
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YOUR SUCCESS IN THE U.S.

Entering the American Market Strategically with the Export Canvas

As a company aiming to enter the American market and maximize opportunities, it's crucial first to determine if this market aligns with your business. Using the Export Canvas, which consists of 12 building blocks, we thoroughly explore this compatibility. The model analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, your product, and customer needs, forming a clear picture of your export ambitions!

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Are you looking to do business in the United States? Van Holland Group is here to support you.

If you have any questions after reading this page, need specific advice on your business structure, or simply want to discuss the best options for your American dream, feel free to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts using the button below!

Need advice? Let's connect!
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Successful Exporting with the USA Canvas

What is the USA Business Canvas?

The USA Business Canvas combines the 9 components of the Business Model Canvas with elements from the Lean Start-Up method. By also incorporating Six Sigma, you can create your unique export opportunities abroad. Exporting closely resembles starting a new business, and expanding your export is essentially an internal start-up. Changing course is like a restart. The Export Canvas consists of 12 different building blocks and covers every aspect of your business, both internally and externally.

Success in the American market begins with a strategic approach and a clear vision of your export ambitions.
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Create a Complete Picture of Your Export Ambitions

Are you planning to do business in America? Read below to see how best to prepare for this with the 12 steps of the USA Business Canvas.

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Step 1: Assessing Your Customers' Problems

Your customers likely face a variety of challenges. But how aware are they of these issues? Do they know how to address them? Are they even aware that these problems exist? The first step of the Export Business Model Canvas is all about understanding people. Instead of jumping straight to solutions, we help you reflect on your customers' awareness of their problems. Automotive pioneer Henry Ford once said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Similarly, Steve Jobs remarked, "People don't know what they want until you show it to them." In this step, we guide you to explore and identify the problems your customers are experiencing. Understanding these issues deeply is crucial for developing meaningful solutions that resonate with your market and ultimately drive your business success.
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Step 2: What Problem Will You Solve for Your Customers?

What exactly will your team do, and in which state, to ensure that the export business model will actually work in the future? This is all about the key business activities. Are your core activities suitable for export? Like key resources, they are necessary to monetize your value proposition, maintain customer relationships, and reach your markets.
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Step 3: Unique International Value Proposition

The value proposition is why customers choose your company. For complex products and services, demonstrating added value becomes increasingly important before a customer decides to purchase. A strong value proposition is not only essential but can also vary by country. What is your Export Blue Ocean? The Blue Ocean Strategy is about finding untapped market spaces where competition is irrelevant and creating unique value through innovation. By focusing on this strategy, you can differentiate your offerings and capture new demand, thus creating a compelling and irresistible choice for your customers in international markets.
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Step 4: Competitive Advantage - How is Your Business Better?

How do you create a competitive advantage? By offering lower prices for the same products (cost leadership), by providing a better or more appealing product (product differentiation), or by targeting a specific niche market. In today's digital landscape, finding an alternative is just a click away. Is it possible to replicate what you do abroad? Exploring how you can leverage your unique capabilities and strategies internationally may help sustain your competitive edge and differentiate your business in various markets.
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Step 5: Buyer Personas

Sales and marketing are crucial pillars of your export plan. Which different customer groups do you want to reach with your business in another country? What is your Export Buyer Persona? Determine how you want to interact with your customers and what they expect from you. This can vary by customer group, ranging from fully automated interactions to face-to-face contact. An Export Journey tailored specifically for your company. A strong export plan begins with clear decisions in sales and marketing: understand your customer groups, develop an Export Buyer Persona, and align your contact strategy with their expectations—from digital to personal contact.

"We've translated our European strategy into English; this should work in America too, right?"

From experience, we know that you often cannot apply 80% of your original strategy in the USA. What's crucial in this process, and what you should specifically focus on for the American market, are things we'd be happy to explain during a personalized strategy session with one of our experts.
Book your personal strategy session here
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Step 6: Export KPIs - What and How Do You Measure?

Your Key Resources are the essential tools and assets needed to make your business model work. But how will you measure their impact? Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are variables used to analyze the performance of a business, brand, or product. KPIs are generally used to objectively measure the success of an export plan.
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Step 7: Channels & Countries

Channels play a crucial role in how your customer experiences your company. You reach your customer groups through communication, distribution, and sales channels to deliver your value proposition. Do you opt for a country-by-country roll-out, or do you select groups based on language and culture? What network do you need for a warm introduction to local partners? The choice of channels determines how customers experience your brand: reach them through targeted communication, distribution, and sales, and build a network that aligns with language, culture, and local partners.
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Step 8: Cost Structures

With a well-thought-out export plan, a cost analysis is conducted. Do you have insight into what you need financially? When considering exporting your products or services, it's crucial to develop a well-planned export strategy. This plan should include a cost analysis that provides insight into what is financially required to start exporting. Do you have a clear picture of the costs associated with exporting to other countries? Do you know exactly which resources you will need to mobilize, which core activities you must undertake, and which partners you should collaborate with to achieve your export goals? Part of this plan involves determining the price you will charge for your products or services in each country you plan to export to. This price must be competitive, generate sufficient revenue to cover export costs, and, of course, also produce profit.
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A useful way to perform cost analysis is by using Lean Six Sigma methods.

This approach focuses on improving business processes and efficiency, helping you develop a detailed and realistic export plan. Cost-benefit analysis, a tool often used in Lean Six Sigma, can be very effective when setting up your export plan. It provides clearer insights into the potential costs and expected revenues of exporting, enabling better decision-making and preventing unnecessary waste of time and money on unprofitable export activities. In summary, a well-thought-out export plan, including thorough cost analysis, is essential for successful export activities. Ensure you have a clear understanding of your financial needs, key resources, core activities, and partners. Use tools like Lean Six Sigma to aid in setting up and executing your plan. Doing so increases the likelihood that your export activities will be successful and profitable.
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Step 9: Revenue Streams

Who will pay you, and what currencies will you be dealing with? Each customer segment can generate one or more revenue streams. It's essential to know who will pay for your products or services. The answers to these questions can influence your decisions and determine which strategies you should follow to be successful in international trade. Naturally, you must also consider the currencies you'll encounter. Different countries have various currencies, and their value can fluctuate significantly, directly impacting your revenues. It's wise to plan in advance how you'll manage currency risks. Each customer segment can generate one or more revenue streams, such as revenue from product or service sales, rental income, income from service contracts, or revenue from collaboration agreements with other companies. Your task is to determine which revenue streams are most likely and lucrative and to organize your business activities and strategies to maximize these revenues.
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A successful export strategy requires thorough and thoughtful planning

Another crucial aspect to consider when exporting is the factors related to creditworthiness, payment security, non-payment, or refusal of delivered goods. You may encounter clients who fail to pay their invoices or situations where exported goods are refused at customs. Each occurrence can result in financial loss. Therefore, it's important to take adequate measures in advance to mitigate these risks. This might mean establishing a strong credit control system and collaborating with reliable trade finance institutions. It could also mean investing in good insurance policies that cover these risks. In summary, a successful export strategy requires thorough and thoughtful planning. This includes a deep understanding of who your customers are and how they will pay you, which currencies you might use, and how you can manage associated risks, what types of revenue streams you can generate, and how you can protect yourself against payment and delivery risks. By thoroughly mapping out these aspects, you'll be ready to turn your export dreams into reality.

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3 Steps of the Lean Start-Up Method

The Export Canvas will also incorporate elements of the Lean Start-Up approach. With Lean Start-Up, the focus is on the innovation process: continuous learning and innovating based on facts.

  1. Build: Develop a minimum viable product (MVP) to quickly bring your idea to life. This allows you to test the core concept without investing excessive time and resources upfront.
  2. Measure: Collect real-world data and feedback from customers using the MVP. This step is about understanding how well the product meets the market’s needs and where improvements are needed.
  3. Learn: Analyze the feedback and data to make informed decisions on whether to pivot or persevere. Use these insights to refine your product, strategy, and business model, ensuring they align more closely with customer demands and market realities.

The Lean Start-Up methodology emphasizes agility, continuous improvement, and a customer-focused approach, which can significantly enhance your chances of success in new ventures.

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Step 10: Foreign Alternatives

Have you considered exponential growth by collaborating directly abroad? Or are there already other versions of your idea available? There are various reasons to work with others. Choose the right partners to achieve your goals more quickly. A market scout or partner search can assist you in this process. Lean Start-Up focuses on learning and innovating based on facts: build an organization around the innovation process, not just production, to create lasting value.
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Step 11: High Concept Pitch

Summarize your America vision in one sentence. Preferably in just three words. Will you succeed in crafting a seamless pitch for the different buyer personas you aim to serve? And what about the difference between internal and external pitching? Naturally, all in the various languages you wish to do business. So, "Keep it short!"
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Step 12: Early Adopters

Ultimately, it's great to make plans, but do you already have a few clients? Can you showcase a testimonial? Is there a case study to share? What will you include in your white paper? Is there a Launching Export Customer who can help you establish a foothold in that country? Because, eventually, you want to expand to the Early Majority! Plans are valuable, but nothing is more convincing than a customer testimonial, a case study, or a Launching USA Customer to help you gain a foothold—the key to growing towards the Early Majority.
Contact

Are you looking to do business in the United States? The Van Holland Group is here to support you.

If you have any questions after reading this page, need specific advice on your business structure, or simply want to discuss the best options for your American dream, feel free to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts using the button below!

Need advice? Let's connect!
Conclusion

The USA Business Canvas covers every aspect of your business, both internally and externally: organization, value propositions, customers, suppliers, costs, and revenue.

Using the canvas model, we examine the strengths and weaknesses within your organization, as well as the product itself and your customers' desires. Together, we also create a vision of the entrepreneur's export ambitions. Are you ready to dive in but unsure where to start? Feel free to reach out and book a Canvas session with one of our experts!

Need advice? Let's connect!

    • USA Business Model Canvas

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      Expanding into the world's largest market is a logical step. But where do you start?

      • Market Analysis
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