This book provides a crisp, structured framework for developing and evaluating business models. A business model is described as the approach that an organization uses to create, deliver, and capture value for its customers.

The book dives into this subject by covering the following materials:

1. The Business Model Canvas, a visual tool to represent a business model and communicate the various aspects which are essential for profitability. A full-size template of this canvas is attached below. The material covers:
   1. Defining your customer segments, which are the ways to slice and dice market needs and customer relationships by what they value, are willing to pay, are accessed, or offer.
   2. Establishing the value propositions for the business. This can include newness, flexibility, speed, performance, sustainability, scalability, design, brand, price, etc.
   3. Identifying the communications, distribution, and sales channels to raise awareness, evaluate opportunities, and provide support
   4. Establishing how customer relationships will be developed over time, through acquisition, sales, and retention
   5. Determining what revenue streams are available and how they will be pursued, from one-time payments to recurring payment streams
   6. Identifying the key resources required to develop and operate the business - physical, intellectual, financial, etc
   7. Outlining the key activities these resources will be used for - problem-solving, product line development, and production
   8. Reviewing the key partnerships that will be leveraged in performing these activities, including joint ventures, strategic alliances, competition, and buyer-supplier relationships
   9. Considering the cost structure that will be required to produce and extract value, including the fixed and variable costs, and exploiting economyies of scope and scale
2. Business Model Patterns, which are arrangements of these building blocks, are presented and reviewed. These patterns include approaches such as unbundling, multi-sided platforms, open business models, etc. Examples of each of these types are reviewed, starting from where the business was before their current model was put in place, the challenges of that environment, and the solution and rationale.
3. Techniques to design and analyze business models are presented.
4. The implications of business models on strategies are explored.
5. A generic Concept of Operations for business model development and execution is also presented.

An excellent (and representative) summary of the books style and content can be found here. A companion web site for the book is here, which includes training and tools to help implement the techniques..

ASIN: 

Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers

Author: Yves Pigneur, Alexander Osterwalder

Publisher: Wiley (2010)

Binding: Paperback, 288 pages