You often write an entrepreneurial plan for someone else to, for example, receive financing. The Business Model Canvas is for you and is an organised way to map your clients. Each enterprise is about conquering a client. How do you ensure that the client chooses you? The Business Model canvas focusses on that.

How does The Business Model Canvas work?

The business Model Canvas is created by Osterwalder and Pigneur and is an organised model that maps all business aspects on the basis of nine building blocks. This model shows where the most important links are and what aspects need to be addressed.

In the model it’s all about the distinctive value of an enterprise for the client. There are nine building blocks in relation to creating value, approaching clients and expenses and revenues.

1.Determining the correct target group and the needs (market segmentation)

2.Determining the value proposition: in other words the distinctive power of the products, and services in relation to the competition.

3.Looking at the nature and interest of the contact and the relation with the client.

4.Describing the marketing- and distribution strategy, including both the on –and offline channels.

5.Determining the revenue model, which means mapping where income is generated, not just now but also in the future.

6.Taking stock of all the company assets that are required to create the value proposition. For example equipment, patents, brands and people.

7.Determining the most important core activities of the enterprise to realise added value

8.Describing the partnerships that are important to be successful and to grow, with which the possible missing expertise also becomes visible.

9.Analysation of the expense structure of the enterprise, with attention for the fixed and variable expenses and where scale economies and savings can be realised.

The nine building blocks in a sketch.

Abbreviations

The Dutch language knows different abbreviations for legal and corporate terms than the English language . To avoid confusion we made a list of the abbreviations most used on our website including the English translation and the Dutch term written out in full. Certain terms may entail something (slightly) different legally, in Dutch than it does in English, however. For frequently used Dutch terms and words see this article

*ANBI (Algemeen nut beogende instellingen)

general benefit providing organisation

*AOV (Arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering)

Legal Disability Insurance

*AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet

General Old-Age Pensions Act

*BGL (Beschikking geen Loonheffingen)

Disposal no Payroll Taxes     

*BTW (Belasting Toegevoegde Waarde)

VAT

*BV (Besloten Vennootschap)

Private Limited Liability company (LLC)

*CAO (Collectieve Arbeidsovereenkomst)

Collective Labour Agreement

CPB (Centraal Planbureau)

Central Bureau of Planning

DGA (Directeur-Groot aandeelhouder)

Director and majority shareholder

*IB (inkomensbelasting)

Income tax

*KvK (Kamer van Koophandel)

Chamber of Commerce

*MKB (Midden- en Kleinbedrijf)

Small and medium sized enterprises (SME)

*NV

Public Limited Liability Company

*STAK (Stichting Administratiekantoor in Aandelen)

Foundation Administration Office in Shares

*VAR (Verklaring Arbeidsrelatie)

Declaration of Independent Contractor Status

*VPB (Vennootschapsbelasting)

Corporate income tax

*WUO (Winst uit Onderneming)

Profit from enterprise

*VVE (Vereniging van Eigenaren)

Association of owners

*WAO (Wet op de Arbeidsongeschikheidsverzekering)

Law on Invalidity Insurance for Employees

*WGA (Werkhervatting Gedeeltelijk Arbeidsgeschikten)

Return to Work Scheme for the Partially Disabled

*ZZP’er (Zelfstandig zonder personeel)

Self-employed professional

Frequently used Dutch words and terms

The Dutch language can be confusing at the best of times. To make your life easier as an entrepreneur or self-employed professional in the Netherlands we created a list of frequently used words and terms in the Dutch tax law that can be useful for you. For frequently used Dutch abbreviations see this article

*Additional tax: Naheffing
*Agreement: Overeenkomst
*Art: Kunst
*Appeal: Beroep
*Benefit agreement: Uitkeringsovereenkomst
*Business: Bedrijf
*Capital: Vermogen
*Capital tax: Vermogensbelasting
*Carrying amount: Boekwaarde
*Catering industry: Horeca
*Clause: Lid (Wet)
*Client: Opdrachtgever
*Clients: Clienten
*Collaboration: Samenwerking
*Company car: Lease auto
*Corporate income tax: Vennootschapsbelasting
*Costs/expenses: Kosten
*Customer: Klanten
*Decision/Ruling: Beschikking
*Deductible expenses: Aftrekbare kosten
*Donations: Schenkingen
*Economy: Economie
*Employee: Werknemer
*Employer: Werkgever
*Employment: Dienstbetrekking
*Enterprise: Onderneming
*Entrepreneur: Ondernemer
*Fictitious employment: Fictieve dienstbetrekking
*Fiscal benefit: Fiscal voordeel
*Government: Overheid
*Gezondheidszorg: Healthcare
*Human resource policy: Personeelsbeleid
*Arbeidsongeschiktheid: Incapacity to work
*Income: Inkomen
*Income tax: Inkomstenbelasting
*Income tax or corporate tax: Winstbelasting
*Independent: Zelfstandig
*Inheritance: Erfenis
*Insurance: Verzekering
*Interest: Rente
*Labour market: Arbeidsmarkt
*Law: Wet
*Limited Liability Company: Naamloos Vennootschap
*(A) Loan: Lening
*Majority shareholder: Grootaandeelhouder
*Market: Markt
*Market orientated: Marktgericht
*Measures: Maatregelen
*Mortgage: Hypotheek
*Narrowing of the base income: Grondslagversmaller
*Objection: Bezwaar
*Occupationally disabled people: Arbeidsgehandicapten
*Operating assets: Bedrijfsmiddelen
*Pension: Pensioen
*Pension Act: Pensioenwet
*Pension insurer: Pensioenverzekeraar
*Preferential tax treatment: Fiscale bevoordeling
*Private households: Particulieren
*Private Limited Liability Company (LLC): Besloten Firma (BV)
*Politics: Politiek
*Premium: Premie
*Profit: Winst
*Resultaatgenieter: Recipient of income from other activities
*Relationship of authority: Gezagsverhouding
*Rendered service: Dienstverlening
*Report: Aangifte
*Research: Onderzoek
*Regulations: Regelingen
*Right to vote: Stemrecht
*Shares: Aandelen
*Salary: Salaris
*Salary slip: Salarisstrook
*Small scale investment tax deduction: Kleinschaligheidsinvesteringsaftrek
*Sole proprietorship: Eenmanszaak
*Staff: Personeel
*Subsidy: Subsidie
*Tax: Belasting
*Tax assessment: Belastingaanslag
*Tax Authorities: Belastingdienst
*Tax incentives: Belastingprikkels
*Tax rate: Belastingtarief
*Tax relief on mortgage interest: Hypotheekrenteaftrek
*Turnover: Omzet
*Turnover tax: Omzetbelasting
*Wage: Loon
*Withholding tax: Loonheffing

As a self-employed professional you are continuously working on maintaining sufficient projects and work. After all, without clients, you as a self-employed professional are nowhere. Clients are essential for the existence of your enterprise and, as explained in this article, in some cases also important to the fiscal qualification as a self-employed professional. In the following five steps we explain how you can expand your circle of clients:

1 Determine your target group

Before you approach potential clients , it is useful to narrow down what target group you want to reach. It is important to make clear in what sector you are active and what services or goods you offer exactly.

Try to formulate answers to the following questions:

Who is my client?
What values are important to my client? What does my client stand for?
How does my product and/or service connect to this?
What is the pattern of expenditure of my client?
Who are my competitors?
How to distinct myself?

Also consider whether you want to sell more work to your existing clients, want to offer the same work to several clients within your target group or want to approach new target groups.

2 Be a networker

When you have determined the right target group for yourself it is important to make sure that you are known to potential clients. Networking is possible in several ways:

Through means of warm acquisition potential customers within your present existing network are informed of your enterprise. Approaching former employers or friends and family can generate significant awareness. Through cold acquisition unknown clients are approached. This can, among other means, be accomplished by phone, the internet or network seminars. The advantage of cold acquisition is that when it gets you a new client, this can lead to a whole new network.

3 Use Social Media

Do not forget to use Social Media. Tweet about developments in your professional field, use Facebook to communicate about what projects you are currently working on, get involved in discussion groups on LinkedIn and post the progress of your work on Instagram or your mood board on Pinterest, and so on. Post with some frequency, recent studies have shown that people on the internet search Social Media channels more often and use on search engines less. And the more frequent you post, the more reliable you appear. If you are easily found on Social Media, you can use it to your advantage. Also make sure to refer to other pages on your website and it is even better if your page is referred to . In this way you come across as an ‘authority’.

4 Choose Crowdfunding

Do you have good ideas but not the financial means to accomplish this? Consider crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is not only a way to finance your project, but also helps to build up your publicity and creates positive Word of Mouth. Consequently, crowdfunding is a good way to test how your target group responds to your offered product or service, because they will finance your project. If people are not prepared to finance your project, perhaps the demand of your product or service is not as high as previously anticipated.

5 keep investing in existing clients

The continuous search for new clients is, as you can see above, a costly and time consuming occupation. Keeping your existing clients, therefore, is equally important. Make sure you have frequent contact with your clients, for whom you have finished your work, so they will use your services again in the future.

Sources:

www.mkbservicedesk.nl
www.pzo-zzp.nl
www.ikwordzzper.nl
www.ikgastarten.nl