10 Free Business Model Canvas Templates in Word and ClickUp

The foundation of a successful business is an effective business model—your organization won’t be able to get off the ground without one!

At the same time, creating your business model is no walk in the park, and you’ll likely need to lean on some or all of your resources in the development process. One of the most accessible and time-saving resources in this area is a business model canvas template, and if you don’t have one yet or are seeking a new one, you’ve come to the right place!

Follow along as we dive into the top FAQs, benefits, and features of the best business model canvas templates and 10 downloadable examples for any type of business.

What is a Business Model Canvas Template?

Business model canvas templates are pre-built and customizable tools to outline and visualize your business model on a single page. These documents quickly define your company’s unique value proposition, target audience, revenue, cost, resources, key partnerships, and more.

Without a template, developing your business model canvas can be a lengthy and difficult process. Plus, business model canvas templates reduce the margin for error and ensure you’re thinking strategically, working efficiently, and meeting your stakeholder’s expectations.

Business model canvas templates are also great resources to share with the entire team and keep everyone aligned on your organization’s long-term goals.

Qualities of a Successful Business Model Canvas Template

There are tons of simple, accessible, and free business model canvas templates available for virtually every business management software—but not all templates are created equally! Here are five must-have features to look for before downloading:

• Multiple views to customize the structure of your business model plan and how you visualize it
• Collaboration features to involve the team, stakeholders, and other departments
• Ease of use and simplicity to ensure you’re using the template correctly
• Flexibility to accommodate different company sizes, industries, and business models
• Multiple integrations to bring context and information from other work tools into your template

10 Business Model Canvas Templates

Searching for the perfect business model canvas template can be an overwhelming process.

Instead of fishing through pages of links or resorting to the trial-and-error method, start here with 10 of the best business model canvas templates for ClickUp and Microsoft. 

1. Business Model Canvas Template by ClickUp

The Business Model Canvas Template by ClickUp empowers teams to create new business models with ease on a collaborative Whiteboard. The template starts with nine main color-coded segments to structure your business model canvas:

• Key Partners
• Key Activities
• Value Proposition
• Customer Relationships
• Customer Segments
• Channels
• Key Resources
• Cost Structure
• Revenue Stream

Defining these segments will help you develop every element of your business model and give your organization the foundation to thrive. This template also prompts you to indicate the company you’re creating the business model for, along with the designer involved and the date of creation. You can also specify the version name and number if you plan on creating multiple iterations of a business model using this template. And since Whiteboards in ClickUp provide an infinite canvas, you’ll never run out of space developing your ideas.

2. Startup Business Canvas Template by ClickUp

Startups have unique planning requirements and need a tool that can build a solid foothold for the new company. The Startup Canvas Whiteboard Template by ClickUp was designed with this in mind, and why ClickUp itself is one of the best tools for startups in the planning phase. 

This template includes everything you need to gauge the feasibility of your startup business based on various parameters. The template includes 13 segments that cover nearly every aspect of your startup to help you fully realize your vision for the business. Easily name your organization’s key partners, the problem your business or product will solve, your target market, objectives, equipment costs, the key factor to your success, and more. 

This beginner-friendly Whiteboard template allows you to create a concise summary of your business, what you want to achieve with it, and how you can succeed. It can also serve as a skeletal roadmap for a more comprehensive business plan as your company grows.

3. Lean Canvas Template by ClickUp

The Lean Canvas Template by ClickUp helps business leaders identify the most crucial and dangerous assumptions in their organization. It’s especially helpful when launching a new product or service, as it presents all ideas and potential problems in an organized, easy-to-understand list. Another great resource for startups, this template isn’t just for the planning phase—you can use it multiple times to organize any area of your business throughout its lifecycle.

A little different than the Whiteboard diagrams we saw above, this template applies a pre-made List to your Workspace with three five views including ClickUp’s unique Form view, Kanban-like Board view, and Table view. Using these views, managers can choose how they visualize the issues at hand and can categorize them based on factors like customer segment, cost, metrics, channels, and more.

In this template, you’ll also find a detailed Getting Started Guide ClickUp Doc to support your setup process, three custom statuses, and eight Custom Fields to access key information quickly and directly from your tasks.

4. Business Planning Template by ClickUp

If you’re starting a new business idea, the Business Planning Template by ClickUp will help you develop a thorough business plan that leaves no areas overlooked. This details all tasks you and the team must complete and keep everything organized on a clear timeline.

This template will immediately prompt you to plug in your organization’s information, deadlines, and projects into ready-made tasks arranged on an interactive list, Kanban board, or table. With four custom statuses and three Custom Fields to add references, approvals, and sections to each task, this template is somewhat simpler to learn than the previous one but includes a comprehensive Business Plan ClickUp Doc to built-out your strategy.  

Ready to learn more about business strategy? Use this template along with another strategic planning template to ensure you’re taking the proper course of action.

5. Business Planning Document Template by ClickUp

If you’re not ready to put your business model plans into action, start with the Business Planning Document Template by ClickUp to fully outline and visualize your business strategy. What’s unique about this template is that it’s specifically and only for ClickUp Docs. And while it’s intuitive to learn and start using quickly, it’s by no means a simple one-pager!

The formatted Doc guides you from the top down. Starting with your company name, overview, background, and team, you’ll soon be prompted to define key metrics and research including:

• Your marketing analysis
• Sales and marketing strategy
• Operational strategy
• Milestones

And more! Plus, you can link tasks directly in your Business Plan Doc and turn any text into an action item, helping you act on new ideas the moment they come up. And with an automatically saved version history, collaborative live editing, and assigned comments, your Doc will remain updated and act as a referrable source of truth throughout the development of your business proposal and model.

6. Lean Business Plan Template by ClickUp

For something a bit less extensive than our other business plan and Whiteboard templates, you can make the most of your resources with this Lean Business Plan Template by ClickUp. 

In this template, you’ll have access to multiple views depending on your preferred layout including a dynamic List, a pre-built Kanban board, and multiple Help Docs. Within each view, you’ll find convenient sections for all of your key information including your plan summary, business model canvas, prioritized tasks, or notes.

In your plan summary, you can categorize your tasks by five different custom statuses, add multiple assignees for cross-functional teams, set deadlines, attach Docs, and more. This template will establish the bare bones of a business plan as you and your team get things done, working toward your business goals.

7. Business Ideation Template by ClickUp

Need the perfect tool to practice and develop your ideation techniques? Apply the Business Ideation Template by ClickUp to start mapping out new concepts. It’s also a great resource to have on hand during group discussions or brainstorming sessions. 

The template presents users with an Ideation Diagram that includes different segments to help categorize and organize ideas. You can jot down all ideas based on whether they’re process, product, or people-oriented. The legend indicates each category, and the Pool of Ideas segment will allow you and others to add certain general ideas that you can categorize later.

The entire diagram is highly visual and organized using ClickUp’s digital whiteboard software to capture and develop ideas the moment you have them.

8. ClickUp Business Brainstorming Template

Especially if you rely on ClickUp as brainstorming software, the Business Brainstorming Template by ClickUp will help you nurture new ideas. 

This template allows you to categorize ideas based on:

• What you love
• What you know
• What people need
• What people will pay for 

Include multiple people on your Whiteboard diagram and use collaborative detection to see viewing your work and edit alongside each other without overlap.

This unique visual aid will make everyone feel like they’re actively contributing to discussions and brainstorming sessions, even if you work asynchronously. You can also take this template a step further and use your completed diagram to prioritize newer ideas and determine what’s worth exploring further.

9. Business Model Canvas Template for Microsoft Word

Another option to help develop your business model is the Microsoft Word Business Model Canvas Template. It’s similar to ClickUp’s business model canvas templates and allows for simple organization of the various facets of your company.

Using this basic template, you can establish multiple key details about your business model including key partners and suppliers, your value proposition, and relationships. Identify the channels you’ll need to use to reach your customers, along with the resources required for each activity. In addition, you can add information about revenue streams and cost structure.

This tool is free to download and allows for instant use through Microsoft Word. If simplicity is something you’re looking for from your business model canvas template, this is a good place to start.

10. Blank Business Model Canvas Template for Microsoft Word

Looking for a different Word template to build your next business plan? This Blank Business Model Canvas Template is a little more complex and flexible than the previous document—it’s also free to download!

This template gives you and members of your team a centralized view of your business model, keeping everyone on the same page, literally and figuratively. It takes the segments from the template above and presents them in a diagram format. You can view all key partners, activities, and more in organized sections and add details in the form of sticky notes. Choose from different formatting options, including colors, fonts, and arrangements to optimize how you present your data.

Find the right business model canvas template for your company

Choosing the right business model template is essential for developing a successful plan that aligns with your business goals and objectives. With a variety of options available, it can be overwhelming to find the ideal template that fits your specific requirements.

ClickUp’s extensive Template Library offers a range of customizable templates to streamline your business planning process and achieve your goals. Plus, you can access any template, hundreds of productivity features, and over 1,000 integrations for free when you sign up for ClickUp today.